Ion Hauer

Ion is a Principal at APEX Ventures, where he invests venture capital in European early-stage deep tech startups with a focus on the future of computing (semiconductors, photonics, quantum, AI).

He brings over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technological breakthroughs and financial capital. He has a PhD in quantum physics from Heidelberg University and previously held positions as Chief Operating Officer at GlassDollar, VP Corporate Venturing at Bosch and Management Consultant at Oliver Wyman, while actively angel investing and mentoring startups for many years.

A passionate technical and rescue diver, Ion is based in Munich, Germany, with his wife and son.

Content

Articles

🗞️ The quantum reality check: Why 2026 will be the year of the hard pivot (Tech Funding News, 15 Dec 2025)

🗞️ Why the AI Infrastructure Bubble Will Burst (and What Replaces It) (Silicon Valleys Journal, 9 Dec 2025)

🗞️ APEX Ventures: The Sectors VCs Won’t Stop Talking About in 2026 (TechRound, 8 Dec 2025)

🗞️ Europe’s deep tech renaissance closes Silicon Valley’s innovation gap (Open Access Government, 5 Sep 2025)

🗞️ Quantum’s path to commercial viability with APEX Ventures’ Ion Hauer (Infinite Frontiers, 22 Aug 2025)

🗞️ Ion Hauer of APEX Ventures: Balancing AI with Human Intuition (Conversational AI, 11 Jun 2025)

🗞️ 2025 Semiconductor Trends: A Venture Capital Perspective (APEX Ventures Substack, 11 Jun 2025)

🗞️ Venture View: Ion Hauer from APEX Ventures on how neutral atoms can deliver on quantum’s commercial promises (BI Foresight, 16 Oct 2024)

🗞️ Europe needs more scientists in VC to become a deeptech powerhouse (Tech.eu, 10 Feb 2024)

Commentaries

✍🏻 European Union deep tech plan too late for quantum champions IQM and Pasqal (Computer Weekly, 9 Apr 2026)

✍🏻 Analysis: Why some seed rounds close in 14 days, and others die after 6 months (Tech Funding News, 12 Feb 2026)

✍🏻 January 2026’s top 10 European tech deals you need to know about (Tech.eu, 5 Feb 2026)

✍🏻 What’s the deep tech word for 2026? (BI Foresight, 16 Jan 2026)

✍🏻 Germany’s innovation gap: Why €90B in R&D isn’t enough without startup collaboration? (Tech Funding News, 3 Sep 2025)

✍🏻 11 future of compute startups to watch, according to VCs (Sifted, 21 Apr 2025)

✍🏻 AI experts available to provide comment to journalists (ResponseSource, 25 Feb 2025)

✍🏻 Draghi report sounds alarm on Europe’s competitive decline (Tech.eu, 13 Sep 2024)

✍🏻 More qubits, more money, more mergers: Quantum predictions for 2024 (Sifted, 27 Dec 2023)

Talks

🎤 GTM Best Practices in High Performance Computing (Deep Tech Momentum, 20 May 2026, Berlin)

🎤 Recent Trends in Next-Gen Computing Investments (HHL SpinLab Investors Day, 18 Jun 2025, Leipzig)

🎤 Pilots that Attract Investment: Key factors for investment success (Build Better Hardwave Vol. 7, 3 Jun 2025, Munich)

🎤 The Deep Tech Transfer Playbook: Transforming University IP into Successful Ventues (Deep Tech Momentum, 14 May 2025, Berlin)

🎤 VC Perspective on Semiconductor Trends and Investment Opportunities (Applied Deep Tech Fest, 7 May 2025, Stuttgart)

🎤 Market Insights in Advanced Computing and Electronics (ETH DeepTech Investor Summit, 28 Jan 2025, Zurich)

🎤 Investment Criteria and Key Focus Areas of Deep Tech Investors (TUM Venture Lab Quantum Founder’s Meet-up, 6 Feb 2024, Munich)

Panels

💬 Why startups and investors need unified legal frameworks accross Europe (HHL SpinLab Investors Day, 3 Jun 2026, Leipzig)

💬 Capital, Transfer, Industry — What’s Really Holding Us Back? (Applied Deep Tech Fest, 7 May 2025, Stuttgart)

💬 Scaling Up: The Future of European Venture Capital (Festival der Zukunft, 27 Jun 2024, Munich)

💬 Quantum Life Sciences and Venture Capital (3rd Nordic Quantum Life Science Roundtable, 15 Nov 2023, Helsinki)

💬 Industrial Application of Quantum Technologies (Forum Schlüsseltechnologien, 13 Nov 2023, Vienna)

💬 Strategies for Investing in Deep Tech and Quantum (invest.austria 2023 conference, 7 Nov 2023, Vienna)

💬 European Deeptech Innovation — Just an illusion? (QBN Quantum Industry Summit 2023, 11 Oct 2023, Stuttgart)

💬 Learning from Startups: Methods, Mindset & Entrepreneurship in Corporations (DYGITIZED, 3 Nov 2020, Munich)

Podcasts

🎙️ Venturing Beyond: Quantum Computing’s Frontier Explored by a VC (Understanding VC, 15 Aug 2023)

🎙️ Investing in DeepTech with Ion Hauer (The Leadership Lab with DeepRec.ai, 31 Jul 2023)

Experience

🚀 Principal at APEX Ventures

🎓 PhD in quantum physics from Heidelberg University

🏠 Managing Director at Hauer Ventures

👨‍🚒 Startup Mentor at Start2 Group, Techstars, and others

👨🏻‍🏫 Former Lecturer at Munich Business School

🙋🏻‍♂️ Former Chief Operating Officer at GlassDollar

💂‍♀️ Former VP Corporate Venturing at Bosch (BSH Startup Kitchen)

💼 Former Management Consultant at Oliver Wyman

Interests

🐠 Scuba Diver at TDI (Decompression Diver) and PADI (Rescue Diver)

🦊 Philanthropist supporting PETA, Greenpeace, Welthungerhilfe, Amnesty International, PLAN International

🏃🏻‍♂️ Runner at Munich Marathon, Wings for Life World Run, Spartan Race, and others

♟️ Chess Player at Chess.com

♠️ Poker Player at GGPoker

🧑🏻‍🚀 Aspiring Astronaut at ESA

🎮 Gamer since 1992 (PC, PlayStation, Quest, SNES, Gameboy)

Press kit

Main portrait: square version

Alternative portrait: square version, landscape version

Speaking images: version 1, version 2, version 3, version 4, version 5, version 6

Contact

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