#Interview
“Like many other players in the scene, we clearly felt the lack of improvement in the economic conditions in Germany. This was also noticeable in some of our portfolio companies,” says Peter Lauerbach from vent.io
Behind vent.io is the digital subsidiary and corporate venture capital (CVC) unit of the renowned financial services company Deutsche Leasing. “Our goal is to connect startups with German medium-sized businesses and to realize scalable innovations together,” says the team on their own behalf.
vent.io’s portfolio includes emerging companies such as Unchained Robotics, Rabot Energy, Voltfang, Syte, truckoo, Enlyze and CheckAndRent.com. As a rule, vent.io invests up to 1.5 million euros in young companies (Seed, Series A).
In an interview with deutsche-startups.de, Peter Lauerbach, Head of Investment at vent.io, looks back in detail on almost the past year.
2025 is almost over. What was the highlight for you in the last few months?
A highlight for us was, among other things, the expansion of our portfolio to include two promising new investments: Voltfang and WeSort.AI. Voltfang develops innovative battery storage solutions from second-life batteries and thus makes an important contribution to sustainable energy supply. WeSort.AI, on the other hand, relies on AI-based sorting solutions for recycling and waste management, thereby bringing digitalization and efficiency to an area that is central to the circular economy. What was particularly pleasing was the sometimes very strong growth of some of our portfolio companies, which were able to hold their own in a challenging market environment.
What didn’t go well for you in 2025?
Like many other players in the scene, we clearly felt the lack of improvement in the economic conditions in Germany. This was also noticeable in some of our portfolio companies, especially when it came to financing, growth and general willingness to invest.
Which project is at the top of your agenda in 2026?
The further development and strategic alignment of our investment and cooperation structures is on the agenda for the coming year. We want to make our structures even more flexible and future-proof in order to strengthen our support for existing portfolio companies and at the same time integrate new, strategically relevant start-ups into our portfolio.
What are your economic expectations for 2026?
I look forward to the new year with a mixture of hope and realism. There is great hope that we will finally see a turnaround and the necessary political reforms that will get the German economy going again. At the same time, the expectation remains that we will continue to have to deal with uncertainties, but can also take advantage of opportunities for innovation and growth.
What have you personally planned for 2026?
I would like to live even more consciously and take some digital time off from my cell phone and laptop every now and then in order to be able to think about important topics in a more concentrated and reflective manner. This should not only increase my productivity, but also my quality of life.
Tip: You can find more reviews and outlooks in our Annual review.
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Photo (above): vent.io
