Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund
ActiveVenture Capital
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Financial History
Total Raised
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Valuation
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Leadership Team
Key people at Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund.
Key people at Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund.
The Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to investing exclusively in European startups with at least one female founder holding a minimum of 20% of the founder shares. Its mission is to advance the ownership, participation, and fair treatment of women in startups and the VC ecosystem, addressing the significant gender gap in venture funding. The fund is sector-agnostic, focusing on pre-seed and seed-stage companies across diverse industries, emphasizing scalable potential and strong, diverse founding teams. Beyond capital, Auxxo provides hands-on support and fosters a community that promotes authenticity, trust, and psychological safety for founders. To date, it has made over 30 investments and is recognized as a key ally for female founders in Europe[1][2][4].
Founded in 2019 by Bettine Schmitz and Dr. Gesa Miczaika, Auxxo was created to bridge the gap between female founders and the traditional VC world. The fund launched its first vehicle, Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund I, in 2021 with €19 million in capital, followed by a second fund in 2025 with a first close of €26 million. The founding partners brought decades of combined experience and a mission-driven approach to promote gender equality in venture capital. The fund has evolved to not only provide capital but also build strong networks such as the Evangelistas, a community of over 300 female business angels, and to emphasize founder wellbeing alongside financial returns[1][3][6].
Auxxo rides the global trend toward gender diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship and venture capital. The timing is critical as women remain vastly underrepresented as founders, investors, and in management roles. By investing early and sector-agnostically, Auxxo helps unlock untapped innovation potential and drives systemic change in the European startup ecosystem. The fund’s emphasis on psychological safety and authentic founder relationships also challenges traditional VC norms, promoting a more inclusive and sustainable model for startup growth. Its partnership with major players like the European Investment Fund underscores growing institutional support for gender-diverse investing[1][2][5][6].
Auxxo is poised to continue expanding its impact with the ongoing deployment of its second fund, Female Catalyst Fund II, targeting 30 startups with investments ranging from €350,000 to €800,000. Future trends shaping its journey include increasing recognition of diversity as a driver of innovation and financial performance, as well as growing institutional commitments to gender equity in VC. Auxxo’s influence is likely to deepen as it scales its network, supports founder development, and demonstrates that female-led startups are a critical engine for European innovation. The fund’s holistic, values-driven approach may serve as a model for other VC firms aiming to combine impact with returns[3][4][5][6].
Key people at Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund.
