What stage does Nucleus Capital invest at?

Nucleus Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.

What is Nucleus Capital's typical check size?

Nucleus Capital typically writes checks of $1M – $1.1M.

Where is Nucleus Capital located?

Nucleus Capital is headquartered in Berlin, DE.

Does Nucleus Capital lead rounds?

Yes, Nucleus Capital leads investment rounds.

Nucleus Capital

Venture capital

Berlin · Pre-Seed–Series A · 10 people tracked

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✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

Nucleus Capital invests as a first believer in technical, frontier-tech teams working at the intersection of biology, food, and industrial systems. It focuses on three areas: programmable biology (where computation meets biology), food technology (transforming agriculture, production and distribution for a resilient food system), and neo industrials (energy, manufacturing, materials and supply chains rebuilt for a resource-constrained world). The firm writes first checks of up to €1.0M and will lead or co-lead. As high-conviction, concentrated investors active across Europe and the US, it offers a support model purpose-built for scientific ventures, providing techno-economic depth, industrial networks and operational experience to founders who work directly with decision-makers.

Invests inAdvanced Manufacturing AgTech Biotech Cleantech Climate Tech Deep Tech Energy FoodTech New Materials SaaS Berlin Europe Germany North America United Kingdom United States

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage

Pre-Seed–Series A

Check

$1M – $1.1M

Berlin, DE

Leads rounds

Leads

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2021

Last 12 months

1 investment

Tracked investments

Team · 10 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories

Dr. Isabella Fandrych· General Partner· South Boston, Virginia, United Statesin

General Partner focused on Neo Industrials and corporate relationships; an industrial engineer by training with an interest in technology and impact.

Maximilian Schwarz· General Partner· Berlin Metropolitan Areain

General Partner focused on food tech and programmable biology; a hands-on problem solver with a business background and entrepreneurial focus.

m•••@nucleus-capital.comreveal

Steven Ortiz· Co-Founder and General Partner· Berlin, Berlin, Germanyin

Vice President focused on origination, execution and monitoring of investments, valuation, financial reporting and investor relations support. He previously worked at Strategy& (PwC Network) and PwC in Silicon Valley.

s•••@breakwatermgmt.comreveal

Isabella Fandrych· General Partner· Berlin, Berlin, Germanyin

Isabella Fandrych is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Nucleus Capital, a deep-tech investment firm that leads or co-leads Pre-Seed rounds with tickets up to €1M across Europe and the US. Previously, she worked at McKinsey and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics. Nucleus Capital invests in technical teams developing innovations in biology, food systems, and industrial applications.

i•••@nucleus-capital.comreveal

Maximilian Bade· General Partner· Berlin, Germany

Dr. Carolina Villa· Principal

Principal focused on programmable biology; a bioprocess engineer specializing in techno-economic analyses and bioprocess scale-up.

Carolina Villa· Principal· Berlin, Berlin, Germanyin

Carolina Villa is a Principal at Nucleus Capital with over 10 years of experience in the food and synthetic biology sectors. She has a background in science and currently focuses on early-stage investments in deep technology companies addressing climate-related challenges.

c•••@nucleus-capital.comreveal

Alexander Bruehl· Co-Investor ⇨ repath· Munich, Germanyin 𝕏

Alexander Bruehl is founder and owner of SaaSgarage, a pre-seed angel fund focused on B2B SaaS companies. He operates as a mentor, coach, and investor, working with founders and CEOs on go-to-market strategy, sales and distribution models, pricing, and growth financing across Europe, Israel, and the United States. His areas of expertise include SaaS company formation, sales model development, and capital raising from institutional investors.

Andreas Munk Holm· Investor/LP· Esbjerg, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmarkin

Collaborates on finding Europe's best emerging managers and is a founder of The European VC podcast. Started his career building a university incubator and worked at a pre-seed deep tech fund. Holds an MSc in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Southern Denmark.

