BackBone Ventures

What they do

Backbone Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Zurich and Frankfurt am Main. Founded in 2018, Backbone has a track record of 28 investments with already three successful exits so far. With a pioneering investment- and a strong ecosystem approach, Backbone’s mission is to achieve a positive impact for the next generation by supporting outstanding entrepreneurs to reach new levels of success and to become the trusted partner for founders and investors in pre-seed/seed venture capital in Germany and Switzerland.

What they look for

BackBone Ventures focuses on "Empowering Underrepresented Founders." Their 5502 Fund deliberately targets founders who have a history of outperforming their competition despite being structurally underprivileged based on their gender, origin (e.g., 1st and 2nd generation migrants), or socioeconomic background. They seek founders at the very start of their entrepreneurial journey-often when they are armed with only a pitch deck or an idea. They explicitly look for "hustler-DNA," resilience, strong work ethic, the ability to inspire others, and boldness. They want founders tackling large enough markets with the right skill sets.

Stage

Pre-seed, Seed

Sectors

Climate, SaaS, Healthcare, Food and agriculture, Deeptech, Consumer

Based

Zurich, CH