Deal Update: Hitachi Ventures, Kaiko Systems, SET Ventures, Dawn Capital, Novaco Invest and DeepIP

In recent weeks, YPOG has once again advised on a number of transactional mandates in the technology, climate tech and industrial sectors, providing comprehensive counsel to, among others, Hitachi Ventures, Kaiko Systems, SET Ventures, Dawn Capital, Novaco Invest and DeepIP.

YPOG advises Hitachi Ventures on EUR 8.6 million Series A financing round of ClearOps

Berlin, May 22, 2026 – YPOG has provided comprehensive legal advice to Hitachi Ventures, for the first time, on its participation in the Series A financing round of Munich-based technology company ClearOps. The EUR 8.6 million round was led by Hitachi Ventures, with additional participation from the Schoeller Group and the Barkawi Group.

ClearOps develops an AI-powered platform that connects manufacturers, dealers, service partners and machines on a central infrastructure. The platform supports industrial service and spare parts processes through intelligent demand planning, real-time coordination and increasingly autonomous process management. Customers include industrial companies such as AGCO, Jungheinrich, Terex and Lippert.

With the new funding, ClearOps plans to accelerate its international expansion, grow its go-to-market and sales teams, and further develop the AI-based automation capabilities of its platform.

Team

Dr. Benjamin Ullrich (Co-Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Jörg Schrade (Tax), Partner Munich
Dr. Emma Peters (Co-Lead, Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin
Matthias Treude (IP/IT/Data Protection), Senior Associate, Hamburg
Dr. Jacob Schreiber (Tax), Senior Associate, Munich
Silke Ricken (Corporate), Associate, Berlin

YPOG advises Kaiko Systems GmbH on Sale to UniSea

Berlin, June 4, 2026 – YPOG advised Kaiko Systems GmbH on the tax aspects of the sale of the company to Norway-based UniSea AS. As part of the transaction, UniSea will acquire 100% of the shares in Berlin-based Kaiko Systems GmbH in order to jointly establish an internationally positioned maritime technology group that will support more than 4,000 vessels worldwide with software solutions in the future.

Kaiko Systems, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Berlin, is a technology company that develops an AI-powered platform for inspection and maintenance processes in the maritime industry. Kaiko Systems’ solutions enable the structured capture of manual inspection and maintenance data on board and provide shipowners and ship managers with real-time, actionable insights. The software is used, among other things, for preparing SIRE 2.0 inspections, port state control inspections, and for vessel condition monitoring, and is already deployed on more than 1,000 ships.

Through the acquisition, UniSea, a Norwegian specialist in fleet management software, is expanding its existing fleet management system with AI-driven frontline intelligence and pre-inspection tools. The combined group will integrate fleet management, compliance, and inspection solutions on a unified platform.

Team

Jörg Schrade (Tax), Partner, Munich
Dr. Jacob Schreiber (Tax), Senior Associate, Munich

YPOG advises SET Ventures on EUR 10 million seed financing round of climate tech startup GALVANY

Hamburg, 9 June 2026 – YPOG has advised Dutch energy tech investor SET Ventures on a seed financing round in GALVANY Energy GmbH. The round totals EUR 10 million, with SET Ventures acting as lead investor and Berlin-based climate tech fund AENU as co-lead.

GALVANY is a Berlin-based heat pump platform offering an end-to-end solution for the planning, installation, operation and optimisation of heat pump systems in existing buildings. The climate tech startup focuses on both the single-family and the multifamily housing segment and combines digital process control with a network of specialised installation partners. In the 2025 financial year, GALVANY generated revenues of EUR 20.1 million, representing a sevenfold increase compared to the previous year, and closed the year with a positive EBIT.

The new capital from the seed financing round will primarily be used to further expand GALVANY’s offering, to continue developing its AI-enabled energy and load management platform and to scale its nationwide network of installation and sales partners.

Team
Dr. Adrian Haase (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Hamburg
Dr. Miriam Peer (Transactions), Associate, Hamburg

YPOG advises Dawn Capital on EUR 12 million seed financing round of Cortea

Berlin, 16 June 2026 – YPOG has advised lead investor Dawn Capital on the EUR 12 million seed financing round of Cortea. In addition to Dawn Capital, Cherry Ventures, Mosaic Ventures and several business angels also participated in the round. The funds will be used to further develop Cortea’s AI-based platform and to support the company’s international expansion.

