High-Tech Gründerfonds and Bayern Kapital Invest in Lumatix GmbH

Erlangen-based start-up “Lumatix” brings investors High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Bayern Kapital on board. The approx. €600,000 in financing is intended mainly to finance further development and market entry.

Lumatix has developed a high-tech software solution that simulates how natural light behaves in the real world. What makes it special is that the Lumatix software takes only a few milliseconds (instead of minutes or hours as in the past) to perform a the light simulation and to generate a realistic, high-quality image on a normal PC. This is a feature needed by anyone who visualizes 3D data on a computer, including interior designers, 3D visualization specialists and the makers of 3D movies. “Light is an integral component of every visualization. Using our software, customers can quickly and immediately create lighting effects instead of having to wait for a long time for simulation results as in the past,” summarizes Christian Heckl, CEO of Lumatix GmbH. “This is a great help, especially for customer presentations, because you can make design modifications immediately and then show them to the customer.” Lumatix already has a beta version of its software in use by pilot customers. Market entry is being planned for the summer of 2011.

“We see great potential in this software. It’s demonstrates innovative benefits for users of visualization software such as architects and game programmers, as well as in the fields of film production, design and advertising,” says Curtis MacDonald, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds. Johanna Liebner, Senior Investment Manager at Bayern Kapital adds, “We found the team’s experience and dynamic especially convincing, – ultimately the success or failure of a start-up company of course depends on the people behind it.”

Intensive support from netzwerk nordbayern
The Erlangen-based Lumatix  R&D team was closely shepherded by netzwerk nordbayern. The business network provides support via intensive coaching, financing and preparation for investor talks with High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Bayern Kapital as well in planning and setting up the company structure.

Contact:
Lumatix GmbH
Christian Heckl
CEO, Research & Development
Am Wolfsmantel 33
91058 Erlangen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 9131 8529926
Fax: +49 (0) 9131-8529931
heckl@lumatix-technology.de
www.lumatix-technology.de

About netzwerk nordbayern
netzwerk nordbayern assists growth-oriented founders and entrepreneurs in determining appropriate business models, preparing business plans and accessing financing. It provides intensive support and assistance via individual coaching as well as by setting up contacts. The network also offers workshops and seminars on business management topics and holds events that provide ample opportunities for networking with potential customers and partners. The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and private business sponsors such as LfA Förderbank Bayern and Siemens AG finance the independent network.

The network’s free services also include the annual Northern Bavarian Business Plan Competition. Of the 1,750 teams which participated in the first twelve Business Plan Competitions, over 500 have started up a new business and are still active on the market. In 2009 these companies achieved combined revenues of €367m, creating 3,940 jobs. Since 1999 more than €150 million in venture capital has been invested in 118 business financing deals, which were initiated and supported by the network.

Contact:
netzwerk nordbayern
Tina Leithold
Marketing & PR
Neumeyerstraße 48
90411 Nuremberg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 911/59724-8057
Fax: +49 (0) 911/59724-8049
leithold@netzwerk-nordbayern.de
www.netzwerk-nordbayern.de

About Bayern Kapital
Bayern Kapital was set up in 1995 as part of the Bavarian state government’s “Bavarian Future Initiative” aimed at furnishing especially new, innovative Bavarian companies with venture capital. To date, Bayern Kapital has invested about € 152m in more than 185 innovative, high-tech companies. Bayern Kapital is available as a contact for businesses in the region and currently manages an overall fund volume of about € 214m.

Contact:
Bayern Kapital GmbH
Johanna Liebner
Senior Investment Manager
Ländgasse 135 a
84028 Landshut
Germany
Phone: +49 871 9232518
info@bayernkapital.de

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests venture capital in up-and-coming technology companies that translate promising research into viable business models. The seed finance provided aims to enable start-ups to take their R&D project through to the creation of a prototype, a proof of concept or to market launch. High-Tech Gründerfonds provides €500,000 of the seed finance and may invest up to a total of two million euros per business in subsequent rounds. Investors in this public/private partnership are the German Federal Ministry for Business and Technology, the KfW Banking Group as well as the six industrial groups of BASF, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch, Daimler and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gründerfonds has a fund volume totalling approx. €272m.

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Curtis MacDonald
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49 228 823001-00
Fax: +49 228 823000-50
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de