Jenny Saft· Investor· Berlin, Germanyin 𝕏

Jenny Saft is General Manager of Global Markets at Progyny, where she oversees the company's fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause support offerings across 120+ countries. Previously, she co-founded Apryl, a Berlin-based fertility benefits platform developed from her experience with egg freezing. Her work focuses on expanding access to family-building support services globally.

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Nucleus Capital went on to found or lead other companies.

Alexander BruehlCo-Investor ⇨ repathFounded Geckoboard +3 Marilena SchmichEntrepreneur In ResidenceFounded Ordinary Seafood

What they invest in

from 13 of 16 portfolio companies

Biotech ×10AgTech ×5AI & Machine Learning ×5Deep Tech ×4Climate Tech ×3New Materials ×3Cleantech ×2Energy ×2

HQs:Germany×4United Kingdom×2United States×2

Investments · 16 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 1 2024 · 12 dated

Apohaapoha.com

Apoha develops a molecular science data class used to design medicines, food, and materials.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechLondon, GB

Anshika Srivastava(COO, co-founder)inShamit Shrivastava(CEO, co-founder)in

Co-investorsAcequia Capital (AceCap)Draper Associates R7 Partners redalpine Singular

Aspyrefoodsaspyrefoods.com

Aspyre uses molecular farming with genetically engineered duckweed to produce animal-free proteins, starting with casein and Rubisco, for food and nutrition producers.

BiotechFoodTechNew Materials

atmioatmio.com

Atmio provides hardware and software for emission monitoring across gas infrastructure including pipelines, distribution networks, and storage facilities.

Climate TechEnergyEnterprise SoftwareFrankfurt, DE

Marius Krüger(Founder)in

Co-investorsHCVC Notion Capital Robin Capital SquareOne

AtmoCoolingatmocooling.com inDec 2024 · $2.6M

Seattle, US

Paul Mahacek(Executive Officer, Director)inPaul-Emmanuel Herve(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardJohn Everett(Director)

Co-investorsRevent Unruly Capital Bronco Ventures Founders Factory Hub71

Bindbridgebindbridge.com in 𝕏

Bindbridge uses AI to discover and design targeted protein degraders that selectively bind proteins in plants or pests, supporting the development of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotech

Biographicagraphica.bio inJan 2026

Biographica (Graphica) uses multi-modal machine learning and high-throughput sequencing to identify and prioritize genetic targets for crop gene-editing, working with trait developers to design effective edits.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotechLondon, GB

Cecy Price(CEO)inDominic Hall(CTO)in

Co-investorsEntrepreneur First Faber Faber Capital SCR SA Sie Ventures SuperSeed Cardumen Capital +4 more

Biomiabiomia.com in

Biomia is a biotechnology company using biology, chemistry, and pharmacoengineering to develop a new generation of central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics.

BiotechHealthtech

Co-investorsBlueYard Capital

Brineworksbrineworks.tech in 𝕏

Brineworks develops an electrochemical Direct Air Capture system that uses electrolyzer technology and renewably powered intermittent operation to capture CO₂ at low cost.

CleantechClimate TechDeep Tech

Co-investorsSeaX Ventures AiiM Partners First Momentum Satgana Katapult Pale Blue Dot

Cirpluscirplus.com

cirplus GmbH is a company that is entering liquidation as of 31 March 2026.

Concertconcert.bio in 𝕏

Concert Bio uses DNA sequencing and a microbiome database to identify pathogens and beneficial microbes, then supplies beneficial microbes to hydroponic greenhouse growers to improve crop growth, quality, and yield.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningBiotech

Co-investorsClear Current Capital Conduit Connect Juniper Waterpoint Lane

Cultzymecultzyme.com

Deutsche Agrarfinanzdeutsche-agrarfinanz.de

Deutsche Agrarfinanz (DAF) is a credit broker specialized in agricultural financing that arranges short-term liquidity loans for German farming operations, using EU CAP direct payments as collateral instead of land register entries.

