b.value AG
Impact by Deep Tech
We invest in DeepTech startups that combine exceptional founding personalities and disruptive technologies to provide solutions for a sustainable world of tomorrow. Our deep technology expertise and many years of operational experience in building and managing biotech and high-tech companies enable us to identify the most promising DeepTech startups and support them financially and strategically to realize their full potential. Our unique structure and experience allow us to act flexibly and take a long-term view.
Our goal is to build a future-oriented portfolio of fast-growing, deep tech start-up companies that define the production processes and markets of the future. In doing so, we bridge the gap from research and development to global markets. Our specialization, deep market and industry understanding as well as our operational experience are the key to success - for our portfolio companies and investors alike.
Investment focus
We shape the markets of the future
Our world is in transition and with it the industries. At b.value, we are convinced that sustainable processes and products are the foundation for tomorrow's world. For this reason, we have targeted our focus on biotechnology (including precision fermentation, sustainable chemicals, food/feed, life science methods) and advanced materials. These sectors are characterized by above-average growth and offer enormous potential for sustainable innovations.
As b.value AG, we focus on investment opportunities within the European D-A-CH region. Our special focus is on pre-seed and seed stage companies whose products or business models address the future markets of biotechnology and advanced materials. In doing so, we acquire minority stakes and invest together with other co-investors. This collaborative approach enables us to minimize risks and bundle resources to support the success and growth of promising companies.
Our approach
Investing in talent and technology
Our investment approach is based on three core principles: talented founders, scalable business models and disruptive, protected technologies. We look for exceptional founders who want to build the companies of the future with knowledge and courage. With our expertise and network, we support our portfolio companies in scaling their business models and successfully establishing their technologies in the market. Our common goal is to create a sustainable future and to exploit the full potential of core technologies.
Our network
Achieving great things together
We offer our portfolio companies not only strategic and financial support, but also access to an extensive network of industry experts, scientists, investors, policy makers, and industrial and academic thought leaders. Close interaction with our network provides our companies with elemental resources for successful scaling. This provides the founders with valuable insights, partnerships and collaboration opportunities that strengthen their growth prospects and give them a competitive edge.
Entrepreneurial experience in building successful biotech and high tech companies
Support from experts with exceptional technology understanding
Extensive network of experienced supervisory board members, scientists, executives, investors, political decision-makers, and industrial and academic thought leaders
Unique opportunity in Germany to participate in future biotechnology and advanced materials companies at a very early stage of development
For a sustainable world of tomorrow
Investment Portfolio
Our portfolio consists of a broad range of DeepTech startups at various stages of development. We are proud to work with talented entrepreneurs who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and developing solutions to global challenges. Learn more about the companies we support and discover their innovative technologies.
b.value Team
A partnership of equals
We know from first hand experience, what matters to founders!
25 years of entrepreneurial experience as a founder, scaling expert and investor underpinned by an extensive track record is the basis of our proactive support - from founders for founders.
Support by a team of experts with an exceptional understanding of technology
The profound knowledge of our operational team, consisting of scientists with doctorates in various fields, builds partnerships with the founders on an equal footing and enables a technology assessment that goes beyond the usual and looks "under the hood".
Supervisory Board
Experienced, successful, well-connected
b.value benefits from the supervisory board's many years of industry, transaction and IPO experience
Prof. Dr. Manfred Niewiarra
- former Head of M&A
- Bertelsmann AG &
Member of the Executive Board Axel Springer AG, - Member of the Board CLT UFA
Dr. Ricarda Finnern
- CSO LenioBio GmbH
- former Global Programme Head Bayer
- former Director Lead Discovery Dyax
- Member of the Bioeconomy Council of North Rhine-Westphalia
Dr. Jürgen Eck
- Former CTO and Co-CEO SymbioPharm
- Co-Founder & former CEO of B.R.A.I.N AG
- Member of the Board of BIO Germany and DECHEMA
- Chairman of the Board of Evoralis
- Board member BLUU Seafood
Dr. Dahai Yu
- Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Röhm and Caldic
- Member of the Advisory Board of Sinochem International, allnex and GETEC,
- Former member of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG
- Operating Partner for Advent International
- Corporate Advisor for Temasek International
News
you can find more news on our LinkedIn page
04.12.2024
Congratulations to our portfolio company, FibreCoat on successfully closing a €20M Series B investment round led by NewSpace Capital and GOOSE Capital.
