Markus Kückelhaus appointed Partner at High-Tech Gründerfonds

Bonn, 21 December 2021 – Markus Kückelhaus has been appointed Partner at High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) effective 1 January 2022, with the 53-year-old set to strengthen the seed investor’s Industrial Tech unit. The technology expert has amassed over 25 years of professional experience in strategy, innovation and finance. His focus in recent years has been on developing and commercialising innovative solutions for logistics, such as data analytics, robotics and automation, the Internet of Things and computer vision.

After holding roles as a management consultant and head of international controlling at the home improvement retailing company OBI, Kückelhaus began his career at the corporation Deutsche Post DHL, where he worked on setting up the company’s foresight unit. In his most recent role as Vice President Innovation & Trend Research, he was responsible for Deutsche Post DHL’s innovation activities and headed up the Flagship Innovation Center located near Bonn.

Markus knows HTGF very well and has already provided valuable input in the HTGF investment committee as a representative of our fund investor Deutsche Post DHL. His expertise in innovation, product/market fit and collaboration between corporations and start-ups is highly valuable for us and our portfolio companies alike. We are thrilled to have him on board.

Guido Schlitzer, Managing Director of High-Tech Gründerfonds

I’m delighted to have the opportunity at HTGF to have a real impact on society as we look to further strengthen Germany’s start-up scene in the tech arena. And in doing so, I intend to leverage the many years of experience I have gained in scouting innovative technologies and start-ups. The HTGF ecosystem offers young start-ups the best opportunity to successfully establish innovative ideas on the market in partnership with Germany’s research landscape and its medium-sized and industrial companies.

Markus Kückelhaus

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With around EUR 900 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 650 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected more than EUR 3.5 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,800 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 150 companies.

Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, 1+1 AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Media contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
T.: +49 (0) 228 – 82300 – 188
s.grueter@htgf.de