MVP INSIGHTS

Using a conversion process known as “power-to-gas”, Electrochaea has developed a commercially viable and disruptive solution for utility-scale energy storage based on biological methanation. It enables the gas grid as energy storage for fluctuating renewable power generation.

“The impact our portfolio companies strive to have inspires me every day and goes in line with my personal belief: Profit, people and planet can go hand in hand, and we are here to prove it.”

Nadin Sperrhacke – Office Manager

Center of gravity of administration and backbone of accounting. Worked as a paralegal before, so she is extremely precise. Keeps track of documentation. Organizes meetings and events. Enjoys exploring Bavarian lakes on her SUP-board.

“Since founding MVP in 2004, I was eager to foster breakthrough innovations. And that’s what we work on as a team until today.” 

 

Rolf Nagel – Partner

PhD in Business Economics.  Entrepreneur at a very young age, in VC since 1993. Exited Ciena. Board Member of the EIT Governing Board of the EU Commission. Door opener, turning ideas into market success. A dedicated skier. Plays French horn.

“Success is a combination of inspiration, transpiration, and passion – 10% inspiration and 90% transpiration and passion.”

 

Walter Grassl – Partner

IT-veteran. MIT-scholar, PhD in Informatics, won several prizes, 30+ years of management and industry experience. Likes Falafel, joined an Israeli Fund. Focused on supporting successful entrepreneurs, founded MVP. Sold relayr, Proximetry, Communology, Right Hemisphere and Visapix. Enjoys long, exhausting bike rides.

“Being at the pulse of technology and societal development is a daily challenge but also the champions league of investing. There’s nothing more satisfying than supporting our talented founders to achieve their visions.”

Michael Sailer – Partner & CFO

Visionary MVP-number cruncher with a passion for fast cars. Started his career as a consultant. Broad industry experience. In VC since 2001. Organized and detail-oriented. Never misses a deadline. Experimented with B2B – B2C shifts. Likes teams with good sales and strong execution.

“Trust is key to a good partnership. Our investors trust us to manage their capital and we build trusted relationships with our start-ups to support their growth.”

Martin Kröner – Partner

MVP-geek. PhD in Thermodynamics. Young professional at Linde. Co-founder and CEO of agnion Energy. Good with people and technology, passionate about scaling start-ups. In VC since 2011. Exited sonnen. Sundays to be found on a bike, cross-country skis, or his bass.

“Today’s industries will be entirely transformed in the near future. The ecological and economic challenges we are facing, create the chance to develop groundbreaking technologies. The promotion of these ideas is what drives us.”

Beatrice Böhm – Associate

Background in Law and Business Administration. Grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, went through an 18-month entrepreneurship programme, and worked for two years at an entrepreneurship center. Might get lawyerish in her argumentation. Likes pivoting and developing teams. On and off swimming against the current.

“Working together with smart, passionate people in a fast-paced environment is a unique opportunity and a great motivation and inspiration alike.”

Julian Klaiber – Associate

Background in International Management. Startup and project management experience. Culturally sensitive, sustainability guided and an excellent storyteller. Arrives early, leaves late. Excited about meaningful business ideas. Crossfit addict. Bored of hiking, runs up mountains instead.

sonnen is one of the global leaders in smart, distributed energy storage systems offering solutions to homeowners seeking reliable, affordable and clean energy. Connecting the batteries within the sonnen community, sonnen operates as a virtual energy utility and deploys a power supply as a service model.

Fahrenheit manufactures innovative cooling systems using excess heat to produce cold. Fahrenheit’s patented zeolite coating technology allows to build chillers saving 80% of electricity compared to conventional compression cooling systems and using water as refrigerant instead of hazardous cooling agents.

Prolupin extracts protein from lupine seeds to produce plant-based foods and food ingredients marketed under the brand “Made with Luve”. Lupine protein provides a sustainable alternative to animal-based protein characterised by significantly less greenhouse gas emissions and domestic farming.

relayr is the Industrial Internet of Things powerhouse. Its middleware platform is geared towards helping industrial companies unlock data insights from their existing machinery and production line kit by linking internet-connected sensors and edge devices to platform controls.

Luxexcel is the only company, which can produce ophthalmic lenses by 3D-printing. The technology is uniquely positioned to create lenses for the eyewear industry as well as smart lens technology for use in AR/VR. 3D-printing avoids the use of toxic material during production and significantly reduces production waste. In addition, decentralised manufacturing will optimise transportation and logistics, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions.

asgoodasnew turns used smartphones, tablets, high-value cameras and notebooks into “asgoodasnew” condition and resells them, fully comparable to new devices. Enhancing the lifetime of electronic devices saves consumers’ wallets and up to 50kg of CO₂ emissions per device compared to new production.

The COBI.Bike system enhances cycling experience by turning bikes into smart bikes. Connecting the bike with your smartphone, it offers features such as fitness data, route tracking and more. The result is more safety, convenience, and fun on any trail or bike path.

Silicon Line is a provider of innovative ultra-low power optical link technology for the mobile and consumer electronics markets. Technologies such as autonomous driving require reliable connectivity with high data rates up to 100 Gigabit per second. Silicon Line’s optical technology enables high-speed data transmission and replaces expensive and heavy copper cables with lightweight fibre-optical solutions.

Novihum markets a patented soil improver based on modified lignite and other natural substances. It converts money-losing into profitable soils, and enables the reforestation of entire arid, sandy regions. Gardens, fields, forests, rivers, and ground water can be saved from pathogens, micro or nano plastics, and nitrate pollution by using Novihum products.

Kebony’s real-wood decking is an eco-alternative to tropical hardwood with increased durability and a beautiful look. Using fast growing sustainable woods helps in avoiding further deforestation of rain forests.