New NRW.Venture EU Tech&Scale fund with up to 200 million euros

NRW.BANK is the first German bank to assume the role of "Implementing Partner" of the EU Commission. The basis for this is the new NRW.Venture EU Tech&Scale fund, which provides up to an additional EUR 200 million for investments in technology-oriented scale-ups. In future, individual financing can amount to up to EUR 30 million, twice as much as before. A corresponding agreement between NRW.BANK and the EU Commission was signed in Brussels. Initial financing will be possible from the first quarter of 2026.

Focus on capital-intensive, innovative scale-ups

The fund is aimed at high-growth scale-ups in advanced financing phases. The focus sectors are deep tech, green tech, Industry 4.0, biotechnology, medical technology and digital solutions. After the start-up phase, scale-ups are in a growth phase with high capital requirements. This is where NRW.Venture EU Tech&Scale closes an existing financing gap.

Large-scale growth financing for scale-ups is still the exception in Germany. With our new fund, we are ensuring that innovative companies can grow in North Rhine-Westphalia and Europe in the long term.

Gabriela Pantring, designated Chairwoman of the Managing Board of NRW.BANK

Fund structure and volume

NRW.BANK finances the fund from its own resources, while the EU Commission assumes 50% of the risk. Profits and losses are shared on a pari passu basis. This increases the maximum investment volume per scale-up from EUR 15 million to EUR 30 million. The total investment framework of the program is 200 million euros, of which 100 million euros are secured by the EU guarantee. Investments are made via open participations or convertible loans, often together with co-investors, in order to leverage additional capital.

The InvestEU partnership is a milestone in terms of industrial and innovation policy. It specifically strengthens those scale-ups that are crucial for value creation, jobs and technological sovereignty.

Mona Neubaur, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs

Objectives and impact

NRW.Venture EU Tech&Scale addresses a structural market problem: While early-stage financing in Europe is usually sufficiently covered, there is a lack of large financing rounds for technology-intensive scale-ups. The fund aims to promote value creation, jobs and technology leadership in NRW and strengthen the region's competitiveness in the long term. The launch is planned for the first quarter of 2026.