As one of Germany's most active early-stage investors, the HTGF has invested in more than 750 startups since its inception. It covers sectors such as digital tech and industrial tech, as well as life sciences, chemicals, and more. This already makes it one of the most successful investors in the German venture capital market. The HTGF has a total of four early-stage funds at its disposal for these investments.
With the new Opportunity Fund, the HTGF now aims to increase the volume of later-stage financing rounds in line with demand. Especially in growth financing, Germany lags significantly behind other nations such as the USA. This is also reflected in the fact that a large portion of the funding in these rounds often comes from American and European sources. High-Tech Founders Fund With the new fund, the company can now generally invest up to €30 million, and in exceptional cases up to €50 million, in selected portfolio companies. It always finances this jointly with one or more private investors. The Opportunity Fund is fully integrated into the existing structure of the HTGF. Ulrich Schmitt, Partner at the HTGF, and Anke Caßing, Principal at the HTGF, are responsible for management as Chief Investment Officers.
The German Federal Government is thus strengthening its commitment to growth financing and implementing another measure of its startup strategy. It is providing funds for this purpose from the Future Fund and the ERP special fund. Private fund investors in the four HTGF early-stage funds will have the opportunity to participate in this initiative through a separate fund. The Opportunity Fund will start with a fund volume of €660 million.
“Another important stimulus for the entire startup location Germany”
Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, explains:
"Since its initiation by the BMWK in 2005, the High-Tech Gründerfonds has financed over 750 founding teams, thus making a significant contribution to revitalizing the German startup scene. Now, with the help of the Zukunftsfonds, it will be able to provide targeted support to the best teams in later financing rounds with additional millions of euros through the HTGF Opportunity. This is a central component of our startup strategy and a further important boost for Germany as a startup hub."
Christian Lindner, Federal Minister of Finance, added:
"Germany's founders are the engine of future growth. They shape our innovative strength and create new jobs. I am all the more pleased that, with the HTGF Opportunity Fund, we are now able to support selected companies with large sums of financing, even in later growth phases. Only if we succeed in mobilizing more private capital will the financing conditions for startups in Germany improve sustainably. It is up to us to create the right framework conditions to create the economic turnaround and ensure that growing and emerging companies settle in Germany in the long term."
And Alex von Frankenberg, Managing Director of HTGF, says:
"With the HTGF Opportunity Fund, we will succeed in providing the very best HTGF portfolio companies with the resources they need to significantly expand and achieve market-leading positions. Ideally, they will then reach a size that allows them to continue growing as new, independent companies through IPOs. More international champions must and will emerge from the highly successful HTGF portfolio and the German startup ecosystem. We thank our fund investors for their trust."
