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 Utilities

node.energy

Series B in 2025
node.energy develops software-as-a-service solutions for managing decentralized energy systems in commercial and industrial real estate. Its platform optimizes local energy microgrids, reducing administrative workload, energy costs, and carbon footprint while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Rabot Energy

Series A in 2024
Rabot Energy is a progressive green electricity supplier offering flexible and intelligent tariffs for residential customers and electric vehicles. Its platform utilizes real-time market data to optimize charging schedules, helping users save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and simplify vehicle ownership.

Rabot Energy

Seed Round in 2023
Rabot Energy is a progressive green electricity supplier offering flexible and intelligent tariffs for residential customers and electric vehicles. Its platform utilizes real-time market data to optimize charging schedules, helping users save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and simplify vehicle ownership.

node.energy

Series A in 2022
node.energy develops software-as-a-service solutions for managing decentralized energy systems in commercial and industrial real estate. Its platform optimizes local energy microgrids, reducing administrative workload, energy costs, and carbon footprint while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Gilytics

Seed Round in 2020
Gilytics develops fast computing and 3D visualization technology to support planning of transportation and energy infrastructure. It serves industries including transportation networks, pipelines, and planning linear infrastructure, as well as wind and solar energy and large-scale future energy systems, utilities, and power grid operators. The company offers an interactive web application as a software-as-a-service for automated optimal planning and siting of both linear and distributed infrastructure in energy and transport. Its 3D rendering software facilitates planning and visualization of distributed energy infrastructures, providing automated services to identify optimal routes for transmission lines and to improve interaction with authorities and communities through 3D visualization, enabling power management companies to apply the technology for planning and managing distributed energy systems.

node.energy

Venture Round in 2017
node.energy develops software-as-a-service solutions for managing decentralized energy systems in commercial and industrial real estate. Its platform optimizes local energy microgrids, reducing administrative workload, energy costs, and carbon footprint while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Kiwigrid

Venture Round in 2013
Kiwigrid develops and operates a smart grid energy management platform in Europe. Its solutions enable efficient monitoring, analysis, and optimization of energy systems, supporting various industries including OEM, utilities, automotive, real estate, and installers.

Cuculus

Series B in 2010
Cuculus GmbH, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Ilmenau, Germany, specializes in software solutions for the energy sector, particularly in smart metering and energy management. The company offers ZONOS, an IoT platform designed for smart metering, which facilitates the integration of electric, gas, and water meters with existing IT systems. Cuculus serves a diverse clientele that includes energy suppliers, grid operators, telecommunications companies, and metering service providers on a global scale. The firm leverages unique technology developed through collaborations with the Technical University Ilmenau and IDEO Laboratories, combining this with expertise in utilities and telecommunications. Additionally, Cuculus benefits from its location in a prominent technology region, providing access to innovative companies in automation, measurement engineering, and software development.

Cuculus

Seed Round in 2007
Cuculus GmbH, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Ilmenau, Germany, specializes in software solutions for the energy sector, particularly in smart metering and energy management. The company offers ZONOS, an IoT platform designed for smart metering, which facilitates the integration of electric, gas, and water meters with existing IT systems. Cuculus serves a diverse clientele that includes energy suppliers, grid operators, telecommunications companies, and metering service providers on a global scale. The firm leverages unique technology developed through collaborations with the Technical University Ilmenau and IDEO Laboratories, combining this with expertise in utilities and telecommunications. Additionally, Cuculus benefits from its location in a prominent technology region, providing access to innovative companies in automation, measurement engineering, and software development.
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