An Australian-led venture capital firm, which counts major European tech company founders, funds, AFL footballers and a World Cup-winning German soccer star among its backers, says it is approaching a first close on a new €60 million ($101 million) early-stage fund to back what it describes as frontier-tech companies aimed at solving humanity’s biggest problems.

Possible Ventures managing partner Chris Hitchen, who splits his time between Australia and Germany, where his fund is based, told The Australian Financial Review he expects to close somewhere between a third and a half of the new fund by the end of this month.