POELLATH advises Auxxo Fund Management GmbH on the launch of the Female Catalyst Fund I GmbH & Co. KG with a volume of EUR 19 million

The German alternative investment fund manager Auxxo Fund Management GmbH (“Auxxo”) launched its first venture capital fund, Female Catalyst Fund I, with a volume of EUR 19 million. The fund’s investor base includes female investors such as Douglas chairwoman Tina Müller, investor Verena Pausder, Irish serial founder Emma Tracey, as well as partners from HV Capital and Cherry Ventures. The Female Catalyst Fund I is Germany’s first venture capital fund focused on female-led start-ups with venture capital potential. The team led by Gesa Miczaika and Bettine Schmitz (winner of the German Start-up Award 2022) has set itself the goal of advancing fair representation of women as founders and investors in venture capital. Ventures with all-male teams are therefore excluded from investments. Mixed teams are considered if at least 20 percent of the founding shares are held by one or more women.

So far, approximately twenty ventures have already received capital from the fund, for example, the new fintech start-up “Pile” from Penta founder Jessica Holzbach. Pile wants to develop decentralized finance products for other fintechs and neobanks and offer them as “crypto-as-a-service”. Another company Female Catalyst Fund I has already invested in is Interstellar Lab, which is developing greenhouses for use on Earth and in space.

POELLATH advised Auxxo Fund Management GmbH on the corporate, tax and regulatory aspects of the fund structuring and distribution with the following Berlin team:

• Dr. Philip Schwarz van Berk (partner, private funds)
• Laura Baaske (senior associate, private funds)
• Dennis Fordan (associate, private funds)
• Nele Frie (associate, private funds)