The company, which was founded in Germany in 2020 but has been developing its technology since 2014, has invented a novel technology to coat metals and plastics onto fibers, thus combining the properties of the fibers and the coating material, during the fibre spinning process. Its products offer strength, conductivity, and recyclability at a fraction of the weight and cost of their competitor products. This is thanks to the team’s extensive expertise and strong research-and-development background at RWTH Aachen University, where the founding team worked at the Institute for Textile Technology.
FibreCoat’s innovative materials are revolutionizing multiple industries with their versatility, lightweight nature, and cost-effectiveness. Designed to meet the highest standards of performance, these advanced fibers can be utilized across diverse sectors, including automotive, defense, and now space, with the support of new investors.
In the space sector, FibreCoat’s materials are ideally suited to meet the demanding requirements of spacecraft, from launch vehicles to satellites. These applications must endure harsh conditions, such as intense radiation, extreme temperatures, and electromagnetic interference (EMI), while remaining as lightweight as possible to maximize efficiency and minimize costs. FibreCoat’s unique technology provides a cutting-edge solution to these challenges, paving the way for innovative applications across the final frontier.
Dr. Robert Brüll, CEO at FibreCoat, thanked the company’s investors for their support. "We’re grateful to NewSpace Capital, Goose Capital and all our investors for backing us," he said. "We’re an ambitious team who are keen to innovate, increase production and satisfy demand for basic building blocks for defense, space, automotive and other crucial sectors. Affordable, high-performance materials are vital for electric vehicles, while in defense, there is real demand for yarns for sensors, circuits, shielding and chaff material.
"Space is also a critically important sector, one that touches every area of the world economy. It’s growing rapidly, and both launchers and satellites increasingly need the coated fibers we develop to withstand harsh conditions and EMI.”
Bogdan Gogulan, Managing Partner of NewSpace Capital, said: “We think long and hard about every investment we make. The young, energetic and ambitious FibreCoat team impressed us. They’ve grown quickly as a company, have a strong R&D background, and have shown great adaptability as market needs have evolved.”
About FibreCoat
FibreCoat is transforming the materials industry through groundbreaking innovations that are made accessible for large scale implementation in various industries. Its flagship product, "AluCoat," is an aluminum-coated glass fibre offering cost-effective solutions for EMI shielding, military countermeasures, heating elements, and more, with excellent recyclability and lightweight benefits. With steady growth, the company is now a leader in fibre technology, serving industries like automotive, defense, construction, and space.
Find out more: FibreCoat
06.11.2024
Inventec Performance Chemicals and Nano-Join join forces to offer state-of-the-art sintering solutions worldwide.
Nano-Join GmbH and Inventec Performance Chemicals have signed a license agreement to integrate Nano-Join's sintering technology into Inventec's ECOREL™ SINTEC product line. Inventec will manufacture and market the products under this brand.
For over 10 years, Nano-Join has focused on the development of state-of-the-art sintering solutions. Its portfolio includes materials for applications ranging from pressureless die bonding to large-area, pressure-assisted module attachment and many more. Thanks to many years of experience in on-site process development with customers, the company has extensive expertise in implementing sintering solutions in tight production windows. This makes Nano-Join one of the most experienced companies in this field and they have already been awarded several qualifications by renowned customers.
Thanks to Inventec's many years of experience in the development and industrialization of its formulations for soldering products, Inventec is ideally positioned to make Nano-Join's technology available to a broad and global customer base. Inventec not only guarantees stable and consistent quality, but their sales and technical support team is also available to assist with implementation, regardless of location.
“We have been working on reliable interconnect solutions for several years and with this license agreement we can now accelerate the introduction of our sintering solutions for the semiconductor and power electronics industry,” says Anne-Marie Laügt, VP Strategic Technology Innovation at Inventec Performance Chemicals.
“As a deep tech provider based in Germany, we have been looking for a scale-up license partner in Europe for a long time. With this agreement, we now have a partner who will not only produce our offerings across Europe, but also market them globally. This collaboration is a strong sign that our products will survive in the market and provide the performance boost that companies are looking for,” says Dr. Battist Rábay, CEO of Nano-Join GmbH.
