HTGF | High-Tech Gruenderfonds

High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH is a venture capital firm based in Bonn, Germany, specializing in early-stage investments in high-tech startups. Established in 2005, the firm focuses on technology-driven companies across various sectors, including information and communication technology, life sciences, healthcare, automation, and cleantech. HTGF typically invests in companies that have been operational for no more than one year, aiming to contribute up to €0.6 million in initial funding and up to €3 million in follow-on financing. The firm seeks a minority stake, generally around 15%, and provides a subordinated loan convertible into equity, with deferred interest for up to four years to support liquidity. With a total investment volume of approximately €895.5 million across three funds, HTGF has successfully supported over 500 startups and attracted more than €2 billion in follow-on investments from external sources. The firm's investors include notable public and private entities, underscoring its role as a key player in fostering innovation and growth within the German startup ecosystem.

Jens Baumgärtner

Senior Investment Manager

Nicolas Kirschner

Investment Manager

Lena Krzyzak

Principal

Katharina Peters

Investment Manager

Claudia Raber

Partner

Past deals in Nanotechnology

Soluterials

Seed Round in 2023
Soluterials manufactures innovative, high-performance pure aluminium materials designed to promote sustainability and combat climate change. Their products leverage the natural properties of aluminium, such as conductivity and corrosion resistance, to provide solutions for functional and structural lightweight construction.

BEEoled

Series A in 2023
BEEoled is a technology company specializing in the development of advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. Their innovative approach centers on the creation of a blue elementary emitter designed around a single atom, which allows for the production of a full spectrum of colors by mixing three primary colors. This technology offers significant enhancements in efficiency, brightness, and operational stability, while also reducing costs through a simplified device structure. BEEoled's advancements enable manufacturers to create high-quality OLED displays for a variety of applications, including smartphones, screens, and televisions.

ReCatalyst

Seed Round in 2023
ReCatalyst develops advanced catalysts for next-generation PEM fuel cells. It specializes in creating patented platinum-alloy nano-catalysts that enhance stability and reduce platinum usage, aiming to facilitate the decarbonization of energy and transport sectors through applications like green hydrogen production.

GS Bavaria

Seed Round in 2022
GS Bavaria specializes in producing industrial-scale nano-sized carbide powders using a revolutionary bioleaching extraction process. This method is highly cost-efficient, sustainable, and minimizes energy consumption.

Qnami

Series A in 2021
Qnami AG is a Swiss company that specializes in the development of quantum sensing technologies for non-invasive magnetic imaging at the nanoscale. Founded in 2017 and based in Basel, Qnami's flagship products include the ProteusQ, a magnetic imaging microscope, and the Quantum Diamond, which features diamond probes with a single nitrogen-vacancy center for high-resolution imaging. These technologies allow for advanced applications in various fields, including multiferroic antiferromagnets, magnetic random-access memory (MRAM), and superconductivity. By enabling researchers and industries to measure electric and magnetic fields with exceptional sensitivity, Qnami enhances the capabilities of imaging techniques and supports groundbreaking scientific studies and industrial advancements.

Qnami

Seed Round in 2019
Qnami AG is a Swiss company that specializes in the development of quantum sensing technologies for non-invasive magnetic imaging at the nanoscale. Founded in 2017 and based in Basel, Qnami's flagship products include the ProteusQ, a magnetic imaging microscope, and the Quantum Diamond, which features diamond probes with a single nitrogen-vacancy center for high-resolution imaging. These technologies allow for advanced applications in various fields, including multiferroic antiferromagnets, magnetic random-access memory (MRAM), and superconductivity. By enabling researchers and industries to measure electric and magnetic fields with exceptional sensitivity, Qnami enhances the capabilities of imaging techniques and supports groundbreaking scientific studies and industrial advancements.

Belyntic

Seed Round in 2019
Belyntic is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative vaccines aimed at preventing viral diseases, bacterial infections, and cancer. The company has created a cutting-edge platform that utilizes self-adjuvant synthetic long peptides to effectively induce cellular immunity. By offering ready-to-use research kit packages and engineered vaccines, Belyntic activates T-cell immune responses, providing significant potential for advancing protective measures against various health threats. Additionally, the company integrates artificial intelligence to enhance its vaccine development, allowing for the incorporation of pathogen-specific epitopes into a self-adjuvant nano vaccine structure. This approach facilitates research, development, and production of novel peptide therapeutics, contributing to healthier lives.

Pantherna Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2019
Pantherna Therapeutics GmbH is a biopharmaceutical company based in Hennigsdorf, Germany, founded in 2017. The company specializes in developing innovative mRNA therapeutics aimed at treating acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and vascular diseases. Pantherna Therapeutics utilizes a unique technology platform based on advanced nanoparticles that facilitate the delivery and expression of therapeutic mRNA drugs specifically in the endothelium. This approach aims to prevent the formation of edema and lung tissue injury associated with ARDS while also enabling the restoration of endothelial cell function.

