High-Tech Founders Fund (High-Tech Gründerfonds, HTGF)

High-Tech Founders Fund (High-Tech Gründerfonds, HTGF)

Backs deep technology and medtech startups in Germany with investment and follow-on support through High-Tech Gründerfonds.

High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is Germany's most active seed-stage venture investor, operating as a public-private partnership backed by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), the KfW development bank, and a consortium of corporate co-investors. The fund targets early-stage German technology companies at TRL 1–4 and provides initial seed financing structured as a convertible instrument, with a first-round ticket typically around €600,000 and total investment capacity per company of up to €5 million across follow-on rounds. The fund is technology-neutral within the deep-tech and innovation-intensive space, covering software, hardware, life sciences, cleantech, industrial technology, and digital health, among other sectors.

Eligibility requires that companies be incorporated in Germany and demonstrate a clear technology or IP edge at or near the pre-seed stage. The fund expects to acquire a minority equity stake upon conversion; founders retain majority control at entry. HTGF operates as a rolling program with no fixed annual deadline — companies may approach the fund or one of its network of co-investors at any stage of readiness meeting the seed-stage threshold. The fund has backed over 700 companies since its founding and manages multiple successive fund vehicles.

HTGF is a strong fit for German-incorporated deeptech founding teams that have validated a core scientific or engineering concept but have not yet reached product-market fit or early revenue. Given the convertible structure and active co-investor network, companies should expect HTGF to introduce follow-on institutional capital in Series A preparation. The fund's size and network make it a near-essential stop for eligible German seed-stage companies before approaching Series A lead investors.