Creative industries play a vital role in Berlin: Producers of movies and music, designers of fashion, advertisements and games, publishers, artists and architects – All of these professions have become economically important for Berlin. They contribute significantly to economic growth and employment.
Many creatives are successful internationally. Their experiences lead to the development of new products and marketing strategies.
VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin GmbH aims to support Berlin-based SME companies from the creative industries by providing equity capital. In addition to equity financing, we provide mezzanine capital where necessary.
VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin is a joint initiative of Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) and the State of Berlin. It has a volume of 30 m EUR and is partially backed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
In first round financing we invest up to 1.5 m EUR. Our limit is 3 m EUR per company over several rounds of financing. As venture capitalists, we seek to sell our stocks after a certain period of time.
In addition to providing equity funding, VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin’s investment strategy also involves active support provided by our investment professionals.
We are offering assistance in:
VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin focuses on companies from the following sectors:
For information on our portfolio companies, click here.
We are looking for Berlin-based companies from the creative industries that meet the following requirements:
Moreover, the company’s management is expected to hold the majority of the outstanding shares, and the registered place of business has to be Berlin. The company is also required to comply with the SME criteria of the EU and should be operated as a private limited liability company under German law (GmbH or AG).
Investments by VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin always require a private and independent co-investor, e.g. another venture capital firm, an angel investor or industry partner, who contributes at least the same amount of funds as VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin.
We usually acquire a minority stake (max. 49%) of the total shares. Our investment is subject to the same conditions (pari passu) as the investment of the co-investor. After a holding period of 3-5 years we seek to sell our shares.
In addition to equity, VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin provides mezzanine capital (e.g. silent partnership, shareholder loan), depending on the company’s capital requirements, its liquidity and its financial structure. Interest payments on mezzanine capital are to be made according to current market conditions. The maturity dates of silent partnerships and shareholder loans vary from case to case.
If you are interested in working with us, mail us a short description of your company or a complete business plan, and we will assess whether your company meets our investment criteria.
The investment process is pictured below.
Are you interested in receiving venture capital from IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH? Contact us at the address below.
Please keep in mind that we solely invest in Berlin-based companies.
IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
Bundesallee 171
D-10715 Berlin
Tel: +49 30 / 2125 3201
Fax: +49 30 / 2125 3202
Email: Venture@IBB-Bet.de
VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin is backed by Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).