First Momentum
Venture capitalKarlsruhe · Pre-Seed–Series B · 11 people tracked
Investment thesis
First Momentum Ventures invests at the earliest stage in highly ambitious technical teams tackling hard problems with complex technology. Operating as a pre-seed specialist since 2015, the firm positions itself as a companion to founders 'at hour zero', staffed by engineers and scientists who understand highly technical products, markets and commercialization paths. It offers tangible support through connections to talent, partners, customers and investors, and follows a 'From Founders to Founders' mindset rooted in its origins launching the incubator of Germany's largest campus entrepreneurship association. The firm emphasizes intellectual honesty and open communication with the teams it backs.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 11 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 17 of 46 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×8SaaS ×5Deep Tech ×4Developer Tools ×4Enterprise Software ×4Advanced Manufacturing ×3Data & Infrastructure ×3Energy ×3
HQs:Germany×4United States×2Switzerland×1France×1
Investments · 46 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
Notion is an AI-powered workspace platform that enables teams to capture context, find answers, and automate tasks through collaborative tools.
AI & Machine LearningFuture of WorkSaaS
HeyCharge provides hardware and software for companies to manage employee charging of company vehicles at home, with tax-compliant tracking and reimbursement capabilities across any OCPP-compatible wallbox.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechClimate TechEnergyEnterprise SoftwareHardwareIoTMobility & TransportationMunich, DE
Chris Cardé(Founder)inRobert Lasowski(Founder)inChris Carde(Founder)in
Lightly provides tools for AI teams to manage and curate training data more efficiently.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareZürich, CH
Igor Susmelj(Founder)in
Manufacturing Digital is an online news and media publication covering the manufacturing industry, reporting on topics such as smart factories, automation and robotics, AI, supply chain management and lean manufacturing.
Advanced ManufacturingMedia & Entertainment
Ninetailed offers a personalization platform that enables web teams to create and deliver tailored content experiences without developer support.
AdTechEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaS
Project B is a German payroll processing company that offers both managed payroll services for businesses and a software platform for payroll offices and tax consultants to streamline payroll administration.
Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSMunich, DE
QuantumDiamonds develops quantum sensing systems for non-destructive semiconductor defect inspection and failure analysis, using magnetic current imaging with diamond-based sensors to localize faults such as shorts, opens and leakages in chips.
Deep TechQuantum ComputingSemiconductorsMunich, DE
Boston, US
Jon Rosenbaum(Director)Axel Bichara(Director)Josef Waltl(Executive Officer, Director)Axel Scheurer(Executive Officer, Director)
Streambased makes Apache Kafka and Apache Iceberg queryable together, providing a unified view of real-time and historical data without copying data or building new pipelines.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDeveloper Tools
Unikraft provides a compute platform that transforms Dockerfiles into minimal Linux-based unikernel VM images, offering VM-grade isolation with sub-10ms cold starts and high density (100K+ instances per server).
Cloud ComputingCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Zenline is a SaaS AI phone assistant that answers calls 24/7 for landlines and mobile numbers, handling frequently asked questions, booking appointments, taking orders and messages, qualifying callers, and transferring calls to a human when needed.
AI & Machine LearningSaaSSales Tech
ZuriQ develops quantum computing hardware based on a three-dimensional trapped-ion architecture designed for scalable qubit systems while preserving connectivity and operation fidelity.
Deep TechHardwareQuantum Computing
Pavel Hrmo
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does First Momentum invest at?
- First Momentum invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What is First Momentum's typical check size?
- First Momentum typically writes checks of $216K – $1.1M.
- What sectors does First Momentum focus on?
- First Momentum focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Cloud Computing, Deep Tech, Energy, Hardware, Robotics, SaaS, Sector Agnostic, Space Tech.
- Where is First Momentum located?
- First Momentum is headquartered in Karlsruhe, DE.
- Does First Momentum lead rounds?
- Yes, First Momentum leads investment rounds.
From the blog
visit blog ↗First Momentum has written about quantum computing hardware innovation through trapped-ion startups and structural challenges facing European deep tech scaling, including capital gaps and corporate procurement barriers. AI summary
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamHow to Raise a VC Fund with Andreas Fischer & Sebastian Böhmer | First Momentum Ventures webinar
First Momentum · Sebastian Böhmer
#8 Investing in university talent - Andreas Fischer, First Momentum Ventures
The European VC · Andreas Fischer
Images
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