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Single Family OfficePuts its own capital into companiesLAST VERIFIED Oct 2026 · 5 SOURCES

be-exponential

Also known as be-exponential GmbH, be10x Capital

Leipzig investment company of business angel Thomas Schmidt, investing his own private capital in B2B mobility, energy and SaaS startups and as an LP in VC funds.

USEFUL FOR Fund managers raising capital · Founders · Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors

Leipzig investment company of business angel Thomas Schmidt (ex-CEO of TomTom Telematics / Webfleet). Not hyperexponential (London insurtech) or other 'Exponential' funds.

Family & background

FAMILY
Thomas Schmidt
WEALTH ORIGIN
Software entrepreneur: built three Leipzig software firms (1991–2005; fleet-management business under TomTom ownership from 2005), then CEO of TomTom Telematics until 2018
HEADQUARTERS
Leipzig, Germany
OUTSIDE CAPITAL
No — own capital only

Investment approach

SECTORS
Mobility & LogisticsClimate & EnergySoftware & SaaS
GEOGRAPHY
GermanyEurope
STAGES
SeedGrowth
ROUTES
Companies (own capital) · Funds (as LP)
STRATEGIES
Direct investmentsVenture capitalFunds (as LP)

Overview

be-exponential GmbH is the Leipzig-based investment company of Thomas Schmidt, a software entrepreneur who founded his first company in 1991, launched one of the first web-based fleet management solutions in 1999, grew it under TomTom ownership from 2005, and was CEO of TomTom Telematics (Webfleet Solutions) until 2018. Through be-exponential (also branded be10x Capital) he invests his own private capital in B2B startups from seed to scale, mainly in mobility, energy and enterprise SaaS, either directly as equity or convertibles or indirectly as an LP in venture capital funds. The company also offers advisory, due-diligence and M&A support to PE and VC investors, family offices and corporates. Schmidt was named German Business Angel of the Year 2022 by Business Angels Netzwerk Deutschland (BAND).

Investment thesis

From seed to scale, invests its own private capital in B2B startups, preferably in mobility, energy and enterprise SaaS, built on exponential technologies with a potential 10x impact; equity or short-term convertibles, directly or indirectly as an LP in venture funds, alongside hands-on management, product and go-to-market support.

Holdings & investments (16)

People

  • Thomas Schmidt
    Founder and Managing Director; business angel and investor · source
  • Kevin Scott
    Analyst (deal origination, due diligence, transaction execution) · source

Frequently asked questions

be-exponential is a single family office based in Leipzig, Germany.

be-exponential invests on behalf of the Thomas Schmidt family (Software entrepreneur: built three Leipzig software firms (1991–2005; fleet-management business under TomTom ownership from 2005), then CEO of TomTom Telematics until 2018).

be-exponential invests its own capital into companies and in third-party funds as an LP. Its stated asset mix includes direct investments, venture capital and funds (as lp).

be-exponential invests at Seed and Growth stages in Mobility & Logistics, Climate & Energy and Software & SaaS.

Key people at be-exponential include Thomas Schmidt (Founder and Managing Director; business angel and investor) and Kevin Scott (Analyst (deal origination, due diligence, transaction execution)).

be-exponential's holdings and investments include ACTAPORT, MUNEVO, IO-DYNAMICS, seventhings, PEERIOT, PIONIX, CO2OPT and WAKU Robotics, among others.

No. be-exponential invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.