JOIN CAPITAL

JOIN's Luisa Kraut has penned an an article on our blog about why we added Calvin Risk to our portfolio - well worth a read! Link 👇

Get ready engineers #Generative is a game changer that will let you focus on the solution and not the testing #industry40 #AI #deeptech

💡 Highlights from Slush 2024!💡Last week, Jan Borgstädt, Tom Hibbard, and Luisa K. from our team were in Helsinki for the Slush conference. We were thrilled to see an increase in the number of #startups, fellow #investors and panels covering topics that resonate with us at JOIN, such as the future of #computing, #resilience, #energy and #robotics. We had the pleasure of hosting a dinner with our friends and fellow industrial and deep tech investors from OTB Ventures, NGP Capital, Butterfly Ventures, Kvanted, InMotion Ventures and Atlas Ventures. It was an evening full of valuable discussions on emerging opportunities in various industrial verticals. With €7 billion projected #investment in European #deeptech this year—a historical high—we're eager to contribute to this evolving landscape. Thank you to everyone who connected with us, especially Mateusz (Matt) Lukasik, Fernanda Aguiar, Juho Risku, Axel Ahlström, Sam Nasrolahi, Christina Franzeskides and Onur Canlitepe for the great evening! If we missed you at the conference, and you're a founder looking to connect, please reach out.

Amazing news from our portfolio company Quantum Optics Jena! Congratulations on showing that their #quantumencryption can do for the first time in a live setting. It's a wonderful demonstration of the power of #deeptech. Great job!

Our colleague Flavia Levi just spent a few days at Space Tech Expo Europe 2024 in Bremen, famously known as the City of Space. Here are some of her key takeaways from the #NewSpace investor pool at the conference: 🚀 European #Aerospace Needs Support from Government as a Buyer The sector requires stronger government backing through procurement contracts, not just grants. This shift would stimulate market demand rather than supply-pushed initiatives. Government contracts are essential for fostering competitive technologies and attracting private capital, as grants alone cannot create market leaders. 🚀 #Capital Should Reward Winners There's currently an overemphasis on funding early-stage companies, leaving scaling winners underserved. To build a competitive landscape, it's critical to allow underperforming players to fail, paving the way for stronger solutions and attracting later-stage #investment. 🚀 Europe’s Hidden Advantage: Talent and Education Europe boasts affordable, high-quality talent and world-class universities. 🚀 A Call for Innovation in Procurement and Policy Public procurement processes need significant reform to become more accessible and competitive. Introducing a streamlined tender process and establishing a DARPA-style agency could revolutionize the #Space and #Defence sectors. While such reforms are a giant leap for government stakeholders, they are essential if Europe wants to remain competitive on the global stage. Now is the time for LPs to invest in this area and these sorts of changes.

We're delighted to have led the seed round for Calvin Risk! Our investment was based around the belief in AI at the enterprise level coming under ever stricter scrutiny (for all the right reasons given the impact) and the need for specialised tools to simplify the process to deployment. This is where Julian Riebartsch and Syang Zhou and their team of top-tier researchers come in. We're convinced that Calvin Risk will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI governance. Thanks also to co-investor for this round seed + speed Ventures and existing investors b2venture and Founderful. #VC #startup #AI #Governance

Some of you are no doubt going to Slush next week, and we are, too. If you'd like to discuss European #deeptech and the key role #venturecapital #investment is playing in it, please get in touch with Jan Borgstädt, Tom Hibbard or Luisa K.. See you in Helsinki!

Yesterday, we hosted an invitation-only #GP / #LP event in NYC alongside the MISSION 2044 (Tholus Capital) team. The event featured two insightful and thought-provoking fireside chats with special guests: former German Minister of Economics and Technology and Minister of Defense Karl-Theodor (KT) zu Guttenberg and U.S. Admiral and former Navy SEAL William H. McRaven, who led the mission to capture Osama bin Laden. The discussions were moderated by JOIN Capital Partner Sebastian von Ribbentrop and MISSION 2044 co-founder Jared Carney. We extend our thanks to these incredible speakers for sharing their expertise and insights with the audience. Key takeaways include: 💡 #Europe and Germany are prepared to take on greater responsibility for their own #security and #defense. 💡 Europe’s strengths in engineering talent and human capital are significant advantages. 💡 The U.S. and Europe must continue to collaborate closely to drive the technological innovations essential to succeeding in the “new Cold War." Couldn’t make it but want to get up to speed? Reach out to our partners Sebastian von Ribbentrop, Dr. Daniel Carew and John Tang, Ph.D to stay in the know about our #dualuse strategy and get the latest #investment updates.

📣 Final call! JOIN CAPITAL is attending today's #MISSION2044NewYorkSummit. At 10.45 AM EST, JOIN founding partner Sebastian von Ribbentrop will be taking part in the session "Global Macro: Geopolitics on the Edge – Exploring the shifting dynamics shaping defense strategies worldwide." And at 4.30 PM EST, JOIN partner Dr. Daniel Carew will be participating in a fireside chat "DARPA: Amplifying Breakthrough Technologies and Creating Asymmetric Advantage." We're looking forward to a great event. Hope to see some of you there!

Last week’s re-election of Donald #Trump as US President and the breakdown of the social democratic-center-green government in #Germany will shake up the geopolitical and global economic status quo in Europe. They will also continue and accelerate transformations already underway. Here at JOIN Capital, we are focusing on two leading #EuropeanAutonomy trends. Economic: 💡#Europe is going to need to enhance productivity and achieve greater economic autonomy. 💡There are the limits on how much governments can initiate the transitions and transformations Europe needs. 💡By #investing in #deeptech and fostering homegrown technological capabilities, Europe can build its own supply chains for critical industries. Geopolitical: 💡Trump’s re-election underscores that traditional alliances like NATO are increasingly under strain and Europe's reliance on American military technology is becoming more problematic. 💡It lends urgency to Europe’s need to take more responsibility for its own #defense. 💡Deeptech has the potential to bolster Europe’s #security and defense autonomy. Want to learn more about what we do? Let's talk at https://lnkd.in/g-q3jZQi #venturecapital