Gharage Ventures Launches 40-Million-Euro Fund for Global Travel and Retail Tech

Gharage Ventures has announced the launch of its first fund. The independent venture capital platform is investing 40 million euros in early-stage startups that are digitizing the travel and retail ecosystem. Travel retail conglomerate Gebr. Heinemann is joining as anchor investor.

With teams in Hamburg, Berlin, and Singapore, Gharage positions itself as a global platform for innovation in a sector that remains structurally under-digitalized despite rapid growth. The fund plans approximately 30 investments from seed to Series A and focuses on automation, AI-driven workflows, data infrastructure, and travel tech services.

While passenger volumes are expected to double in the coming decades, airports and travel retail are lagging behind in digitalization. “The airport and travel retail ecosystem remains structurally heavily under-digitalized,” says Lennard Niemann, managing partner at Gharage Ventures. “With Fund I, we are bundling capital, an international network, and operational expertise for this sector for the first time, to translate urgently needed innovation into scalable and profitable business models.”

Portfolio from Singapore to San Francisco

Gharage has already invested in several companies addressing different pain points. FileAI from Singapore automates document processing and reconciliation processes in complex retail structures. Bounce from San Francisco is building a global network for luggage storage and counts US VC Andreessen Horowitz among its investors. Gumshoe AI from Seattle optimizes brand visibility in AI-based search and recommendation systems. This breadth demonstrates the approach: technologies across the entire value chain, from logistics through infrastructure to conversational business models.

The platform is deliberately designed for industry participation. Beyond Gebr. Heinemann, further strategic limited partners from airports, travel retail, and brands are expected to follow. “Innovations in the travel and retail industry must work across regions, regulatory frameworks, and operational structures,” explains Darren Soh, partner at Gharage Ventures. With presence in Europe and Southeast Asia, the platform enables startups to validate and scale their solutions early in international airport ecosystems.

Gebr. Heinemann bets on active shaping

For Gebr. Heinemann, the investment is more than capital allocation. “By investing in bold ideas and building bridges across the entire ecosystem, we not only secure our own business long-term – we also define what travel retail can be in the future,” says Max Heinemann, co-CEO of Gebr. Heinemann. The investment follows the pattern of strategic corporates that secure access to innovation through corporate VC structures while simultaneously offering operational test environments.

Gharage emerged from the innovation and venture business of Gebr. Heinemann and leverages its network of operators, brands, and technology partners. Opening up to additional limited partners aims to create an ecosystem in which airports, brands, and retail partners not only invest but actively shape digital transformation. The fund thus addresses a sector navigating between massive growth and a technology gap – and seeks the answer in scalable, profitable tech solutions.