Hansi Hansmann’s New Family Office Launches With €150M AUM

Hansi Hansmann, a business angel who has been active in the Austrian startup scene for more than 15 years, is transforming the Hans(wo)men Group into the Hansmann Family Office, according to an interview published by trendingtopics.eu. The office reports €150M in assets under management, though some secondary coverage cites a $170M figure. Hansmann said the change was not triggered by a single event but reflected investment activity that had grown beyond venture capital into private equity, profitable companies and broader entrepreneurship. He said the Hans(wo)men brand had mainly represented the group's startup lead investments, while other holdings were never visible under that name.

The family office will operate across four areas: venture capital, private equity, real estate and philanthropy. Lisa Pallweber, who co-leads the office, said it will continue with a small team of four people, with most time still devoted to startups. Private equity is currently accessed mainly through co-investments alongside other family offices with transaction experience, a structure Pallweber described as a compromise that keeps the office close to deals without requiring it to originate them. Real estate in Spain is managed by a long-standing local associate, and Austrian property investments are planned through partners. Philanthropy is to be built in-house with defined goals, KPIs and measurable impact.

In venture capital, the office holds both direct investments and fund commitments. Hansmann said it is invested in around 25 funds, including Sarona Ventures in Israel, and in all three large Austrian funds, with additional exposure in the UK, US and Germany. Pallweber said the office prefers smaller funds and emerging managers with niche focus over large generalist funds. She also noted that DPI remains weak across most of the fund portfolio, so returns so far exist mainly on paper. Hansmann characterized the Emmi sale to Mistral as a valuable transaction but not a full exit, since investors will not receive cash until Mistral goes public and lockups expire.

The public-markets allocation is intended to capture market returns through a low-cost, long-term ETF portfolio held in a personalized fund, which allows adjustments to risk. Hansmann said the public allocation is relatively large in early stages while capital is deployed into private markets over four to five years. Real estate is described as a long-term, comparatively safe investment that provides rental income and potential appreciation, provided leverage is limited. Hansmann said Spanish entry and renovation prices remain more attractive than Austrian ones, while rental yields are comparable.