High-Tech Grunderfonds

High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH, established in 2005 and based in Bonn, Germany, is a venture capital firm that specializes in early-stage investments in high-tech startups across various sectors, including information and communication technology, software, healthcare, and life sciences. The firm focuses on companies that are less than one year old and have a turnover of less than €10 million. High-Tech Gründerfonds typically invests between €0.5 million and €3 million, acquiring a minority stake of up to 25% in its portfolio companies. The firm often acts as the lead investor and provides follow-on financing, having facilitated over €2 billion in additional funding from external investors. With a commitment to nurturing innovation, it has supported the development of more than 500 startups and has successfully exited over 100 investments. The firm’s backing includes participation from various public and private entities, reflecting its role as a key player in the German startup ecosystem.

Marie Asano

Investment Manager

Michael Brandkamp Ph.D

Managing Director

Tobias Faupel

Principal

Bernd Georgen

Partner

Gregor Haidl

Investor

Ansgar Kirchheim

Partner

Kristin Müller

Investment Manager

Claudia Raber

Partner Relationship Management

Michael Strzyz

Investment Manager

Past deals in Industrial Automation

Operaize

Seed Round in 2021
Operaize GmbH, based in Cologne, Germany, specializes in developing an artificial intelligence platform known as Cognitive Operations, which is designed to enhance production planning for manufacturing clients. This cloud-based platform integrates seamlessly with existing planning landscapes through APIs or specialized SAP integration, addressing various planning challenges. Cognitive Operations efficiently collects and restructures planning and master data from current ERP and planning systems, allowing it to generate optimal production plans within seconds based on predefined conditions and objectives. Additionally, the platform supports clients in identifying potential faults, risks, and failures in their operations, enabling them to devise effective strategies to mitigate these issues and improve overall efficiency in the industrial value chain.

Magazino

Series B in 2020
Magazino develops and builds perception-controlled, mobile robots for intralogistics. With Magazinos technology individual objects can be identified on the shelf and localized via 2D and 3D cameras, securely grasped and finally placed precisely at their destination.The first self-thinking and self-acting warehouse in the world - that is their vision. With their work they want to promote the development of robotics and actively shape the future of logistics.

attenio

Seed Round in 2020
attenio digitizes and optimizes your production and your service processes for Industry 4.0. Our software solution tailored to your company visualizes fitters and technicians the information relevant to them - if, when and wherever they need them, a kind of IKEA construction manual for the assembly of complex products.

Synapticon

Venture Round in 2017
Synapticon GmbH specializes in advanced components and engineering services for cyber-physical systems, focusing on embedded computing products for applications in service robotics, industrial automation, and related fields. Founded in 2010 and based in Gruibingen, Germany, the company offers a range of products including distributed real-time control and data acquisition modules, mobile stream computing modules for compute-intensive applications, and tools for configuring Synapticon-based hardware systems. Additionally, Synapticon provides cloud services for maintenance and integration with web-based applications, as well as development services for robotics. The company's innovative approach integrates traditionally separate components—such as motors, drives, sensors, and gearboxes—into cohesive units, digitalizing performance and quality factors to enhance motion control systems. Synapticon's solutions cater to various industries, including home automation, smart grids, and the Internet of Things, making it a preferred partner for OEMs and professional users seeking to advance their technologies.

ADLATUS Robotics

Seed Round in 2017
ADLATUS Robotics GmbH develops and implements autonomous service and cleaning robots. It robots are used in supermarkets, airports, hospitals, and industry/logistics. The company is headquartered in Ulm, Germany.
Automatic Logistic Solution GmbH manufacturers automatic package breakers for businesses and individuals. The systems are designed for the applications such as goods and return receipts and picking and shipping optimization. It supplies corresponding systems such as bar code scanners, volume measuring systems, defect detection, palletizers, elevators, and withdrawal, tilting, and turning robots. The aim is to provide the customers of various industries with integrated solutions to increase the efficiency of value chains. Automatic Logistic Solution GmbH is a Germany-based company that was founded in 2013 by Paul Kammerscheid.

Magazino

Seed Round in 2014
Magazino develops and builds perception-controlled, mobile robots for intralogistics. With Magazinos technology individual objects can be identified on the shelf and localized via 2D and 3D cameras, securely grasped and finally placed precisely at their destination.The first self-thinking and self-acting warehouse in the world - that is their vision. With their work they want to promote the development of robotics and actively shape the future of logistics.

Bionic Robotics GmbH

Seed Round in 2013
Bionic Robotics GmbH (formerly BioRob) - the smarter solution for flexible automation in small and medium enterprises.

Synapticon

Seed Round in 2012
Synapticon GmbH specializes in advanced components and engineering services for cyber-physical systems, focusing on embedded computing products for applications in service robotics, industrial automation, and related fields. Founded in 2010 and based in Gruibingen, Germany, the company offers a range of products including distributed real-time control and data acquisition modules, mobile stream computing modules for compute-intensive applications, and tools for configuring Synapticon-based hardware systems. Additionally, Synapticon provides cloud services for maintenance and integration with web-based applications, as well as development services for robotics. The company's innovative approach integrates traditionally separate components—such as motors, drives, sensors, and gearboxes—into cohesive units, digitalizing performance and quality factors to enhance motion control systems. Synapticon's solutions cater to various industries, including home automation, smart grids, and the Internet of Things, making it a preferred partner for OEMs and professional users seeking to advance their technologies.

SCHAD

Series A in 2011
The SCHAD GmbH was founded by Mr. Christian Schad (MBA) in Hamburg / Germany on Nov 1, 2007. The company combines the knowledge of two previously separate fields - the world of mobile data communication and the automation technology world. The ambition of the SCHAD GmbH is to become the global market leader in the field of mobile systems for operating and monitoring machine and plant controls. The Extend 7000 solution shall be established as the standard for mobile access to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).

SCHAD

Seed Round in 2008
The SCHAD GmbH was founded by Mr. Christian Schad (MBA) in Hamburg / Germany on Nov 1, 2007. The company combines the knowledge of two previously separate fields - the world of mobile data communication and the automation technology world. The ambition of the SCHAD GmbH is to become the global market leader in the field of mobile systems for operating and monitoring machine and plant controls. The Extend 7000 solution shall be established as the standard for mobile access to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).

MicroNet Automation GmbH

Seed Round in 2008
Anbieter innovativer Netzwerk-Lösungen für die Gebäude- und Prozessautomation