Investor Profile: High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is Germany's most prolific seed investor — a public-private venture capital platform founded in 2005 in Bonn. Backed by the German federal government, KfW and dozens of the country's leading corporates, it has grown from a seed fund into what it now calls Europe's Multi-Stage VC Platform, supporting tech founders from pre-seed to growth.

Thesis: backing German tech founders early

HTGF invests in technology startups with growth potential across digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry and related fields. Its edge is a unique corporate-LP network: portfolio companies get R&D and sales collaboration, tech scouting and acquisition opportunities with backers like Bosch, Bayer, Evonik and SAP — 11 HTGF startups have been acquired by its own corporate backers.

Fund size, stages and cheque size

HTGF IV closed in February 2023 at €493.8 million, with 45 domestic corporates alongside the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and KfW Capital, taking total capital under management past €1.3 billion. The sweet spot for initial investments in pre-seed and seed is €800,000+ (up to €1 million in the seed round); HTGF can invest up to €4 million per startup across all financing rounds, and up to €30 million in growth rounds for portfolio companies.

Eligibility criteria

The rules are refreshingly explicit: your company must be no older than three years, be headquartered in Germany (or have a German base of operations if based elsewhere in Europe), and operate in HTGF's target sectors.

Notable portfolio

HTGF has supported more than 700 startups since 2005, with external investors putting over €4.5 billion into more than 2,000 follow-on rounds in the portfolio, and shares in over 160 companies successfully sold. Portfolio spotlights include EGYM, SimScale, VMRay, Instagrid, Tubulis, Proxima Fusion, doinstruct and EEDEN.

Key people

The management team is led by Achim Plum (life sciences and biochemistry), Romy Schnelle (industry, deep tech and climate tech) and Sebastian Borek (digital) — each overseeing one of the firm's three sector teams, with dedicated investment committees that corporate LPs can contribute to.

Programs and perks

HTGF acts as a lead investor and actively sources co-investors from its national and international network. Founders get structured access to the corporate-LP ecosystem — technology partnerships, pilot customers and M&A pathways — plus HTGF's deep early-stage know-how in navigating long, complex deep-tech development cycles.

How to apply for funding

HTGF invites founders to apply directly: its investment criteria are published on htgf.de under "Our investment criteria – Your chance", and applications go through the firm's website. If you meet the age, location and sector tests, this is one of Europe's most accessible institutional seed routes.