Lendorse, the Berlin-based startup removing financial barriers for driven international students, has raised €1.75 million in a funding round co-led by LUMO Labs and Soulmates Ventures, with participation from PI Impact and angel investor Daniel Naber.
Each year, millions of international students are accepted into higher education programs but must walk away - not due to a lack of talent, but because they can’t afford it.
Lendorse is building a comprehensive ecosystem that enables ambitious, skilled individuals to reach their full potential. Through its digital platform, the company provides upfront financing to cover tuition and living expenses. Unlike traditional loans, repayment is only required once graduates succeed professionally and is based on a committed fixed percentage of their future income.
The €1.75 million new investment will be used to further develop Lendorse’s product and scale the team to meet growing demand. With a massive market need and growing institutional support, Lendorse is well-positioned to scale its impact and deliver long-term value for both investors and the next generation of global-minded professionals.
"Behind every Lendorse investment, there is a student with a dream and the drive to pursue it. We’re not just covering costs, we are removing barriers and opening doors to opportunities that can redefine a future," says Bjoern Christian Wolf, Lendorse co-founder and CEO.
Beyond financing, Lendorse offers tailored career guidance and integration tools - giving international talent not just access to education, but a pathway to long-term success in Europe’s academic and professional landscape.
Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen, Partner at LUMO Labs clarifies: “At the core of Lendorse’s platform is a proprietary underwriting engine that evaluates each applicant based on academic performance, career trajectory, and personal motivation. This data-driven model enables fast, consistent and fair funding decisions, ensuring that support flows to individuals with the motivation to succeed in top academic and professional environments. We are very happy to support the further development and roll-out of this very impactful and scalable platform.”
Access to leading universities remains difficult for many, even for students with strong motivation and clear potential.
“Empowering the brightest students and fostering a more resilient and secure future is the mission of the Lendorse team. Supporting ambition, driving innovation and growth across Europe is crucial. Equal access to education is key for this, especially for talented international students often excluded from common financing options. We are proud to support a team that unlocks potential at scale,” says Michal Sikyta, Investment Director at Soulmates Ventures.
Lotte Stoltenborgh from PI Impact adds - “The relentless drive and commitment of Lendorse’s founders and team is exceptional. We are very much looking forward to being part of their journey going forward.”
Founded in 2022 by Bjoern Christian Wolf, Evgenii Avdeev and Hannah Sharpe, Lendorse is building a comprehensive financial, educational, and career ecosystem for high‑skilled internationals in Europe.
Previously backed by Techstars, Earlybird Vision Lab, Evergryn Ventures, 4OS Capital, and Vealo Ventures, Lendorse has already demonstrated strong early traction.
The company was recently awarded the Skills and Education Guarantee by the European Investment Fund (EIF) - a strong endorsement of its mission and model.
About Lendorse
Lendorse is a Berlin-based social impact startup building a financial and career ecosystem for highly skilled internationals from developing and emerging countries. Lendorse funds students’ tuition fees and living expenses at European universities through Income Share Agreements, allowing them to study now and repay later with a fixed percentage of their income.
Beyond financing, Lendorse’s digital platform provides tailored career support to help students succeed in the European labor market, from job search tools to mentorship and relocation guidance.
Founded in 2022, Lendorse actively supports high-potential people with a lack of educational opportunities.The company is advancing the Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities.
About LUMO Labs
LUMO Rise Fund is a MEUR 100 multi-stage (Pre-Seed to Series A) impact-driven venture capital fund, with a proprietary startup coaching program for purpose-driven founders, who seek to bring technological innovations to the market to help solve social and environmental challenges.
LUMO Rise Fund invests in scalable and financially sustainable operating systems, infrastructures, and platforms based on and/or related to emerging and potentially disruptive technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence & Data, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Digital Security, and Extended Realities (AR/VR). The fund’s impact focus is best identified as the bottom-up crossroads between the following UN SDGs: Health & Wellbeing, Quality Education, Sustainable Cities & Communities, and Climate Action.
The primary investment region is Benelux and Germany, and secondary Nordics, Baltics and the Iberian Peninsula. LUMO Rise Fund is the successor fund of LUMO Fund II managed by LUMO Labs, founded in 2016 by former tech entrepreneurs Andy Lürling and Sven Bakkes.
LUMO Labs media contact:
For Spain: Jorge Blasco, Partner; jorge@lumolabs.io
About Soulmates Ventures
Soulmates Ventures is a Czech Accelerator and Venture Capital Firm looking for innovative and fast-growing startups with a vision of long-term sustainable development. Not only do they provide funding, but also actively help founders to scale their business and successfully expand into new markets. The company was founded in 2020 by Hynek Sochor. Their portfolio includes eighteen ambitious companies such as eAgronom, Kardi AI, Twinzo, Flowpay, VOS.health, Precismo, Ogre AI, Madmonq, and Twin Science.
Soulmates Ventures:
https://www.soulmatesventures.com
About PI Impact
PI Impact is a Dutch single-family office belonging to the ProDelta group. PI Impact supports impact driven founders who create measurable social, environmental and financial returns, with the ambition to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive world. Investments are done both directly into promising ventures, and through other impact driven investment funds.
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