Berlin – YPOG advised Berlin-based AI venture studio Merantix (MX AG) on the structuring of its venture funds and the related investment by the world's largest technology investor SoftBank, which is participating through its Vision Fund 2. Seed investments are to be financed from Merantix's established in-house venture fund. At the same time, Merantix and SoftBank Investment Advisers (SIBA) have announced a strategic partnership to promote AI technology in Germany. Both companies are convinced that artificial intelligence will be the most significant technology of our time. Thus, SoftBank has also invested globally in the past and taken a leading role in this field. Merantix was founded in 2016 by Adrian Locher and Rasmus Rothe and sees itself as the world's first AI venture studio. The company addresses the world's most pressing problems by turning cutting-edge AI research into products. It does this through a sophisticated venture-building process. As a result, Merantix has already launched seven AI companies to date, including Cambrium, Kausa, SiaSearch and Vara. Over the next few years, the company says it plans to add up to ten more companies. In April 2021, Merantix opened a 5,200-square-meter AI campus at Berlin's Nordbahnhof, where startups with artificial intelligence-related business models can rent space. In addition, Merantix's own spin-offs are also located there.
YPOG's comprehensive advice covered all tax, regulatory and corporate law issues relating to the fund. In previous years, the Berlin office of the law firm has already regularly advised Merantix, including on the overall structuring, on various investments and also on the structuring of a €25 million fund in 2020.
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Team:
Dr. Fabian Euhus (Lead), Partner
Dr. Helder Schnittker, Partner
Joel El-Qalqili, Associated Partner
Dr. Sebastian Schwarz, Associated Partner
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
