Ventizz closes fund on €60m

Dusseldorf-based Ventizz Capital Partners has closed its Ventizz Capital Fund II with commitments of €60 million, just six months after launch.

The fund, which is the successor to the firm’s debut Ventizz I Fund, will continue the first fund’s focus on early and later-stage technology companies “with exceptional growth opportunities”, particularly in the renewable energy, solar energy and medical device sectors. It will also target secondary direct investments.

“The enormous level of interest of a variety of blue-chip institutional investors in the Ventizz II fund shows the attractiveness of developed and mature high-tech firms in the German-speaking markets,” said Dr Helmut Vorndran, founding partner and CEO of Ventizz in a statement. The identity of individual investors in the fund has not been disclosed.

Ventizz II has already invested in German companies ErSol Solar Energy, a solar cell manufacturer, and SAF Simulation Forecasting Analysis, a forecasting software developer. In a statement, Ventizz said it expected that the portfolio would be expanded to more than ten investments shortly.

The fundraising was advised by New York-based placement agent The Camelot Group; Velten Franz Jakoby of Dusseldorf (legal and purchase agreements); Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff of New York (legal and fund establishment); and the Munich office of Ashurst (tax and fund establishment).

Ventizz Capital Partners was established in 2000 by managing partners Dr Helmut Vorndran, Reinhard Loechner and Willi Mannheims. The firm now has two funds with total capital of €100 million under management, and has made a total of 17 investments.