A new German-US venture capital firm, futurepresent, has officially launched after operating in stealth for over a year, announcing a $300 million debut fund. The firm is championing a founder-centric model, deliberately structuring itself as a small partnership to prioritize deep relationships over platform scale. With 14 investments already made, futurepresent is poised to make a significant impact on the early-stage technology landscape.
A New Model for Venture Capital
The firm is led by a team of four experienced partners: Thomas Lueke, formerly of Cherry Ventures; Johnson Yang from General Catalyst; Jan Rettel, a former public tech hedge fund manager; and David Meiborg of First Momentum Ventures. This intentionally compact structure is designed to eliminate layers, foster closer ties with founders, and enable faster, more decisive action. Their approach directly challenges the trend of large, sprawling venture platforms by betting on the value of direct partner engagement.
This philosophy is central to the firm's identity, with the partners aiming to build authentic, long-term connections with every founder they support. According to Partner Thomas Lueke, the firm was architected to be maniacally focused on building relationships with founders. This ensures that portfolio companies receive consistent, high-level guidance directly from the decision-makers throughout their growth journey from seed to scale.
Strategic Focus on Artificial Intelligence
futurepresent has a sharply defined investment strategy centered on three key areas where artificial intelligence is driving fundamental change. The firm backs companies developing AI for the physical world, applying AI in complex industries, and building next-generation AI infrastructure. This targeted approach allows the team to leverage its expertise in sectors being actively reshaped by technological innovation.
In its "AI for the physical world" thesis, the firm has backed companies like General Intuition, which develops AI agents for spatial reasoning. For its focus on complex industries, investments include Skalar, which is automating tax advisory, and Afori and Inca, which are rebuilding the insurance stack. These companies exemplify the fund's interest in practical, high-impact AI applications that solve tangible business problems.
The third pillar, AI infrastructure, is supported by investments such as a pre-seed round for Isidor, a company building data pipelines for reinforcement learning. The firm also participated in the $70 million Series B for Slide, a disaster recovery platform for managed service providers. This demonstrates a flexible mandate that spans from the earliest pre-seed stages to more concentrated growth-stage opportunities.
Bridging Transatlantic Ecosystems
With deep roots in both the United States and Europe, futurepresent operates across two of the world's most critical innovation hubs. This transatlantic footprint is positioned as a core advantage for founders with global ambitions. The firm provides its portfolio companies with unique access to talent, customer markets, and investor networks on both sides of the Atlantic.
With its $300 million fund and a clear, relationship-driven ethos, futurepresent is making a compelling entrance into the venture capital scene. By combining a focused AI investment strategy with a transatlantic operational model, the firm offers a distinct value proposition for early-stage founders. Its launch signals a strong belief that in an increasingly complex market, personal conviction and partnership matter most.