Joachim Herz Stiftung
Also known as Joachim-Herz-Stiftung, JHS
Hamburg foundation (2008) with €2.1bn balance sheet; capital mainly in an indirect Beiersdorf stake plus other company stakes, US/German property, and since 2026 a Marvelous-run deep-tech VC fund.
Hamburg charitable foundation endowed by Joachim Herz (d. 2008); not the Tchibo/maxingvest holding of the Herz family; most of the foundation's capital is held indirectly in Beiersdorf AG.
- HEADQUARTERS
- Hamburg, Germany
- FOUNDED
- 2008
- AUM
- €2.1B (2025)
- OUTSIDE CAPITAL
- No — own capital only
- TEAM LISTED
- 5 people
FOCUS
- STAGES
- Seed
- SECTORS
- Deep Tech
- ASSET MIX
- Direct investmentsVenture capitalReal estatePublic equitiesImpact
- GEOGRAPHY
- Germany
WHAT IT IS
Institutional LP. Pension funds, endowments, foundations and sovereign funds that commit capital to funds and, sometimes, directly.
ABOUT
The Joachim Herz Stiftung was set up in 2008 with the roughly €1.3bn estate of Joachim Herz, son of Tchibo co-founder Max Herz, and supports education, science and research. Its charter requires the capital to be invested mainly entrepreneurially: at end-2025 the indirect Beiersdorf AG stake made up 54.9% of assets, real estate in the US and Germany 17.3%, other company holdings 7.1% and financial assets 20.6%. Since 2026 part of the endowment is invested through the foundation's own venture fund, the Marvelous Scito Fund, managed by Marvelous Capital, which combines commitments to deep-tech VC funds with direct co-investments in early-stage start-ups in advanced materials and resource efficiency; the foundation is its anchor investor. Earlier direct stakes reported by portfolio institutionell include 49% of the real-estate service KVG Intreal (2018) and 9.93% of the listed financial group Laiqon (2024).
INVESTMENT THESIS
Invests part of the endowment in early-stage, technology-based spin-offs and start-ups with advanced technological maturity and a clear path to market, focused on new materials and resource efficiency and linked to transfer from top research; implemented via a hybrid fund that commits to deep-tech VC funds and co-invests directly.
PORTFOLIO (4)
- Marvelous Scito Fund (own hybrid VC fund of funds/co-investment vehicle; anchor investor)Deep Tech · since 2026
- Beiersdorf AG (indirect stake, 54.9% of foundation assets)Consumer & E-commerce
- Intreal International Real Estate Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft (49%)Real Estate & PropTech · since 2018
- Laiqon AG (9.93%)Fintech · since 2024
TEAM
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine KunstChair of the Executive Board (Vorstandsvorsitzende) · source
- Ulrich MüllerExecutive Board member; Finanzvorstand (CFO) · source
- Andreas E. MeierHead of Investments (Bereichsleiter Kapitalanlage) · source
- Martina SandrockChair of the Board of Trustees (Kuratoriumsvorsitzende) · source
- Petra HerzHonorary Chair (Ehrenvorsitzende) since 2016; Chair of the Executive Board from 2008 · source
LINKS
FAQ
Joachim Herz Stiftung is a institutional investor based in Hamburg, Germany, founded in 2008.
Yes. Joachim Herz Stiftung invests directly in private companies. It also commits capital to third-party funds as an LP.
Joachim Herz Stiftung invests at Seed stage in Deep Tech.
Key people at Joachim Herz Stiftung include Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst (Chair of the Executive Board (Vorstandsvorsitzende)), Ulrich Müller (Executive Board member; Finanzvorstand (CFO)), Andreas E. Meier (Head of Investments (Bereichsleiter Kapitalanlage)) and Martina Sandrock (Chair of the Board of Trustees (Kuratoriumsvorsitzende)).
Joachim Herz Stiftung's investments include Marvelous Scito Fund (own hybrid VC fund of funds/co-investment vehicle; anchor investor), Beiersdorf AG (indirect stake, 54.9% of foundation assets), Intreal International Real Estate Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft (49%) and Laiqon AG (9.93%).
The most recent publicly reported investment by Joachim Herz Stiftung is Laiqon AG (9.93% via cash capital increase, €12.6m), announced in Nov 2024.
No. Joachim Herz Stiftung invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.