Cortea is a startup with offices in Berlin and London building an AI-powered quality layer for audit firms. The company deploys so-called “Audit Quality Agents” that review audit reports, financial statements and working papers for inconsistencies, gaps and potential sources of error before final sign-off. Cortea’s goal is to enable audit firms to integrate AI into their audit processes without compromising on quality, professionalism or regulatory compliance.

With the current financing round, Cortea plans to further advance its technology, cover additional audit use cases and roll out its Audit Quality Agents to more mid-sized and large audit firms.

Team

Dr. Benjamin Ullrich (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin 
Dr. Benedikt Flöter (IP/IT/Data Protection), Partner, Berlin
Anna Eickmeier (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associated Partner, Berlin
Charlotte Petrasch (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Berlin
Silke Ricken (Corporate), Associate, Berlin

YPOG advises Novaco Invest on the acquisition of Poland-based Tarasola

Berlin, 16 June 2026 – YPOG, together with the Warsaw office of the law firm Wolff Theiss, advised Novaco Invest, a company of the Warema Group, on the acquisition of the Polish manufacturer Tarasola. As part of the transaction, Novaco Invest acquires all shares in Tarasola, a company specializing in pergolas and louvered roofs based in Lublin, Poland. The transaction is still subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.

Tarasola is a Lublin-based manufacturer of pergolas and louvered roofs for both private and commercial use. The company is one of the leading providers of premium pergola systems and louvered roofs in Poland and is active in several European markets. With its modular systems, Tarasola addresses the growing demand for flexible outdoor living solutions and weather-protected spaces, thereby complementing the existing product portfolio of the Warema Group with additional market segments and price points.

With this acquisition, the Warema Group expands its brand portfolio in the field of sun and weather protection while simultaneously strengthening its international presence. Tarasola will continue to operate as an independent brand and company within the Warema Group. Through the investment company Novaco Invest, the focus will be on further developing Tarasola’s sales, product development, and market presence.

Teams

YPOG

Dr. Benjamin Ullrich (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Tim Schlösser (Transactions), Partner, Berlin
Dr. Oliver Junk (Transactions), Associated Partner, Berlin

Wolff Theiss

Anna Dabrowska, Partner
Bartosz Lewandowski, Counsel
Bartosz Kuras, Partner

YPOG advises DeepIP on acquisition of PatentMaker

Hamburg, 16 June 2026 – YPOG has advised the French-American legal tech company DeepIP on the acquisition of German patent software specialist PatentMaker. With this transaction, DeepIP strengthens its presence in the DACH market and further expands its position as a provider of an AI-driven platform covering the entire patent lifecycle in Europe.

DeepIP is a legal tech company specialized in AI-based patent software with offices in Paris and New York, focusing on the automation and support of attorneys and IP teams along the entire patent process. The platform is aimed in particular at law firms and in-house IP departments and enables more efficient handling of patent filings, prior art searches, drafting and analysis.

PatentMaker is a Munich-based specialist for patent software that has developed an AI-supported solution for patent processes and is primarily used by patent attorneys and IP teams in Germany. Through the acquisition, DeepIP integrates PatentMaker’s practitioner-developed workflow solution into the existing DeepIP platform, thereby creating an offering that covers the entire patent lifecycle from invention disclosure and search to drafting, filing, prosecution and post-grant work.

With this transaction, DeepIP significantly expands its market presence in the DACH region and establishes its own presence in Germany with an office in Munich. The combined platform is intended to set a new standard for AI-driven patent workflows in Europe and to drive the digitalization and scaling of patent practice for law firms and corporates.

Team

Dr. Adrian Haase (Lead, Transactions), Partner, Hamburg
Dr. Miriam Peer (Transactions), Associate, Hamburg
Benjamin Müller (Transactions), Senior Associate, Berlin
Jörg Schrade (Tax), Partner, Munich
Dr. Jacob Schreiber (Tax), Senior Associate, Munich
Dr. Lutz Schreiber (IP/IT/Data Protection), Partner, Hamburg
Dr. Florian Wittner (IP/IT/Data Protection), Associate, Hamburg