EXPLORE OUR COMPANIES
Our investment team has more than 20 years of experience in founding, managing and investing in over 60 startups.
STS Ventures invests in start-ups in the DACH region. We are stage- and industry agnostic, but typically seek for pre-seed and seed-stage investments. We fill the gap between business angels and traditional venture capital firms. Sure, like most VCs, we welcome unicorn start-ups with hockey stick growth. But, we really love start-ups that achieve capital-efficient, sustainable growth. With Stephan, you will gain a partner with experience in building firms with a clear path to profitability.
ACTIVE PORTFOLIO
TalentSpace
Talentspace is the first all-in-one live online recruiting event platform that allows clients to host recruiting events online and lets talents and employers connect and interact digitally.
TalentSpace
Talentspace is the first all-in-one live online recruiting event platform that allows clients to host recruiting events online and lets talents and employers connect and interact digitally.
Website: talentspace.io
Founded in: 2017
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Board member
Berlin
Headquartered in
JustWatch
JustWatch collects user profiles of millions of cinema goers and learns their individual movie taste.
JustWatch
JustWatch collects user profiles of millions of cinema goers and learns their individual movie taste. JustWatch uses this data to run highly efficient trailer campaigns for movie studios, distributors and VOD services.
Website: justwatch.com
Founded in: 2014
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Largest Investor
Berlin
Headquartered in
November
November provides end of life services in an online/offline business model.
November
November provides end of life services, e.g. funeral and death care services in an online/offline business model. They cater to the wishes of clients before and at the time of need.
Website: november.de
Founded in: 2016
Initial Investment in: 2017
Role: Seed Investor
Berlin
Headquartered in
Mailo
mailo is an insurance company offering all kinds of insurance products targeted at SMEs.
Mailo
mailo is an insurance company offering all kinds of insurance products targeted at SMEs.
Website: mailo.de
Founded in: 2017
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Largest Investor, Board Member
Cologne
Headquartered in
UpsellGuru
UpsellGuru is a room up-selling system that allows hotels to offer their guests upgrades through a bidding system.
UpsellGuru
UpsellGuru is a room up-selling system that allows hotels to offer their guests upgrades through a bidding system.
Website: UpsellGuru.com
Founded in: 2016
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Largest Investor
Dortmund
Headquartered in
ottonova
ottonova is Germany's first digital private health insurance.
ottonova
ottonova is Germany's first digital private health insurance and has won awards like "Testsieger" Stiftung Warentest and Wirtschaftswoche.
Website: ottonova.de
Founded in: 2015
Initial Investment in: 2017
Role: Angel
Munich
Headquartered in
talent360
Talent360 is a solution driven platform that helps high volume recruiters run successful recruitment campaigns.
talent360
Talent360 is a solution driven platform that helps high volume recruiters run successful recruitment campaigns. The software posts job advertisements to the right platforms in a data and budget-optimized way while providing continuous support throughout the recruitment process.
Website: talent360.io
Founded in: 2019
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Largest Investor
Berlin
Headquartered in
Sourc-e
Sourc-e is a cloud-based procurement tool that digitizes the procurement process for printed products.
Sourc-e
Sourc-e is a cloud-based procurement tool that digitizes the procurement process for printed products.
Website: sourc-e.com
Founded in: 2016
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Largest Investor
Cologne
Headquartered in
Baqend
Baqend accelerates existing websites without the need to deploy additional hardware or infrastructure.
Baqend
With its software tool "Speed Kit", Baqend significantly accelerates existing websites without the need to deploy additional hardware or infrastructure.
Website: baqend.com
Founded in: 2014
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Largest Investor
Hamburg
Headquartered in
B2X
B2X is a leading provider of customer care solutions for electronic devices to manufacturers, insurance providers, mobile network operators and retailers globally.
B2X
B2X is a leading provider of customer care solutions for electronic devices to manufacturers, insurance providers, mobile network operators and retailers globally.
