Speedinvest is one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors, with more than €1bn AUM, 40 investors, and offices in Berlin, London, Munich, Paris, Vienna and San Francisco.  Your success is our priority, so we don’t just send some money and ''check in'' at board meetings. Our mission is to empower you with game-changing support through every stage of your journey.  Our focused investment teams know your industry inside and out. Their Deep Tech, Fintech, Industrial Tech, Network Effects, Digital Health and Subscriptions experience, know-how and deep networks are yours from day one.  You also have full access to our in-house Platform+ team of operational experts who can provide tailored growth marketing, people (HR), US business development, and networking support throughout every stage of your journey.

Speedinvest

Joyance Partners invests in companies that, through science and tech, cultivate joy to improve how we live, focusing on the health and consumer sectors from Pre-Seed to Series A.

Joyance Partners

Leveraging entrepreneurial and financial experience to identify opportunities in the Food, Beverage and Consumer Goods space.

Shio Capital

Expedite Ventures is a business angel group of CTOs and CPOs. We invest in tech founders and help them to create sustainable businesses through both capital and in-depth, hands-on mentoring. We are nerds at heart and passionate founders ourselves - many of us are still running startups. Our true hands-on mentoring approach is based on decades of collective experience in building and scaling technology companies – which we think is at least as valuable as funding. We encourage those who are already engineering today’s technology to get into the driver’s seat and become first-time founders. Our goal is especially to support underrepresented groups in tech, including female and immigrant entrepreneurs.

Expedite Ventures

BLN Capital is the Single Family Office of Daniel Stammler, Oliver Löffler and Janosch Sadowski, the founders of Kolibri Games, a Berlin-based mobile gaming studio. They sold their majority stake in Kolibri Games to Ubisoft in February 2020. BLN invests opportunistically across asset classes with a focus on public and private equity. We invest into funds and make direct investments. Our direct investments include early-stage investments such as Jodel, Tellonym, PowerUs and Fastic, as well as later-stage investments such as Apponboard, Robinhood and Kraken.

BLN Capital

Left Lane Capital is a venture capital and seed-growth equity firm that invests in high-growth internet and consumer technology businesses that are fundamental to the human condition and spirit – where customers maintain a long-term relationship with the product, platform, or service.

Left Lane Capital

IVP turns breakout companies into enduring market leaders. With a 40-year record of driving growth and 130+ IPOs, we’ve partnered with over 400 companies including Amplitude, Brex, Coinbase, Crowdstrike, Datadog, Discord, Klarna, Slack, Snap, and Twitter. As trusted allies, IVP helps founders and CEOs meet the challenge of leading a rapidly growing company. Its proven system bolsters functions including those that are sometimes overlooked and partners serve as trusted allies to companies seeking to realize their full potential.

Kittl

Kittl is a simple and easy-to-use design platform that allows creatives to create simple or complex commercial designs. The platform provides online tools for creating and customizing a variety of items such as logos, t-shirts, posters, labels, and cards. As a result, the platform includes professional templates, precision editing, text editing, recoloring, clipping, and other features. Kittl was founded in 2020 by Nicolas Heymann and Tobias Saul.

Kittl (formerly Heritage Type) is a German startup that offers browser-based graphic design tools. The platform offers tools to create logos, labels, postcards, etc., and includes customizable professional design templates, coupled with text editing and clipping capabilities. Users get direct access to illustrations, fonts, photos, icons, and textures. Kittl uses a subscription-based business model that includes a freemium plan, with paid plans starting at USD 10 per user per month.

The tools that power remote work are define the next generation of enterprise software.

Remote Work Tools

Kittl is a Berlin-based design platform that aims to simplify complex design processes. It offers web-based tools to help users create distinctive logos, t-shirts, posters, labels, cards, and various other designs with ease. Kittl's intuitive platform provides access to thousands of ready-made templates created by professional designers, which users can customize using powerful yet user-friendly editing tools.

