It’s refreshing to see an investment fund that promises to bridge the gap between European university labs and the market, but is U2V’s €60M funding effort really breaking new ground? The question lingers, particularly for female entrepreneurs like me. I’ve been in the arena long enough to know what women founders face when entering "deep tech,” a sector that, despite its promise, feels about as inclusive as a 1920s country club.
When U2V (University2Ventures) announced its first €60 million fund, it wrapped itself in a noble mission: empower Europe’s scientists to transform academic discoveries into businesses. But let’s pause. Who’s actually being empowered? The fund claims to focus on deep tech spin-outs from Europe’s top-tier universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and ETH Zurich. As someone who has spent years obsessively bootstrapping startups in male-dominated sectors like CAD and blockchain, this feels frustratingly familiar. These prestige institutions? They’re amazing, sure, but they don’t tend to nurture diverse founders. It’s the same insiders’ game on repeat.
Breaking Down U2V’s Offerings and Approach
U2V founders Philipp Semmer, Michael Schmitt, and Johannes Triebs, all venture veterans from Earlybird-X, bring well over three decades of collective experience to the table. Their launch strategy makes a lot of sense: focus on areas like AI, clean tech, and industrial innovations while plugging into their extensive network of corporate sponsors for pilots and industrial validation. They plan to back around 25 spin-outs with early-stage funding. So far, so promising.
They’ve also built strong ties to Europe’s “innovation factories,” creating pipelines from research hubs like TU Munich or École Polytechnique in Paris. Let’s be perfectly clear though: those pipelines don’t run equitably to female scientists or founders of diverse backgrounds. Case in point: U2V hasn’t disclosed specific initiatives to address inclusion or any proactive hiring of underrepresented investment talent. This is where the spin-out rhetoric crashes into the harsh realities of systemic bias baked into academic and venture systems.
Meanwhile, European institutions (oops, I mean systems) often celebrate numbers, “Look, 25 funded startups! Global patents filed!”, without shedding light on who gets to participate in building these companies. And therein lies the issue: no matter how brilliant your fund is, gender-diverse and inclusive teams aren’t just going to magically appear if no one makes them a priority.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Looking at the broader European landscape, the scenario looks even worse. EU-backed research from last year tracks depressing trends: only 15% of venture capital goes to startups with female founders, much less those in male-dominated deep tech sectors. A 2024 survey revealed that only 3.3% of VC funding in Europe lands in startups solely led by women. Combine that with the Eurocentric and exclusive strategies these funds embrace, hello, "fancy” universities, and it’s clear women are locked out early. Without diverse policies and outreach, U2V risks perpetuating the same old cycle.
What Female Founders in Deep Tech Can Learn
Based on my experience, and the gaps I see in U2V’s gameplan, here’s a realistic guide for women starting in Europe’s complex deep tech environments:
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Stop Fighting for Permission, Build Anyway. Endless pitching to VCs? It’s exhausting, and the odds are stacked against us. Bootstrapping may be slower, but it ensures you own your vision. That's been my focus with CADChain and the Fe/male Switch incubator, initiatives that began without external funding but paid dividends over time.
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Partner Smart, Not Wide. Instead of chasing investor-led startups, seek collaborators within universities or labs who understand and respect your idea. My success stories always started with deep partnerships, not superficial sponsorships.
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Hack Corporate Networks Yourself. U2V brags about its "500+ corporate partners,” but you’ll need to build industrial connections long before you secure funding. Getting tangible validation from corporations early can amplify your bargaining power, even during pitching.
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Be Selective About Incubators and Accelerators. Europe has more than enough programs offering mentorship and resources, but not all of them are genuinely insightful for women founders. Look for those with diverse mentor panels and transparent metrics about the funding female participants secure.
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Prioritize Ownership over Speed. Deep tech innovations build slowly. When investors push for rapid scaling, remind yourself to stick to purpose-driven timelines. If investors press hard for equity, don’t hesitate to walk.
Mistakes Women Entrepreneurs Must Avoid
- Underestimating Bias: Many women mistakenly assume their technology speaks louder than societal barriers. It doesn’t. Equip your pitch with crisp numbers that scream relevance and profitability.
- Ignoring Peer Communities: I neglected peer groups early in my career, but building spaces like the F/MS Startup Game Incubator showed me how collective problem-solving accelerates meaningful growth.
- Relying on VC at Ground Zero: Never assume funding solves every issue. Too much early money often distracts founders from practical bootstrapping lessons.
U2V Can Do Better (So Can Everyone Else)
Here’s my honest take: if VCs like U2V want to label themselves transformative champions of Europe’s deep tech ecosystem, they need to put inclusion on their balance sheet. U2V could, for instance, allocate part of its fund to women-specific university programs. It wouldn’t just be good PR, it would drive better outcomes. Studies repeatedly show diverse teams deliver better innovations and profitable exits.
As an entrepreneur who thrives on the challenge of solving incredibly niche problems, like CAD protection or gamifying entrepreneurship, I’ve learned this: the best solutions come when we embrace discipline, aggressive creativity, and yes, diversity. Actions, not well-dressed PR strategies, will mobilize Europe’s vast untapped potential.
Let me leave you on something actionable. If you’re reading this as a female entrepreneur in Europe, think critically about whether existing systems serve your goals. And for anyone working in VC, academia, or corporate innovation: don’t settle for reinforcing silos that exclude women. It’s long past time to shift the majority of discussion from “empowerment programs” to fixing the entire flawed pipeline.
We all agree Europe has incredible talent pools. The bridge from lab to market already faces enormous structural challenges. To widen that bridge, inclusion can’t remain optional, it’s a business imperative.
FAQ
1. What is U2V, and what does it aim to achieve?
U2V (University2Ventures) is a €60 million venture fund launched in December 2025. Its mission is to transform European university research into commercial deep tech companies by supporting spin-outs in sectors like AI, clean tech, and industrial technologies. Read more about U2V's launch
2. Who are the founders of U2V?
The fund was founded by Philipp Semmer, Michael Schmitt, and Johannes Triebs, experienced venture capitalists previously part of Earlybird-X.
3. What universities are part of U2V’s network?
U2V collaborates with top European universities, including TU Munich, ETH Zurich, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, and École Polytechnique, to foster deep tech commercialization.
4. How does U2V support deep tech startups?
U2V provides funding at pre-seed and seed stages, connects startups with over 500 corporate partners for industrial pilots and validation, and offers guidance via university tech transfer offices. Learn more about U2V's support strategy
5. Is U2V addressing diversity in its approaches?
While U2V claims to back diverse entrepreneurs and startups, the fund lacks specific published initiatives or strategies directly targeting underrepresented groups.
6. How does U2V differentiate itself from other funds?
Unlike generalist funds, U2V focuses exclusively on deep tech spin-offs, leveraging academic and industrial partnerships to reduce risk and accelerate commercialization.
7. What are some successes of the founders’ previous ventures?
Earlybird-X, the predecessor initiative, successfully backed over 50 companies, including Quantum Diamonds, Greenlyte, and LiveEO.
8. What challenges does U2V seek to overcome in the European deep tech landscape?
U2V addresses the gap between research and commercialization, helping innovations escape universities and transition into scalable, global companies.
9. Are any LPs (limited partners) backing U2V?
Major LPs include corporate partners like Jungheinrich’s Uplift Ventures and family offices, supporting the fund’s mission to drive industrial partnerships and innovation.
10. How can female founders benefit in the current European deep tech ecosystem?
Female founders are encouraged to build partnerships directly within university labs, bootstrap where possible, and join inclusive accelerators that advocate for diverse leadership solutions.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
