Cherry Ventures

What do you call a crisp Spring day filled with talks from Europe's tech leaders hosted at one of London's most iconic venues? Ah, yes — the #CherrySummit2024. Alongside networking and entertainment, we built a program around the opportunities ahead for European tech, with many of the stories and insights shared stemming straight from our portfolio and our close network. Check out our showreel below:

We're witnessing a transformative era where AI, especially large language models (LLMs), is revolutionizing industries ⭐️ At Cherry Ventures, we are looking for investment, and our investment theses on AI hinges on two main categories: Evolution: AI is continuously improving existing processes, enhancing efficiency across sectors. For instance, AI-driven chatbots and workflow automation are saving time and reducing errors in fields like healthcare and manufacturing. By automating mundane tasks, AI allows employees to focus on complex, value-added activities. Revolution: AI is creating groundbreaking transformations, from personalized information interfaces to smart hardware. Imagine AI providing instant, relevant data to enhance decision-making or integrating with hardware to make devices smarter and more efficient. Our very own Jasper Masemann and Lutz Finger now share their insights on the six hypotheses illustrating the evolution and revolution in AI. Read about our AI investment theses here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dVdcYwET  …or listen all about them in the newest episode of The Edge 🎧 bit.ly/cherryedge

Rising momentum.🍒 That's how we introduce our summer newsletter, reflecting on the first half of the year that flew by, filled with memorable moments with our founders and broader community. We gathered the brightest minds in European tech to discuss the future opportunities in the field in The Cherry Summit 2024. We also introduced Copilot, offering executive, curated coaching as a part of our investment package to provide value beyond capital. Additionally, we've welcomed Lutz Finger as a venture partner in San Francisco to help founders integrate AI into their products, with insights shared on our podcast, The Edge. From space exploration to AI breakthroughs, our portfolio companies continue to drive tech forward in Europe. We're privileged to be part of our founders’ journey and grateful for the opportunities ahead. See what the Cherry team and portfolio companies have been up to in our latest newsletter 👉 https://lnkd.in/dAc7dAvF Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter 📩 https://cherry.vc/en/news Listen to The Edge and hear all about the latest developments in AI 🎧 https://lnkd.in/enbv362B

Why is this new AI hype so special? In the latest episode of The Edge, our very own podcast looking into the latest AI developments, Lutz Finger and Jasper Masemann are unpacking the current AI hype and discussing AI’s limitations. Can you answer these questions correctly? 💡If we say “Life is like a box of…”, you’ll say “chocolate.” But what if AI said “sensations?” 💡Who has more impressions, a large language model or a four-year-old? 💡Can Lutz convince OpenAI that he’s Captain America? Read the summary here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dC63yxGx ...or tune in and learn 🎧 bit.ly/cherryedge #AI #LLM

Hot off the press! Our portfolio company Numa has acquired Native Places. Huge congratulations are in order for Numa founders Christian Gaiser, Dimitri Chandogin, Gerhard Maringer, and the entire Numa team for this strategic expansion into the UK market! Here's why we’re excited: 💂🏽♀️ Native Places’ strong presence in four key UK locations adds 16 landmark properties in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. 🎒 Numa’s total group count is now 7,300 units, thanks to 800 additional units in AAA locations and strong real estate partners. 😍 Numa will keep building on Native's delightful lifestyle brand, which already has exceptional recognition. The UK remains an attractive travel market as London, Edinburgh and Manchester each rank within the most visited cities in Europe. This acquisition allows an even stronger player to provide high-quality stopovers close to rich cultural experiences, historic landmarks, vibrant cityscapes, and dominant business hubs. cc: Christian Meermann Filip Felician Dames Alexander Langholz-Baikousis Sophia Bendz Dinika Mahtani Jasper Masemann #NumaStays #StaysWithSoul #nativeplaces

Big News: EQT and Kühne Holding Acquire 35% Stake in Flix! We are absolutely thrilled to share that EQT Future and Kühne Holding have acquired a 35% stake in our portfolio company, Flix! This is a huge milestone for Flix, one that brings in strategic investors who will empower them with industry-leading knowledge and expertise, strengthening their balance sheet and supporting their ambitious growth plans. We have been a proud partner since day one. When we first met the Flix team at their small offices in Munich, before the first green bus ever hit the streets, we knew they were onto something huge. We believed in them and believed that they were building something that would change the way we travel, and that’s exactly what they did. Nowadays, you can’t hit the road anywhere in Europe without seeing one of their iconic green buses, and this latest investment is a clear vote of confidence as Flix looks to expand further in North America and beyond the 43 countries it now operates in. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to André Schwämmlein, Jochen Engert, Daniel Krauss, and the entire Flix team for reaching this significant milestone. We look forward to supporting Flix as they continue to revolutionize the mobility industry. More info here: https://lnkd.in/eUhXBQG7 #CherryVentures #Flix #EQT #KühneHolding #Investment #Growth #ESG #Mobility cc: Christian Meermann Filip Felician Dames Sophia Bendz Alexander Langholz-Baikousis Dinika Mahtani Jasper Masemann

With cyber threats constantly evolving, how can organisations integrate solutions that meet those threats, without introducing more complexity into their stack? Our very own investor, Dimitri Sedashev has the run-down on the most innovative, fit-for-purpose cybersecurity solutions in an evolving threat landscape, from AI to USPM. He also covers some of the emerging frontrunner providers in the field, driving innovative and adopting new technologies to keep organisations safe, without compromising on efficiency. Learn more about their growing relevance and adoption across the field in our newest article, covering: 🔐 Improving MTTD and MTTR 🔐 Transforming Security with Continuous Exposure Management 🔐 Rise of Data in Unified Security Management 🔐 New AI Security Tools Get acquainted: https://lnkd.in/eKFFEcHr #cybersecurity #AI #DevOps #USPM

Have you heard the news already? The Edge, our podcast looking into the latest #AI developments, is back! Featuring our very own Lutz Finger and Jasper Masemann. We kick-started the 2nd season of The Edge by revisiting our duo’s 2023 AI predictions (Spoiler alert: they had a good hunch!). Are open or closed models winning? How are chat and text interfaces doing? How is #generativeAI helping the music industry? Later on, season two will focus on how startups can be AI-enabled, whether they started out as an AI-first company or not. You can either read a summary of the podcast over on our website: https://lnkd.in/e-DhcNwJ Or tune in and learn: https://lnkd.in/ekWQ4Taf Filip Felician Dames Christian Meermann Alexander Langholz-Baikousis Sophia Bendz Jasper Masemann Dinika Mahtani

Last week, our team spent two days in Paris and London with our product expert Lutz Finger and founders, diving deep into all things AI — from innovative use cases to practical implementation strategies. We explored cutting-edge AI applications, discussed how to drive tangible value through AI, and shared best practices for successful implementation. Energy was great, and the insights invaluable — we've left inspired by the shared vision of using AI to create real value and drive transformation. A huge thank you to STATION F for bringing us all together and to Lutz for coming all the way from across the Atlantic to make it happen. Stay tuned for more AI-driven adventures! 💡🤖 Jasper Masemann Nadja Carina Reischel Loup Audouy Lutz Finger

This year's B2B SaaS Rising 100 report by Sifted is out! Which software companies based in Europe are the most promising? Spoiler alert: Quite a few Cherries. Shout out to Juni, Tacto, Ben, advastore SE, TWAICE, and Moss for making the list. Take a look: https://lnkd.in/eJvFEbhZ