Unlimited Graphic Design Service

EU-Startups

Berlin-based Kittl draws up plans to expand its design platform with €10.8 million cash boost

Kittl, an AI-powered design startup rivaling Canva, is set to raise funds from US giant IVP, sources say

Kittl Overview – A graphic design tool to make complex design easier

Kittl: Transform Text into Digital Designs

Not Canva, not Adobe, Kittl's approach to graphic design attracts $36M investment

Daily Crunch: Berlin-based design platform Kittl raises $11.6M Series A to take on Adobe and Canva

Kittl Raises €10.8 Million in Series A

German rival of Canva: Kittl secures $11.6M funding to bring professional design to everyone — TFN

German design platform Kittl bags €10.8M from Left Lane Capital, others to take on Canva, Adobe

Austrian Speedinvest joins €10.8M round for Kittl design platform

Creating affordable content for the digital age

Content Creation Tools

Kittl (formerly Heritage Type) is a German startup that offers browser-based graphic design tools. The platform offers tools to create logos, labels, postcards, etc., and includes customizable professional design templates, coupled with text editing and clipping capabilities. Users get direct access to illustrations, fonts, photos, icons, and textures. Kittl uses a subscription-based business model that includes a freemium plan, with paid plans starting at USD 10 per user per month.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15962">January 2023 </a>, Kittl raised EUR 10.8 million (~USD 11.6 million) in a Series A funding round led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from angel investors including Des Traynor (founder of Intercom), Shaan Puri (former CEO of Bebo), and product leaders from Calm, Amazon, and Instagram. Fresh funds were allocated for product development to boost its AI and machine learning efforts.

Hive is a productivity platform for project management and collaboration. The platform provides automated workflows, project planning layouts, and action templates to assign and keep track of project tasks. Hive focuses on improving task execution with instant feedback cycles for editing and approvals. Additional features include note taking (Hive Note), instant messaging, online meetings, and file sharing.Hive offers a variety of ways for teams to organize their projects, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, tables, and calendars, with updates made in one view automatically reflected in all others. The platform allows team members to create action cards with files, sub-actions, dependencies, and comments to stay on top of their objectives, and have access to a personal to-do list that compiles all assigned tasks from all projects. Managers can use Hive to assign approvals, share proofs, provide feedback, and collect project forms from clients and customers. Hive also uses AI and machine learning to provide insights on team productivity and identify potential risks, and to optimize resource allocation and client billing.Key customers and partnershipsThe company’s customer base includes Google, Toyota, Comcast, and Starbucks. Hive offers integrations with over 1,000 SaaS platforms, including Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and Smartsheet, allowing users to import tasks from these platforms.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5208">August 2021</a>, Hive raised USD 10 million in a funding round led by Rembrandt Venture Partners with participation from Zoom, and existing investors Tribeca Venture Partners and Angelpad. Hive is one of the first startups to receive an investment from Zoom’s “Zoom Apps Fund” (a USD 100 million global venture fund). The fresh funds were allocated toward platform development.&nbsp;

Hive

Grain’s software allows users to record, highlight, transcribe, and share online meeting content from tools such as Zoom in an effective manner. It automatically records and transcribes meetings, allowing users to create shareable video clips from highlighted transcript sections. Grain leverages AI to generate customizable meeting notes and answer questions about the transcript. It supports coaching and collaboration through comments and training content creation. The platform offers deal analytics and insights, tracking key account activities and integrating with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, and Slack. &nbsp;The company’s products focus on distributed teams, sales, product and user research, and hiring teams.In April 2022, the company acquired Ping Pong, a video messaging platform.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9759">April 2022</a>, Grain raised USD 16 million in Series A funding led by Tiger Global Management. The funds were raised to expand operations and develop its ​​video meeting system of record for content, which allows employees to collaborate around insights, topics, relationships, or teams.