Website: b2x.com
Founded in: 2007
Initial Investment in: 2015
Role: Angel
Munich
Headquartered in
Deutsche Fensterbau
Deutsche Fensterbau is a lead-generation platform in the window industry.
Deutsche Fensterbau
Deutsche Fensterbau is a lead-generation platform in the window industry.
Website: deutsche-fensterbau.de
Founded in: 2014
Initial Investment in: 2015
Role: Angel
Berlin
Headquartered in
Ampido
Ampido is the first german c2c parking lot finder, where owners of driveways, garages or parking spaces can rent their parking lot on a short-term (instant booking) or long-term basis.
Ampido
Ampido is the first german c2c parking lot finder, where owners of driveways, garages or parking spaces can rent their parking lot on a short-term (instant booking) or long-term basis. Many drive-ways, garages and private parking spaces are empty and unused over 80% of the day. These resourcen can now be rented on ampido. Car drivers can use the ampido App to find the next parking lot and book as well as pay via their smartphones.
Website: ampido.com
Founded in: 2012
Initial Investment in: 2016
Role: Angel
Cologne
Headquartered in
Purefood
Purefood sells healthy, natural and organic food.
Purefood
Purefood sells healthy, natural and organic food.
Website: purefood.de
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Business Angel
Elmshorn
Headquartered in
Air B’n’B
Air B'n'B is the World’s leading online platform for private rental.
Air B’n’B
Air B'n'B is the World’s leading online platform for private rental.
Website: airbnb.de
Founded in: 2008
Initial Investment in: 2018
JoinMyTrip
JoinMyTrip is a travel platform that enables group travels by connecting TripMasters and TripMates.
JoinMyTrip
JoinMyTrip is a travel platform that enables group travels by connecting TripMasters and TripMates. TripMasters plan, organize, and guide individual vacation trips, while TripMates pay for and take part in the trip.
Website: joinmytrip.de
Founded in: 2017
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Angel
Hamburg
Headquartered in
Retail.me
Retail.me connects manufacturers, retailers, and store managers in the German food retail industry through a digital platform.
Retail.me
Retail.me connects manufacturers, retailers, and store managers in the German food retail industry through a digital platform. By providing direct contact to the decision makers online, Retail.me helps manufacturers reduce field sales costs.
Website: retail.me
Founded in: 2016
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Seed Investor
Hamburg
Headquartered in
Swaarm
Swaarm is a performance based marketing platform that provides an innovative martech tracking solution.
Swaarm
Swaarm is a performance based marketing platform that provides an innovative martech tracking solution for agencies, advertisers and networks to manage, track, analyze and optimize their marketing campaigns at scale across mobile devices.
Website: swaarm.com
Founded in: 2020
Initial Investment in: 2021
Role: Seed Investor
Berlin
Headquartered in
Acorns
Acorns is a US FinTech that makes retirement savings a daily routine.
Acorns
Acorns is a US FinTech that makes retirement savings a daily routine. Acorns gives users multiple saving options, ranging from saving spare change to earning extra money from gigs and educating users to spend smarter at the same time. Acorns uses a subscription model instead of an exclusively provision based approach. For our fund Acorns is an opportunity investment.
Website: acorns.com
Founded in: 2012
Initial Investment in: 2021
Role: Investor
Irvine, California
Headquartered in
X-Bionic
X-Bionic is a Swiss technology sports brand, which has been boosting athletes' performance for more than 20 years.
X-Bionic
X-Bionic is a Swiss technology sports brand, which has been boosting athletes' performance for more than 20 years. The brand, which has won several innovation awards, is known for its functional clothing that helps athletes maintain an optimal body temperature through reliable thermal regulation.
Website: x-bionic.com
Founded in: 1998
Initial Investment in: 2021
Role: Investor
Wollerau, Switzerland
Headquartered in
Erste Hausverwaltung
Erste Hausverwaltung is a newly founded private property management holding platform with a buy-and-build approach in the German small cap market segment.
