Germany-based online do-it-yourself course provider Makerist has raised €5m ($5.5m) in series B funding from investors including printing firm Gruner + Jahr, media company Ringier and magazine publisher OZ Verlag, Gründerszene has reported.
Public-private partnership High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF) also took part in the series B round. Gruner + Jahr and Ringier participated through their respective corporate venturing subsidiaries, G+J Digital Ventures and Ringier Digital Ventures.
Founded in 2013, Makerist produces video tutorials for sewing, knitting, crochet and cake decoration, and sells the materials needed to complete a project through its online store.
Gruner + Jahr and Ringier have entered a partnership with Makerist to help the company accelerate its national and international expansion. The company hopes to enter France and other European countries next year.
The money will go towards the production of additional tutorials and marketing, with a video advertising campaign planned.
HTGF previously provided an undisclosed amount of seed funding in 2013 alongside TA Ventures, an unnamed corporate and Michael Brehm, founder of social network StudiVZ.
OZ Verlag was revealed as a returning investor for the series B, though it is not clear whether it was the corporate in question for the seed round, or whether it contributed to an undisclosed series A round.
Beate Koch, managing director at G+J Digital Ventures, said: “We see great potential for paid-content business models in the do-it-yourself sector. An increasing amount of people want to create products themselves but struggle to find professional tutorials and classes.
“The clear focus and the outstanding team convinced us to invest in Makerist. We are looking forward to collaborating with our fellow investors and accompanying Makerist to the next step of its evolution.” [translated from German by Global Corporate Venturing]