The speech recognition industry in DACH focuses on creating technologies that convert spoken language into text. Companies in this sector range from startups to established tech giants, offering solutions for voice assistants, interactive voice response systems, and transcription services. Innovations often arise from AI and machine learning, pushing the boundaries of how we interact with machines. Market demand is growing as businesses seek smarter tools for communication and customer engagement. Notably, challenges in accents and languages are being tackled, making speech recognition increasingly comfortable for different user groups across the region.


Investors in the DACH area include prominent venture capital firms, such as b2venture, IBB Ventures, and Swisscom Ventures. Founded between 1997 and 2020, these firms range in size from small to medium, with investments varying significantly in 2024 — with some participating in over 70 deals. Their strategic interests focus on technology startups, particularly in the speech recognition sector, indicating a promising growth trajectory for both startups and the investment ecosystem.


Top 12 Speech Recognition Investors in DACH


1. Sictic

  • Website: sictic.ch
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Founded year: 2014
  • Headcount: 201-500
  • Number of deals in 2024: 77
  • LinkedIn: sictic

Sictic is a not-for-profit venture capital organization based in Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 2014. It connects smart money investors with innovative Swiss early-stage technology startups, providing investment opportunities, networking events, and educational resources to facilitate the growth of startups and the investment community. Among their notable transactions, Sictic has invested in Zoundream, which focuses on sound recognition technology, and Typewise, a Zurich-based deeptech startup that has developed advanced autocorrect and text prediction AI tools, relevant to speech recognition. Additionally, they have invested in Csky.ai, which is likely involved in AI applications that may intersect with speech recognition technology. With a total of 77 investments in 2024, Sictic demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting technology startups, including those in the speech recognition domain.


2. 468Cap

  • Website: 468cap.com
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Founded year: 2020
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 27
  • LinkedIn: 468cap

468 Capital is a venture capital firm based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2020. The firm specializes in technology investments, particularly in sectors such as AI, energy transition, and enterprise software. 468Cap focuses on backing founder-led startups and provides both capital and strategic support to help entrepreneurs navigate challenges and achieve growth. Notably, they have participated in significant funding rounds for companies like Rasa, which specializes in conversational AI, and Synthesis AI, known for its synthetic data technologies. Their investment in Activeloop, which builds streaming databases for AI applications, further emphasizes their commitment to AI technologies that could intersect with speech recognition. With 27 investments in 2024 alone, 468Cap demonstrates an active presence in the tech investment landscape, particularly in areas relevant to speech recognition.


3. Verve Ventures

  • Website: verve.vc
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Founded year: 2010
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 25
  • LinkedIn: investiere-venture-capital

Verve Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 2010. The firm specializes in deep tech investments across Europe, providing funding and strategic support to science and technology startups. Their focus spans various sectors, including climate tech, industrial technology, and health & bio. Notably, Verve Ventures has invested in DRUID AI, a conversational AI technology company, which highlights their engagement in the speech recognition domain. Additionally, they have supported AVAtronics, a company developing active noise cancellation solutions, which could complement speech recognition technologies. Their investment in Seervision AG, a startup that raised multiple rounds of funding, further demonstrates their commitment to innovative tech solutions, potentially relevant to the audio and speech recognition fields.


4. Point Nine

  • Website: pointnine.com
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Founded year: 2011
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 16
  • LinkedIn: point-nine-capital

Point Nine is a venture capital firm based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2011. They specialize in investing in early-stage companies, particularly in the SaaS, enterprise software, and B2B marketplace sectors. Point Nine provides funding at the seed stage and is committed to participating in subsequent funding rounds, helping startups access the capital needed for growth. Notably, they have invested in CallDesk, which raised $2.5 million for its AI agent designed for customer support calls, showcasing their engagement in the speech recognition space. Additionally, they participated in funding rounds for Podcastle, a podcasting platform, which raised $13.5 million in 2024 and $7 million in 2021, indicating their interest in audio technologies that often intersect with speech recognition. Their investment in CloudTalk, a communication platform, further emphasizes their focus on technologies that may utilize speech recognition capabilities.


5. IBB Ventures


IBB Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1997. The firm specializes in early-stage financing and has invested in over 270 startups, providing not only capital but also expertise and resources to help these businesses thrive in competitive markets. Notably, IBB Ventures has participated in funding rounds for companies like babelforce, which raised €4 million in a Series A round, and tucan.ai, which secured a seven-figure sum in its latest funding round. These investments highlight IBB Ventures' engagement with startups that are likely involved in speech recognition technologies, showcasing their relevance in this industry.


6. b2venture

  • Website: b2venture.vc
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Founded year: 2000
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 15
  • LinkedIn: btovpartners

b2venture is a venture capital firm based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, founded in 2000. They specialize in early-stage investments in innovative startups across various sectors, providing financial backing and support to entrepreneurs. Their collaboration with a community of angel investors enhances their investment strategy, making them a key player in the European venture capital landscape. Notably, b2venture has invested in i2x, a Berlin-based AI martech startup that focuses on speech analytics, raising significant funds in multiple rounds. Additionally, they participated in a Series C funding round for AI21 Labs, a company at the forefront of generative AI, which may have applications in speech recognition technologies. Their portfolio also includes investments in DeepL, an AI startup known for its advanced translation capabilities, which often involve speech recognition technologies.


