Leader in Venture Capital Program
Bridging Germany’s Venture Capital Gaps
Germany’s venture capital sector faces persistent undercapitalization and limited institutional participation.
The Leaders in Venture Capital Program at ESMT Berlin equips future General and Limited Partners with the skills, insights, and networks to drive Europe’s VC growth. As part of Germany’s WIN initiative, this in total 7-day program (4.5 days in-person and ~2.5 days self-paced project work) blends academic excellence, practitioner expertise, and peer learning.
With dedicated GP and LP tracks, joint sessions, and a hands-on capstone project, participants gain deep expertise in investment strategy, fund structuring, capital allocation, ESG, governance, and more — supported by real-world cases and exclusive networking.
This program is run by DEEP (Institute for Deep Tech Innovation) at ESMT Berlin and supported by KfW Capital:
Key facts
Your profile and benefits
1. Future General Partners (GPs)
- Partners or founders planning to launch their own VC fund or lead an existing investment team. You want to: develop and sharpen a clear investment strategy, master fundraising skills, learn best practices in portfolio construction, deal sourcing, and value creation, and strategically expand their international network.
2. Future Limited Partners (LPs)
- Family offices, high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and institutional investors looking to invest as LPs in VC funds. You want to: understand how venture capital works – from fund structures to return profiles, identify and select the right funds and managers, evaluate risks and opportunities across asset classes, and build a sustainable VC investment portfolio.
3. Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors moving into fund investment
- Experienced entrepreneurs and angels who want to professionalize their investment activities and take on the role of GP or LP.
4. Corporate and Institutional Strategists
- Senior executives from corporates, banks, or public institutions who use VC as a strategic tool – for innovation, market positioning, or impact investing.
Topics LP Track
- Asset Allocation & Portfolio Construction – Determining VC exposure in broader portfolios and managing liquidity.
- Evaluating VC Managers & Co-Investments – Strategies for identifying emerging managers and co-investment opportunities.
- Fund Selection & Benchmarking – Assessing track records, teams, and strategies.
- In-Depth Due Diligence – Practical frameworks for evaluating GPs’ decision-making and sourcing capabilities.
- Legal & Regulatory Awareness – Partnership agreements, compliance, and cross-border considerations.
- Market & Sector Insight – Macro trends in AI, climate tech, fintech, and other growth areas.
Topics GP Track
- Fundraising & Investor Relations – Crafting a compelling thesis and tailoring pitches to institutional, family office, and other LP segments.
- Advanced Deal Sourcing – Building top-tier pipelines through networks, events, and strategic partnerships.
- Investment Thesis Development & Due Diligence – Deep analysis of opportunities to refine investment rationale.
- Portfolio Construction & Reserves Strategy – Balancing diversification, stage focus, and capital deployment.
- Board Leadership & Governance – Effective founder support, conflict resolution, and value creation at board level.
- Building & Leading a VC Firm – Team development, culture building, and internal decision processes.
Next dates
Program structure
Why choose ESMT?
- ESMT Berlin is consistently ranked as one of the best business schools in Europe for executive education
- Diverse classes, interactive exercises, renowned faculty, peer-to-peer coaching and hands-on project work
- We offer targeted learning paths for General Partners and Limited Partners, each tailored to the specific needs, challenges, and responsibilities of the role. At the same time, the program actively brings these naturally complementary perspectives together—so that GPs understand LP priorities, LPs gain insight into GP realities, and both sides build stronger, more productive relationships.
- You will join an exclusive community of venture capital professionals, institutional investors, and founders from across Europe and beyond. This network extends far beyond the classroom, creating partnerships and deal flow opportunities.
Merih Sevilir
Jörg Rocholl
Prof. Josh Lerner
Jacob H. Schiff Professor
Harvard Business School
Dr. Helder Schnittker
Partner
YPOG
Pawel Chudzinski
Partner
Point Nine
Isabelle Canu
Partner
GET Fund (Green European Tech Fund)
Christian Meermann
Partner
Cherry Ventures
Susanna Meiners
Senior Legal Counsel
EIF
Thorsten Lambertus
How you will learn
To ensure accessibility for working professionals, the program blends flexible online elements with dynamic in-person sessions and curated networking events — creating a practical, fast-paced learning experience.
Need more information?
Contact our program advisors:
Email: deep@esmt.org
