High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)
Public-private seed fund manager anchored by the federal government, with about 45 corporate and family-office fund investors Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE, formerly BMWK) and KfW Capital as anchor investors
Also known as HTGF, High-Tech Gründerfonds, High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH, High-Tech Grunderfonds
Bonn seed investor founded in 2005 as a public-private partnership anchored by the federal economics ministry and KfW Capital; HTGF IV is €493.8M; joint platform with DTCF since 2026.
- HEADQUARTERS
- Bonn, Germany
- FOUNDED
- 2005
- AUM
- —
- OUTSIDE CAPITAL
- Yes
- TEAM LISTED
- 8 people
Focus
- STAGES
- Pre-SeedSeedSeries A
- SECTORS
- Software & SaaSArtificial IntelligenceDeep TechIndustrial & ManufacturingBiotech & Life SciencesHealthTechClimate & Energy
- ASSET MIX
- Venture capitalDirect investments
- GEOGRAPHY
- GermanyEurope
Investment arms & vehicles
- €1bn federally financed growth fund that forms a joint public-private investment platform with HTGF since 1 February 2026
- Fourth seed fund generation, €493.8M, anchored by BMWK and KfW Capital with 45 private companies
- Fifth seed fund, fundraising started August 2026, with ERP-Sondervermögen money from the federal government plus private fund investors
Overview
High-Tech Gründerfonds was set up in 2005 as a public-private partnership to close the seed-funding gap for German technology start-ups. Its funds are anchored by the federal economics ministry and KfW Capital alongside a large group of industrial investors; the fourth generation, HTGF IV, closed at €493.8M with 45 private companies among its investors. It typically invests as the first institutional check in young technology companies, typically €1–3M as first institutional investor (per VC Magazin, August 2026; HTGF IV terms in 2023 were up to €1M in the seed round and up to €4M per company), with follow-ons of up to €60M via HTGF Opportunity and DTCF on the joint platform; it says it has financed more than 800 tech start-ups since 2005. On 1 February 2026 it formed a joint investment platform with the DeepTech & Climate Fonds, and in August 2026 it started fundraising for HTGF V.
Investment thesis
First-check seed investments in German (or German-establishment) technology start-ups younger than three years, across digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences and chemistry, with focus technologies such as AI, quantum computing and biotechnology.
PORTFOLIO (12)
- UseToday ApS (TODAY)Artificial Intelligence · since 2026
- FMC (The Ferroelectric Memory Company)Deep Tech
- Proxima FusionClimate & Energy
- AltavoHealthTech · since 2026
- EGYM
- Neural ConceptArtificial Intelligence
- TubulisBiotech & Life Sciences
- SimScaleSoftware & SaaS
- vibooClimate & Energy
- EEDENClimate & Energy
- COLIPIBiotech & Life Sciences
- Nebula BiocidesBiotech & Life Sciences
People
- Dr. Achim PlumManaging Director (since January 2025) · source
- Sebastian BorekManaging Director (since October 2025), Digital Tech · source
- Romy SchnelleManaging Director · source
- Dr. Tanja EmmerlingPartner · source
- Gregor HaidlPartner (since January 2026), Industrial, Climate and Deeptech · source
- Dr. Nik RauppPartner (since January 2026), Chemistry and Industrial Biotech · source
- Yann FiebigPartner (HTGF since 2016) · source
- Tizian HoppenSenior Investment Manager · source
Links
Frequently asked questions
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a government-backed fund based in Bonn, Germany, founded in 2005.
Yes. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) invests its own capital in private companies.
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) invests at Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages in Software & SaaS, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech, Industrial & Manufacturing, Biotech & Life Sciences, HealthTech and Climate & Energy.
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)'s stated ticket size is €1M–€3M.
Key people at High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) include Dr. Achim Plum (Managing Director (since January 2025)), Sebastian Borek (Managing Director (since October 2025), Digital Tech), Romy Schnelle (Managing Director) and Dr. Tanja Emmerling (Partner).
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)'s investments include UseToday ApS (TODAY), FMC (The Ferroelectric Memory Company), Proxima Fusion, Altavo, EGYM, Neural Concept, Tubulis and SimScale, among others.
The most recent publicly reported investment by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is UseToday ApS (TODAY) (€2.8M seed (co-lead with Insurtech Gateway)), announced in Oct 2026.
Yes. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) manages capital from outside investors.