HEUKING advises DR. VIVIEN KARL on its seven-figure seed financing round

A team led by Ariane Neubauer, Partner at HEUKING's Berlin office, provided comprehensive legal advice to DR. VIVIEN KARL GmbH on its seed financing round. The Berlin-based female health start-up secured seven-figure financing in a market environment in which fundraising for D2C consumer start-ups is particularly challenging. The zwei.7 Gruppe, a family office that brings not only capital but also strategic support and shared values, was brought on board as the new lead investor. In addition, among others, existing investor, Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures participated in the round once again, reaffirming its confidence in the company's business model and growth strategy. 

DR. VIVIEN KARL GmbH was founded in October 2021 by Dr. Vivien Karl, a pharmacist who holds a doctoral degree in pharmaceutical sciences. In June 2022, Julia Huhnholz joined as co-founder and has since been responsible for marketing and communications. The company develops pharmaceutically formulated intimate care products and currently sells eleven products to more than 70,000 customers. In 2025, the company recorded revenue growth of more than 200 percent.

With the fresh capital, DR. VIVIEN KARL GmbH plans to take its next strategic growth step: expanding from a purely D2C business into brick-and-mortar retail. The goal is to place its products on the shelves of major drugstore chains and establish intimate care as an everyday product category.

HEUKING Partner Ariane Neubauer previously advised DR. VIVIEN KARL GmbH on its pre-seed financing round.

Counsel to DR. VIVIEN KARL GmbH
HEUKING:
Ariane Neubauer (Lead, Venture Capital), Berlin,
Astrid Luedtke (Data Protection Law, Trademark Law), Düsseldorf,
Kai Oliver Runkel (Intellectual Property Law), Cologne