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La Famiglia
La Famiglia was founded in 2016 by Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, who brought a network of European industrial family enterprises into the venture capital...
La Famiglia
La Famiglia was founded in 2016 by Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, who brought a network of European industrial family enterprises into the venture capital structure. Based in Berlin and Munich, the firm was built to connect traditional Mittelstand and large-cap industrial companies with early-stage technology startups across Europe and the United States. The founding thesis held that Europe's industrial base needed a dedicated channel to innovation, and that startups selling into complex industrial supply chains needed capital partners who could unlock first customers. The firm invests primarily at Seed and Series A, with reserve capacity for follow-on rounds into Series B. Sector focus spans enterprise software, industrial technology, robotics, AI/ML applications, climate tech, and mobility. La Famiglia participates in both direct equity and co-investment structures, often syndicating with peer venture funds and corporate venture arms. Confirmed portfolio companies include Forto, the Berlin-based freight forwarding platform; KONUX, the Munich AI-driven railway infrastructure monitoring company; and Ynsect, a French insect-farming business with industrial agriculture applications. Geographic concentration is in Germany, France, and the broader DACH region, with selective investments in US-based startups that have European industrial relevance. Total deployment sits above €230 million across two core fund vintages, with a team of approximately 22 professionals operating from Berlin and Munich offices. In June 2022, La Famiglia closed its second fund at over €160 million, attracting commitments from institutional LPs alongside the European industrial families that seeded Fund I. The firm maintains an advisory board composed of industrial executives who facilitate commercial introductions between portfolio companies and potential enterprise customers. No philanthropic foundation or adjacent club structure is publicly linked to the firm. Structurally, La Famiglia is distinct in formalizing the relationship between industrial family capital and venture-scale technology startups. Rather than operating as a corporate venture arm tied to one balance sheet, the firm aggregates demand from multiple industrial groups — creating a portfolio that diversifies across multiple innovation vectors without strategic conflict. The successor fund raised in 2022 brought institutional capital alongside family LPs, transitioning the firm from a family-backed vehicle to a hybrid institutional platform while retaining the industrial-access thesis.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2016
AUM
€250M – €350M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Berlin
Corporate office
Berlin, Germany
Additional offices
Munich, Germany
Principals
Jeannette zu Fürstenberg
Founding Partner
Dr. Judith Dada
General Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at La Famiglia?
Investment decisions are led by Founding Partner Jeannette zu Fürstenberg and General Partner Dr. Judith Dada. Zu Fürstenberg established the firm in 2016 and drives the core thesis linking industrial families to venture-stage technology. Dada, who joined from the Berlin startup ecosystem, leads deal execution and portfolio support. The partnership operates with a flat decision-making structure, typical of European early-stage venture firms of this size.
How does La Famiglia source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's sourcing model relies on its network of European industrial family offices and corporate partners, who often surface startups that are selling into complex industrial supply chains. This provides early visibility into companies before they run broad institutional fundraising processes. La Famiglia also cultivates relationships with research universities and technical institutes across the DACH region, particularly in Munich and Berlin.
Does La Famiglia participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
La Famiglia invests directly into portfolio companies and co-invests alongside other venture capital firms, but does not operate a fund-of-funds program. The firm sources, underwrites, and leads rounds, often bringing co-investors from its network of industrial families and institutional partners. Capital is deployed exclusively through its commingled venture funds.
What investment stages does La Famiglia typically target?
The firm focuses on Seed and Series A rounds, with a reserve allocation for follow-on investments into Series B. Initial check sizes typically range from €2 million to €8 million, depending on stage and syndicate composition. La Famiglia occasionally participates in pre-Seed rounds for founders emerging from its industrial network who are building in targeted verticals.
Which sectors does La Famiglia explicitly avoid?
La Famiglia does not invest in consumer internet, B2C marketplaces, media, entertainment, or pure-play financial technology. The firm's mandate is explicitly industrial: enterprise software, industrial automation, robotics, AI/ML applications for physical industries, climate technology with hardware components, and mobility infrastructure. Biotech and therapeutics are also excluded.
How is La Famiglia related to the European industrial families that backed its first fund?
The firm was founded to aggregate capital and strategic access from multiple European industrial families, including the zu Fürstenberg family and others in the German Mittelstand. These families served as anchor LPs in Fund I and contributed to the firm's advisory board, which facilitates commercial introductions for portfolio companies. Fund II diversified the LP base to include institutional investors while retaining several original family backers.
What is La Famiglia's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
La Famiglia actively co-invests with other venture capital firms, particularly in deals where multiple sector-specialist funds are building a syndicate. The firm has co-invested alongside European and US venture funds including those focused on industrial technology and deep tech. Co-investment enables larger check deployment without leading every round, and aligns with the firm's role as a commercial-access bridge for startups.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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