In 2019, Leapfunder completed its first funding round in Germany. At the same time, we became a full member of BAND, Germany’s association of angel networks. Since then, we have completed 44 successful German funding rounds. That surely gives us reasons to celebrate Leapfunder Germany’s belated five-year birthday.

Our German Foundations Were Laid Long Before 2019

Although our first deal came in 2019, our commitment to Germany began much earlier. Leapfunder created a German legal subsidiary (Leapfunder U.G.) in 2014. This has its permanent base at Betahaus in Berlin. For several years, we worked closely with our German strategic investors — highly experienced leaders in the Berlin and German ecosystem — who gave direct guidance on adjusting our pan-EU approach to the German environment.

At the same time, we collaborated with our remarkable Berlin legal team and with BaFin, Germany’s financial regulator, to design a fully German legal structure for online angel investing. The result was actually a breakthrough: Leapfunder became the first investment platform to crack the challenge of maintaining an economically identical investment structure across multiple countries in the EU.

It is not so easy: our requirements around tax efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability to professional investors are very high. Developing our funding structure was legal and regulatory high tech. Others have since copied aspects of our approach.

Expansion Beyond Germany

After consolidating our position in Germany, Leapfunder has since expanded into Sweden and Switzerland. In each new market, we have brought the same commitment to regulatory rigor and structural quality.

Investors are able to invest internationally with the same level of trust and reliability that they experience in their home jurisdiction when they use our system. Our goal is simple: to make cross-border early-stage investing as straightforward as possible.

Shoulder to Shoulder in Berlin

The Berlin startup scene has faced some very difficult years, with shifting economic conditions and global headwinds. Throughout this period, Leapfunder has stood shoulder to shoulder with the main players in Berlin. We co-founded the Builders Breakfast, the monthly meeting where Berlin’s startup leaders come together to exchange ideas and coordinate efforts to build the city back up. The Builders Breakfast has become a cornerstone of Berlin’s entrepreneurial community builders: 

“Berlin’s startup scene depends on institutions that both convene people and keep them focused on practical progress. Leapfunder has been central to that effort through initiatives like the Builders Breakfast.” Ferdinand Mühlhäuser, Head of Founder Institute Germany and Co-Founder of Builders Breakfast

Beyond Berlin: New Startup Hubs on the Horizon

Just as Berlin has deep, long-term qualities that will help it rise again as one of Europe’s startup capitals, other German cities are showing their own potential.

Leapfunder is actively working with central players in Munich, Hamburg, and Heidelberg/Mannheim to help these regions grow into vibrant startup hubs. By building our presence across Germany, we are preparing for a future in which multiple cities contribute to the country’s innovation leadership.

Looking Forward

As Leapfunder Germany celebrates its belated five-year birthday, we do so with an eye firmly on the future. We believe the coming years will see the rise of a pan-European innovation ecosystem — one in which funding, expertise, and launch markets can be sought together across Europe’s regions.

Leapfunder is proud to play a role in building that landscape, where startups and investors collaborate seamlessly across borders.

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