#DealMonitor
+++ #DealMonitor +++ Schwarz Group relies on 1Global +++ Nesto receives 11 million +++ XO Life gets 4 million +++ Peak Quantum collects 2.2 million +++ SchuBu receives millions +++ Lucy Group buys Nuventura +++ AlphaPet Ventures takes over animal lovers +++
In the #DealMonitor For April 14th we will take a look at the most important, exciting and interesting investments and exits of the day in the DACH region. All deals from the previous days are available in a large and clear format #DealMonitor Archives.
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INVESTMENTS
1Global
+++ The Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland and Co.) joins 1Global and secures 9.9% of the company. “The collaboration with 1Global is set to last exclusively for five years, and it will acquire shares worth an estimated $80 million,” reports Handelsblatt. The startup, founded in London in 2023 by Auto1 founder Hakan Koç, offers telecommunications services. Companies can use 1Global to sell data volumes or eSIMs without having their own physical mobile network. The retail chain Lidl now wants to significantly expand its mobile phone offerings with 1Global. “100+ million Lidl Plus users in up to 30 European countries will get access to affordable, flexible mobile connectivity in the next years,” writes Koç about the Schwarz Group’s entry. More about 1Global
Nesto
+++ The English growth investor Expedition Growth Capital is investing 11 million euros in Nesto. The Karlsruhe-based company, founded in 2017 by Felix Kaiser and Theodor Ackbarow, offers an AI-supported platform for human resources management in restaurant chains, hotels and amusement parks. “The system acts as a digital copilot for branch managers – from planning through control to operational implementation,” is what the concept says. With the fresh capital, the team would like to “further expand its AI capabilities and advance international expansion.” More about Nesto
XO Life
+++ The Croatian investor Fil Rouge Capital, Sandwater, Grazia Equity, Vi Partners and Bayern Kapital are investing 4 million euros in XO Life. The Munich-based company, founded in 2018 by Friderike Bruchmann and Johannes Bachhuber, relies on a “global meta-platform for digital patient support and therapy support”. “This investment allows us to accelerate the development of our brite platform, leverage AI across all functions and automate pharma onboarding across entire portfolios,” the team said. Around 9 million had previously flowed into the company – including from Sandwater, Grazia Equity, Vi Partners, Bayern Kapital, aescuvest and Isartal Ventures. Sandwater from Norway most recently held 10.6% of XO Life. More about XO Life
Peak Quantum
+++ The English investor Cloudberry Ventures, United Founders, QAI Ventures, Golden Egg Check and business angels are investing 2.2 million euros in Peak Quantum. In total, the team has already collected “more than 5 million” – including funding. The startup from Munich, founded in 2024 by Leon Koch, Alexander Schult, Thomas Luschmann, Max Werninghaus, Ivan Tsitsilin and Kedar Honasoge, has set itself the task of initiating the next phase of quantum computing by developing superconducting quantum processors (QPUs). “With the current financing, we are accelerating our technological development and laying the foundation for industrial production,” says the team. More about Peak Quantum
SchuBu
+++ VerVieVas, Johannes Woithon, Erste Social Finance and the European Social Innovation and Impact Fund (ESIIF) are investing a seven-figure sum in SchuBu – see incubator. The EdTech from Vienna, founded in 2020, positions itself as an “interactive textbook”. The team would like to use the fresh capital to “drive expansion in the DACH region”.
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Lucy Group – Nuventura
+++ The English company Lucy Group is taking over the Berlin DeepTech startup Nuventura. “By joining Lucy Electric, Nuventura gains access to a strong global footprint, established customer relationships, and industrial scale — enabling faster deployment of its technology across utilities, renewable energy projects, and industrial applications worldwide,” the company said. Nuventura, founded in 2017 by Fabian Lemke and Manjunath Ramesh, positions itself as a provider of sustainable power grid technology. The team produces switchgear that does not contain the climate-damaging greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride. Mirova Environment Acceleration Capital, Forward.one, the European Innovation Council Fund as well as the existing investors IBB Ventures, ADB Ventures, Cycle Group, Future Energy Ventures and DOEN Participaties recently invested 25 million euros in Nuventura. A total of 35 million euros have flowed into the company in recent years. Mirova most recently held around 22% of Nuventura. Forward.One was on board with 10%. IBB Ventures recently held just under 7%. More about Nuventura
AlphaPet Ventures – Animal lover
+++ The Munich-based pet food company AlphaPet Ventures is taking over the Berlin-based company Tierfreund (food supplements and functional snacks for pets), which was founded in 2016. “The acquisition was financed through a combination of equity and debt capital. Patria Investments took on the role of lead investor in the financing round, with a significant contribution from Venture Stars and the support of existing AlphaPet shareholders,” it says about the takeover. The takeover of Tierfreund is the sixth acquisition in six years that AlphaPet Ventures (formed in 2016 from the merger of pets Premium and ePetWorld) has made. Most recently, the company took over the Belgian company Cpro Food, a so-called premium brand for dog and cat food. More about AlphaPet Ventures
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