Berlin/Hamburg/Cologne/Munich, August 2025 – In recent weeks, YPOG has advised on a wide range of transactions in the startup sector. Among others, we have collaborated with renowned investors and companies such as Five Seasons Ventures, Project A, 42CAP, ARX Robotics, Kurma Partners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, AdBio Partners, HTGF and NRW.BANK.
YPOG advises Five Seasons Ventures on Series A financing round of HEY HOLY
Berlin, July 24, 2025 – YPOG has advised Paris based Consumer VC Five Seasons Ventures on the 5.7 million EUR Series A financing round in Pettech start-up HEY HOLY. Five Seasons Ventures acted as lead investor in the oversubscribed round. Existing investors Slingshot Ventures, Feast Ventures, a consumer-focused family office, and several business angels from the pet nutrition sector also participated.
HEY HOLY, based in Marnheim, develops breed-specific dog food tailored to the individual health needs of each breed in close collaboration with veterinarians. The company already serves over 10,000 customers – around 85 percent of them on a subscription model. Since 2024, HEY HOLY has been B Corp certified and meets high standards for sustainability and social responsibility.
With the new capital, HEY HOLY plans to grow its team, expand its product range, and strengthen its digital brand presence. The start-up’s long-term goal is to establish breed-specific nutrition as the new standard in the pet food market.
Team
Dr. Benjamin Ullrich (Co-Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Tobias Lovett (Co-Lead, Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
Dr. Ferdinand Cadmus (Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
Farina Weber (Transactions), Associate, Berlin
YPOG advises Project A on seed financing round of Project Q
Berlin, July 29, 2025 - YPOG has advised Berlin-based early-stage investor Project A on the seed financing round of defense technology startup Project Q. The company, founded in 2024 and based in Munich and Berlin, raised 7.5 Mio. EUR in the round. In addition to Project A, which led the round, deep tech investor Expeditions Fund and Estonian early-stage fund Superangel also participated.
Project Q is developing an AI-powered sensor platform that connects military and civilian infrastructures to generate a comprehensive real-time situational picture. The foundation is its proprietary “Internet of Defence” approach – an open, scalable system that integrates data from a wide range of sources and analyzes it using artificial intelligence. At its core is the Q-OSP platform, which intelligently links standard sensors, existing systems, and cross-domain data streams.
With the fresh capital, Project Q plans to further develop the Q-OSP platform, grow its team, and launch initial pilot projects with European security and defense authorities.
Team
Dr. Frederik Gärtner (Co-Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Ferdinand Cadmus (Co-Lead, Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
Dr. Lutz Schreiber (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Hamburg
Cyra Dittberner (Transactions), Associate, Munich
YPOG advises 42Cap on pre-seed financing round of Novee AI
Berlin, July 29, 2025 - YPOG has advised early-stage investor 42Cap on the pre-seed financing round of UK-based insurtech startup Novee AI. The company raised 1.6 Mio. GBP to advance its AI-powered platform for commercial and specialty underwriting. The round was led by 42Cap, with participation from Insurtech Gateway.
Novee AI is building an intelligence layer for underwriting that enables insurers to assess complex risks faster and with greater clarity. By automating manual tasks and extracting insights from broker submissions, the platform helps underwriters focus on writing new business rather than processing information. It integrates with existing systems and enables real-time analytics across the underwriting pipeline and portfolio.
With the fresh capital, Novee AI plans to accelerate product development, expand into additional lines of business, and deepen partnerships with leading insurers. The platform is already being used by two London market insurers across terrorism, property, and energy lines, with further pilots underway.
Team
Dr. Frederik Gärtner (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Tobias Lovett (Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
YPOG advises ARX Robotics on the extension of its Series A financing round
Berlin, July 30, 2025 – YPOG has advised Munich-based defense technology startup ARX Robotics on the extension of its Series A financing round. The additional funding of 11 Mio. EUR was led by Speedinvest, with HV Capital also participating in the extension.
YPOG had already advised ARX Robotics on its initial 31 Mio. EUR Series A financing round in April 2025, which was led by HV Capital and included Omnes Capital as well as existing investors NATO Innovation Fund and Project A. With this extension, the total volume of the Series A financing increases to 42 Mio. EUR.
ARX Robotics develops modular unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) of the Gereon series as well as the AI-powered operating system Mithra OS for military platforms. The systems are already deployed by six European armed forces. Current strategic partners include Daimler Truck and Renk.
