Lakestar is a Zurich-based venture capital firm founded by Klaus Hommels, one of Europe’s most prominent technology investors. The firm is known for its early investments in global leaders such as Spotify, Revolut, and Skype. Lakestar manages multiple funds across Europe and invests in both early and growth-stage companies with a strong focus on transformative technology sectors. Over the years, it has become one of Europe’s leading venture firms with a reputation for backing ambitious founders building globally scalable businesses.
Lakestar invests primarily in European and global technology startups, covering sectors such as:
The firm seeks out companies with strong product-market fit and scalable models that can expand internationally.
It is stage-agnostic within venture, participating in seed, early, and later-stage rounds.
In September 2025, Lakestar closed a US$265 million continuation fund, one of the largest of its kind in the European venture ecosystem. The continuation vehicle was anchored by Lexington Partners, with additional commitments from Industry Ventures and Performance Equity Management.
The oversubscribed fund enables Lakestar to transfer select portfolio assets from four existing funds into this new structure.
The move provides liquidity for limited partners seeking partial exits while allowing Lakestar and existing LPs to extend exposure to high-performing portfolio companies.
Switzerland
