What do we look for?

IVC Venture Capital AG is seeking for companies that are capable of becoming a large market leader in its industry due to some new industry opportunity and competitive advantage. Due to our understanding there is no single determinant for a successful portfolio company, but we tend to focus on the following factors:



Commercially viable – Does the company have a product or service that can be reproduced efficiently to generate revenue?



Identifiable market – Is there a clearly defined market for the company’s product or service? Does the company’s product or service meet an identifiable need in that industry? Does the company have a reasonable plan to meet the identified need in an efficient, revenue-generating manner?



Strong management – Does the company’s leadership inspire confidence? Do they have the vision, expertise, and the ability to propel a business to a significant level of growth? Does the team consider best practices of those that have gone before them?

Sustainable competitive advantage – Has the company hit upon an idea that’s truly unique to the industry, one that has significant barriers to entry that will inhibit others from encroaching upon its market? Has the company considered economic 
and technological change that may affect the business model? Who are the company’s potential competitors, and what are those companies’ strengths and weaknesses?

Value Added

IVC Venture Capital AG understands what it takes to successfully build an international technology company. We view ourselves as partners of the entrepreneurs and will provide support where it’s needed.

The prerequisite for this type of assistance is an in-depth understanding of the business case acquired by the way of a thorough due diligence process which has surfaced critical issues and identified the pitfalls of the investment opportunity. It also requires close contact to the company and the proactive, hands-on involvement of the investment professional after the closing date.

IVC Venture Capitals investment team has a long standing involvement in the respective international industry networks. This provides the necessary knowledge, contacts and the acceptance which qualifies one to take the role as active board members of their investee companies.

Investment Philosophy

The new buzzword is Industry 4.0, which refers to the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 uses new IT technologies, like the Internet of things, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Autonomous Robots, Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence. This next big frontier of industry offers many outstanding investment opportunities. Out of a wide range of options our investment focus is at the crossroads of big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotic.

As businesses generate more data and grow “smarter”, they open up new opportunities in the form of services and smart solutions. Within this field we are especially interested in customer centric technology driven companies who understand that consequent customer centricity provides a positive customer experience before and after the sale in order to drive repeat business, customer loyalty and profits.

It is not just about offering good services, it is about creating a culture around customers and their needs. Our portfolio companies should have understood that delivering customer value is genuine. Our decision-making process is determined by a set of beliefs and principles. We prefer companies that hold the potential to generate strong growth in their fields of expertise and are committed to establish a truly “digital-native” culture.

Managing Director Jörg Swoboda

Managing Director Jörg Swoboda

Following his graduation in 1994 Jörg Swoboda worked for KPMG Germany in financial advisory services as well as in the audit department. He specialised in annual audits and preparing expert business opinions in the fields of business evaluation, financial planning, budgeting and due diligence. In addition, he has worked as a KPMG IPO consultant. In July 2000 he was appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of IVC Venture Capital AG, Frankfurt, Germany.

Since the beginning of 2003 he has been managing the company as CEO. IVC was established in 1998 along with John Tu, founder of Kingston Technology, one of the most outstanding entrepreneurs in the USA. The independent and privately owned company started as a leading German Venture Capital Funds that formerly focused on the high-tech, IT and telecommunication’s sector. Over the years IVC has developed as a financing specialist for growth companies in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation. Jörg Swoboda is member of various supervisory and management boards.

Since 2011 he is also been active as Flytxt Chairman of the Board of Directors. Flytxt is a fast growing Mobile Consumer Analytics solution provider for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Mobile Enterprises. The company offers a full suite of internal and external monetization solutions for increasing revenue, reducing churn and enhancing customer experience. Flytxt has its headquarters in the Netherlands, corporate office in Dubai and also presence at Trivandrum, Mumbai, London, Singapore, Lagos, Nairobi, Dhaka and Mexico City.