more than
180
exits & IPOs
more than
750
investments
more than
2 B
under management
more than
45
fund investors

Seed investor for high-tech start-ups

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 (pre-)seed to exit.

We are a public–private partnership that works closely and successfully with companies from a wide range of industries. Our 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.

As a seed investor, we have financed more than 750 start-ups in the industrial tech, digital tech, life sciences and chemicals sectors. We have overseen more than 180 exits, including IPOs. When founding your company together with us, you benefit from an experienced partner at your side.

Our HTGF IV fund investors 

In addition to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and KfW Capital, the investors in our fourth fund include 45 companies from a wide range of industries. Medium-sized companies in particular are strongly represented, along with many large corporations and family offices.

Our portfolio

Our portfolio 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.

HTGF Family

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.

Dipl. Ing. Miriam Haerst Co-founder and managing partner
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.
Pierre Baqué Co-Founder / CEO – Neutral Concept Ltd.
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.
Philipp Bürling Founder Numaferm GmbH
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 Roesch-Schlanderer Founder and managing director eGym
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.
Julia Bösch Founder and managing director OUTFITTERY
HTGF was the first investor who understood our idea and vision and invested pre-product.
Dr. Tim Pohlmann Founder and managing director IPlytics GmbH
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.
Felix Brand Founder and managing director CardioSecur
At Family Day, we found a strong investor for our follow-on financing.
Dr. Andreas Sedlmeyer CEO and Founder instagrid GmbH
Coming from a corporate group, I appreciate regular further development. The HTGF Academy implements this in the best possible way, focussing on the topics of young companies.

Insights

News from the HTGF Family

Press
10. December 2024

Cloud Software Group Acquires HTGF-Backed deviceTRUST, a Pioneering Contextual Security Start-up

Bonn, Germany, 10 December 2024 – Successful exit for HTGF: Citrix, a business unit of Cloud Software Group Inc., today announced the strategic acquisition of HTGF portfolio company deviceTRUST, a pioneer in advanced contextual security solutions, to provide greater value for its customers by integrating their secure access technologies. Citrix provides a secure app and desktop delivery platform that companies of all sizes can use to enable secure, flexible work. HTGF, one of the leadin
 
Press
9. December 2024

HTGF strengthens life science expertise: Dr. Achim Plum to become new Managing Director

Bonn – 9 December 2024 – Dr. Achim Plum is to become Managing Director of High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) on 1 January 2025, joining Romy Schnelle and Dr. Alex von Frankenberg on the management team. Dr. Plum, who holds a PhD in genetics, was appointed to the role by the HTGF Investor Advisory Board. He succeeds Guido Schlitzer, who will be leaving HTGF on 31 December of this year, as previously announced. With the appointment of Dr. Plum, the early-stage investor is strengthening its
 
Blog
27. November 2024

Scavenger AI: The Smart Solution for Data-Driven Decisions in Business

The world of data analysis is often complex and resource intensive. The AI startup Scavenger AI aims to change this by helping companies derive valuable insights from their overwhelming data streams. We sat down with founders Felix Beissel and Maximilian Hahnenkamp to learn more about their vision, the challenges they faced, and their recent market launch. From left: Felix, Maximilian, and Anna from Scavenger AI (Image: Scavenger AI) How did the idea for Scavenger AI come a
 
Blog
27. November 2024

Plastic waste and the circular economy: an interview with Maike Lambarth and Dominik Novakovic from Cyclize

The HTGF portfolio company Cyclize recycles plastic waste using CO2 to produce synthesis gas for chemical processes. In this interview, co-founders Maike Lambarth and Dominik Novakovic share their experiences and challenges in founding the climate tech company. They talk about how it all started – from an initial idea to the construction of a large test facility. They also have some valuable tips for founders, the most important of which are to keep going and have a good team ethic.
 
Blog
24. October 2024


This is how we did it – Episode 6 with Maximilian Webers, Co-Founder & CEO of COLIPI

COLIPI is developing an industrial biotechnological process to convert climate-damaging CO2 and carbon-containing industrial waste into climate-neutral oil. The product is a sustainable and climate-neutral alternative to palm oil and petroleum and has the potential to become the world’s fastest and thus most cost-effective CO2-transforming bioprocess. In our interview, Maximilian Webers, Co-Founder & CEO of COLIPI, talks about the climate crisis as an opportunity for new solutio
 
Event
28. November 2024

Digital Health Pitch Day 2024

High-Tech Gründerfonds, adesso, and Plug and Play are organizing the DIGITAL HEALTH PITCH DAY 2024!  Take the opportunity and present your technology in front of an audience of investors and CVCs! We would like to welcome you to our yearly event which will take place on the 28 November 2024 in Munich. You will get the opportunity to listen to exciting keynotes from relevant industry players, meet an exclusive audience of investors and corporate VCs and, most importantly, experience exciting,
 

Become Part of the HTGF Family

We invest in start-ups in Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry.​

We can invest up to €30 million in our portfolio companies in growth rounds and support them on their way to becoming international market leaders until exit or IPO.​

The sweet spot of our initial pre-seed and seed investments is €800,000+ per start-up. We invest flexibly according to the needs of your start-up.​

Our start-ups become part of the #HTGFFamily – one of the strongest networks in the venture capital landscape. We are your sparring partner in all matters relating to the development of your start-up and will open doors for you.​

Are you the founder of an early-stage technology start-up looking for venture capital? Then we look forward to getting to know you and your company. Send us your pitch deck – we’ll be in touch.

Investment criteria

Your company is a high-tech start-up in the fields of digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry or related business areas

Your start-up is less than three years old

Your start-up is headquartered in Germany or – in the case of start-ups from other European countries – has a German base of operations.