redalpine closes €222.53 million RAC VIII fund for early-stage startups

Around 20 companies, Seed and Series A

RAC VIII will back roughly 20 early-stage companies across Europe, picked from more than 5,000 that redalpine evaluates every year. Tickets will range from €890k ($1 million) to €13.35 million ($15 million), with Seed and Series A rounds as the main target.

The first portfolio companies are already taking shape: Enact Intelligence, which develops force intelligence technology for robotics; Helical, which is building a virtual AI lab for reproducible drug discovery; and Arlequin AI, which is working on a new AI architecture to protect critical systems.

A track record in software and science

redalpine was founded in Zurich in 2006 by molecular biologist Dr. Michael Sidler and software entrepreneur Peter Niederhauser. Half of its investment team are trained scientists, including biologists, physicists and engineers. Its portfolio spans more than 100 companies, among them Mistral AI, Proxima Fusion, N26, Basecamp Research and Microagi.

Companies backed by the predecessor fund RAC VII, which closed in 2024, have collectively raised over €970 million ($1.1 billion) in follow-on funding, and the firm has exited 12 portfolio companies since 2023. RAC VIII is part of a multi-stage platform meant to support founders from Seed through to IPO.

"With RAC VIII, we're excited to keep backing these founders early, before the opportunity is obvious," said Sidler.

redalpine, which has offices in Zug, Berlin and London and a presence in Silicon Valley, now manages more than €1.24 billion ($1.4 billion). The firm says it wants to return more of the value created by European technology companies to European investors, including pension funds.