With the fresh capital, ARX Robotics plans to establish new production sites across Europe, expand industrial partnerships, and strengthen its teams in the areas of artificial intelligence, software architecture, and system integration.
Team
Dr. Frederik Gärtner (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Roman Pfeiffer (Transactions), Associate, Berlin
Robert Schramm (Transactions), Senior Associate, Berlin
YPOG advises Project A on pre-seed financing round of Hades Mining
Berlin, August 21, 2025 - YPOG has advised Project A on the 5.5 million EUR pre-seed financing round of Munich-based deeptech startup Hades Mining. The round was led by Project A, with participation from Visionaries Tomorrow, Founders Factory as well as strategic business angels from the aerospace, energy and advanced manufacturing sectors – including Florian Seibel, Roman Hölzl, Daniel Wiegand, Moritz von der Linden, Hélène Huby, Dr Nicolas Burkardt and the Viessmann Generations Group.
Founded in 2025 by Dr Max Werner, Björn Dressler and Dan Gengenbach, Hades Mining is developing new drilling and deep-access systems that make it possible to reach ultra-deep geothermal energy reservoirs and critical mineral deposits. With this technological approach, the startup aims to transform Europe’s access to previously unreachable depths, with a focus on precision, sustainability and resource efficiency. The company uses in-situ recovery (ISR), an innovative fluid circulation technology that enables extraction without conventional open-pit mining, thereby minimising environmental impact.
With the fresh capital, Hades Mining will further advance its proprietary systems and prepare its first project sites for mineral and geothermal energy production. The company’s goal is to become a cornerstone of Europe’s energy independence and industrial resilience, particularly in sectors such as electric mobility, renewable energy, semiconductors and district heating.
Team
Dr. Frederik Gärtner (Co-Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Ferdinand Cadmus (Co-Lead, Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
Dr. Gerrit Breetholt (Transactions), Associate, Hamburg
YPOG advises Kurma Partners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, AdBio Partners, HTGF and NRW.BANK on EUR 21 million financing round of EvlaBio
Berlin, August 19, 2025 - YPOG advised an investor consortium led by Kurma Partners on a EUR 21 million financing round of the biotech company EvlaBio. The financing round was led by Kurma Partners, together with Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, AdBio Partners, HTGF and NRW.BANK.
With the new funding, EvlaBio will advance the development of its lead asset — a novel monoclonal antibody targeting the FGF23/FGFR4 signaling axis, a key driver of cardiac remodeling in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The therapy is specifically aimed at treating left ventricular hypertrophy, a common and serious complication in CKD.
EvlaBio is a life science company focused on the development of first-in-class therapeutics for cardiovascular and cardiorenal diseases. Its lead program targets the FGFR4/FGF23 signaling axis, which is a key driver of cardiac remodeling in chronic kidney disease. By developing novel mechanisms based on sound science, EvlaBio aims to develop new treatment paradigms for CKD patients with high unmet medical needs.
Our colleagues from Walder Wyss supported the investor consortium on Swiss legal and tax aspects.
Team
Dr. Martin Schaper (Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Jörg Schrade (Tax), Partner, Munich
Dr. Benedikt Flöter (IP/IT/Data Protection), Partner, Hamburg
Ciro D’Amelio (Transactions), Associate, Berlin
Christoph Cordes (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Berlin
Boris Schinzel (Transactions), Associate, Berlin
Ninetta Kleindienst (Tax), Associate, Munich
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About us
YPOG stands for You + Partners of Gamechangers – forward-thinking legal and tax advice. Supporting companies that are focused on emerging technologies, YPOG embraces change as an opportunity to develop cutting-edge solutions. The YPOG team offers comprehensive expertise in the areas of Funds, Tax, Transactions, Corporate, Banking, Regulatory + Finance, IP/IT/Data Protection, Litigation, and Corporate Crime + Compliance + Investigations. YPOG is one of the leading law firms in Germany for venture capital, private equity, fund structuring, and the implementation of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in financial services. Both the firm and its partners are regularly recognized by renowned national and international publications such as JUVE, Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Leaders League, and Legal 500. YPOG is home to more than 150 experienced attorneys, tax advisors and tax specialists as well as a notary, working across offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Munich.
Further information: www.ypog.law/en/ and www.linkedin.com/company/ypog