AgTechFintech

Endolith Miningendolithmining.com in

Endolith develops biological intelligence technology for mineral recovery, using microbiology and AI to extract critical minerals sustainably.

AI & Machine LearningBiotechCleantechEnergyNew MaterialsWestminster, US

Dr. Liz Dennett(Founder and CEO)inElizabeth Percak-Dennett(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardGuy Vidra(Director)inDan Madden(Director)inShomik Dutta(Director)inMojtaba Karimi(Director)

Co-investorsBascom Ventures Collaborative Fund Draper Associates Founders Factory Founders Factory NY Overture Climate +1 more

Izoteizote.bio in

Izote is a fermentation technology company developing an anaerobic process for industrial biomanufacturing.

BiotechDeep TechNew Materials

Co-investorsBee Partners FREEFLOW FTW Ventures Juniper Redstick Ventures Courtyard Ventures +1 more

Planet A Foodsplanet-a-foods.com in

Planet A Foods develops alternative food ingredients using food technology to reduce climate impact in the food industry.

AgTechBiotechClimate TechConsumerFoodTechMunich, DE

Maximilian Marquart(Founder)inSara Marquart(Founder)in

Co-investorsBurda Principal Investments Cherry Ventures Fifty Years World Fund Y Combinator Zintinus +1 more

Yuri Websiteyurigravity.com in

Yuri develops in-house space labs and ground simulators that use microgravity for life sciences research, supporting drug development and cell-based therapies.

BiotechDeep TechSpace TechMeckenbeuren, DE

Christian Bruderrek(Founder)

Co-investorsFifty Years The Venture Collective

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Fundraise | Apoha raises Series A backed by Singular and Redalpine | Marriott Harrison

Apoha · marriottharrison.com · Jul 21, 2026

Portfolio: izote : Bee Partners

Izote · beepartners.vc · Apr 20, 2026

Biographica raises £7M to expand AI crop design globally - Tech.eu

Biographica · tech.eu · Jan 7, 2026

Brineworks Raises €6.8M in Funding

Brineworks · finsmes.com · Sep 22, 2025

AtmoCooling Secures $2.6M In Pre-Seed Funding And Develops Scalable Climate-Tech For Desert Cooling - Tech Company News

AtmoCooling · techcompanynews.com · Mar 24, 2025

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Nucleus Capital invest at?: Nucleus Capital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
What is Nucleus Capital's typical check size?: Nucleus Capital typically writes checks of $1M – $1.1M.
What sectors does Nucleus Capital focus on?: Nucleus Capital focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AgTech, Biotech, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Deep Tech, Energy, FoodTech, New Materials, SaaS.
Where is Nucleus Capital located?: Nucleus Capital is headquartered in Berlin, DE.
Does Nucleus Capital lead rounds?: Yes, Nucleus Capital leads investment rounds.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

AQVC Insights – Maximilian Bade, GP at Nucleus Capital

AlphaQ Venture Capital · Maximilian Bade

Images

Co-investors · 6

redalpine

Redalpine is a multi-stage venture investment advisor with Swiss roots and a pan-European focus, active since 2006, that invests at the intersection of software and science.

Both backed · 1

Apoha

$108K – $2.2M

Speedinvest

Speedinvest operates a Portfolio Success program that connects its 400+ portfolio startups with customers, follow-on investors, industry experts, talent, discounted tools, and fellow founders across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.

$5M – $30M

HV Capital

HV Capital is a European multistage venture capital firm that backs founders from the first check through IPO, investing across consumer, software, deep tech and AI.

$540K – $54M

Prithvi Ventures

Ayuh Ventures

Privilège Ventures

Privilège Ventures is a Swiss venture capital firm investing in high-potential early-stage technology companies across sectors including HealthTech, DeepTech, ClimateTech, AgrifoodTech, and AI.

$100K – $1M

Firms observed investing alongside Nucleus Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Nucleus Capital's recorded portfolio.

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