HTGF Launches Fundraising for Its Fifth Seed Fund

High-Tech Gründerfonds is launching a fundraising campaign for its fifth generation of seed funds. HTGF V aims to once again bring together public anchor investors and private investors from industry and the SME sector. The first closing is scheduled for mid-2027. Over the fund’s term, approximately 150 new investments in technology-focused startups are planned. A particular focus will be on DeepTech and key technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology.

Public and private investors are to invest jointly

With HTGF V, High-Tech Gründerfonds is continuing its existing model. Federal capital is combined with investments from private companies. The federal government is providing funds for this purpose from the ERP Special Fund. At the same time, companies from industry, the SME sector, and large corporations are once again expected to participate as fund investors.

Europe needs a new economic miracle—driven by technological excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and industrial execution. With HTGF V, we are investing in the founders who are laying the foundation for this and combining early-stage capital with a strong network of industry and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Romy Schnelle, Managing Director of Industrial, Climate & Deep Tech

The specific target volume for HTGF V had not yet been announced at the start of the fundraising campaign. The fourth generation of the fund currently includes 45 companies from industry and the SME sector, which account for about one-third of the fund’s volume. These include, among others, Bosch, SAP, DHL, Evonik, companies from the Schwarz Group, Leaps by Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Jungheinrich.

The new fund is also part of the German federal government’s startup and scaleup strategy. The goal is not only to provide capital to young technology companies during their early stages but also to improve the conditions for future international growth.

About 150 new startup investments planned

As an early-stage investor, the HTGF aims—even with its fifth-generation fund—to frequently be among the first institutional investors in a startup. Initial investments are typically expected to range from one to three million euros.

Approximately 150 new investments are planned over the fund’s entire term. The focus is particularly on technology-driven business models in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, clean energy, new materials, digital infrastructure, and biotechnology.

Economy and industry have already been fundamentally transformed. It is crucial that this technological momentum gives rise to European applications, digital infrastructure, and long-term value creation.

Sebastian Borek, Managing Director of Digital Tech

In this way, the fund is also responding to the challenge of translating scientific and technological developments into commercial enterprises as early as possible. From the HTGF’s perspective, a lack of capital at this stage poses the risk that intellectual property, companies, and the resulting industrial value creation will be developed outside of Europe in the long term.

From seed investment up to 60 million euros

At the same time, HTGF V is intended to drive the expansion of the High-Tech Gründerfonds into a multi-stage VC platform. This means that startups will no longer be supported exclusively in the early stages.

In addition to the traditional seed fund, HTGF Opportunity and the DeepTech & Climate Fund offer further financing options for later stages of a company’s development. According to the HTGF, follow-on investments of up to 60 million euros are possible across the entire platform.

In the life sciences and chemicals sectors, years often pass between a scientific breakthrough and market entry. It is crucial that teams have access to the right financing, expert guidance, and the appropriate development and industry partners from an early stage.

Dr. Achim Plum, Managing Director of Life Sciences & Chemistry

HTGF Opportunity is aimed at selected companies in later growth phases. The DeepTech & Climate Fund focuses in particular on capital-intensive technology companies in the early growth phase. The goal is to create a financing chain that can support companies from the first institutional investment through to the scaling phase.

More than 800 startups funded since 2005

As it launches its new fundraising round, HTGF highlights the results of its previous fund generations. Since its founding in 2005, the investor has financed more than 800 technology startups and completed over 200 exits.

According to the fund, five unicorns have emerged from the portfolio to date. At the same time, more than ten billion euros in follow-on financing has been raised for the portfolio companies.

According to HTGF’s calculations, this means that for every euro invested by the fund, more than eleven euros have been raised in subsequent investments from other investors. This ratio is also expected to help the fifth fund generation mobilize additional private capital for German and European technology companies.

Federal Government Aims for a Stronger DeepTech Profile

At the same time, the federal government aims to position the HTGF more strongly as the federal government’s central platform for direct investments in startups. With the fifth generation of the fund, the focus on DeepTech is to be further expanded in particular.

“We want innovations ‘Made in Germany’ to be at the forefront internationally and to strengthen our economy. This is only possible with successful startups,” explains State Secretary Dr. Thomas Steffen of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

With the launch of fundraising for HTGF V, the federal government is also beginning to implement its startup and scaleup strategy. Steffen expressly calls on additional private investors to participate in the new generation of the fund.

Industry Gains Access to Startups and Technologies

For private fund investors, participation should not be limited solely to the prospect of a financial return. The HTGF also positions its fund as an interface between established companies and young technology providers. Through the platform, industrial companies and small and medium-sized enterprises gain access to a curated deal flow and new technologies. This can lead to pilot projects, venture-clienting collaborations, co-investments, or strategic investments, among other things.

At the same time, fund investors are intended to gain early insights into new technology trends and have access to the HTGF’s network of startups, academia, industry, investors, and policymakers.

HTGF V Aims to Lay the Groundwork for New Tech Champions

With its fifth-generation fund, the HTGF is combining its investment strategy with an industrial policy objective. The goal is to finance innovations from Germany and Europe earlier, commercialize them more quickly, and subsequently provide them with sufficient growth capital.

The ambition is correspondingly high. The HTGF itself refers to this as the foundation for a “New Economic Miracle.” Whether this will actually give rise to new global tech champions will depend not only on the quality of the startups but, above all, on how much private capital can be mobilized for the new fund.

With the fundraising campaign now underway, the next phase has begun. The first closing of HTGF V is scheduled for mid-2027.