VC | E530 | Capnamic’s €1B Exit, Flywheel Thinking & Building a DPI-Minded VC Firm

Jul 24, 2025

Jörg Binnenbrücker, General Partner at Capnamic, dives into the extraordinary journey of LeanIX, revealing how a €500K investment blossomed into a billion-euro exit. He discusses Capnamic’s founder-first philosophy and their focus on DPI—emphasizing real returns over paper markups. With insights drawn from Michael Jordan and Yoda, Jörg highlights the essence of hard work and resilience in startups. He also reflects on the importance of strong relationships within the venture capital ecosystem and the underrated potential of European software founders.

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ANECDOTE

Daily Michael Jordan and Yoda Inspiration

Jörg keeps photos of Michael Jordan and Yoda as daily reminders.
He strives for a mix of discipline, winning spirit, and wise balance in his work.

ANECDOTE

Early Tennis Student Connection

Jörg had a unique tennis student relationship with LeanIX's founder since he was 12 years old.
This long-term connection helped him trust and invest early in LeanIX's journey.

ADVICE

Carry for All Team Members

Give carry to every team member to foster entrepreneurial ownership.
Use vesting and cliffs to ensure commitment and fairness for newcomers.

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This week on the EUVC podcast, Andreas Munk Holm is joined by Jörg Binnenbrücker, General Partner at Capnamic, to unpack the story behind one of Europe’s standout software exits—LeanIX, winner of Exit of the Year at the European VC Awards.

Jörg walks us through how a €500K initial check turned into a billion-dollar outcome—and why the deal was perfectly sized for the realities of European venture. We go deep on Capnamic’s founder-first philosophy, their obsession with DPI, and how they’ve built a venture firm that consistently turns real returns across funds—not just paper markups.

From investing early in B2B SaaS to building a culture that mirrors the best of startups, Jörg shares the blueprint behind Capnamic’s flywheel—one rooted in trust, ownership, and team alignment.

🎯 In This Episode, We Cover:

The inside story of the LeanIX deal—and why it was a fund-maker
How Capnamic builds DPI-first into every decision
Why real founder empathy starts with how your team works
Lessons from Michael Jordan and Yoda (really)
Europe’s underrated software founders—and why they’re winning
Why generalist firms still play a key role in climate, deep tech & beyond

Here’s What’s Covered:

00:00 | Jörg joins: From Capnamic to Exit of the Year
02:15 | Why LeanIX is a “Google Maps for Enterprise Software”
04:30 | The €500K check that turned into a billion-dollar outcome
07:45 | What makes a “perfect” exit for European fund sizing
10:30 | DPI > Paper: How Capnamic structures for real returns
13:00 | Building founder empathy through operational design
16:30 | Every team member gets carry—even platform
19:00 | No consensus, no problem: Why Capnamic values conviction
22:00 | B2B SaaS, German depth, and the Capnamic thesis
25:45 | York on founder-centric processes and fast reps
28:00 | Why they track “10x front returners” at investment stage
31:00 | The art of timing exits—and when secondaries don’t work
34:00 | LeanIX team, bootstrap mentality, and long-term value creation
36:30 | Jörg’s parting advice: Start businesses wisely. Play like Jordan.