Grain

Air is a creative operations platform designed for creative teams to streamline their workflows and collaborate more effectively. It offers a comprehensive solution that goes beyond basic cloud storage systems, catering specifically to the needs of the creative process. Air allows users to collect content, approve assets, share versions for feedback, and organize their work seamlessly, eliminating the need for additional organizational efforts.Air provides a centralized hub for content collaboration, approval, and versioning. Air's technology streamlines various aspects of the creative workflow, including content collection, asset approval, version control, and feedback sharing. Unlike traditional cloud storage solutions, Air's platform is tailored to the specific requirements of creative teams, enabling them to work more efficiently and effectively.Key customers and PartnershipsThe company’s customer base includes notable firms such as Native, Together, Spindrift, and Univision.&nbsp;Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8139">January 2022</a>, Air raised USD 10 million in an “Operator Round” led by Headline with participation from Tiger Global, Lere Hippeau, and 50+ strategic founders and marketing executives including Peter Rahal (Co-Founder, RXBAR), Kipp Bodnar (CMO, HubSpot), and Joe Thomas (CEO, Loom), valuing the company at USD 110 million. The funds were used to accelerate Air’s go-to-market activities and growth.

Acapela was co-founded by Roland Grenke, founder of Dubsmash, a video sharing social media app. Acapela facilitates online meetings without real-time interaction between participants; instead, members contribute to meetings over time.Acapela provides voice and video messages integrated with popular productivity tools such as Asana, Google Workspace, Notion, and Atlassian. Additionally, meetings will generate tasks and meeting summaries automatically. The company identified distributed tech teams as its initial target segment and plans to shift focus toward small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises eventually. The product is currently in invite-only beta.In October 2020, the company exited stealth mode with a USD 3 million seed funding round led by Visionaries Club. The round included Entrepreneur First and other notable individual investors, such as Christian Reber (founder of presentation software Pitch) and Taavet Hinrikus (founder of online money transfer service TransferWise).

Acapela

iObeya is a cloud-based enterprise visual management platform that enables organizations to digitize their Lean, Agile, and Industry 4.0 practices. The platform provides virtual "Oobeyas" (Japanese for "big room"), which are digital collaborative workspaces where teams can align, synchronize, and visualize their work using digital boards, sticky notes, and other visual tools. iObeya's platform allows teams to recreate the in-person experience of paper-based visual management practices with real-time collaboration, enhancing team efficiency, creativity, and problem-solving.iObeya's technology supports a wide range of enterprise use cases, including industrial product lifecycle management, manufacturing operational excellence, product development, and continuous improvement for business performance and agility. It integrates with various systems like ERP, MES, BI, and Application lifecycle Management (ALM) tools such as Atlassian Jira and Microsoft Azure DevOps Server.Key customers and partnershipsiObeya's customer base includes global enterprises such as Airbus, Thales, Volvo, Philips, Cartier, Axa, Eli Lilly and Company, Western Digital, General Electric, Kimberly-Clark, Danaher, and Sanofi.Funding and FinancialsIn July 2020, iObeya raised USD 17 million in a series A funding round led by Red River West with participation from Atlantic Bridge Capital and Fortino Capital Partners. The funds were allocated to develop its platform further and accelerate the company’s expansion in the US.

iObeya

Platforms that provide virtual workspaces using spatial technology to combine a variety of productivity and collaboration tools in a single space.

Platforms that provide standalone presentation software, prototyping and web development software, templates, and design workspaces.

Platforms that facilitate task delegation and tracking with board, timeline, and kanban style views.

Platforms that provide standalone video communication tools and complementary products such as interactive interfaces, presentation features, and transcription software.

Platforms that offer chat and email-based collaborative tools.

