Updated:
Motu Ventures
Motu Ventures is a seed fund that invests in first-round financing for seed-stage companies. The firm has made 15 investments, including a Series A - II...
Motu Ventures
Motu Ventures is a seed fund that invests in first-round financing for seed-stage companies. The firm has made 15 investments, including a Series A - II investment in LiveEO on August 05, 2022. Motu Ventures has 4 portfolio exits, with Opinary exiting on July 24, 2023.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2013
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Berlin
Corporate office
Berlin, Germany
Principals
Philipp Semmer
General Partner
Michael Schmitt
General Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Motu Ventures?
Philipp Semmer and Michael Schmitt operate as general partners and make all investment decisions. Semmer manages the fund's business, legal and administrative affairs, while Schmitt leads technical diligence, drawing on his experience as an Engineering Director at Google. The firm's size means every term sheet carries the direct conviction of both partners.
How is Motu Ventures related to Earlybird?
In October 2021, Motu's partners launched Earlybird-X, a seed fund focused on deep tech, in partnership with Earlybird. The legacy Motu Ventures portfolio remains under the original vehicle, but new seed investments flow through the Earlybird-X structure. The move embeds the partnership within a larger platform while preserving a dedicated portfolio.
What investment stages does Motu Ventures target?
Motu Ventures writes exclusively seed-stage checks. The firm targets deep tech software companies across Europe at the earliest institutional entry point. The partnership's operational background means they typically engage before formal Series A processes are underway.
Which sectors does Motu Ventures explicitly target?
The firm invests in deep tech software, a category that includes enterprise learning platforms, satellite data analytics, AI-based cancer diagnostics, remote physical therapy tools, accounts-receivable automation and climate-neutral building technology. The unifying thread is technical complexity where operator-level guidance matters to founders.
Does Motu Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Motu Ventures deploys capital through direct seed-stage investments. The partnership's model is built on active, hands-on engagement with portfolio companies rather than fund-of-funds allocations, though the Earlybird-X structure now gives the team adjacency to a broader institutional platform.
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.
Need institutional-grade insight on venture capital firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: