Essen · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 19 people tracked
Also known as TEV Ventures
Find your way into Cusp Capital
3,506 people in our graph share verified history with the Cusp Capital team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Cusp Capital invests in technology companies it believes are on the cusp of transforming society and business. The firm concentrates its investments around selected theses rather than investing broadly, prioritizing extraordinary ideas and the entrepreneurs pursuing them. Beyond capital, Cusp positions itself as a hands-on partner, offering portfolio founders and their teams support from in-house experts spanning finance, HR, marketing and ESG. It emphasizes long-term partnership to help companies overcome obstacles as they scale.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 19 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
What they invest in
from 24 of 29 portfolio companiesSaaS ×18AI & Machine Learning ×14Enterprise Software ×9Cloud Computing ×4Developer Tools ×3Fintech ×3Advanced Manufacturing ×2Circular Economy ×2
HQs:Germany×7Spain×3Switzerland×1France×1United States×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 13 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×52 founders×53 founders×24+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 17 founders with education data
Leibniz Universität Hannover ×2Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×2Technical University of Munich ×2Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 17 founders with career history
Energieheld GmbH ×2LinkedIn ×2
Investments · 29 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22023 · 12017 · 14 dated
2501 builds an AIOps platform with autonomous agents that monitor, predict, and remediate infrastructure issues without human intervention, aimed at enterprise, government, and financial services operations teams.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareParis, FR
Alex Zhuk(Founder)in
Co-investorsKfundKima VenturesGalion.exeAxeleo Capital
Cusp Capital is a European venture capital firm that invests across enterprise software, infrastructure, deeptech, and sustainable businesses, supporting portfolio companies through operational expertise and strategic guidance.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareSaaSBerlin, DE
Cindy Candrian(Co-founder)Anne Scherer(Co-founder)
BoardCarolin(Investment Team Member)Jan(Investment Team Member)Christian(Investment Team Member)Maximilian(Investment Team Member)
Co-investorsKfW CapitalPeak
Acto is an AI sales tool for wholesale distributors that analyzes ERP and CRM data to give field sales teams weekly recommendations on which customers need attention, churn risks, and cross-sell/upsell opportunities.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech
Co-investors468 Capital
CarbonCloud calculates product carbon footprints for food companies using an AI engine that derives emissions from a company's bill of materials.
AI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechFoodTechSaaS
David Bryngelsson(Founder)in
Co-investorsPeakMaki.vcTS Ventures
CertHub provides software for medical device manufacturers to streamline compliance documentation and regulatory submissions under MDR, IVDR, and other EU regulations.
Medical DevicesSaaSMunich, DE
Leon Kobinger(Founder)in
Co-investorsD11Z
Confluent provides a cloud-native platform for real-time data streaming and movement, enabling organizations to connect applications and respond to business events as they occur.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareMountain View, US
Neha Narkhede(Co-founder; former Chief Technology Officer and board member)inJay Kreps(Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer)inJun Rao(Co-founder)inEdward (Jay) Kreps(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardMatthew Miller(Director)Eric Vishria(Director)
Co-investorsAlkeon InnovationAltimeter CapitalAxevil CapitalBattery VenturesCoatue ManagementDCVC (Data Collective)+13 more
Delta Labs develops custom AI solutions, with its main product Elaiia being an "Artificial Customer Intelligence" platform that builds synthetic populations from behavioral and attitudinal data to simulate how customer segments respond to product, pricing, messaging and creative decisions.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSZurich, CH
Cindy Candrian(Founder)inAnne Scherer(Founder)in
Co-investorsAuxxo
deutsche-startups.de is a German-language online news publication covering the startup ecosystem, reporting on companies, founders, and market developments.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsPando Ventures
Fixably provides a SaaS aftersales platform for repair businesses to manage device repair, refurbishment, and resale more efficiently.
Circular EconomyLogistics & Supply ChainRetail TechSaaS
Joel Mansnerus(Founder)in
Co-investorsIcebreaker468 Capital
Empowers craftsmen's operations with an industry-specific operating system.
HERO is business management software for tradesman and craft businesses (Handwerk), offering tools such as invoicing, calculation, inventory management, time tracking, construction site planning, CRM, and document management.
AI & Machine LearningConstruction TechEnergyEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Michael Kessler(Founder & CEO)inPhilipp Lyding(Founder & CRO)in
Co-investorsEight Roads Ventures
Stream processing cloud that lets developers turn data into real-time action at scale.
Co-investorsEssence Venture Capital
Laborai combines AI and tax experts to optimize personal income tax returns, reviewing past filings for missed deductions and preparing and filing them with the Spanish tax authority.
AI & Machine LearningFintech
Said Abouali Sánchez(Founder)inEduardo Suarez(Founder)inPau Comas Ollé(Founder)in
Libeen offers a rent-to-own housing model in Spain: it buys a home the customer selects from any real estate portal, rents it to them while they save 30% of the monthly rent toward a down payment, and lets them become the owner in 3 to 7 years.
FintechPropTech
Co-investorsActyus
Mainteny provides a cloud-based ERP and maintenance-management software for lift/elevator maintenance companies, aimed at reducing administrative workload and paperwork so engineers spend more time on installations.
Cloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
Tom Chenna(CEO)in
Payflow is a financial wellness platform for employers that enables employees to access earned wages on demand instantly and provides flexible compensation benefits through a mobile app and card.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechHR TechSaaSMadrid, ES
Avinash Sukhwai(Founder)inBenoit Menardo(Founder)inBenoist Menardo(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardCedric Asselman(Director)Elisabet Faus Morros(Director)
Co-investorsCarolus InvestCathay InnovationCats.vcExtension FundRocket Internet SESprint Vc+5 more
Recyda provides a software platform that helps companies manage Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance by consolidating packaging data, calculating EPR obligations according to country-specific regulations, and generating compliant declarations.
Circular EconomyEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Anna Zießow(Co-Founder & Managing Director)inVivian Loftin(Co-Founder & Managing Director)inChristian Knobloch(Co-Founder & Managing Director)in
Co-investorsAuxxoFutury CapitalSpeedinvest
Co-investorsStage 2 Capital
Turbalance develops hardware and software systems for data centers and telecommunications providers, with a focus on AI infrastructure system engineering.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & InfrastructureHardware
Hans-Juergen Schmidtke(Founder)inPatrick Jahnke(Founder)
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesPayflow · unleash.ai · May 20, 2026
Delta Labs · lexr.com · May 6, 2026
Certhub · munich-startup.de · Jan 9, 2026
2501 · frenchtechjournal.com · Dec 8, 2025
Confluent · thesaasnews.com · Oct 24, 2025
ONE WARE · theaiinsider.tech · Jun 23, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Cusp Capital made?
- Cusp Capital has 28 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 3 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Cusp Capital invest at?
- Cusp Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Cusp Capital's typical check size?
- Cusp Capital typically writes checks of $7.6M.
- What sectors does Cusp Capital focus on?
- Cusp Capital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Consumer, Data & Infrastructure, Enterprise Software, Fintech, FoodTech, Hardware, Impact & Social Good, Media & Entertainment, SaaS.
- Where is Cusp Capital located?
- Cusp Capital is headquartered in Essen, DE.
- Does Cusp Capital lead rounds?
- Yes, Cusp Capital leads investment rounds.
- Who does Cusp Capital co-invest with?
- Cusp Capital most often shares deals with Auxxo, Battery Ventures, Cathay Innovation, among 35 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamJan Sessenhausen, Partner Cusp Capital – Der VC hinter „Die Höhle der Löwen“ (#8)
DEALMACHER mit Iskender Dirik · Jan Sessenhausen
Currywurst-Talk mit Christian Winter (Cusp Capital)
ruhrHUB · Christian Winter
Co-investors · 33
468 Capital is a technology investment firm with offices in Berlin and San Francisco that invests across multiple stages in software, AI, and internet companies. The firm focuses on thesis-driven investments in businesses with experienced founding teams.
Peak is an early-stage venture fund founded and run by entrepreneurs, backing extraordinary teams across Europe. It focuses on SaaS, marketplaces, and platforms.
Index Ventures is a multi-stage venture capital firm that backs companies from Seed to IPO and beyond, including through its dedicated seed fund Index Origin.
Essence VC is a rare "engineer-first, solo GP" fund led by Timothy Chen, who was initially rejected as "too technical/too nerdy" for traditional VC but built Essence into what's considered "one of the hottest startup funds in tech," backed by top-tier LPs like Marc Andreessen and Martin Casado. The fund explicitly positions itself as investing in infrastructure companies before they exist, backing founders at the repo/demo stage with comfort writing checks when there's only GitHub traction and an alpha—much earlier and more technically driven than most infra-focused VCs.
Eight Roads Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs and partners with technology and healthcare companies.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, known for pioneering the platform model with a large team of operators supporting founders across stages.
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General Catalyst is a venture capital firm operating as a partnership focused on company building and accelerating the growth of the businesses it backs.
Lightspeed is a global venture capital firm that has spent over two decades backing innovative companies as an early and first investor.
Accel is a venture capital firm that partners with exceptional teams, positioning itself as a first partner to founders globally.
Redpoint Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 1999 by former partners from leading venture firms, focusing on early-stage technology companies across multiple sectors. The firm leverages its partners' technology investment experience and an extensive network of entrepreneurs and industry contacts to support portfolio company growth.
Unknown Ventures is a venture studio based in Austin that provides funding and operational support to early-stage startups at the pre-seed to Series A stage. The firm backs founders seeking to create innovative solutions that improve human experience.
Accel-KKR is an investor in enterprise software companies that has operated for 25 years, providing resources and expertise to help companies advance.
▶21 more co-investors
PICUS CAPITALMeritech Capital PartnersPoint NineAntlerNorthzoneHV CapitalNotion CapitalEarlybird Venture CapitalLa Famigliafirstminute capitalGreenoaksPiton Capital LLPNauta CapitalTeam GlobalIris CapitalCelonisLEA PartnersFinancial Technology Partners / FT PartnersAlascoArtisanal VenturesSTS Ventures GmbH
Firms observed investing alongside Cusp Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Cusp Capital's recorded portfolio.
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