Industrial Tech

Together we are changing the world of industrial tech

As a seed investor, we support industrial tech founders with our technological expertise, financing know-how and exclusive access to a unique network in both industry and academia. 

The success of your start-up is our mission. Industrial Tech is our passion. We combine academic experience with an entrepreneurial spirit and draw from our learnings as founders. 

Our focus lies on technology fields such as energy, mechanical engineering, robotics, automation, quantum computing, optical technologies, industrial software and related areas. 

We invest in people

We know how financing works. But we also understand your individual needs and know the special challenges that await founders of Industrial Tech start-ups. 

Help to get started – Take off successfully with us

  • Fast, flexible and straightforward initial financing 
  • Identification of suitable co-investors from our network 

Learn more about our investment criteria

Growth – We help you to scale your business

  • Opening doors to customers & supporting the product-market fit 
  • Exchange and cooperation with founders and our partners from academia and industry 
  • Support in raising growth financing 

Learn more about our Added Value

Support during crises – when things just don’t work out…

  • Evaluating alternative forms of financing 
  • Consulting a network of experts for operational support 
  • Providing hands-on support and sparring during the restructuring process

Learn more about our Added Value

Who we are  

What you can expect from us:

  • We think like you do and understand your needs 
  • We have an entrepreneurial mindset and have founded our own companies 
  • We not only offer technological excellence, but also business know-how and a sales perspective  
  • We know how to finance 
  • We think outside the box and find new ways to provide you the best-possible support 
  • We have experience in launching products and support the product-market fit  
Prior(!) to the product-market fit, work needs to be performed in an agile and capital-efficient way.
Illustration based on Steve Blank’s “The Four Steps to the Epiphany”, 2020 fifth edition, page 25.

In Industrial Tech, we invest in these areas, among others:

  Hardware

  Automation

  Optical Technologies

  Robotics

  Energy

  Industrial Software

  Quantum computing

and related technology fields

Our Industrial Tech Portfolio 

Together with you, we will change the world of industrial tech.  

Germany has a unique opportunity to redefine industry. Building on a long tradition of industrial achievements and innovations, now is the time to bring these assets into the digital age. To remain competitive among the top international players, we now must rethink and take charge of the future. 

We already have a solid foundation in place, with a diverse range of universities and world-leading institutes such as Fraunhofer providing a cornerstone for a better future.  

Your innovative hardware and software solutions can help to shape the future and the German entrepreneurial landscape.  

Let’s create a digital and sustainable future for our planet!  

You want to start a business? You can contact our team here.

Is your pitch deck already finished? You can upload it here!

Topics that might interest you

Press
14. September 2023

​​​​​viboo closes CHF 1.5m seed round to fully commercialize its predictive energy efficiency platform to decarbonize buildings

High-Tech Gründerfonds, Swisscom Ventures and Rainmaking Impact have invested CHF 1.5 million into Swiss climate tech start-up viboo.  The seed round showed strong investor interest and confidence in viboo’s innovative energy-saving solutions for buildings.  viboo will use the funding to scale up the commercialization of its proven Predictive Control as a Service platform, capitalizing on the upcoming heating season to make a significant impact in decarbonizing buildings.
 
Press
7. September 2023

DTXL invests in quantum scale-up Delft Circuits in round of 6.3 M€

With this step, production will be scaled up and the company will receive support from partners in high-tech such as ASML and Philips. Delft, 7 September 2023 – Delft Circuits has been working for a few years now on the supply of high-tech cabling for quantum computers. It has several tech giants as customers and organizations such as space agency NASA. DTXL is a 100 M€ deep tech investment fund with leading partners such as ASML, Philips, PME pension fund and is therefore deeply r
 
Press
23. August 2023

beeOLED raises EUR 13.3m in Series A funding from world-class deep tech investors to solve the last big challenge of the OLED industry

The German deep tech startup will use the investment to further develop its innovative, high-efficiency, deep-blue emitter technology towards go-to-market-readiness. Dresden, 23 August 2023 – beeOLED, a Dresden-based deep-tech startup, today announced it has raised EUR 13.3m for a Series A funding co-led by eCAPITAL and Innovation Industries. The round was joined by KBC Focus Fund as well as existing investors M Ventures (the corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
 
Blog
9. August 2023

German robotic Start-up is Ready to Shape the Future of Automation in Textile Industry

Munich, Germany, 9 August 2023 – Munich-based deep tech start-up sewts closed a €7m series A financing round with an impressive set of top tier investors on board. The funding round was dominated by international leading industrial and tech investors: Emerald Technology Ventures, CNB Capital, EquityPitcher Ventures and Nabtesco Technology Venture as new investors, as well as further contributions from existing shareholders Bayern Kapital, APEX Ventures and HTGF. With the new funding sewts
 
Blog
10. January 2022

“Industrial tech harbours a wealth of innovation potential”

Markus Kückelhaus has spent over 25 years driving innovation, strategy and financial topics for corporations – and has worked with many start-ups in the process. The 53-year-old has now joined High-Tech Gründerfonds as a partner. In this interview, he outlines the opportunities that arise when corporations and start-ups cooperate, takes a look at industrial tech trends, and reveals what he expects from start-ups in Germany. Welcome to HTGF, Markus. We’re delighted to have you
 
Blog
4. March 2020

How scientists become successful entrepreneurs 

Interview with Klaus Lehmann, Partner Successful industrial technology start-ups – Klaus Lehmann has helped scientists and researchers to found successful start-ups on behalf of the High-Tech-Gründerfonds since 2014. Now the industrial technology expert has been appointed partner of the HTGF. In an interview he explains what start-ups from the world of science and academia need to bear in mind and why the HTGF is great partner for them in particular. Robotics, lasers, sensory,