7. Swisscom Ventures


Swisscom Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 2007. The firm specializes in investing in high-potential technology startups, providing not only financial support but also strategic advisory services to help these companies access technical infrastructure and market channels. Swisscom Ventures has been involved in various technology sectors, including AI and Fintech, and aims to empower innovative companies to grow and succeed. Notably, they made a strategic investment in Inpher, Inc., which is associated with the Amazon Alexa Fund, indicating their interest in the speech recognition domain. Other transactions include investments in Piston Cloud Computing and Amplidata, showcasing their active role in the technology investment landscape.


8. HV Capital

  • Website: hvcapital.com
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
  • Founded year: 2000
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 28
  • LinkedIn: hvventures

HV Capital is a venture capital firm based in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, founded in 2000. The firm specializes in investing in digital companies and supporting entrepreneurs from seed stage to exit, managing over €2.8 billion in assets. HV Capital has been active in various sectors, including technology and AI. Notably, they have invested in i2x, an AI martech startup that raised significant funding rounds, including a $11.2 million venture round in 2022 and a €10 million Series A round in 2019. Additionally, HV Capital participated in funding Verbit, an AI-powered transcription and captioning platform that has raised substantial amounts in Series C and D rounds, highlighting their commitment to companies that leverage speech recognition technology. This strategic focus on digital and AI-driven companies positions HV Capital as a key player in the speech recognition investment landscape.


9. APX Talent Pool

  • Website: apx.vc
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Founded year: 2018
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 7
  • LinkedIn: apx-talent-pool

APX Talent Pool is a venture capital firm based in Berlin, founded in 2018, that specializes in earliest-stage investments in startups with digital business models. Backed by industry giants Axel Springer and Porsche, APX provides funding and growth assistance to ambitious pre-seed startups, helping them navigate the challenges of launching and scaling their businesses. Among their notable transactions, APX invested in NeuralSpace, a London-based SaaS platform that offers natural language processing (NLP) APIs, raising a total of $2.85 million in seed funding rounds. They also invested in Colossyan, which raised $5 million in a Series A round, indicating their commitment to supporting companies in the speech recognition and related technology sectors. Additionally, APX has shown interest in other innovative startups, such as promiseQ, further demonstrating their focus on cutting-edge digital solutions.


10. Momenta

  • Website: momenta.one
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Engelberg, Obwalden, Switzerland
  • Founded year: 2012
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Number of deals in 2024: 7
  • LinkedIn: momentapartners

Momenta is a venture capital firm based in Engelberg, Obwalden, Switzerland, founded in 2012. The firm specializes in industrial impact and digital transformation, providing strategic investments and advisory services to Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups across various sectors, including energy, manufacturing, smart spaces, and supply chain. Notably, Momenta has participated in funding rounds for Edge Impulse, a development platform for machine learning on edge devices, which raised significant amounts in Series A and Series B funding. These investments indicate Momenta's interest in technologies that could intersect with speech recognition, as machine learning is a critical component in developing advanced speech recognition systems. Additionally, their investment in RevTwo and CrateDB further showcases their engagement in technology-driven sectors that may overlap with speech recognition applications.


11. Dtcp


DTCP is a venture capital firm based in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 2015. The firm specializes in Growth Equity and Infrastructure, focusing on transformative technology leaders and digital infrastructure to support their growth and accelerate digital transformation. DTCP's investment portfolio includes notable transactions in the speech recognition domain, such as a $100 million investment in Cognigy in June 2024, which is known for its conversational AI solutions. Additionally, they participated in a $270 million Series C funding round for Cohere in May 2023, a company that leverages natural language processing technology. These investments highlight DTCP's commitment to supporting innovative companies in the technology sector, particularly those involved in speech recognition and related fields.


12. APEX Ventures

  • Website: apex.ventures
  • Type: Venture Capital
  • Headquarters: Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Founded year: 2016
  • Headcount: 1-10
  • Number of deals in 2024: 6
  • LinkedIn: apex-vc

APEX Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Vienna, Austria, founded in 2016. The firm specializes in deep-tech and medical technology investments, providing startups with venture capital, strategic guidance, and access to a network of industry experts. Notably, APEX Ventures has participated in funding rounds for companies like Novoic, which is developing speech-based AI algorithms for diagnosing and monitoring health conditions, particularly in neurology. This investment highlights their engagement in the speech recognition domain. Additionally, they have invested in Mobius Labs, which, while primarily focused on geospatial intelligence, may also leverage speech recognition technologies in its applications. Overall, APEX Ventures supports technology-driven companies aiming to scale and succeed in competitive markets, including those in the speech recognition field.



Speech Recognition Insights: Key Investors in DACH


InvestorHeadquarterSizeFoundedDeals 2024
SicticZurich, Zurich, Switzerland201-500201477
468CapBerlin, Berlin, Germany11-50202027
Verve VenturesZurich, Zurich, Switzerland11-50201025
Point NineBerlin, Berlin, Germany11-50201116
IBB VenturesBerlin, Berlin, Germany11-50199718
b2ventureSt. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland11-50200015
Swisscom VenturesZurich, Zurich, Switzerland11-5020074
HV CapitalFlensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany11-50200028
APX Talent PoolBerlin, Berlin, Germany11-5020187
MomentaEngelberg, Obwalden, Switzerland11-5020127
DtcpHamburg, Hamburg, Germany51-20020156
APEX VenturesVienna, Vienna, Austria1-1020166


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