Founder & Chairman at Lakestar · Joined 2012
View Live Interactive Profile →Klaus Hommels built his reputation on a remarkable run of early bets - Skype, Xing, King, Facebook, Spotify, and Airbnb among them - well before founding Lakestar in Zurich in 2012 following stints at AOL Germany and as a venture partner at Benchmark Capital Europe. He grew Lakestar into one of Europe's largest venture funds, raising more than €2 billion across early-stage and growth vehicles and continuing his pattern of early conviction with Revolut, Klarna, and defense-tech unicorn Helsing. In October 2025, Hommels announced a significant strategic pivot: Lakestar will no longer raise new generalist funds from outside LPs, with his future bets - including a growing focus on European defense and dual-use technology - funded primarily from his own personal capital instead. He currently chairs the NATO Innovation Fund's Geopolitical and Strategic Advisory Council and remains one of the most vocal advocates for European technological sovereignty.