Erste Hausverwaltung
Erste Hausverwaltung is a newly founded private property management holding platform with a buy-and-build approach in the German small cap market segment. The company acquires small businesses and benefits from instant profitable cash flows and multiple arbitrage. It leverages proptech software to centralize, digitize, and automate back office processes.
Website: erste-hausverwaltung.de
Founded in: 2021
Initial Investment in: 2021
Role: Pre-Seed Investor
Cologne
Headquartered in
TCG Vault
TCG Vault smartly catapults trading card games such as 'Magic: The Gathering' or 'Pokémon' into the digital age.
TCG Vault
Founded in mid-2021, the company smartly catapults trading card games such as 'Magic: The Gathering' or 'Pokémon' into the digital age. The platform unifies reliable card valuation, trading opportunities and deck building for passionate trading card gamers on a global scale.
Website: TCG Vault
Founded in: 2019
Initial Investment in: 2022
Role: Largest Investor
Replique
Replique connects OEMs with a global network of 80+ trusted 3D-print farms, enabling on-demand production of industrial parts with ease and in repeatable quality.
Replique
Replique offers OEMs a digital platform to order 3D-printed spare parts for their B2B and B2C clients on demand, without obeying to minimum order quantities or long lead times. The IP of the OEMs remains protected through encryption on Replique’s platform and Replique’s direct access to the 3D printers of the connected external print farms all around the world. This allows customers to “digitize” their warehousing while improving availability of their respective spare parts and drastically reducing working capital.
Website: replique.io
Founded in: 2023
Initial Investment in: 2023
Role: Lead Investor
SUSHI BIKES
SUSHI sells the SUSHI Bike, a low-cost but good-quality e- bike.
SUSHI BIKES
SUSHI BIKES designs, produces and sells affordable e-bikes centered around appealing bike designs. SUSHI BIKES leverages cost efficiencies wherever feasible to lower sales prices. For example, they sell direct to consumer (D2C), eliminating the price mark ups of intermediate retailers, and source the e-bikes near shore in Portugal (instead of Asia) to combine good quality with less supply chain cost.
Website: sushi-bikes.com
Founded in: 2019
Initial Invetsment in: 2023
Role: Investor
TRITOLO
TRITOLO is a cloud-based platform for building materials manufacturers and retailers and allows them to pprocess bill of quantities at a faster rate.
TRITOLO
Tritolo offers builder’s merchants a software solution to handle those requests-for-quotations much faster. The artificial intelligence of Tritolo scans the construction plan and provides a list of the required materials within seconds. In an upcoming iteration of the software, it will be able to automatically provide a price calculation for the sales offer to the construction company combined with proposals for alternative and/or cheaper materials.
Website: tritolo.com
Founded in: 2021
Initial Investment in: 2023
Role: Lead Investor
ALUMNI
Audibene
Audibene advises millions of people with hearing loss in choosing the right hearing aid.
Audibene
Audibene advises millions of people with hearing loss in choosing the right hearing aid. Audibene uses an internet-based and data-driven approach for making it easier than ever before finding the right hearing aid. The company operates in many countries worldwide.
Website: audibene.de
Founded in: 2012
Initial investment in: 2012
Role: Largest angel, board member
Exit: Sold to EQT in 2015
2015
Exited in
MediDate
MediDate is a virtual clinic operator for plastic aesthetic procedures and brings patients, specialists and premium clinics together.
MediDate
As a virtual clinic operator for plastic aesthetic procedures, Medidate brings patients, specialists and premium clinics together.
Website: medidate.de
Founded in: 2015
Initial Investment in: 2017
Role: Largest Angel, Board member
2020
Insolvency in
shoeboxed
Shoeboxed is a receipt and e-receipt organizing company.
shoeboxed
Shoeboxed is a receipt and e-receipt organizing company which offers a fast and easy way to turn a pile of receipts into organized digital data.
