SpeedUp Venture Capital Group

Sierra Ventures invests in the future of The Enterprise. We invest early – primarily Seed and Series A – and look for proven product market fit, disruption in the market, and strong IP. We tend to lead investment rounds and reserve capital for follow on rounds to support our entrepreneurs as they grow. We believe that partnership is paramount. We work closely with all of the entrepreneurs we invest in, guiding them with expertise and capital to help their companies grow and deliver on their promise. We understand that great companies don’t get built overnight, and we don’t mind rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. In fact, we enjoy it. Sierra’s Investment FocusDATA/AI The volume of data has exploded, and with the emergence of the cloud, new tools are being developed with many data infrastructure software platforms focusing specifically on artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning (ML). We’re excited about companies that make it easier to ingest, access, and analyze data. Sub-sectors within Data/AI include AI/ML and Big Data. VERTICAL SAAS Many industries that rely on excel or pen and paper have been forced to dramatically increase the pace of technology adoption. Vertical SaaS represents the shift to specialization where software is business-specific and is designed for a specific domain. Sub-sectors within Vertical SaaS include FinTech, EnterpriseApps, and Security. INFRASTRUCTURE Next-Gen Infrastructure will be the core connecting fabric for all future technology capabilities. Wide-scale improvement is needed in order to enable applications to run consistently in almost any location across the globe. Organizations have expedited infrastructure modernization strategies which continues to drive growth in the sector. Sub-sectors within Infrastructure include Cloud and IoT. Next-Gen TechnologiesDIGITAL HEALTH Adoption of Health software has been faster than ever before due to the pandemic tailwind and technology trends that put the consumer in charge. New tools are being developed to reach patients creating opportunities with Pharma, Providers, and Payers. We anticipate a dramatic shift towards more value based care (payer / provider) and digitization and decentralization (pharma). WEB3 Web3 promises to make the internet as accessible, open sourced, secure, and decentralized as possible with the goal of benefiting the people engaging, not central organizations. We are looking at the full Web3 ecosystem including Decentralized Applications (DApps), Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), Cryptocurrencies, and more. A sub-sector we focus on within Web3 includes Blockchain. INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION Digitally non-native industries like Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Logistics are seeking ways to find cost parity and production reliability while adhering to increasing demand across the globe. Humans alone will not be able to keep pace with these market trends and automation will be a key driver in movements like Industry 4.0. Sub-sectors within Industrial Automation include Robotics and Devices. CONSUMER The ubiquity of smartphones has enabled consumers to access goods and services with relative ease and companies are tuning into customer needs and engaging with their increasingly loyal customer base, leading to viral adoption patterns. Additionally, Consumer social platforms have allowed individuals to express themselves and make money doing it, giving more power to the “Creator Economy”. We are interested in Creator Economy and mission driven D2C Applications & Marketplaces. ECOMMERCE A fast growing eCommerce market has been bolstered by the pandemic and every part of the value chain is seeing disruption. The eCommerce software market is driven by market trends like headless eCommerce and ReCommerce. B2B eCommerce has exploded globally and we think the US market will catch up in the coming years. A sub-sector we focus on within eCommerce is Marketplaces. EDTECH Digital and tech-enabled learning has been accelerated in the classroom and the boardroom by the pandemic and social trends such as “the great resignation”. Trends like VR/AR and the Metaverse becoming mainstream combined with the price of enablement devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers decreasing to make technology more accessible than ever have created a market that is ripe for EdTech to flourish.

We help exceptional founders to build exceptional companies by investing in future growth. We support entrepreneurs to become global leaders in their business. Through our two funds we invest in German and international tech companies from seedt to growth stage and help them to accelerate their (inter)national growth. We are an active shareholder and support through capital, know-how as well as network. Together with our LPs, consisting of our anchor investor the State of Hesse, family offices, German mid-sized companies up to major international corporations, we support our portfolio both strategically and operationally. Together with the founders, we pursue one goal: the development of top companies. Early Stage & Growth Capital Futury Capital is an early- and growth-stage investor focusing on tech startups in Germany and worldwide. With our early-stage fund we invest as lead or co-investor up to €500 thousand per round in tech companies in the seed to Series A stage. With our growth-stage fund we invest as lead or co-investor between €2-8 million per round in tech companies in the Series A to Series C stage. Together with our partner Headline, we can also support significantly larger and international rounds. As such, we support the sustainable development of successful companies. Investment Focus We love globally scalable business models and invest in a wide range of technology companies in both B2B and B2C environments. Our investment universe covers multiple industries, such as technology, software, consumer internet, artificial intelligence, adtech, fintech, eCommerce and more. Hardware companies with a technology/software component are considered, while companies from sectors such as biotech and chemicals are considered on a limited basis only. Added Value Our national and international network, the close cooperation with the global VC fund Headline and the close cooperation of the Werte-Stiftung associated with us and its affiliated companies and entrepreneurs provide access to potential customers, cooperations and strategic partners. Through the ReAct initiative, we address pressing challenges in the areas of climate, education and innovation and are committed to a positive future. The incubation and innovation platform Futury.eu connects young talents with companies from different industries to collaboratively realize sustainable future projects.

