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.

Lena Krzyzak

Principal

Katharina Peters

Investment Manager

Claudia Raber

Partner

Tobias Schulz

Principal

Past deals in Hardware

Alpine Eagle

Seed Round in 2025
Alpine Eagle is a technology company specializing in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS). It develops hardware and software solutions to detect and mitigate threats posed by low-cost, autonomous drones. The company's offerings help identify the probability of drone incursions, enabling clients to enhance their security measures.

DcubeD

Series A in 2024
DcubeD specializes in developing actuators and deployable structures tailored for nano-satellites and the commercial space industry. Their products include release actuators, appendages, solar arrays, antennas, or sails, designed to outperform traditional space exploration subsystems in terms of weight, size, cost, durability, reusability, and availability.

Synthara

Venture Round in 2024
Synthara is a Swiss semiconductor company focused on in-memory computing for embedded chips and smart sensor applications. It develops ComputeRAM, a drop-in memory-based compute technology that performs complex calculations directly in memory, reducing CPU workload and improving performance for AI workloads. The technology targets energy-constrained environments and applications including wearables, hearing aids, biomedical monitoring, AR/VR, and industrial IoT sensors, as well as drones, autonomous navigation, space, aerospace, and automotive use cases. Synthara's approach is processor-agnostic and can be integrated with existing microcontrollers to boost energy efficiency and latency without redesigning silicon. The company supports chipmakers and device manufacturers seeking lower costs, shorter time to market, and greater computational throughput. Based in Zurich, Synthara emphasizes enabling seamless adoption of in-memory computing across embedded platforms to extend battery life and unlock new opportunities for intelligent sensing.

QphoX

Venture Round in 2024
QphoX develops quantum modem devices that facilitate communication among quantum computers over a quantum network.

Valispace

Seed Round in 2022
Valispace GmbH, founded in 2015 and based in Bremen, Germany, develops a browser-based engineering software platform designed to enhance productivity in the development of complex hardware products such as satellites and rockets. The platform serves as a comprehensive Engineering Information Management System, facilitating team collaboration across various aspects of the engineering lifecycle, including requirements management, data-driven functional design, and detailed systems design. By providing tools for automated verification and live documentation, Valispace allows companies to transition from traditional waterfall methods to more agile hardware development approaches. Its software enables full traceability and offers a centralized location for managing test procedures and engineering data, ultimately helping clients reduce development time, improve quality, and lower costs across their projects.

QphoX

Seed Round in 2021
QphoX develops quantum modem devices that facilitate communication among quantum computers over a quantum network.

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.

DcubeD

Venture Round in 2021
DcubeD specializes in developing actuators and deployable structures tailored for nano-satellites and the commercial space industry. Their products include release actuators, appendages, solar arrays, antennas, or sails, designed to outperform traditional space exploration subsystems in terms of weight, size, cost, durability, reusability, and availability.

Synthara

Seed Round in 2020
Synthara is a Swiss semiconductor company focused on in-memory computing for embedded chips and smart sensor applications. It develops ComputeRAM, a drop-in memory-based compute technology that performs complex calculations directly in memory, reducing CPU workload and improving performance for AI workloads. The technology targets energy-constrained environments and applications including wearables, hearing aids, biomedical monitoring, AR/VR, and industrial IoT sensors, as well as drones, autonomous navigation, space, aerospace, and automotive use cases. Synthara's approach is processor-agnostic and can be integrated with existing microcontrollers to boost energy efficiency and latency without redesigning silicon. The company supports chipmakers and device manufacturers seeking lower costs, shorter time to market, and greater computational throughput. Based in Zurich, Synthara emphasizes enabling seamless adoption of in-memory computing across embedded platforms to extend battery life and unlock new opportunities for intelligent sensing.

Arioso Systems

Venture Round in 2020
Arioso Systems GmbH is a technology company based in Dresden, Germany, that specializes in manufacturing silicon-based micro loudspeakers. The company develops innovative micro-transducer technology featuring rows of 20-micrometer-wide bending strips integrated into silicon chips. Its cutting-edge audio transducer technology utilizes pure silicon Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS), aimed at enhancing sound fidelity in in-ear headsets and hearing aids. By providing a cost-efficient solution for audio applications, Arioso Systems is positioned to revolutionize the market for in-ear audio devices.

Hprobe

Seed Round in 2020
Hprobe SA is a French company established in 2017, specializing in the design and construction of automated wafer-level magnetic test solutions. Based in Eybens, the company develops a three-dimensional magnetic field generator that enables the characterization and testing of various magnetic devices and sensors, including Magnetic Tunnel Junctions, STT MRAM, and TMR sensors. Hprobe's innovative equipment and software facilitate wafer prober testing automation, catering to the needs of the semiconductor industry, particularly in spintronics-based applications. This technology provides customers with efficient testing solutions critical for mass production and the development of embedded memory technologies in system-on-chip designs.

