Essen, 01 March 2024 – Ann-Christin Kortenbrede is joining Gründerfonds Ruhr (Ruhrgründer Management GmbH) as the second Managing Partner alongside Jan Gräfe. The two build the new management team of the new fund generation that will be launched in 2024.
From the first to the second generation of Gründerfonds Ruhr
Gründerfonds Ruhr is a Venture Capital Fund based in Essen that invests into early-stage startups that drive innovation and change. The fund was initiated in 2017 by the Initiativkreis Ruhr and NRW.BANK. At the time, twelve well-known institutions invested into Gründerfonds Ruhr alongside NRW.BANK. Since then, Gründerfonds Ruhr has invested into ten innovative startups with ambitious founding teams from various industries. One of these companies, Emergence Therapeutics, was successfully sold in 2023.
The new fund management team is now kicking off the preparations of the second generation of the Gründerfonds Ruhr. The goal is to reach a first close of Gründerfonds Ruhr II of at least €30M in 2024 and a final fund volume of €50M by 2025.
Gründerfonds Ruhr continues to invest into seed stage B2B-startups with top-notch founder teams that have the potential to become market leaders in their market segment. Investments can be made throughout Germany with a focus on the Ruhr region. Additionally, Gründerfonds not only provides financial capital, but also the entrepreneurial expertise of its team and access to the industry through a leading network of international corporations including many large banks, foundations and corporates from the region.
The new management team as the basis for the new fund generation
Since its launch, Gründerfonds Ruhr has established a strong position as a preferred early-stage investor in the region. To strengthen this position and further grow, the management team has changed the setup of Gründerfonds to an independent fund structure led by the experienced Venture Capital investors Jan Gräfe and Ann-Christin Kortenbrede. Jan Gräfe joined Gründerfonds Ruhr in 2021 after gaining valuable M&A and Venture Capital experience at Jeffreys and Axel Springer.
“I am confident that I can contribute to the mission of Gründerfonds Ruhr to accelerate the growth of groundbreaking startups in the Ruhr region and beyond. Together, we aim to unlock unprecedented opportunities for our portfolio companies and make a significant impact on the global innovation landscape.” – Ann-Christin Kortenbrede
Ann-Christin Kortenbrede is a trained Economist (M.Sc. from the University of Münster) with multiple years of experience in investment banking and Venture Capital. In 2016, she unexpectedly found her passion for startups and Venture Capital when she met the founder of Pomona Impact on a trip through Central America. She spent four years investing for the impact fund, before moving back to Germany where she supported startups as a coach and then moved on to a new investor role at eCAPITAL. Starting in March 2024, she is now co-leading the new fund generation of Gründerfonds Ruhr.
“The transition to Gründerfonds Ruhr marks a significant milestone not only in my career but also for the vibrant startup ecosystem in the Ruhr region and beyond. At Gründerfonds Ruhr, our mission is to empower innovative startups by providing them with the capital, support, and resources they need to scale their visions into reality. I am looking forward to collaborating with ambitious founders, talented teams, and our partners to unlock new possibilities and drive transformative change.” – Ann-Christin Kortenbrede
For more information please contact us: info@gruenderfonds-ruhr.com.