HTGF is a venture capital investor for innovative technologies and business models. We successfully support the best founders whose ideas can revolutionise entire industries and improve people’s lives – from seed to exit.
As a seed investor, we have already financed 690 start-ups in the industrial tech, digital tech, life sciences and chemicals sectors. We have overseen more than 160 exits, including IPOs. When founding your company together with us, you benefit from an experienced partner at your side.
We are a public–private partnership that works closely and successfully with companies from a wide range of industries. Our more than 40 fund investors include medium-sized companies, family businesses and corporations. We provide them with access to innovative start-ups and technologies insights into deal flows and connections to our global network.
In addition to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and KfW Capital, the investors in our fourth fund include over 40 companies from a wide range of industries. Medium-sized companies in particular are strongly represented, along with many large corporations and family offices (Start of the investment phase in fall 2022).
Our portfolio
Our investment companies are the heart of HTGF. We are proud of each and every one of them. Our investment managers have a direct line to the founders and are on hand with support and the entire HTGF network.
We see ourselves as a platform that offers young startups important added value in addition to flexible financing as part of the #HTGFFamily, tailored to their very individual needs.
HTGF shares its experience with us in matters of reporting, for example. That helps enormously when it comes to optimizing processes on the one hand and remaining transparent on the other. However, the investor never intervenes more deeply than necessary, so that our start-up momentum is maintained.
Dipl. Ing. Miriam HaerstCo-founder and managing partner
HTGF has developed a very rational and scientific approach to addressing problems in start-ups. I like that. The experience and the breadth of the portfolio make that possible.
Pierre BaquéCo-Founder / CEO – Neutral Concept Ltd.
Participating in HTGF’s network as a start-up cannot be overstated. We met our first customer at an HTGF event, even though we weren’t even in the portfolio at the time.
Philipp BürlingFounder Numaferm GmbH
HTGF has supported us unconditionally for many years. On the journey of a startup, many things develop differently than expected. We entrepreneurs therefore need a partner who supports us with advice and peace of mind to get up anew each time and make things better.
Philipp Roesch-SchlandererFounder and managing director eGym
HTGF was the first investor who understood our idea and vision and invested pre-product.
Julia Bösch Founder and managing director OUTFITTERY
We really enjoy being at the HTPC every year. This is where we meet corporate champions from large industrial companies who pass us on to the relevant contacts. That’s worth its weight in gold for our business development.
Dr. Tim PohlmannFounder and managing director IPlytics GmbH
At Family Day, we found a strong investor for our follow-on financing.
Felix BrandFounder and managing director CardioSecur
Insights
Press
26. January 2023
Refined Laser Systems Raises €2.7m to Diagnose Cancer in Minutes
Refined Laser Systems has developed an innovative microscopy procedure to support pathology in diagnosing cancer within minutes and avoid revision surgeries.
The investment was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds and APEX Ventures alongside Onsight Ventures, NRW.BANK, and Papst Venture Capital.
The Seed funding will be used to develop an intraoperative microscope prototype that identifies tumor margins directly in the surgery room and will offer a diagnosis within minutes by a remote patho
Press
16. January 2023
Fintech Cerchia closes CHF 1.3 million financing round with HTGF and other investors to finance and hedge climate damages through a novel, decentralized marketplace
CHF 1.3 million seed financing round closed with lead investor HTGF and additional private investors.
Cerchia AG (“Cerchia”) has created the world’s first marketplace for direct risk transfer on the Zilliqa Blockchain.
The Swiss fintech is building a novel capital markets platform to create an efficient, transparent, and compliant solution for direct risk transfer between reinsurers and investors.
The team consists of experienced capital markets and risk management executives, rein
Press
12. January 2023
refuel.green receives €1.2 million pre-seed financing for more cost-effective production of fuels from renewable electricity (e-fuels)
A total of €1.2 million in fresh capital for particularly innovative technology
refuel.green wins HTGF as lead investor for pre-seed financing
TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen and two business angels are co-investors
Team buildup and first customer project planned for 2023
Dresden, January 12, 2023 – e-fuels can make a decisive contribution to making the global economy independent of fossil crude oil and at the same time CO2-neutral and renewable. The refuel.green
Blog
12. January 2023
MedTech Pitch Day 2023: Connecting Startups with Industry Leaders, Investors, and Decision-Makers
The MedTech Pitch Day, organised by HTGF, Dräger, B.Braun, Techniker Krankenkasse and the Health Innovation Port, is just around the corner. What can founders expect at the event and why should they definitely apply? We spoke to Anke Cassing, Principal at HTGF, and Jakob Lilienweiss, Investment Analyst at HTGF, to find out.
The MedTech Pitch Day will take place on March 29th in Berlin. Can you tell us more about the event and what founders can expect?
Anke: The event has develop
Blog
12. January 2023
Start-up stories: From science to business
Their first pitch deck didn’t contain a business slide. And there wasn’t any information on market potential. These were things that Dr Isabel Schellinger and Dr Uwe Raaz simply hadn’t thought of. After all, their focus was on their research, on the amazing opportunities made possible thanks to science, and on a medical solution to an aortic disorder in humans that they had developed. This is their passion and their field of expertise. Pitching to investors and founding a start-up were
Blog
20. December 2022
2022 – High-Tech Gründerfonds end-of-year review
We’d like to begin this end-of-year review by saying thank you to all those who support us, enable us to do our work and place their trust in us. This particularly applies to the founders, numerous co-investors and shareholders of our portfolio companies as well as our fund investors. This year saw the launch of our fourth fund, HTGF IV, which more than 40 private companies have invested in alongside the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and KfW Capital. Among t
Finding a promising Start-up is our expertise, then leading it to a successful exit is our job. We are very proud of every sale, in most cases to grow further with even more energy.
We work as a team. Our investment managers contribute a great deal of experience and expertise. They are not only financing experts, but many of them have also founded their own companies or bring years of industry experience or specialized scientific know-how with them.
Our start-ups become part of the #HTGFFamily, one of the strongest networks in the high-tech venture sector, where we use our expertise to actively support growth, customer acquisition, hiring, co-investment and follow-up financing.
Become Part of the HTGF Family
Are you the founder of a high-tech start-up? Does your company match our industry focus and meet our investment criteria? Then we look forward to getting to know you and your company! Send us your pitch deck – we’ll be in touch.
Sector focus?
We invest in start-ups in the fields of industrial technology, digital tech, life sciences, chemistry or related areas.
Investment criteria?
Your start-up is less than three years old and is headquartered in Germany or – in the case of start-ups from other European countries – has a German base of operations.
Financing?
We invest flexibly according to the needs of the start-up.
Investment volume?
In the seed round up to 1 million euros. In total we can invest up to 4 million euros in a start-up.
Added Value?
We are sparring partners in all questions regarding the development of start-ups and will open doors for you.
Sector focus? 
Investment criteria? 
Financing? 
Investment volume? 
Added Value?