Europe’s leading VC fund for female founders, Auxxo, closes Female Catalyst Fund II at €33.3M

Auxxo announced the final closing of the Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund II at over €33.3 million, which is a 75% larger fund volume than Auxxo’s first fund. Simultaneously, Auxxo launched a pan-European Founder Matchmaking Platform that brings together female founders and teams searching for co-founders.

Record Closing: Institutional Confidence in Gender Diversity as a Return Strategy

Since the first closing of Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund II in July 2025 with the European Investment Fund (EIF) as anchor investor, Auxxo has raised additional capital from a broad investor base. Limited Partners include Aurum Impact, EnBW New Ventures, Cherry Ventures, and Speedinvest, as well as numerous renowned family offices, business angels, and founders from across Europe. More than 50% of investors are women. This sends a clear signal that diversity is increasingly recognised as a strategic necessity in the VC market.

With the final closing, Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund II significantly exceeds the volume of its previous fund, the Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund I (€19 million), underscoring Auxxo’s growth trajectory since its founding in 2021.

"We are incredibly proud of the trust placed in us by the EIF and our other LPs, investors who understand that diversity drives returns. Our network is growing not only in size but also in influence and impact. The fact that more than half of our LPs are women shows that the industry is moving towards the future we have always envisioned." Bettine Schmitz, Co-Founder and General Partner at Auxxo

The partnership with the EIF is emblematic of a growing institutional recognition: gender-diverse investment strategies are not only socially just, but economically relevant. Female-founded companies still receive a disproportionately low share of venture capital. In 2025, it comprised only 16.5% of European VC deal activity. At the same time, they achieve this while remaining remarkably sustainable and capital-efficient: more than two-thirds achieve follow-on financing or an exit after their first round, and this exit is on average faster than the overall market (7.8 instead of 8.8 years), according to Pitchbook. Their monthly burn rate is also lower, in an environment where capital efficiency is increasingly difficult to achieve.‍

"We are glad to be continuing the drive for greater gender diversity in European venture capital alongside Auxxo. Diversity and financial return can go hand in hand – and we look forward to this new fund making exactly that a reality." - Marjut Falkstedt, Chief Executive of the European Investment Fund‍

"At EnBW New Ventures, our core focus is on energy tech, which is still a very male dominated field. Given the existing funding gap for female founders, we feel a responsibility and a strategic opportunity to actively broaden the diversity of our portfolio. Diversity isn’t just a KPI for us; it’s been shown time and again to correlate with stronger business performance. Partnering with Auxxo is one of the most effective ways for us to gain access to work with often overlooked female talents." - Anke Gratz, Investment Manager at EnBW New Ventures

Portfolio: 11 Investments Reshaping Entire Industries

Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund II has invested in 11 startups to date, including three companies announced at the first closing: Emidat, a pioneer in climate data infrastructure for the construction industry; Resolutiion, an AI platform that identifies and reduces losses caused by commercial disputes; and Stanhope.ai, which develops more adaptable and interpretable autonomous systems for robots and drones leveraging a neuroscience-driven approach. Since then, the portfolio has grown to include amongst others, Marble Imaging, a developer of Earth observation satellites and AI-powered analysis tools for defence and infrastructure applications; Delta Labs, an AI platform for consumer insights that enables companies to build deep market intelligence through synthetic customer simulations; and Radiogenesis, which uses AI to design novel radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment.‍

"Auxxo is the investor I didn't realise how much I needed. They see your vision and raise it. They're the first to respond and the most connected, and they recognise that being a female founder in tech has much more dimensionality to it. No other investor sees the real you and helps all of you show up." - Ashley van Heteren, Radiogenesis‍

"The best investors bet on you before it's obvious, and that's exactly what Auxxo did. They recognized where our market was heading before the consensus followed, and backed that assessment with real conviction and support: they opened commercial doors and made the contacts that turned into tangible results. What I appreciate most is how they are there when it matters: they sharpen our thinking without ever intervening. If you're building something ambitious in Europe, Auxxo is the fund you want to have on board."- Cindy Candrian, Delta Labs

Launch of the Founder Matchmaking Platform: Auxxo Targets Root of the Gender Funding Gap

Alongside the final closing, Auxxo today announces the official launch of its pan-European Founder Matchmaking Platform. The platform connects ambitious women with potential co-founders, addressing one of the most significant structural gaps in the startup ecosystem: the “co-founder gap” for women.

For years, the Auxxo team has received the same question from serial founders, operators, and managers from the old economy alike: “Do you know a strong woman I could bring on as a co-founder?” With this platform, Auxxo scales what was previously a manual matchmaking process into a structured, data-driven solution. But it's not just women who are being addressed; studies repeatedly show how strong diverse teams are. The platform focuses on three user groups of any gender:

• Solo founders looking for a technical or operational “missing piece”
• Experienced operators ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship
• Teams seeking capital, for whom Auxxo provides direct access to pre-seed and seed investment expertise

The matching process draws on Auxxo’s extensive European network, including successful entrepreneurs across the continent, business angel networks such as the Evangelistas and EncourageVentures e.V., and an LP base of which over 50% are women.

The platform is accessible immediately via the Auxxo website, “Find co-founder”.‍

"We have always seen ourselves as a bridge. With this platform, we are building the foundation of that bridge. We want to ensure that more women found startups – not someday, but now." - Dr. Gesa Miczaika, Co-Founder and General Partner at Auxxo‍

"Female founders are the future of European innovation. By facilitating these connections, we aren’t just doing what’s right – we are building a stronger, more resilient pipeline of high-performing startups for the entire European market." - Bettine Schmitz, Co-Founder and General Partner at Auxxo