NAVAN Technologies

Seed Round in 2019
NAVAN Technologies, Inc. is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California, founded in 2016. The company specializes in developing and commercializing its proprietary NanoStraw platform technology, which provides a direct and gentle means of accessing the cytosol of cells. This innovative platform addresses a significant challenge in the field of cell and gene therapies by enabling the efficient delivery of various cargoes into difficult-to-transfect cells without causing disruption. NAVAN's technology aims to enhance the capabilities of researchers and improve the effectiveness of therapeutic applications in biotechnology.

Venneos

Seed Round in 2015
Venneos GmbH is a high-tech startup based in Stuttgart, Germany, founded in 2014 as a spin-off from the Max Planck Society. The company specializes in developing a silicon chip-based imaging system known as 'CAN-Q' for the label-free analysis of biological cells. This innovative technology, based on CAN-Spectroscopy, allows researchers to detect cellular changes that are typically invisible to other imaging technologies. Venneos' products cater to various fields, including tumor biology, immunology, and pharmacology, providing valuable insights to researchers in academia as well as professionals in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Rodos BioTarget

Venture Round in 2013
Rodos BioTarget GmbH, established in 2008 and headquartered in Hanover, Germany, is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of targeted drug delivery systems using nanotechnology. The company's flagship product, TargoSphere®, is a patented nanocarrier platform designed to selectively deliver therapeutic agents directly into antigen-presenting cells. This technology has shown promise in various infectious disease models caused by viruses such as HCV and HIV, and bacteria like MRSA. Rodos BioTarget aims to expand its applications to other disorders involving immune response dysregulation, including chronic inflammations, cancers, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.

JeNaCell

Seed Round in 2012
JeNaCell GmbH, founded in 2012 and based in Jena, Germany, specializes in biotechnology, focusing on the development and manufacture of bio-technologically derived cellulose. The company has created a patented technology for the continuous production of high-performance biomaterials featuring natural nanostructures. This innovative nano cellulose is characterized by its defined shape and controllable structural design, allowing clients to develop advanced products in medicine, cosmetics, technology, and pharmaceuticals. JeNaCell's offerings aim to enhance skin protection, particularly in the treatment of chronic wounds, and support applications in laser treatments and aesthetic dermatology.

Gilupi

Series C in 2011
GILUPI GmbH is a medical device company based in Potsdam, Germany, specializing in the development and production of diagnostic products aimed at the in vivo isolation of rare cells from circulating blood. The company's primary focus is on isolating tumor cells, utilizing devices that employ predetermined selectivity of antibodies bound to nano-detectors. This technology enables healthcare professionals to effectively isolate circulating tumor cells within patients' blood, facilitating more precise diagnoses and tailored therapeutic interventions. GILUPI's devices are CE certified, ensuring their compliance with safety and efficacy standards, which enhances their credibility and utility in clinical settings.

Heppe Medical Chitosan

Series B in 2010
Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH is a German company based in Halle that specializes in the development, production, and sale of biopolymers and nanoparticles derived from chitin and chitosan. Founded in 2005, the company operates under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions, ensuring high-quality standards in its products. Heppe Medical Chitosan produces pure chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives, which are utilized in various applications within the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The company’s biopolymers and nanoparticles are biodegradable, non-toxic, and exhibit bacteriostatic properties, making them suitable for use in wound dressings, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. Through its innovative approach, Heppe Medical Chitosan contributes to the advancement of sustainable materials in healthcare and beauty applications.

H.C. Carbon GmbH

Seed Round in 2009
H.C. Carbon develops and distributes a range of carbon- and dispersion-based products to its clients. The company’s product portfolio consists of conductive additives, flame retardants, insulating, shielding, and lubricants. H.C. Carbon was founded in 2009 by Werner Handl and is based in Germany.

Rodos BioTarget

Seed Round in 2009
Rodos BioTarget GmbH, established in 2008 and headquartered in Hanover, Germany, is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of targeted drug delivery systems using nanotechnology. The company's flagship product, TargoSphere®, is a patented nanocarrier platform designed to selectively deliver therapeutic agents directly into antigen-presenting cells. This technology has shown promise in various infectious disease models caused by viruses such as HCV and HIV, and bacteria like MRSA. Rodos BioTarget aims to expand its applications to other disorders involving immune response dysregulation, including chronic inflammations, cancers, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.

Heppe Medical Chitosan

Seed Round in 2008
Heppe Medical Chitosan GmbH is a German company based in Halle that specializes in the development, production, and sale of biopolymers and nanoparticles derived from chitin and chitosan. Founded in 2005, the company operates under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions, ensuring high-quality standards in its products. Heppe Medical Chitosan produces pure chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives, which are utilized in various applications within the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The company’s biopolymers and nanoparticles are biodegradable, non-toxic, and exhibit bacteriostatic properties, making them suitable for use in wound dressings, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. Through its innovative approach, Heppe Medical Chitosan contributes to the advancement of sustainable materials in healthcare and beauty applications.

Luphos

Seed Round in 2008
Luphos, established in 2006, specializes in developing high-precision optical distance and topology measurement systems for industrial process control and scientific research. The company's non-contact, nanometer-precise solutions cater to diverse distance measurement tasks across various sectors. Luphos' flagship product is a 4-axis measurement platform capable of contactless topology measurement of rotationally symmetric objects with rough or polished surfaces, utilizing multi-wavelength interferometry sensors.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.