Solutions in this industry hub are predominantly offered under a B2B SaaS model

Some solutions in the virtual office and video conferencing segments are based on AR/VR

Facilitates hybrid workforces by offering tools for employees to collaborate regardless of location

Meeting transcription and note-taking apps, design, and project management tools use AI/ML for product development

Kittl is a Berlin-based design platform that aims to simplify complex design processes. It offers web-based tools to help users create distinctive logos, t-shirts, posters, labels, cards, and various other designs with ease. Kittl's intuitive platform provides access to thousands of ready-made templates created by professional designers, which users can customize using powerful yet user-friendly editing tools.Kittl's unique approach lies in its ability to bridge the gap between basic design tools like Canva, which offer limited creative control, and advanced software like Adobe Suite, which requires a steep learning curve. By providing an accessible platform with advanced design capabilities, Kittl empowers users to unleash their creativity and turn their ideas into professional-grade designs without the need for extensive training or complex tools.Since its inception, Kittl has experienced rapid growth, with users creating over 1 million designs on the platform as of January 2023.

Canva is a graphic design platform that offers a web-based suite of tools and features for creating professional-looking designs for various purposes, including social media graphics, presentations, marketing materials, and more. Founded in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams, Canva provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, an extensive library of templates, graphics, and fonts, allowing users to design without extensive technical expertise.
Canva's key product offerings revolve around its versatile design tool that enables users to create visually engaging content. The platform incorporates features such as customizable templates, a vast collection of graphics and images, video editing capabilities, and tools for designing websites, presentations, and documents. Canva's collaborative features allow multiple users to work on designs simultaneously, fostering teamwork and streamlining the creative process.
In 2021, Canva generated revenue of over USD 1 billion, with 10 million paid subscribers and 4.5 million paid team subscriptions. The company has experienced remarkable growth, amassing 90 million users as of October 2022. Canva's profitability and strong cash reserves, with USD 700 million on hand, have positioned it as a resilient player in the industry, even during challenging economic conditions.
To further enhance its offerings, Canva has acquired several companies, including Zeetings (a presentations startup), Pexels and Pixabay (stock photography websites), Kaleido.ai (an Australian startup), and Smartmockups (a Czech-based company). In September 2022, Canva announced the launch of its "Canva Worksuite," a comprehensive suite of products aimed at professionals, including Canva Docs (a document editor), Canva Websites (a website builder), and Canva Whiteboards, among others.
Key customers and partnerships
Canva has established partnerships with various companies to expand its reach and enhance its offerings. In 2020, Canva signed contracts with FedEx Office and Office Depot, enabling users to print and ship their designs directly from the platform.
The company has also forged strategic collaborations with industry leaders, such as its recent partnership with Affinity, a provider of professional-grade creative software. This alliance aims to bridge the gap between user-friendly platforms and professional-grade tools, empowering creators at all levels.
Furthermore, Canva has gained significant traction within the enterprise sector, with 85% of Fortune 500 companies, including FedEx, L'Oréal, and Salesforce, utilizing Canva's design tools. As of 2022, Canva reported having 4.4 million customers paying for its "Canva for Teams" offering, demonstrating its growing presence in the business world.

Canva

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps professionals and students communicate effectively across various platforms and devices. Developed by linguists and engineers, Grammarly uses algorithms to provide suggestions for improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, conciseness, tone, and overall style.
Grammarly's key product offerings include a free version with basic writing suggestions, as well as premium and business plans with advanced features like full-sentence rewrites, plagiarism detection, vocabulary enhancements, and brand tone consistency. The AI analyzes writing in real-time and makes contextual recommendations to ensure the message resonates with the intended audience.
One of Grammarly's standout capabilities is its seamless integration with over 500,000 apps and websites, allowing users to receive writing feedback wherever they type.
Key customers and partnerships
Grammarly has formed partnerships with educational institutions like Harvard University and Stanford University to help students and faculty improve their writing proficiency. Its business plan serves companies across various industries, assisting teams in maintaining consistency and adherence to specific brand tones through customizable style guides.
As of June 2024, Grammarly's user base includes over 30 million people worldwide and over 70,000 professional teams.

