Earlybird Closes Record €360M Fund VIII for Europe
Earlybird has offices in Berlin, Munich, London, and Milan. Last week, the team met in Mallorca.
Berlin-based venture capital firm Earlybird has closed its largest fund to date. Fund VIII raised an oversubscribed €360 million and will focus on backing early-stage European tech companies across AI applications, software infrastructure, foundation models, and deep tech. According to the company's press release, this marks the next major chapter in Earlybird's nearly 30-year history.
The firm has always aimed to invest before a category becomes obvious. That approach has shaped bets on companies like aerospace startup Isar Aerospace and fusion energy company Marvel Fusion. New Fund VIII portfolio companies include Black Forest Labs, SpAItial AI, Sintra AI, and Neuracore, among others.
A notable structural move accompanying the fund is what Earlybird calls a "perpetual ownership model." The firm will remain entirely owned by its active partners, with no external investors or partial sales. The press release describes this as a way to preserve the firm's long-term focus across future partnership generations.
On the operational side, Earlybird is integrating AI across sourcing and portfolio support. Jochen Küst has been named Operating Partner alongside his existing CFO role. The firm is also expanding its Catalyst program, which brings founders together with experienced operators and domain experts to strengthen the broader European startup ecosystem.
With Europe at what Earlybird calls an inflection point in AI and deep tech, the message from Fund VIII is clear: the firm plans to stay independent, stay early, and keep backing Europe's most ambitious builders from day one.
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