Germany’s May Ventures has officially launched its first fund with over €30 million, marking the arrival of a new AI-native early-stage investor focused on Europe’s next generation of founders.

Headquartered in Münster and founded by General Partners Maximilian Derpa and Dominik Lohle, May Ventures will invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across Germany, France, and the broader European ecosystem. The firm’s thesis is simple yet ambitious: AI is becoming the defining software layer for every company, and the next wave of transformative startups will be built by AI-first founders.

An AI-Native, Founder-Centric Approach

May Ventures positions itself as a “next-generation fund for next-generation founders,” combining capital with hands-on operational support for early builders working at the intersection of AI, SaaS, deep tech, and emerging industries.

The fund plans to make lead investments rather than follow, typically writing tickets between €200K and €1.5M, while maintaining an agile decision-making structure to help founders move quickly from idea to product-market fit.

Cross-Border Ambitions

With a footprint spanning DACH, France, and wider Europe, May Ventures aims to connect innovation hubs from Paris to Berlin, helping founders commercialize cutting-edge AI and automation technologies. The fund’s network includes operators, researchers, and industry experts supporting its goal of turning Europe into a global AI powerhouse.

A New European Mindset

In the words of its founders, May Ventures embodies a new generation of investors who believe that AI is not a sector, but a foundation — an enabling layer that will reshape industries from logistics to life sciences. Their mission: to back founders who use AI not as a feature, but as a core competitive edge.

As Europe’s startup ecosystem matures and capital becomes more specialized, May Ventures joins a growing cohort of thematic, founder-driven funds betting on the continent’s emerging AI talent.