Antler is a much-needed addition to the German ecosystem. Antler will enable some of Germany's most talented and experienced entrepreneurs to start new businesses and bring necessary innovation to Germany. Personally knowing the Antler team for over 10 years, I see that founders will greatly benefit from their advice, experience and global network.
— CHRISTIAN MIELE, PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN STARTUP ASSOCIATION, PARTNER AT EVENTURES & ADVISOR TO ANTLER
In a significant boost for both the German and the wider Central European start-up ecosystem amidst a slow start to 2020, Antler is excited to launch a new office in Berlin.
Following the Covid-19 crisis and the lockdowns that have followed, venture capital investment is down across Europe. Investment in Germany is down 19% compared to the same period in 2019, yet the pace is picking up again in Q3 2020. Given these signs of recovery, Antler believes that the future remains bright for early-stage technology, and has now opened a new Berlin office. The plan is to invest in over 160 start-ups over the next four years across Central Europe.
Partners of the fund covering Germany and Central Europe are Alan Poensgen, former Co-Founder and Managing Director at the home and living e-commerce company Westwing, and Dr. Christoph Klink, former Partner at the management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company.
Antler is continuing to strengthen its team across Europe. These new appointments follow the news that Ronald Jan Schuurs has joined the team covering The Netherlands, also as a Partner.
You can read more about Antler's expansion to Central Europe in this article by Handelsblatt.
Based on my experience of building companies in 18 countries across 3 continents, a strong and complementary founding team with access to the right networks are crucial elements to success. At Antler we provide a platform for exceptional individuals and support them with the most important challenges in the early phase of starting their company. Such as: finding the right co-founder; receiving coaching from world-class entrepreneurs in their own field; and access to funding from top investors that can truly help them build a great company.
— ALAN POENSGEN, PARTNER FOR CENTRAL EUROPE
We at Antler will help connect engineering and start-up hotspots across Central Europe. Starting with Berlin, we will address the most important ecosystems in the area such as Munich and Warsaw. We are there to strengthen innovation for the coming decades. Given the traditional strengths of our economies one would expect to see a much higher rate of start-up innovation. Manuel Schönfeld, founder of the Antler portfolio company PowerX, is a great example of how we can help turn this potential into real impact. Manuel has built his company at warp-speed, gaining additional support from Y-Combinator and Sequoia, and is now helping fight climate change while reducing utility costs at the same time.
— DR. CHRISTOPH KLINK, PARTNER FOR CENTRAL EUROPE
Launched in 2017 in Singapore with a goal to fundamentally improve the world by enabling and investing in exceptional people and building the defining companies of tomorrow, Antler is now present in the major start-up ecosystems across six continents. During this time, it has invested in over 200 start-ups, and has established its position as one of the world's largest early-stage investment platforms.
Antler Berlin is now accepting applications for its inaugural cohort starting in April 2021. Apply here