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.

Valispace

Seed Round in 2018
Valispace GmbH, founded in 2015 and based in Bremen, Germany, develops a browser-based engineering software platform designed to enhance productivity in the development of complex hardware products such as satellites and rockets. The platform serves as a comprehensive Engineering Information Management System, facilitating team collaboration across various aspects of the engineering lifecycle, including requirements management, data-driven functional design, and detailed systems design. By providing tools for automated verification and live documentation, Valispace allows companies to transition from traditional waterfall methods to more agile hardware development approaches. Its software enables full traceability and offers a centralized location for managing test procedures and engineering data, ultimately helping clients reduce development time, improve quality, and lower costs across their projects.

FAZUA

Series C in 2018
FAZUA develops and manufactures lightweight e-bike drive systems comprising a motor, gearbox, battery and power electronics designed to be mounted in the downtube and easily removable, with a plug-and-play cover to maintain a clean frame appearance. The drive enables sportive riding while preserving a natural feel of non-motorized cycling, and it allows bicycle manufacturers to integrate the drive pack into the down tube for an elegant, discreet look. The company is based in Bavaria, Germany.

Wiferion

Seed Round in 2017
Wiferion is a Germany-based provider of wireless charging and energy storage solutions for mobile robots, automated guided vehicles and electric industrial trucks. The company offers a range of products and systems, including wall boxes, charging pads, receiver coils, mobile charging units and energy storage modules, enabling on-the-go energy supply and retrofit options for existing fleets. Founded in 2015 in Freiburg by former employees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Wiferion develops inductive charging technology and energy-management solutions aimed at increasing fleet utilization and efficiency while reducing downtime and maintenance costs. Its etaLINK inductive charging family has earned industry awards and is deployed in more than 20 countries, with thousands of systems in operation. Wiferion collaborates with robotics and automation partners to deliver scalable, resource-efficient power for electric industrial vehicles, supporting sustainable operations across logistics, manufacturing and automotive sectors.

FAZUA

Series B in 2017
FAZUA develops and manufactures lightweight e-bike drive systems comprising a motor, gearbox, battery and power electronics designed to be mounted in the downtube and easily removable, with a plug-and-play cover to maintain a clean frame appearance. The drive enables sportive riding while preserving a natural feel of non-motorized cycling, and it allows bicycle manufacturers to integrate the drive pack into the down tube for an elegant, discreet look. The company is based in Bavaria, Germany.

FAZUA

Series A in 2015
FAZUA develops and manufactures lightweight e-bike drive systems comprising a motor, gearbox, battery and power electronics designed to be mounted in the downtube and easily removable, with a plug-and-play cover to maintain a clean frame appearance. The drive enables sportive riding while preserving a natural feel of non-motorized cycling, and it allows bicycle manufacturers to integrate the drive pack into the down tube for an elegant, discreet look. The company is based in Bavaria, Germany.

Comnovo

Seed Round in 2014
Comnovo develops industrial safety systems designed for collision avoidance and personnel protection. The company provides hardware and wireless sensor solutions for data collection, distance measurement, and real-time localization to improve worker safety in industrial environments. Its D2SENSE system offers distance-to-sense pedestrian detection for danger zones around mobile equipment, with related products such as BEEPER and KEEPER that support warning and situational assessment. The company serves industries including stone and earth, construction, chemical, and metal. It originated as a spin-off from the Communication Networks Institute at TU Dortmund University and was founded in 2013. Comnovo integrates sensor technology and wireless communication to help operators enhance safety and maintain production efficiency.

FAZUA

Seed Round in 2014
FAZUA develops and manufactures lightweight e-bike drive systems comprising a motor, gearbox, battery and power electronics designed to be mounted in the downtube and easily removable, with a plug-and-play cover to maintain a clean frame appearance. The drive enables sportive riding while preserving a natural feel of non-motorized cycling, and it allows bicycle manufacturers to integrate the drive pack into the down tube for an elegant, discreet look. The company is based in Bavaria, Germany.

HiperScan

Venture Round in 2013
HiperScan GmbH, founded in 2006 and based in Dresden, Germany, specializes in the development of high-performance scanners for laser beam deflection. The company focuses on light scanning technologies, offering compact scan engines that effectively scan laser beams or collimated light beams across large angles in one or two dimensions. These scan engines serve as sub-units for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers in various sectors, including metrology and laser writing, among others. HiperScan is recognized for its expertise in delivering innovative solutions tailored to meet the demands of diverse industrial applications.

