The Ruhr region as a
hotspot for
cybersecurity

eCAPITAL was quick to recognize the growing importance of cybersecurity as one of the major challenges of our time. The eCAPITAL IV fund launched in 2016 already invested in numerous cybersecurity companies. Three years later, a specialized cybersecurity fund was added. Cybersecurity is also a key component of the latest eCAPITAL V fund generation.

From the very beginning, eCAPITAL has worked closely with the cybersecurity scene in the Ruhr region. Bochum in particular – along with other centers in the region – has developed into a real hotspot. More than 1,000 students are trained in cybersecurity in Bochum and, in addition to renowned and unique institutes such as the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy, numerous IT security companies are also based in Bochum. These include the eCAPITAL portfolio company VMRay. The Bochum-based company’s software protects secret services, governments and large corporations from cyberattacks. eCAPITAL partners Willi Mannheims and Dirk Seewald and VMRay co-founder Carsten Willems spoke to WAZ business editor Frank Meßing about the threat of cyber attacks, potential financing for start-ups and the Ruhr region’s prominent position. You can read his article here (behind the paywall, only in German).

About eCAPITAL
Founded in 1999, eCAPITAL is an entrepreneur-led venture capital investor focusing on early- and growth-stage deep-tech companies with a positive impact on society. eCAPITAL is based in Germany and invests with its own funds with a total volume of over € 340 million in the areas of Sustainability, Enterprise Software, Cybersecurity, IoT and New Materials. In addition to financial resources, eCAPITAL offers its portfolio companies strategic support and access to an international network of entrepreneurs, scientists, investors and founders and was lead investor in various deep-tech companies such as sonnen, Novaled or Jedox, which were sold very successfully to international corporates or investors.

Contact
eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERS AG
Bettina Schäfer
Hafenweg 24
48155 Münster, Germany
Tel.: +49 251 70 37 67 0
Email: info@ecapital.vc
www.ecapital.vc