High-Tech Gründerfonds appoints new Managing Director from its own ranks

May 26, 2020

Guido Schlitzer is to become Managing Director of High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH effective 1 June, 2020, after having been appointed to the position by HTGF’s investor advisory board. In his current role as Chief Financial Officer, Schlitzer has been an integral part of the company’s success. The 47-year-old succeeds Dr. Michael Brandkamp, who left the company in late 2019 to set up the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund. Schlitzer will head up High-Tech Gründerfonds alongside Dr. Alex von Frankenberg.

The new Managing Director has 20 years of experience in venture capital and is considered an expert in professional fund management in the venture capital sphere. Schlitzer has been with High-Tech Gründerfonds since 2005, holding various positions during this time. He played a key role in the formation of the second and third HTGF funds, for instance. Before joining HTGF, the economist served as Investment Manager and then Head of Controlling at Deutsche Ausgleichsbank’s tbg Technologie- Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH and as CFO of IonGate Biosciences GmbH.

We are delighted that in Guido Schlitzer, we have found a Managing Director for High-Tech Gründerfonds who has a lot of expertise and experience as well as the appropriate level of seniority, but also somebody who is a perfect fit for the team on a personal level. We received some outstanding applications for the position, but Guido Schlitzer impressively came out on top. We firmly believe that, working alongside Dr. Alex von Frankenberg and the team, he will be able to continue and build on High-Tech Gründerfonds’ success.

Dr. Matthias Koehler, Chairman of the investor advisory board (and an undersecretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)

HTGF has demonstrated its strength once again during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, with the company continuing to invest, facilitate follow-on financing rounds and orchestrate successful exits.

I am delighted to be given the opportunity to work with fellow Managing Director Dr. Alex von Frankenberg and the fantastic HTGF team to deliver a major contribution to stabilising Germany’s start-up ecosystem – and hopefully getting it back up to full speed soon. We will position High-Tech Gründerfonds to ensure that it can do just that – both now and moving forward. I’m very grateful to the advisory board for the trust they have placed in me and I look forward to working with them in the future. HTGF performs a unique interface role, and that’s something that has appealed to me greatly for 15 years now. We are a public private partnership that combines the best of both worlds.

Guido Schlitzer, new Managing Director of the HTGF

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 almost 600 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 business models, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected over EUR 2.5 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,600 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 100 companies.

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

Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
T.: +49 228 823 00 188
s.grueter@htgf.de