Uplift Ventures, the venture capital platform founded and backed by German intralogistics group Jungheinrich, has launched its inaugural €100 million fund to invest in the next generation of Deep Tech companies. The independently operated fund will target early-stage founders developing technologies across Physical AI, energy, Enterprise AI, and logistics, areas that closely align with Jungheinrich’s long-term innovation priorities. The launch represents another step in the industrial group’s Strategy 2030+, which focuses on expanding its portfolio through new technologies, business models, and strategic partnerships.
Expanding Jungheinrich’s Innovation Strategy
Jungheinrich established Uplift Ventures in 2025 as an independent corporate venturing unit designed to extend the group’s access to emerging technologies and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The €100 million fund expands that platform beyond its existing venture-building activities by providing capital to high-growth technology companies and selected Deep Tech venture capital funds. Investments will primarily focus on Europe, while the fund also plans to pursue selected opportunities in the United States and Asia.
The initiative builds on Jungheinrich’s more than seven decades of experience in intralogistics, automation, and industrial technology. By investing through Uplift Ventures, the company aims to gain earlier exposure to emerging technologies that could influence the future of industrial operations, supply chains, and energy systems. The structure also gives Jungheinrich a way to collaborate with startup founders while allowing Uplift Ventures to operate with an independent investment mandate.
Focus on Deep Tech Founders
Uplift Ventures will concentrate on startups developing technologies with potential applications across industrial and enterprise environments. Physical AI, energy, Enterprise AI, and logistics form the fund’s core investment themes, reflecting areas where advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and infrastructure are reshaping traditional industries. The fund will primarily support early-stage companies, where long development cycles and capital-intensive technologies often require investors with a longer investment horizon.
Jungheinrich CEO Dr. Lars Brzoska said Deep Tech companies require patient capital alongside investors capable of understanding both complex industrial challenges and the ambitions of technology entrepreneurs. He positioned Uplift Ventures as a vehicle for backing companies that could develop into future industrial leaders while generating financial returns. Jungheinrich also expects the fund to create strategic value by strengthening its access to technologies and companies relevant to the group’s future growth.
Christian Noske Joins Uplift Ventures
Uplift Ventures has appointed Christian Noske as General Partner to lead the new venture capital fund alongside the existing leadership team. Noske brings more than a decade of experience investing in Deep Tech companies across Europe, the United States, and China, including previous roles overseeing European investments at NGP Capital. He was also a founding partner at BMW i Ventures and Alliance Ventures, the venture investment platform associated with Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.
During his investment career, Noske has backed more than 40 companies operating across robotics, energy, space technology, autonomous driving, manufacturing, and logistics. His experience across both corporate venture capital and independent technology investing fits Uplift Ventures’ strategy of combining industrial insight with institutional venture investment capabilities. He joins Managing Directors Kerk Wichmann and Christina Hammes, alongside Venture Clienting and Operations Lead Maike Steding, as the platform expands its investment activities.
The launch of Uplift Ventures’ €100 million fund strengthens Jungheinrich’s push to connect its established industrial operations with emerging Deep Tech ecosystems. By investing in early-stage companies and selected venture funds, Uplift Ventures is seeking both financial returns and early access to technologies that could reshape automation, energy, enterprise software, and logistics. The fund also gives Jungheinrich a broader platform for engaging with technology founders as the company pursues its long-term Strategy 2030+ objectives.