Herbert Ventures is a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital firm launched in 2026 out of Zurich, Switzerland. Founded by Luis Huber and Ben Simon, the firm backs exceptional European founders at the earliest stages with a deliberately industry-agnostic approach. Herbert operates on the conviction that venture outcomes are driven by people, and that the strongest founders often build in spaces before the category exists.
Herbert invests across sectors with a strong affinity for deeptech and technical founder teams. The firm does not restrict itself to specific industries, preferring instead to identify outlier founders with the technical depth and ambition to build category-defining companies. Their thesis centers on finding these founders early, when conviction matters more than consensus.
Herbert Ventures Fund I closed at CHF 30 million (approximately EUR 32.5 million) in April 2026, with the first close announced on April 9, 2026. The fund plans to make roughly 30 concentrated bets across pre-seed and seed-stage companies in Europe, with a core focus on the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and a broader European mandate.
Herbert operates a distinctive single-shot funding model with no follow-on reserves, designed to eliminate sunk-cost bias and keep decision-making sharp. The firm always co-invests alongside other VCs, with a singular focus on helping portfolio companies reach their next stage. The fund is structured as a Luxembourg SCSP via HS Capital AG, with an 8% hurdle rate before carry kicks in.
Leadership
Luis Huber is General Partner at Herbert, based in Zurich and Madrid. He previously worked at QBIT Capital, where he built and operated institutional venture platforms. His experience spans sourcing, diligence, and portfolio work across early-stage venture investing.
Ben Simon is General Partner, based in Zurich. He is a founder turned investor who built and successfully exited his startup VAY. He was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and has been an active angel investor and long-term supporter of the European startup community.
Investment Strategy
Herbert writes checks of EUR 500K to EUR 1M at the pre-seed and seed stage. The firm always co-invests with other VCs and does not reserve capital for follow-on rounds. This single-shot approach keeps the fund focused on its core competency: identifying and backing founders at the very beginning. Herbert's partners are hands-on in supporting portfolio companies through their earliest stages, with a philosophy of underpromising and overdelivering, transparent communication, and intellectual honesty with founders.
Notable Investments
Herbert's portfolio is still in its earliest stages, with initial investments including:
Other
Herbert's no-follow-on model is worth noting for founders. The firm invests once and concentrates all its energy on helping the company reach the next stage, rather than reserving capital for later rounds. The fund is structured with an 8% hurdle rate, aligning GP and LP interests from day one.
Switzerland
