Investor Profile: Evonik Venture Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Evonik Venture Capital funding is corporate venture capital with an industrial purpose: backing startups whose technology can strengthen Evonik, a world leader in specialty chemicals. Founded in 2012, Evonik Venture Capital (EVC) invests in young companies with innovative technology and high growth potential, driven by both financial and strategic objectives.

Thesis & focus

As the corporate venture capital unit of Evonik, the firm plays a strategic role in Evonik's goal of becoming a best-in-class specialty chemicals company. It primarily invests in startups in highly attractive markets with above-average growth rates, with a particular focus on the Evonik Innovation Growth Areas: Advance Precision Biosolutions, Accelerate Energy Transition and Enable Circular Economy. Founders should therefore expect a strategic conversation, not only a financial one.

Sectors & stages

Historically the firm has invested in Nutrition & Care, Specialty Additives and Smart Materials, as well as enabling digital technologies. Its investment scope ranges from early stage to growth stage, plus follow-on financing. That range suits startups beyond the idea stage with a technology of industrial relevance.

Fund size & cheque size

Evonik Venture Capital reports a fund size of €250 million, with investment volume per portfolio company of up to €15 million. Company releases put its investment count at more than 30 direct and fund investments since 2012, rising to about 45 investments by 2022. Those figures describe the unit's overall capacity, not a promise of any particular cheque, which will depend on stage, fit and co-investors.

Notable portfolio

Portfolio names confirmed in company and industry releases include FRX Innovations, focused on environmentally friendly flame retardant plastics, Modern Meadow, developing sustainably produced, animal-free materials, Strohm, a manufacturer of thermoplastic composite pipes, and Laxxon Medical, which uses 3D screen printing for pharmaceutical dosage forms. HPNow closed a €5 million equity round led by AP Ventures with Evonik Venture Capital participating, and Structured Polymers, a 3D-printing business, was acquired by Evonik in early 2019.

Partners & team

Evonik Venture Capital is run by a team of experienced investment managers, with experts in startup ecosystems across the globe and offices in Germany, the USA and China. No individual partner names were confirmed from the firm's own venture capital pages, so this profile does not name team members. Founders will typically work with investment managers in Hanau or Essen, Parsippany or Shanghai, depending on geography.

Programmes, credits & perks

No public accelerator programme, credits scheme or perks programme was found for Evonik Venture Capital. Its support is strategic and industrial: comprehensive support from experienced investment managers, access to Evonik's customer proximity, market positions and technical expertise, and the possibility of commercial cooperation. For a deep-tech or materials startup, that industrial access can matter more than generic startup perks.

How to apply for funding

Evonik Venture Capital does not publish a verified open pitch-submission form. Founders should approach through Evonik's venture capital pages at evonik.com and the venturing.evonik.com site, or through the firm's LinkedIn channel, which it promotes for news about its investments. An approach should explain the strategic fit with Evonik's growth areas, the technology's maturity, and the commercial path, since the firm invests on both financial and strategic grounds.