Bettine Schmitz is Managing Director of Auxxo Fund Management GmbH and General Partner of the Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, one of the few early-stage funds in the DACH region dedicated to female-led startups. Prior to that, she spent seven years as Vice President at Axel Springer Plug and Play, supporting over 80 companies in their earliest stages and working closely on more than 50 financing rounds — including as an early investor in N26. A mathematician by training (Imperial College London) and co-founder of the female business angel network Evangelistas, she is a dedicated advocate for greater female decision-making power across the venture ecosystem.