Website: shoeboxed.com
Founded in: 2008
Initial Investment in: 2009
Role: Angel
Exit: Sold to PE in 2018
2018
Exited in
kaufDA
kaufDA inspires millions of shoppers each month by connecting them with their favorite brands & retailers.
kaufDA
kaufDA inspires millions of shoppers each month by connecting them with their favorite brands & retailers. kaufDA was named startup of the year by Gründerszene in 2009 and became the most downloaded application in German app stores by 2010. kaufDA has expanded its network to more than 5,000 retailers and brands, and has inspired more than 120 million consumers worldwide.
Website: kaufda.de
Founded in: 2008
Initial investment in: 2009
Role: Seed investor, Board Member
Exit: Sold to Axel Spring in 2011
2011
Exited in
Emma – The Sleep Company
Emma is the largest Direct to Consumer company for mattresses outside the US. The company sells its products in more than 25 countries.
Emma – The Sleep Company
Emma is the largest Direct to Consumer company for mattresses outside the US. The company sells its products in more than 25 countries.
Website: team.emma-sleep.com
Founded in: 2013
Initial investment in: 2015
Role: Largest investor, board member
Exit: Sold to Haniel in 2020
2020
Exited in
TEATOX
Teatox is a lifestyle brand which offers organic wellness teas.
TEATOX
Teatox is a lifestyle brand that offers organic wellness teas.
Website: teatox.de
Founded in: 2013
Initial Investment in: 2015
Role: Largest Angel, Board member
Exit: Sold to Purefood in 2019
2019
Exited in
Onvista
Onvista is the leading stock market online portal in Germany.
Onvista
Onvista is the leading stock market online portal in Germany. In 2007 the company in addition became a significant discount broker for the German market.
Website: onvista.de
Founded in: 1998
Role: Founder
Exit: Sold to Société Générale in 2007. Today belongs to Commerzbank
2007
Exited in
Finanzen 100
Finanzen100 is a leading mobile financial information portal in German speaking countries.
Finanzen 100
Finanzen100 is a leading mobile financial information portal in German speaking countries.
Website: finanzen100.de
Founded in:: 2008
Role: Founder
Exit: Sold to Burda in 2010
2010
Exited in
Weissmaler
Weissmaler aimed to pioneer the digitalization of the painters and floorlayers industry.
Weissmaler
Weissmaler aimed to pioneer the digitalization of the painters and floor layers industry.
Website: weissmaler.de
Founded in: 2015
Initial Investment in: 2016
Role: Largest Angel
2018
Insolvency in
Reputami
Reputami offers online reputation management tools to the hospitality industry.
Reputami
Reputami offers online reputation management tools to the hospitality industry.
Website: reputami.com
Founded in: 2012
Initial Investment in: 2013
Role: Largest Angel
Exit: Sold to eKomi in 2015
2015
Exited in
AbeBooks
AbeBooks is an online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books from thousands of sellers.
AbeBooks
AbeBooks is an online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books from thousands of sellers.
Website: abebooks.de
Founded in: 1999
Initial investment in: 1999
Role: Largest Angel
Exit: Sold to Amazon in 2008
2008
Exited in
carsale 24
Carsale24 is the unique online platform where individuals can sell their car free of charge.
carsale 24
Carsale24 is the unique online platform where individuals can sell their car free of charge.
Website: carsale24.com
Founded in: 2010
Initial investment in: 2011
Role: Largest Angel, Board member
Exit: Sold to Kroschke in 2013
2013
Exited in
netmoms
netmoms is a community portal for all topics related to young moms.
netmoms
netmoms is a community portal for all topics related to young moms.
Website: netmoms.de
Founded in: 2007
Initial investment in: 2007
Role: Largest shareholder, board member
Exit: Sold to Burda in 2012
2012
Exited in
IS. Teledata
IS. Teledata is the largest European software company for internet based customized financial market information systems.
IS. Teledata
IS. Teledata is the largest European software company for internet based customized financial market information systems.
