Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners invests in FAZUA
German e-bike drive system manufacturer FAZUA receives $ 8 million in new financing round
The Munich-based e-bike drive system manufacturer closes an $ 8 million financing round in order to support business growth and to meet the strongly increasing demand.
Lead investor Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners is joined by existing investors High-Tech Gründerfonds, Bayern Kapital and several business angels in this financing round.
Munich – March 1st, 2018. FAZUA GmbH, a Munich-based company founded in 2013 and provider of the innovative evationdrive system for e-bikes receives $ 8 million in a new financing round. Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners (UVC Partners) leads the round with participation from existing investors High-Tech Gründerfonds, Bayern Kapital – with its Wachstumsfonds Bayern – and several business angels.
FAZUA will use the funding both to drive business growth forward and to meet the strongly increasing demand for the notably light e-bike drive system. Additionally, by further investing in product development, FAZUA will strengthen its technology leadership position. Due to the high demand and its growth, the company will move into a new office with larger production capacities in spring of this year. Furthermore, FAZUA will expand its team and is currently looking for candidates for quality control, production management and electronic development positions, among others.
Benjamin Erhart, Partner at Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners, explains: „FAZUA has attained a very strong and promising market position. Within the fast-growing e-bike market, its drive system is the leader in light and very light products. An increasing number of renowned bike manufacturers are choosing the evationsystem. We are convinced that FAZUA will deliver significant added value in the coming years. We are excited to join the strong consortium of existing investors and to support the further development of the company.“
Bayern Kapital’s Managing Director, Georg Ried says: “As one of the early investors, we are particularly pleased that FAZUA has developed so positively from its initial stages. With a further investment, this time from Wachstumsfonds Bayern, we can make an important contribution to business growth.“
Yann Fiebig, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds, is also impressed by the development of the young company: „Right from the beginning, we were convinced of the profitability and competitiveness of the product. The HTGF is proud to remain a part of this great success story.“
FAZUA’s integratable drive system allows bike manufacturers to redefine their expectations regarding the design, weight and flexibility of e-bikes: the battery and motor become almost invisible in the down tube. As a result of the system’s minimal resistance, the bike boasts a natural riding feel, especially when striving for high-performance riding. Another positive aspect has been the superb feedback in the racing bike and performance segment. The evationdrive system received a great deal of recognition so far: FAZUA won awards in three categories at the DESIGN & INNOVATION AWARD 2018 (Newcomer, MTB Components and Road).
“We are very pleased with this round of financing, which will further support FAZUA’s extremely strong market position“, says Hannes Biechele, CEO and founder of the Munich-based company, “The experience, added value and know-how of the shareholders are essential pillars for us, without which FAZUA could not operate so successfully.“
Company information FAZUA:
FAZUA, a Munich-based company founded in 2013, set itself the goal of revolutionizing the e-bike market. With the evationdrive system, the team around CEO Johannes Biechele offers a product that is specifically designed for the demands of high-performance riding and offers the natural ride feeling of a non-motorized bicycle. Notable FAZUA customers, who are selling bikes with the evationdrive system include CUBE, Focus, Bianchi, Fantic and Pinarello.
Company information Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners:
Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners (UVC Partners) is a Munich-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in technology-based startups in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. UVC Partners focuses on B2B business models in the areas of Industry 4.0, IoT, Manufacturing Technologies, Software & SaaS, Mobility and Smart City. The fund typically invests between 0.5 – 3 million Euro initially and up to 12 million Euro in total in successful startups. Portfolio companies benefit from the long-time investment and exit experience of the management team as well as from the close cooperation with UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s leading innovation and business creation center. With over 180 employees and more than 100 industry partners, UnternehmerTUM can draw from many years of experience in establishing young companies. Even though being fully independent, it enables UVC Partners to offer startups unique access to talent, industry customers, and other financial partners. The portfolio includes investments such as FlixBus, Carjump, KONUX, Blickfeld, 3YOURMIND and Vimcar.
Company information High-Tech Gründerfonds:
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With EUR 886 million in total investment volume across three funds (EUR 272 million in HTGF I, EUR 304 million in HTGF II, and a targeted volume of EUR 310 million for HTGF III) and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge close to 500 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and start-up experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in a range of sectors, including software, media, internet, hardware, automation, healthcare, chemicals and life sciences. To date, external investors have injected over EUR 1.5 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,200 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in almost 90 companies. Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, B.Braun, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, Drillisch AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, Postbank, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik and WACKER.
Company information Bayern Kapital:
Bayern Kapital GmbH based in Landshut was founded on the initiative of the Bavarian government in 1995 wholly as a subsidiary of LfA Förderbank Bayern. Bayern Kapital, as venture capital company of the Free State of Bavaria, offers equity capital to founders of innovative high-tech companies and young innovative technology companies in Bavaria. Bayern Kapital currently manages eleven equity funds with an equity volume of around €340m. Bayern Kapital has so far invested around €260m of equity capital in more than 250 innovative technology-oriented companies from different fields including life sciences, software & IT, new materials, nanotechnology and environmental technology. As a result, over 5,000 long-term job opportunities have been created in future-oriented companies in Bavaria.
