Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund is a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm focused on supporting female-founded and co-founded startups across Europe. Founded to address the significant gender gap in venture funding, Auxxo is one of the few funds in Europe built specifically around the goal of empowering women in entrepreneurship. The fund invests at the earliest stages and seeks to create systemic change by backing diverse leadership and inclusive innovation.
Auxxo invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups led or co-led by women across all sectors, with a geographic focus on Europe.
The firm does not limit itself to specific industries but prioritizes companies with scalable potential and strong, diverse founding teams.
Its investment scope is intentionally broad to maximize the number of high-impact female founders it can support.
In July 2025, Auxxo announced the first close of its second fund, Female Catalyst Fund II, with €26 million in committed capital. The European Investment Fund (EIF) acted as the anchor LP, and more than half of the fund’s investors are women, aligning with Auxxo’s mission to reshape both sides of the cap table. Fund II will continue Auxxo’s strategy of backing pre-seed and seed-stage companies with female co-founders.
Leadership
Auxxo is led by a diverse team of experienced investors and operators: Alena Redeker, Bettine Schmitz, Gesa Miczaika, Melanie Higgs, Sophie Pollok, and Katharina Heße.
The partners bring complementary experience in venture capital, entrepreneurship, strategy, and social impact. Gesa Miczaika is also known for her leadership in investing in underrepresented founders across Europe and her involvement in the European VC and gender equity ecosystem.
Investment Strategy
Auxxo applies a founder-first investment philosophy, looking for teams with complementary skill sets, vision, and long-term commitment. It invests early, often pre-revenue, and provides not only capital but hands-on support, particularly in areas such as business model development, product-market fit, and next-stage fundraising.
The firm also fosters a community among its founders, encouraging knowledge exchange, mentoring, and visibility for female leaders in tech and innovation.
Notable Investments
Fund II’s early investments include:
These reflect Auxxo’s openness to diverse verticals united by strong female leadership and technical innovation.
Notable Exits
As of this fund cycle, Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund has not yet reported notable exits, though several companies from its first fund are progressing through follow-on rounds and scaling across Europe.
Other
Auxxo is not only redefining who gets funded, but also who gets to fund. By ensuring over 50 percent of its LP base is female, the firm is creating a flywheel effect for equity in venture capital. It has become a key player in Europe’s push for inclusive innovation and is one of the few funds specifically focused on female-led entrepreneurship at the institutional level.