Grammarly

Picsart is a digital content creation platform that offers a suite of AI-powered tools for creating and editing images, videos, GIFs, logos, and other visual content. The company's flagship product, Picsart Ignite, comprises over 20 AI tools that enable users to generate visuals, enhance existing content, and streamline creative workflows.
Picsart's AI capabilities span image generation, upscaling, object removal, background replacement, style transfer, and avatar creation. Its tools cater to both individual creators and businesses, assisting with tasks like designing social media posts, ads, and product visuals. The platform has seen significant adoption, with over 2 million AI-generated images produced daily as of November 2023.
The company has also expanded its enterprise offerings, launching an API program in February 2022 that allows businesses to integrate Picsart's creative tools into their platforms. This move aims to support the creator economy by enabling businesses to offer deeper creative experiences.
Key customers and partnerships
In June 2024, Picsart announced a partnership with Getty Images, a leading provider of stock imagery. This collaboration enables Picsart subscribers to generate unique images with commercial rights and indemnity directly within the platform, streamlining the content creation process for marketers and businesses.
Additionally, Picsart has integrated its tools with Walsworth Yearbooks, one of America's largest yearbook printers. This integration grants students access to Picsart's photo editing suite, enhancing their yearbook design capabilities with AI-powered solutions.

Picsart

Typeform is a no-code SaaS platform offering conversational forms, quizzes, surveys, and asynchronous video solutions to help companies engage with their audiences and grow their businesses. Founded in Barcelona in 2012 by David Okuniev and Robert Muñoz, Typeform revolutionized online data collection by emphasizing empathy and seamless design to make digital interactions feel more human. The platform's intuitive, mobile-responsive forms feature one question at a time, natural language, and built-in logic to emulate real conversations.
Typeform's core product allows users to create visually appealing, customizable forms without coding. Its paid plans, ranging from USD 290 to USD 990 annually, offer advanced features such as unlimited questions, payment integration, and email notifications. The platform integrates with various business tools like HubSpot, Google Sheets, MailChimp, and Salesforce.

Typeform

Ceros is a cloud-based experiential content creation platform that empowers marketers and designers to create rich, interactive content without code or traditional web development. The Ceros platform provides a no-code solution for creating and publishing engaging digital experiences that drive user engagement, lead generation, and sales.
At the core of Ceros is a design studio that offers complete creative control, enabling users to develop and deploy pixel-perfect layouts using a familiar freeform canvas. They can incorporate animations, interactions, and multimedia elements into their designs using presets and templates. The studio facilitates collaboration, with features for real-time previews across devices, version control, and file management.
Ceros simplifies the creative workflow by allowing direct import of design files from Adobe Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, and integration with Getty Images library. It is compatible with all major CMS platforms for seamless embedding of interactive content on websites. Published experiences can be easily updated in real-time and optimized for search discoverability.
Ceros has evolved from a digital publishing startup in 2012 to a comprehensive experiential content solution serving enterprise clients across industries. With over 350 employees, it reported annual recurring revenue of over USD 50 million as of September 2022 after raising USD 133.5 million in funding led by Sumeru Equity Partners.

Ceros

Assists content writers in creating digital written media including blogs, ebooks, magazines, and journals.

Offers tools to create pictures, videos, animations, and other visual media.

Assists in creating a variety of digital media channels including podcasts, polls, quizzes, and surveys.

Platforms for discovering and purchasing digital content. Typically offering a repository of digital content or a marketplace to discover and connect with content creators.

Tools for collaboration between internal and external team members on content creation.

Platforms that provide an all-in-one solution that covers the entire content creation process. Typically also provides consultancy services covering content strategy, design, and analytics.

NLP automates the creation of personalized written media content for different use cases

For written and visual content creation AI/ML is a core part of the end result

Uses generative AI to automate the creation of personalized content across multiple media formats

Kittl

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