Sintering solutions are used as an alternative to solder pastes in applications where high thermal and electrical conductivity, reliability and mechanical strength are critical. Some key areas where sintering processes are favored include lead-free die bonding, large area module mounting, e-vehicles, renewable energy conversion, optoelectronics and RF power devices. Especially in the latest SiC and GaN developments, which operate at much higher power levels, the use of sintered compounds with high thermal and excellent electrical conductivity is crucial.
ABOUT INVENTEC
Inventec is a global supplier of materials for SOLDERING, CLEANING, COATING and COOLING in electronics, semiconductor and industrial applications. For over 60 years, we have demonstrated innovation leadership by placing HEALTHY EFFECTS, SUSTAINABILITY and RELIABILITY at the center of our product development.
With ISO 9001 & 14001 production sites in France, Switzerland, the USA, Mexico, Malaysia and China, we can guarantee stable and consistently high-quality products with a smooth and cost-efficient supply chain. In addition, our production facility in France is IATF certified.
Inventec serves many industries and the outstanding performance of our products in applications that require high reliability means that we are particularly focused on the automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, automation, energy and medical industries.
For more information about Inventec Performance Chemicals, please visit: https://www.inventec.dehon.com/
ABOUT NANO-JOIN GmbH
Nano-Join GmbH is a pioneering deep-tech company from Germany that specializes in advanced joining technologies and drives innovation in industries such as electronics, automotive and aerospace.
Founded with a vision to revolutionize micro-joining processes, Nano-Join has developed proprietary solutions that enable efficient, high-strength joining at the nano level. These technologies are critical for modern, high-performance applications where traditional joining methods often reach their limits, especially in areas that require miniaturization, precision and exceptional reliability.
At the heart of Nano-Join's offering is a strong commitment to sustainability and efficiency. Their solutions reduce material consumption and energy requirements, making them ideal for companies looking to optimize their manufacturing processes while meeting high environmental standards. Nano-Join works closely with customers and industry leaders to adapt their technologies to specific applications and provide customized solutions that increase both product performance and production efficiency.
For more information about Nano-Join please visit: https://nano-join.de/
12.08.2024
Aachen - The Aachen-based company PL BioScience has successfully completed a Series A financing of 7.8 million euros. The fresh capital comes from international investors such as AVANT BIO from New York, LePure Biotech from Shanghai, b.value AG from Dortmund and better ventures from Munich. This investment is intended to support the growth of PL BioScience and expand production capacities.
Expansion of production capacities
With the new financing, PL BioScience plans to expand its production capacities and strengthen its position in the global cell culture markets. The company is known for its innovative cell culture media that drive the development of new therapies in regenerative medicine. PL BioScience specializes in Human Platelet Lysate (HPL), which is derived from donated blood and represents a sustainable alternative to conventional cell culture media.
Support from international investors
The financing round was supported by renowned investors, including AVANT BIO, LePure Biotech, b.value AG and better ventures. These partners bring extensive experience in deep tech, life sciences and health tech. They join existing investors such as Brightlands Venture Partners and TechVision Fonds, who have also renewed their support for PL BioScience.
Bernhard Kugel of TechVision Fonds and Dr. Luc Starmans of Brightlands Venture Partners emphasized the importance of the collaboration with the new partners and the potential PL BioScience offers for the future of cell therapy.
Sustainable cell culture media for regenerative medicine
PL BioScience's HPL technology enables significant advances in cell therapy. The use of HPL provides a reliable and sustainable solution for research and enables a seamless translation of research results to humans. This technology is used in laboratories worldwide and supports the development of innovative cell therapies that are critical for the treatment of diseases such as type 1 diabetes and for wound healing.
Strategic expansion and global demand
Dr. Hatim Hemeda, CEO of PL BioScience, sees the increasing demand for high-quality cell culture media as the driving force behind the company's growth. The increasing number of clinical studies, especially with stem cells, requires reliable and effective growth media. The market potential for HPL culture media is growing worldwide, especially in China, where the demand for imported cell culture media is increasing.
Strong partnerships for global growth
The participation of international investors from Europe, the USA and China strengthens PL BioScience's global presence and accelerates the company's growth strategy. Christian Wilkes, co-founder and CFO of PL BioScience, emphasizes the importance of these partnerships for international expansion.
Peter Kallien of b.value AG sees great potential in PL BioScience and praises the company for its scalable and high-quality cell culture media that meet the requirements of clinical cell culture and support the growth of regenerative medicine.
