Munich Startup: Please briefly introduce Alpine Space Ventures.
Sven Meyer-Brunswick, Principal at Alpine Space Ventures: Alpine Space Ventures is a venture capital fund focused on startups related to the space industry. We finance This includes companies that want to operate equipment in space themselves or that provide such equipment, as well as those that use space data to serve terrestrial markets.
Our team consists of experienced space managers who are deeply embedded in the international space scene. Our founding partner, Bulent Altan, for example, was one of the first senior engineers at SpaceX and, with his team, was responsible for the control electronics of the Falcon 1, Falcon 9, and the Dragon capsule, as well as for the first prototypes of the Starlink satellite constellation. I spent a long time at the Munich-based company. Space company Mynaric There, I raised growth capital from investors and implemented the company's IPOs before moving to Alpine Space Ventures last year. Our team has a combined total of more than 50 years of experience building teams, products, and companies in the space sector. Accordingly, the other team members' resumes are similar. This wealth of experience, coupled with a very market-oriented mindset, is what sets us apart.
Market orientation instead of science fiction
Munich Startup: What do you prefer to invest in?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: We invest in startups that are driving the commercial use of space and teams that, when they hear the word space, think of industrial and Earth-related applications rather than sci-fi. Our focus is on companies in the seed and Series A phases that are working on a tangible solution to an existing customer problem with a clearly identifiable international market. Our initial investment typically ranges from €1 million to €5 million.
Munich Startup: What kind of startup would you never invest in?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: Projects and founders who are better suited to academia than the private sector. We invest in the sector because we see significant economic potential in the coming years and a huge opportunity to actively shape one of the most financially and strategically valuable industries of all. We also expect this business mindset from our founders.
Munich Startup: How do you scout startups?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: We scout startups through our extensive network in the space industry, including partnerships with incubators, research institutions, and other venture capital firms. We also leverage industry conferences, competitions, and referrals to identify promising companies. Our mailbox is also always open.
Alpine Space Ventures: “We offer our perspectives”
Munich Startup: Do startups have to be afraid that you will interfere too much?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: We see ourselves as partners who share our extensive industry experience and expertise to support startups on their growth path. The ultimate decision always lies with the startup's management team. We offer our perspectives, which the startup team must then evaluate in the context of their own strategies and goals. Nothing more, nothing less.
Munich Startup: To be successful, a startup must…
Sven Meyer-Brunswick:… above all, have identified an urgent market need with existing customers willing to pay.
Munich Startup: Tell us the knockout criteria for the pitch!
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: “We expect the first prototype around 2030 and will be able to generate sales from 2035 onwards.”
Munich Startup: What have you ever miscalculated?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: Not so much in the fund, but in our previous management roles in the space industry, we learned and incorporated a lot about product maturity. Building space systems and solutions once, using significant resources, and mass-producing and offering them cost-effectively and with consistent quality are two completely different things. This aspect is underestimated by many startups and investors.
“Space activities will become possible that we could only dream of before”
Munich Startup: The trend of the year is…?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: Starship. We are about to open a new chapter in humanity's technological progress with SpaceX's mega-rocket. Space activities will become possible that we could only dream of before. With the US startup K2 Space We already have an investment in our portfolio that specifically focuses on this new reality.
Munich Startup: What is the Munich startup scene doing right from an investors' perspective? What could it do better?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: In recent years, a very potent ecosystem has grown in Munich, with the UnternehmerTUM, the TUM Venture Labs, Space Founders, the CDTM, and many more. We find a very high density of excellent engineers and founders here, as well as extensive technical expertise just waiting to be put to use. What is often lacking in Germany is the commercial mindset to massively scale space solutions beyond funding programs. There is no relevant regional market. Space startups must think and act internationally from day one.
Munich Startup: Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
Sven Meyer-Brunswick: We regularly attend events related to deep tech and space. Just contact us or send us an email.
