Swiss VC firm Constructor Capital closes €92.8 million debut fund to back DeepTech, software, and EdTech startups

Swiss-based early-stage venture capital firm Constructor Capital has closed its first fund at €92.8 million ($110 million) to back Seed and Series A rounds for startups in DeepTech, software, and EdTech. 

It aims to support founders working at the forefront of scientific research and software development as they make the lab-to-market leap as globally scalable businesses. The fund is backed by a group of private investors, including technology entrepreneurs, family offices, investment bankers, and investment vehicles. According to the VC firm, capital deployment has already begun.

Matthias Winter, Managing Partner at Constructor Capital, said, “Research labs within universities are currently developing multiple technologies that will shape our lives and the 21st century, but nevertheless remain neglected by the VC ecosystem. We’re closing the funding gap between scientific excellence and venture capital. In moving companies from lab to market, we balance academic and operational support.” 

Constructor Capital was founded by Serg Bell. He is a physicist, computer scientist, investor, executive, and tech entrepreneur who previously founded and scaled unicorns like Acronis, Parallels, and Solomon Software. 

Constructor Capital operates as the venture engine of the Constructor Group, a global ecosystem that includes Constructor University, Germany’s largest private STEM-focused university, research labs, Constructor Start, an equity-free accelerator program, and Constructor Tech, an end-to-end platform for research and applied innovation.

According to the firm, its portfolio companies benefit from direct access to this ecosystem, including talent, testing environments, and long-term commercial partners. 

The fund is led by Managing Partner Matthias Winter and a team of operators-turned-investors. The general partner group includes Marie Lepske, focused on DeepTech and quantum technologies; Alex Fine, specialising in software and go-to-market; Laurent Dedenis, with experience in EdTech; and Oleg Melnikov, focused on product and software systems.

The firm claims that, unlike traditional venture funds, Constructor Capital applies a science-first approach to sourcing, due diligence, and mentorship. Its network includes over 50 universities, including Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, ETH Zurich, and NUS, and hundreds of researchers, some of whom are Nobel laureates. 

The fund plans to lead and co-lead investments with ticket sizes ranging from nearly €840k ($1 million) to €8.4 million ($10 million) at Seed and Series A, with select investments reaching up to €12.6 million ($15 million) and a dedicated allocation for follow-on investments. It invests globally, with a focus on Europe, the US, the UAE, and Singapore, where its general partners are based.

According to Constructor Capital, it focuses on DeepTech, software, and EdTech. Within DeepTech, it invests in areas such as new computing architectures, including quantum and photonic systems, with an emphasis on technologies that enable optimisation, advanced simulation, and energy-efficient computation.

Its software-centric investments primarily target AI-native enterprise platforms. In EdTech, its portfolio is largely composed of AI-driven learning platforms, especially those that personalise education and equip educators with next-generation tools.  

“If you’re investing in companies where long-term competitive advantage requires ongoing high-level research, you need to actually comprehend the science in play. Our General Partners are deep experts in their fields who have built and exited startups, and now we choose to invest in companies that align with those areas of expertise. We can critically assess, validate, and support highly technical teams navigating the transition to market-ready enterprises. And thanks to our network of academics and researchers, the complexity that might make other funds hesitate is no deterrent for us,” said Marie Lepske, General Partner at Constructor Capital. 

Its notable investments include QuEra Computing, a provider of quantum computers based on neutral-atoms, and Lumai, which develops 3D optical computing architectures that reduce the cost and energy consumption of AI inference. Other Constructor Capital portfolio companies include AI infrastructure company GCore, ERP company Osome, and augmented reality company VitreaLab.

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