Flix founders are the most active business angels in Germany – these are the almost 70 startups in their portfolio

Just recently, the Karlsruhe-based deep-tech startup Gixel announced that Flix founders Daniel Krauss, André Schwämmlein and Jochen Engert have invested as business angels.

With nearly 70 investments, the Flix founders are among Germany's most active business angels . The three founded Flix, formerly Flixbus, in Munich in 2011. The startup became a unicorn in 2016. It was most recently valued at €2.7 billion (as of June 2021).

To represent their own Flixbus investments, the three founders founded SEK Ventures in 2012, with which they have been investing in startups for almost ten years. They have since renamed the investment vehicle Flixfounders. This will not change anything for the startups in the portfolio, Krauss told Gründerszene.

We looked at North Data to see which startups the Flix founders are invested in. We noticed:

• The industries in which the Flix founders invest are diverse.
• Mobility and health make up a large part.
• Among the investments is a defense startup: Tytan Technologies from Munich.
• Four of the startups in the portfolio have completed an exit, while six are in insolvency proceedings or are already insolvent.

And although they are invested in so many startups, the three founders are not purely financial investors. Portfolio companies report that they can turn to the experienced founders with questions. The Munich-based firm often invests its money in startups founded by former employees—such is the case with Alasco and Wellster.