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. 

Who we are  

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Industrial Tech Team

Dr. Markus Kückelhaus

Partner

Klaus Lehmann

Partner

Yann Fiebig

Principal / Authorized Signatory

Dr. Andreas Olmes

Principal/Authorized Signatory

Jens Baumgärtner

Senior Investment Manager

Gregor Haidl

Senior Investment Manager

Dr. Olaf Joeressen

Senior Investment Manager

Christian Ziach

Senior Investment Manager

Dr. Katharina Peters

Investment Manager

Dr. Gernot Berger

Investment Manager

Dr. Maximilian Bock

Investment Manager

Dr. Nils Lang

Investment Manager

Johannes Weber

Investment Manager

Jan Xiaowei Kätker

Junior Analyst

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  

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

Our Industrial Tech Portfolio 

→ 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

8. July 2020

How can we achieve Product-Market Fit? – The Customer Development Process

By Fabian Hogrebe With contributions from Gregor Haidl (Investment Manager), Ulrike Kalapis (Investment Manager), Yann Fiebig (Senior Investment Manager) and Dr. Andreas Olmes (Principal). “How can we achieve Product-Market Fit?” is a question that we are regularly confronted with here at High-Tech Gründerfonds. The bad news is that there is no straightforward path to success. However, each and every start-up has the chance of getting there. The question should therefore

 

 

More Than Capital

HTGF is THE seed investor for innovative technologies and business models. We are successful in supporting the best founders whose ideas can revolutionize entire industries and improve people’s lives – from the foundation of a start-up to its exit. Sectors we invest in Our passion is high tech. We invest in start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. Our (former) portfolio companies include: 6Wunderkinder,

 

11. January 2022

Successful Exit for HTGF: Enscape to Merge with Chaos, Backed by TA Associates and LEA Partners

The Karlsruhe-based start-up Enscape has quickly grown, establishing its position as a leading SaaS provider for real-time rendering and design workflow technology to the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industryHigh-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) has been an investor in the company since it was spun off in 2017 from Inreal Technologies – a HTGF portfolio start-up since 2013The merger will create a global leader in 3D visualization and design workflow technology Bonn, Ja

 

2. July 2021

Stock market launch for Mister Spex SE: Major success for early-stage investor HTGF

Mister Spex goes public 14 years after its launch: The IPO is a major success for High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), which has held a stake in the eyewear company since 2008 as its first institutional investor.With more than 1,000 employees and annual sales of EUR 164 million (2020), Mister Spex is the leading digital omnichannel eyewear brand in Europe.Alex von Frankenberg, Managing Director of HTGF: “The IPO of Mister Spex is a fantastic achievement for the management team and founders

 

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

 

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,