Berlin-based Lunar Ventures has announced the launch of its second fund, a €50 million vehicle aimed at supporting early-stage deeptech startups across Europe and select regions of the U.S.
The fund will target breakthroughs in scientific discovery tools, AI infrastructure, and autonomous systems designed to operate in complex real-world environments.
Investing before traction — and ahead of hype
With a team comprising engineers, operators, and PhDs, Lunar Ventures is positioning itself as the go-to pre-seed partner for highly technical founders. The firm plans to make initial investments of €750K to €1M in 25–30 startups. About 20% of the fund will be allocated to U.S. startups outside the Bay Area.
Fund II has already backed Berlin-based Bruin, a data stack platform, and Lodestar Space in London, which develops autonomous robotic systems for satellite defense.
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Returning LPs and global expansion
Fund II is supported by investors such as Isomer Capital, Lingotto (part of Exor), Intesa Sanpaolo Endowment, and Grinnell College, along with European founders and GPs. Lunar’s first fund, launched in 2021, closed at €40 million and backed 25 companies, including deepset, Zama, and Molecule — several of which later raised from top-tier U.S. firms like Spark Capital, GV, and Founders Fund.
Looking beyond Silicon Valley
By combining European technical talent with transatlantic investor networks, Lunar Ventures hopes to bridge the early-stage gap and derisk European deeptech for global capital. According to founder Mick Halsband, the firm’s thesis centers around “conviction before consensus,” backing scientific innovation early — well before market validation.
Lunar will continue to focus on emerging intersections of AI, autonomy, and scientific tooling, reinforcing its commitment to long-term partnerships with highly technical teams from the very start.
