High-Tech Gründerfonds

High-Tech Gründerfonds stands as a cornerstone in Europe's venture capital landscape, establishing itself as one of Germany's most prominent and active early-stage investment firms. Since its foundation in 2005, HTGF has built an impressive portfolio spanning diverse technological sectors including Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. The firm's seasoned investment team provides comprehensive support throughout a startup's growth journey, helping transform innovative ventures into international market leaders through strategic guidance and financial backing.

With over €2 billion in assets under management across multiple funds, HTGF demonstrates significant financial capacity and long-term commitment to the European startup ecosystem. The investment strategy focuses primarily on pre-seed and seed phases, offering crucial early capital when ventures face the highest risk barriers. However, HTGF maintains flexibility to participate substantially in later financing rounds, providing portfolio companies with continuity of investment as they scale. This stage-agnostic approach has enabled HTGF to nurture startups through multiple growth phases while maintaining strategic influence.

The fund's track record speaks volumes about its investment acumen and market impact, having financed more than 770 startups since inception. HTGF has successfully exited nearly 200 companies, demonstrating both portfolio quality and the ability to generate returns for investors. This exit ratio reflects the firm's sophisticated selection process and value-addition capabilities that help portfolio companies achieve acquisition-ready status or public market debuts. The geographic concentration in Germany, with expansion across Europe, has positioned HTGF as a pivotal player in strengthening the continent's technological competitiveness.

HTGF operates through a distinctive public-private partnership model that combines governmental support with corporate investment expertise. Key stakeholders include the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action and KfW Capital, alongside 45 corporate investors from various industries. This hybrid structure provides HTGF with unique advantages: stable capital foundations from public sources, combined with industry insights and potential strategic partnerships through corporate investors. This collaborative approach has created a powerful platform for identifying promising technologies and accelerating their path to market, while simultaneously addressing Germany's strategic innovation priorities.