Cornelius Boersch
About Cornelius Boersch
Cornelius "Conny" Boersch was born in 1968 in Hannover and is a German serial entrepreneur, technology investor and author. He studied at the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Essen with a thesis on venture capital.
He founded the smart card broker and RFID producer ACG AG, which listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 1999 at a valuation above EUR 1bn. He later helped develop other RFID companies, including Smartrac (IPO 2006) and Identiv (NASDAQ since 2006).
Today he is founder and Executive Chairman of Mountain Partners, a global company builder, and founder of the co-investment company Conny & Co. Both are based in Switzerland. He also started the annual Unternehmertag (Entrepreneurs Day) at Tegernsee in 2007.
Published profiles say he has invested in more than 300 to 400 companies since 1995, and the figure differs by source. He was voted European Business Angel of the Year in 2009. He is a European Investment Fund (EIF) certified super angel, which means the EIF matches his startup investments 1 to 1, subject to certain restrictions.
Wikipedia lists Alando.de (the predecessor of eBay Germany), Lieferando, the Scout Group, wefox, Kavak and reBuy among his best-known investments. It also says Mountain Partners now rarely invests directly in startups. It works as a multi-fund manager across more than 120 companies.
Public sources do not show a dedicated AI portfolio or a list of AI deals with dates. NFX Signal ranks him in AI at Seed, Series A and Series B, but that is a category tag and does not name companies.
He has spoken publicly about AI. In a recent interview he pointed to the gap between the amounts the largest global companies plan to invest in AI and what Europe invests. Through Mountain Lion Ventures, a Sri Lanka-focused fund, he backed the development of an AI-based platform for the Horeca (hotel, restaurant and catering) sector.
Profiles describe him as an early-stage technology investor. Stated areas include fintech, AI, SaaS, e-commerce and health tech. He has invested across frontier and emerging markets, from South America to Asia, as well as in Europe.
NFX Signal lists an investment range of $5K to $50K with a sweet spot of $25K. This is a third-party profile, and he has not confirmed these figures publicly. Much of his activity now runs through Conny & Co and Mountain Partners rather than direct personal checks.
- Alando.de: predecessor of eBay Germany, listed as one of his best-known investments
- Lingoda: took part, via Conny & Co and Mountain Partners, in its USD 68m growth round in 2021; he has also served on its board
- wefox: took part in its USD 600m Series C in 2021
- TIER Mobility: took part in its USD 200m Series D in 2021
- Jedsy: drone-based blood delivery in Malawi; he invested in 2021 and has been a board member
- Flash Coffee: NFX Signal lists a Seed round in August 2020 and a Series B in June 2022
- Faarms and Pidge: Seed rounds listed on NFX Signal (Faarms in 2021 and 2022, Pidge in March 2023)
- Liwe Communities: Sri Lankan prop-tech platform digitising gated communities, backed via Mountain Lion Ventures
- Destinus: board member since February 2022
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Boersch
- crunchbase.com/person/cornelius-boersch
- crunchbase.com/organization/conny-co
- unternehmertag.org/en/speaker/dr-cornelius-boersch
- signal.nfx.com/investors/cornelius-boersch
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/122687-74
- ft.lk/Front-Page/Startup-icon-Dr-Cornelius-Boersch-reaffirms-commitmen
- startupintros.com/people/cornelius-boersch
Investing activity
Cornelius Boersch is listed on Lounge as an angel investor. The deals desk records Series A and later AI rounds and seeds over $10M, so smaller checks may not show here yet.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Cornelius Boersch
Who is Cornelius Boersch?
He is a German entrepreneur and business angel based in Switzerland. He founded ACG AG, which listed in 1999, and now leads Mountain Partners and Conny & Co.
How many companies has Cornelius Boersch invested in?
Sources differ. Crunchbase and Conny & Co cite 300 to 350+ investments, and his Unternehmertag speaker bio cites more than 400, all since 1995.
What check size does Cornelius Boersch write?
He has not stated a check size publicly. NFX Signal lists a $5K to $50K range with a $25K sweet spot, which is a third-party estimate.
Does Cornelius Boersch invest in AI startups?
AI is among the sectors listed in his profiles. NFX Signal ranks him in AI at Seed, Series A and Series B. Public sources name few specific AI deals, so check recent announcements.
What is an EIF certified super angel?
Per his bios, the European Investment Fund matches his startup investments 1 to 1, subject to certain restrictions. That can add co-investment capital to a round.
How can founders reach Cornelius Boersch?
He is on LinkedIn and has a personal site at conny-boersch.com. He also hosts the annual Unternehmertag at Tegernsee, where founders can meet him.
Is Cornelius Boersch an angel investor?
Yes. Cornelius Boersch invests personally as an angel.