Tom Villinger

CEO,  D11Z. Ventures GmbH & Co. KG

Tom Villinger is CEO of D11Z. Ventures, the venture arm of Dieter Schwarz’s Family Office and a European early-stage investor focused on AI, B2B software and digital innovation. D11Z operates as a single-LP evergreen fund and manages a mid-three-digit million euro investment platform, enabling long-term partnerships and follow-on support for founders.

Originally founded in 2005 as Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn, D11Z has grown into a platform with 68+ portfolio investments and a proven track record across multiple cycles. D11Z has realized multiple successful exits, including Inspekto (acquired by Siemens), Xenios (acquired by Fresenius Medical Care), seleon (acquired by aesco solutions) and Echobot (acquired by Great Hill Partners, Boston (USA)).

Dieter Schwarz is owner of the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland, PreZero, Schwarz Digits), Europe’s largest retailer and one of the world’s leading retail groups, with €175bn revenue. Tom supports founders from first institutional rounds through scaling, leveraging strong ties to industrial champions and global market leaders.