Extoll

Seed Round in 2012
Extoll develops and delivers products for high-performance computing and data center markets. Founded in 2011, the company offers high-performance network connectors and active optical cables to improve cluster performance, reduce power consumption, and lower total cost of ownership.

Nanda Technologies

Venture Round in 2010
Nanda Technologies, founded in 2006 in Munich, specializes in the manufacturing of wafer inspection systems for the semiconductor fabrication process. The company is comprised of an international team of experienced engineers and managers from the semiconductor and high-tech industries. Nanda Technologies focuses on innovative optical technology that allows for full wafer inspection within the process flow, moving beyond traditional statistical sampling methods. Currently, the company is collaborating with selected lead customers to bring its new product to market.

HiperScan

Seed Round in 2009
HiperScan GmbH, founded in 2006 and based in Dresden, Germany, specializes in the development of high-performance scanners for laser beam deflection. The company focuses on light scanning technologies, offering compact scan engines that effectively scan laser beams or collimated light beams across large angles in one or two dimensions. These scan engines serve as sub-units for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers in various sectors, including metrology and laser writing, among others. HiperScan is recognized for its expertise in delivering innovative solutions tailored to meet the demands of diverse industrial applications.

Nanda Technologies

Series B in 2008
Nanda Technologies, founded in 2006 in Munich, specializes in the manufacturing of wafer inspection systems for the semiconductor fabrication process. The company is comprised of an international team of experienced engineers and managers from the semiconductor and high-tech industries. Nanda Technologies focuses on innovative optical technology that allows for full wafer inspection within the process flow, moving beyond traditional statistical sampling methods. Currently, the company is collaborating with selected lead customers to bring its new product to market.

microNet Automation

Seed Round in 2008
microNet Automation GmbH, founded in 2005 and based in Grasbrunn, Germany, specializes in innovative communication solutions for various automation sectors. The company offers a range of products centered around its microX software platform, including microX.server, which integrates digital field devices and Ethernet communication into a single controller. Additional offerings include microX.commander for system configuration, microX.driver for integrating existing field devices, and microX.engine for interfacing control programs. The company also provides microX.io, which features interoperable field devices, and microX.gate, decentralized gateways for device connectivity. Moreover, microX.port facilitates communication with supervisory systems and enables the interconnection of microX.servers. microNet's solutions cater to diverse industries such as building automation, process automation, discrete manufacturing, energy management, and wastewater treatment, positioning the company as a key player in the automation landscape.

VisuMotion

Series A in 2007
VisuMotion is a company specializing in the development and sale of software and hardware for 3D visualization. With a team of accredited experts possessing extensive experience in this field, VisuMotion has been involved in over 100 protective right applications related to 3D visualization. The company is known for its groundbreaking achievements, including the creation of the world's largest glasses-free Multi-View 3D display and the first live broadcast from a stereocamera onto such a display. Additionally, VisuMotion has pioneered a glasses-free 3D projection technology suitable for daylight viewing and has contributed to various advanced software products for spatial representation, enhancing applications in areas such as 3D cameras and the animation of virtual environments and video games.

VisuMotion

Venture Round in 2006
VisuMotion is a company specializing in the development and sale of software and hardware for 3D visualization. With a team of accredited experts possessing extensive experience in this field, VisuMotion has been involved in over 100 protective right applications related to 3D visualization. The company is known for its groundbreaking achievements, including the creation of the world's largest glasses-free Multi-View 3D display and the first live broadcast from a stereocamera onto such a display. Additionally, VisuMotion has pioneered a glasses-free 3D projection technology suitable for daylight viewing and has contributed to various advanced software products for spatial representation, enhancing applications in areas such as 3D cameras and the animation of virtual environments and video games.

Nanda Technologies

Venture Round in 2006
Nanda Technologies, founded in 2006 in Munich, specializes in the manufacturing of wafer inspection systems for the semiconductor fabrication process. The company is comprised of an international team of experienced engineers and managers from the semiconductor and high-tech industries. Nanda Technologies focuses on innovative optical technology that allows for full wafer inspection within the process flow, moving beyond traditional statistical sampling methods. Currently, the company is collaborating with selected lead customers to bring its new product to market.

Particle Computer GmbH

Seed Round in 2005
Particle Computer is engaged in the development of sensor network technology solutions in Europe. It offers devices, circuits, boards, and various other parts to sense physical phenomena via sensors, compute the data on the sensor node, and to communicate the resulting information to other IT systems. Particle Computer is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.
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