Founderful closes oversubscribed $140m Fund II

Founderful has closed an oversubscribed $140 million Fund II. Founderful’s proven thesis on Swiss tech and talent has already seen Fund II back 15 companies featuring breakthrough technologies, from Chiral Nano’s alternative silicon chips to Eigthinks’ advances in lithium-ion batteries. 

This momentum builds on Founderful's track record with $90m Fund I, which has been fully deployed across 40 startups. These investments have already demonstrated remarkable results, with portfolio companies creating over 1,100 jobs and securing more than $450 million in follow-on funding from leading international venture firms. Notable successes include manufacturing analytics startup Ethon AI (raised $16.5m from Index Ventures), Corintis, who are breaking boundaries in chip cooling technology, Grape Insurance (raised $10m from Spark), and DePoly, who are building a commercial demonstration plant able to recycle 500 tons of plastic waste per year, among others.

Established in 2019 by a trio of successful entrepreneurs and investors - GetYourGuide co-founder Pascal Mathis, former Creathor Ventures Switzerland Lead Alex Stöckl, and EAT.ch co-founder Lukas Weder - Founderful has maintained its founding vision of transforming Swiss tech startups into global market leaders. The fund's strategy is laser-focused on leading first rounds in Switzerland's tech landscape, where Founderful works in close partnership with leading academic institutions and industry players to identify and nurture breakthrough technologies. 

Alex Stöckl, Partner at Founderful, commented: "From day one, we have been relentless in our efforts to create a foothold for the Swiss tech ecosystem on the global stage. Fund II is evidence that we have walked the talk, and investors have taken note. This was no easy win, but we fought hard. We’re deeply grateful to our LPs, both existing and new, for recognizing our drive and sharing our conviction in the Swiss tech ecosystem—a powerhouse that's only just starting to claim its place in the global tech industry."

Investors include successful founders, family offices and institutional investors

Founderful’s new Fund II is backed by a range of institutions, family offices, and founders who have successfully scaled their startups into global unicorns such as Duolingo, Climeworks, GetYourGuide, On, Proton, and Scandit. 

Severin Hacker, CTO and co-founder at Duolingo, added: "Building Duolingo, I've seen my fair share of VC firms, and it is rare to collaborate with an investor who is as meticulous and relentless toward creating value to the founders they backed, as the team at Founderful. Their approach, combined with the unfolding potential of the Swiss tech ecosystem, probably makes them one of Europe's most promising VC firms these days."

Looking ahead, Founderful will build on its position as Switzerland's leading pre-seed investor, leveraging its strong ties with academia and industry to identify promising breakthroughs at their earliest stages. Against the backdrop of the European venture landscape, Founderful's successful close signals enduring investor confidence in the fund, its team, and its all-star lineup of portfolio founders.

(Press release / SK)