Website: isteledata.de
Founded in: 1999
Role: Founder
Exit: Sold to Interactive Data in 2005. Today belongs to Factset
2005
Exited in
lingoda
Lingoda is an online language school.
lingoda
Lingoda is an online language school.
Website: lingoda.com
Founded in: 2013
Initial Investment in: 2013
Role: Largest Angel
Exit: Sold to VC in 2013
2013
Exited in
Pixsy
Pixsy is a platform that supports photographers in the fight against image theft.
Pixsy
Pixsy is a platform that supports photographers in the fight against image theft.
Website: pixsy.com
Founded in: 2014
Initial Investment in: 2015
Role: Largest Investor
Exit: Sold to PE in 2018
2018
Exited in
Zooplus
Zooplus is the leading pet food ecommerce company in Euope with more than 1 billion EUR in revenue.
Zooplus
Zooplus is the leading pet food ecommerce company in Euope with more than 1 billion EUR in revenue.
Website: zooplus.de
Founded in : 1999
Initial Investment: 2009 via several off-market transactions
Role: Investor
Exit: Sold to stock market
Ligatus
Ligatus is Europe’s largest lead generation platform. The company partners with all large websites by posting links and sharing revenue.
Ligatus
Ligatus is Europe’s largest lead generation platform. The company partners with all large websites by posting links and sharing revenue.
Website: ligatus.de
Founded in: 2004
Role: Founder
Exit: Sold to Gruner & Jahr in 2007. Today belongs to Outbrain
2007
Exited in
Locarta
Locarta offers an app that provides actionable mobile insights for the physical world.
Locarta
Locarta offers an app that provides actionable mobile insights for the physical world.
Initial Investment in: 2015
Role: Largest Angel
2019
Insolvency in
Spotify
Spotify is the world’s largest music streaming platform.
Spotify
Spotify is the world’s largest music streaming platform.
Website: spotify.com
Founded in: 2006
Initial Investment in: 2017
Exit : Sold to stock market
Klima.metrix
Klima.metrix builds the easiest and quickest footprint calculation software for companies according to common global calculation standards.
Klima.metrix
Klima.metrix builds the easiest and quickest footprint calculation software for companies according to common global calculation standards.
Website: klimametrix.global
Founded in: 2019
Initial Investment in: 2020
Role: Largest Investor
Exit: Sold to private investors in 2021
Berlin
Headquartered in
Snapbus
Snapbus offers easy booking in the charter bus travel sector.
Snapbus
Snapbus offers reliable instant pricing and comparison of tour operators and brings together travelers and bus companies for a unique chartered-bus experience on a platform. In 2021, Snapbus was acquired by Deutsche Bahn.
Website: snapbus.de
Founded in: 2017
Initial Investment in: 2018
Role: Angel
Exit: Sold to Deutsche Bahn in 2021
DB Regio
Exited to
autengo
autengo offers a management software solution to used car dealers which digitizes and streamlines the sales process, inventory management, and customer communication.
autengo
autengo offers a management software solution to used car dealers which digitizes and streamlines the sales process, inventory management, and customer communication. The software tool saves the car dealer hours of work every week and ensures greater customer satisfaction.
Website: autengo.com
Founded in: 2016
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Largest Investor
Exit: Sold to SAITOW AG
Frankfurt
Headquartered in
Vantik
Vantik offers a retirement account for the independent.
Vantik
Vantik is the provider of the first flexible pension plan in Europe. The retirement plan can be completed and managed entirely via smartphone.
Website: vantik.com
Founded in: 2017
Initial Investment in: 2019
Role: Seed Investor, Board member
Berlin
Headquartered in
Movinga
Movinga is a vertically integrated platform for moving services.
Movinga
Movinga is a vertically integrated platform for moving services.
Website: movinga.com
Founded in: 2015
Initial Investment in: 2016
Role: Angel
Berlin
Headquartered in