Scale-up Portfolio

Investing in Technical and Industrial Innovations

Approx. 10

Direct investments

Approx. €100m

Total investment

Over 50%

Average annual growth rate for tech investments

as at 31 Dec 2022

Investments in Technical and Industrial Innovations

The B&C Group invests in expanding technology-focused businesses that support ‘old economy’ industrial companies with digitalisation and/or optimisation. It makes these investments through B&C Innovation Investments GmbH (BCII).

By investing in industrial tech scale-ups – and through its majority holdings in AMAG, Lenzing and Semperit and its long-standing research funding activities – the B&C Group aims to strengthen Austria’s standing as a business location.

BCII investments are focused on companies with highly effective founders, whose business models are centred on technology and innovation and have significant scaling potential. It plays the role of a sparring partner and capitalises on its extensive expertise and B&C’s strong network in the industrial sector.

B&C primarily acts as a minority investor and is under no pressure to formulate exit strategies for its tech investments. It is open to concluding long-term partnerships with scale-ups, provided that they achieve value growth.

BCII's Investments

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BCII´s Investment Criteria

Industrial tech: BCII focuses on investments in technology scale-ups that provide industrial applications, and whose scaleable B2C business models are based on supporting industrial companies in the areas of digitalisation and/or optimisation.

Founders: An effective, diverse founding team interested in launching a long-term partnership is a leading priority for B&C.

Sustainability: BCII requires evidence of a commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and meeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

Maturity: BCII primarily invests in companies from Series A funding rounds onwards. Products should already be at an advanced stage of development, with the company having already entered the market or looking to expand in the short term.

Capital requirement: BCII’s investments start from around EUR 1m, preferably as a lead investor, although BCII is also open to teaming up with co-investors.

Geographical location: BCII’s main focus is on Austrian companies or technology providers whose products or services are relevant to Austrian industry.

BCII´s Added Value

Combined venture capital and industrial expertise: B&C’s extensive know-how in industrial processes as well as venture capital enables it to provide assistance in areas of strategic importance.

Strategic support: B&C sees itself as a sparring partner, helping its investments with business development and growing their networks.

Minority investment: B&C primarily acts as a minority investor in the industrial tech sector, leaving operational management to the company’s founders.

Lead and follow-on: B&C prefers to participate as a lead investor in scale-up investment rounds and also collaborates with co-investors. Follow-on financing is an option, provided the company demonstrates sufficient value growth potential.

Long-term investment: B&C invests for the long run and is under no pressure to formulate exit strategies for its tech investments. However, the Group’s approach is primarily yield-driven and it is generally open to adopting exit strategies.

Flexibility: B&C responds flexibly to the (structural) requirements of the experienced founding teams at the companies it invests in, and cooperates with co-investors.

Investing in Leading-Edge Innovation

Securing the successful long-term development of the high-growth industrial tech companies in B&C’s portfolio requires environmentally and socially aware business practices and responsible corporate governance. In line with this principle, the B&C Group’s investment decisions are guided by the United Nations’ SDGs as well as ESG standards. In particular, the Group assesses whether sustainability criteria have been integrated into a company’s business model and strategy, or are satisfied indirectly through its products and actions.

Interested in partnering with B&C?

Does your technology enterprise specialise in innovations relevant to industrial companies? Are you interested in collaborating with B&C Innovation Investments? We look forward to hearing from you.

Press & News

BCII Team

Katrin Kaiser

Katrin Kaiser

Michael Leopolder

Michael Leopolder

Maximilian Nutz

Maximilian Nutz

Julia Reilinger

Julia Reilinger

Regina Sturm-Lenhart

Regina Sturm-Lenhart

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Advisor

Thomas Zimpfer

Thomas Zimpfer

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B&C Innovation Investments - alt, nicht sichtbar

B&C Innovation Investments GmbH (BCII) invests in innovative technology-based growth companies of relevance to the industrial sector and therefore ‘old economy’.

We focus on companies with highly committed founder teams, who we support as an investor and active shareholder.

Through the activities of BCII, the B&C Group, in addition to its majority shareholdings in AMAG, Lenzing and Semperit and its long-standing activities in funding scientific research, also contributes to promoting Austria as an attractive business location.

BCII’s investments focus on founding teams that pursue business models with innovation and technological at their core and targeting promising growth opportunities. The aim of BCII is to support founding teams not only with capital, but also by connecting them with well-established companies and strengthening their position on the market.

BCII does not pursue stringent exit strategies for its investments. It is open to long-term partnerships with growth companies given a clear perspective on future valuation increase.

 

Investment criteria - alt, nicht sichtbar

  • Start-ups with a technology-related and/or innovative business model and that have relevance to existing industrial companies (‘old economy’)
  • Stage of maturity: advanced product development, product soon to be or already launched, pre-expansion
  • Capital requirement (range): > EUR ~ 1.0 million
  • Strong founding teams looking for long-term partners with sufficient capital resources
  • BCII is open to participating in (multiple) follow-on rounds given a clear perspective on future valuation increase

Are we the right partner for you? - alt, nicht sichtbar

If your business is connected with industrial tech innovations, you are looking for a strong partner, and you think that your company meets the criteria above, we look forward to hearing from you.

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