Through its corporate venture capital arms, EXEO Global Ventures as well as EXEO Innovation Fund Management, the Group focuses on investing in value creation across the Group, and securing high potential growth opportunities across different sectors, including but not limited to: Data analytics Smart logistics Cyber security Fintech IoT Smart cities 5G Each investment is important to the company as synergies within the group are carefully considered and also the potential of the business to expand and develop its products or services. The newly set up EXEO Innovation Fund Management Pte Ltd manages the limited partnership fund, EXEO Innovation Fund, as its fund manager. Set up in partnership with the Fund Corporation for the Overseas Development of Japan’s ICT and Postal Services (“JICT”), the fund aims to acquire leading-edge technology, knowledge and expertise, and reap broad-based returns, strengthening the telecommunication engineering field in Japan and beyond. By extension, the Fund will work in partnership with EXEO Group’s networks in every prefecture in Japan, supporting the creation of new business growth and developing solutions for social issues both in Japan and globally. The investment team based in Singapore will be in charge of driving the investment process, which ranges from deal sourcing to deal screening, due diligence, investment monitoring and exit.

We are engineers, developers, scientists and business people – but we‘re all entrepreneurs. We meet you at eye level and do whatever is takes to help you achieving your goals. Strategy, product development, regulatory, hiring or sales – we use our hands and brains for you and your team to become successful. Becoming the next category leader doesn‘t come for free. We fuel your ambition by investing early-stage venture capital. For a reliable long-term relation, we invest early and have a decent reach to support you on your journey. Our international network backs your later rounds. Authentic early-stage investing takes a lot of work and time. We believe that real human-to-human interaction is the key to successful long-term relationships. We are here for you when you need us and at your site if you call for us. That‘s why we mainly invest in teams that we can reach within two hours. Brain We invest in startups, we can offer more than a money investment. That is why we always have a peer on our team who understands your customers, knows your market and feels you dealing with your challenges. We want to be real value-add. Having a long VC history, we gathered a lot of experience in building successful companies. We support you hands on in all your challenges, organize workshops with experts and connect with our numerous partners. Whether it’s first key hires, adapting corporate strategy, support with approval processes and reimbursement or setting up a sales playbook – we are familiar with the many challenges that you as startups face and help to overcome them more quickly. Cash We are an early-stage VC dedicated to investing in technology companies that have the potential to enable or disrupt major industries. Our strategy centers on getting involved early, primarily focusing on Seed stages, with occasional Series A initial investments. We only invest in cases in which we are confident to take the lead, but we don’t always have to do so. We feel comfortable in strong consortia with other VCs and business angels. Technology plays the keyrole in tackling the most pressing challenges of our time and in improving people’s working and living conditions. We work with the best entrepreneurial teams and visionaries, capable of crafting transformative technology. We are a b2b investor. Our focus spans across SaaS/software, IoT, digital solutions, medtech, biotech, new materials and greentech/cleantech. We invest in ventures with a convincing technology core providing strong competitive edge and serving important customers needs. STAGES: (Pre-) Seed | Series A AUM: > 100 Mio. € INITIAL TICKET: 500k € - 2,0 Mio. € MAX AMOUNT: 6,0 Mio. € Proximity We are an ecosystem player, providing a strong regional presence and deep-rooted network. It‘s a crucial part of our mission to offer hands-on support and be there in person when we are needed. We want to keep our approach authentic and reliable. That‘s why we focus our investment activities within a rough two-hour reach from us – that‘s Rhineland area (Germany) and neighbouring Netherlands and Belgium. Given a strong fit and extra conviction, we’re open to investments across whole Germany. The early stages are the period for a startup in which future success is defined. Finding product-market fit and an effective go-to-market strategy early are keys to market dominance. We‘re passionate about sharing our insights in that. The critical role of frequent social interaction cannot be overstated. Network and access are among the most crucial offerings an investor can provide. We facilitate exclusive interaction wtih the established economy via the S-UBG Group, giving young startups access to their first potential customers or partners. The network includes over 150 SME companies resulting from 30 years of investment experience of S-UBG.

We believe experiences designed around the human voice will fundamentally improve the way people use technology. We are honored to work with founders who are trailblazers in their fields and to help them navigate Amazon and innovate with Alexa. How we Support Companies Beyond the capital we can provide, the founders in our portfolio value our help to facilitate introductions, navigate Amazon, and identify opportunities. Value-added investor: The Alexa Fund provides up to $200M in investment to fuel voice technology innovation. Innovation: Opportunities to improve your product with Amazon. Support: Dedicated portfolio development managers helping you navigate Amazon, AWS, and Alexa teams. Industry Leadership: Introductions to product leaders at Amazon. Product Insights: Opportunities to learn about closed betas for new APIs, devices, and features. PR and Marketing Opportunities: Potential opportunities for enhanced marketing and PR support timed with investments and product milestones.

We invest in early-stage R&D-focused individuals and teams solving complex technical challenges with large potential for commercial application. INVESTMENT AREAS We like to invest in teams building solutions in these technical domains: Software++AI & ML Big Data AR, VR & XR Cybersecurity Cloud/DevSecOps Distributed systems Performance computing Life SciencePersonalized medicine Drug discovery software Precision medicine Biofabrication Digital twins Organoids other BioTech, MedTech HardwareRobotics Automation IoT Industry 4.0 Nanotechnology Material Science Space