Further information can be found at PL BioScience.
We are proud to back a team that has both the expertise and the passion to make a real difference. Congratulations to the entire PL BioScience team, especially Christian Wilkes and Dr. Hatim Hemeda.
01.08.2024
We're thrilled to announce that our portfolio company b.fab GmbH, has been selected for the prestigious CREST Accelerator by Hatch Blue!
Over the next 4 months, the b.fab team will be part of an intensive program across some of the world’s most dynamic aquaculture hubs—Hawaii, Norway, and Singapore/Vietnam. This is an incredible opportunity to learn about the challenges of the industry and connect with renowned aquaculture experts.
b.fab produces sustainable proteins for the feed market
b.fab is entering the accelerator with their new product, Sustein - a protein produced through their innovative fermentation technology, which uses CO2 and renewable energy. By using a sustainable, carbon-efficient process, Sustei requires only a fraction of the energy and land needed for soy production, while offering superior feed applications in aquaculture.
We’re excited for b.fab to get this unique opportunity, joining 8 other innovative start-up teams to learn, grow, and find solutions to the most pressing challenges in aquaculture.
01.07.2024
Dr. Isabelle Schiffer joined b.value as an Investment Manager at the beginning of July. She has experience in guiding academic scientists through their initial steps in venture building from her previous work in technology transfer at the start-up center of the University of Cologne. Her expertise in the German and European funding landscape, along with her extensive network in universities, will be a great asset to our team. She also worked at a foundation dedicated to supporting science and start-ups in the longevity field. In this role, she managed strategic partnerships and public relations. Isabelle has a background in biomedical sciences, and holds a PhD in Genetics from the Max-Planck-Institute for Biology of Aging.
We are looking forward to the great things we will achieve together!
18.06.2024
traceless materials, an innovator in sustainable material technologies, announces a strategic partnership with Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper. This collaboration aims to push the application of traceless®, a novel and natural plastic alternative, across the paper industry on a large scale.
Founded in 2020 by Anne Lamp and Johanna Baare, traceless has pioneered the development of a biocircular and certified plastic-free granulate from plant residues, aiming to replace plastics with a regenerative alternative.
The partnership with Mondi, renowned for its sustainable business practices and global reach in the paper and packaging industry, represents a critical step forward in traceless materials’ mission to significantly reduce global plastic pollution.
Environmental Impact of Traditional Plastic Coatings and the traceless®Solution
Traditional paper coating methods often involve the use of synthetic plastics to enhance sealing and barrier properties. These coatings, derived from non-renewable petroleum resources, are not biodegradable under industrial composting conditions.
In contrast, traceless® is bio-based on residues and naturally compostable, breaking down in a short timeframe without leaving any harmful residues. By introducing an alternative to conventional plastic coatings with traceless®, the partnership between traceless materials and Mondi is set to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and decrease the volume of unnecessary plastic waste generated, all while being recyclable in existing paper recycling streams. This shift meets increasing consumer and regulatory demands for environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
Anne Lamp, CEO and co-founder of traceless materials, states, "Our collaboration with Mondi is more than just a partnership; it’s a powerful combination of innovation and scale. Together, we are ready to transform the paper coating industry by implementing our traceless® material coating alternative on a scale that only a company like Mondi can achieve. This is a major step towards a sustainable future where our material becomes a standard in everyday products."
Marko Schuster, COO Functional Paper and Films at Mondi, states, "This partnership aligns perfectly with Mondi's commitment to making packaging and paper sustainable by design. Working with traceless® allows us to introduce innovative, natural solutions to our customers, further enhancing our approach to responsible production and consumption. Jointly we are taking the next step in developing solutions that contribute to a circular economy."
ABOUT MONDI GROUP
Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by producing products that are sustainable by design. We employ 22,000 people in more than 30 countries and operate an integrated business with expertise spanning the entire value chain, enabling us to offer our customers a broad range of innovative solutions for consumer and industrial end-use applications. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy, with our ambitious commitments to 2030 focused on circular driven solutions, created by empowered people, taking action on climate.
In 2023, Mondi had revenues of €7.3 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.2 billion. Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), where the Group is a FTSE100 constituent, and also has a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP).
ABOUT TRACELESS
The bioeconomy start-up traceless materials GmbH was founded in Hamburg in 2020 by Anne Lamp and Johanna Baare. With its natural biomaterial traceless®, the team wants to make a real contribution to solving global plastic pollution and, as a biomaterial pioneer, drive forward the green transformation of the materials sector.
