AM Ventures has announced leading investment and asset manager KGAL as a shareholder as it looks to launch a €100m venture capital fund dedicated to 3D printing start-ups in the next year.
The venture capital firm, which was set up by EOS founder Hans Langer and his family, has closed approximately 50% of its targeted commitment and hopes to reach the full total of €100m by next Spring. This cash will be 100% dedicated to start-up companies within the additive manufacturing space, looking to support their growth as AM Ventures has done with the likes of DyeMansion and 3YOURMIND.
KGAL is an independent investment and asset manager for real capital investments within Europe and has an investment volume of €15 billion through the launch of more than 390 funds since it was founded in 1968. AM Ventures believes the addition of this organisation to its shareholders ‘completes the team’, citing its significant experience and financial resources, while its access to investors has also been outlined as a pull.
“After six years of successfully investing in AM-based start-up companies, we decided to jointly take our business to the next level and join forces with the international asset manager KGAL,” commented Dr Hans Langer, Founding Partner in the new formed fund and LANGER GROUP representative. “I am thankful for the achievements the AM Ventures team has made since we started in 2015 and I am very happy to now be working alongside my two former managing directors as new Managing Partners in the fund. This step is a massive opportunity for all AM start-ups around the world and will help further accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing.”
“This is a perfect match,” added Dr Klaus Wolf, Chief Investment Officer at KGAL. “The expertise of AM Ventures and KGAL ideally complement each other. AM Ventures, through their shareholder base, bring in-depth knowledge of industrial 3D printing thanks to their long commercial presence in this field; KGAL in turn has a proven track record in access to investors. Additive manufacturing offers impressive potential to produce industrial goods in a resource effective and sustainable way. Through this joint venture, we are laying the foundations for a long-term partnership and for further funds in a strong growth market.”
The 50+ year old firm becomes shareholders alongside the LANGER GROUP and Managing Partners Johann Oberhofer and Arno Held. AM Ventures has announced the alliance with KGAL just as it closed its initial funding with ‘several multi-million commitments from a strong investor base.’ Through this funding round, multiple high net-worth individuals and experienced entrepreneurs, in addition to KGAL, are said to have joined the fund as limited partners. With the funding currently up to around €50m, AM Ventures will bid to get the total amount as close to the €100m target as possible, which in turn will be pumped into young, early-stage hardware, software, materials and applications companies operating in the 3D printing space.
“We are very proud to have found great partners to support our approach of providing high performance teams and early-stage sustainable businesses with mission critical know-how, networks and other resources,” offered Oberhofer and Held. “With a fund dedicated entirely to early-stage AM start-ups, AM Ventures continues its successful journey of significantly contributing to the rapid growth of additive manufacturing.”
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