After closing a 36.6 Mio. EUR Series A financing round in 2023, the team has started building their first large-scale production plant in Hamburg in 2024 - a significant step on the way to technology industrialization. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection is funding the project with an amount of 5,128,401 EUR from the Environmental Innovation Programme.
For the development of product applications, traceless cooperates with European brand owners and manufacturers such as OTTO, Lufthansa and C&A. A first pilot product in the packaging sector has been successfully tested on the market since 2022. The company has also received numerous awards, including the German Entrepreneur Award and the German Sustainability Award/Next Economy Award.
06.06.2024
We are pleased to announce a cooperation agreement by FibreCoat with Saint-Gobain for the production of its AluCoat product. With Saint-Gobain, FibreCoat now has a strong and experienced partner at its side to scale up the AluCoat production in order to meet the growing market demand. Another important milestone in the company's development! Congratulations to the FibreCoat team!
The expansion of the cooperation between Saint-Gobain and FibreCoat is a sign of the great trust that has been built up over many years of collaboration in development and as an investor.
25.04.2024
Still overwhelmed by the impressions of our first b.value Family Day, we are starting this working week.
We welcomed our b.value portfolio to Dortmund last Thursday. The first part of the Family Day took place at bitop AG in Phoenix West, whose history is closely linked to b.value AG. In their opening statements, Co-CEO Eva Galik and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Dr. Dieter Hahn looked back on the successes and challenges of the past 30 years since bitop was founded and demonstrated that building a company is not a sprint.
The rest of the day was all about getting to know each other and networking. What challenges are currently being faced and which have already been successfully overcome? Key questions that were discussed against the imposing backdrop of the former blast furnace plant. The two rusting blast furnaces in front of the window, surrounded by state-of-the-art office and production halls, symbolize the constant change of economy, which our portfolio companies also want to drive forward. In a relaxed atmosphere with a freshly brewed beer and a subsequent walk around Lake Phoenix, the lively exchange that had begun there was continued. The crowning finale was the joint dinner. We are still impressed by how quickly a feeling of togetherness developed, even though many of us were meeting for the first time - family feeling at its best.
Many thanks to our portfolio teams for making the long journey to take part in the Family Day! It was a great day with you and a fascinating experience for us to see our portfolio up close in all its different facets. We hope that the Family Day was just the start of staying in touch with each other. Perhaps some mutual inspiration will enrich your everyday business life.
23.04.2024
We are thrilled to announce our newest investment in Cultimate Foods, a biotech startup based in Berlin's Biocube and Hannover (Institut für Technische Chemie, Leibniz Universität Hannover)!
Cultimate Foods creates cell-cultivated fat ingredients for plant-based meat products. While there are lots of plant-based meat products available on supermarket shelves, taste remains the top consumer barrier to the adoption of these sustainable alternatives. The first product CultiFat mimickes authentically pork and beef flavor due to its unique lipid composition which has been proven in commercial pilots with the food industry leaders.
The closing of a 2.3 million EUR round will help to scale up the production process and to enter first markets as a B2B partner for the alternative meat industry. We are happy to support this mission as part of a strong biotech and food tech investor consortium together with High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) leading this round, Life Science Valley Wachstumsfonds, Kale United, and the global food tech investor Big Idea Ventures.
You can find futher details on this seed round at https://www.htgf.de/de/htgf-seed-cultimate-foods/.
An impression of the mission of Cultimate Foods is also presented by https://www.cultimatefoods.com.
Congratulations to the founders Eugenia Sagué and George Zheleznyi and the whole Cultimate Foods team!
Contact
Let's create the future together
Would you like to learn more about b.value AG or do you have an innovative technology that might pique our interest? Do not hesitate to contact us. Our team will be happy to answer your questions. We are looking forward to hearing from you and exploring the possibility of working together.
b.value AG
Contact Person
Dr. Georg Lentzen (Managing Director)
Georg.Lentzen@b-value.de
Peter Kallien (Managing Director)
Peter.Kallien@b-value.de
Contact
b.value AG
Biomedizin Zentrum (BMZ)
Otto-Hahn-Straße 15
D-44227 Dortmund
+49 (0) 231/79300196
Impact by Deep Tech
