The German federal government plans to restructure the financing of technology startups in Germany. The DeepTech & Climate Fund (DTCF) will be continued under the roof of the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) from February 1, 2026. The goal is a bundled public-private venture capital platform that supports innovations from key technologies throughout their lifecycle – from early stage to scaling.
The integration creates a joint investment structure that combines the strengths of both funds. The HTGF is one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors, while the DTCF specifically enables growth financing for deep-tech and climate-tech companies. Together, they aim to build a comprehensive financing architecture that promotes innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductor technologies, and energy.
Achim Plum, CEO of the HTGF, emphasizes:
“With the vision of a joint investment platform, we are creating the public-private VC platform that Germany and Europe need now: comprehensive innovation financing – from technological idea to market leader. With companies like FMC or Proxima Fusion, HTGF and DTCF are already jointly invested today – this shows how seamlessly our approaches complement each other.”
The German federal government has also tasked the HTGF with setting up a fifth generation of its seed fund. The new fund is scheduled to launch in mid-2027 and will seamlessly succeed the current HTGF IV.
Strengthening deep-tech financing in Germany
The merger is part of a long-term strategy to consolidate and streamline innovation and technology financing in Germany. The DTCF remains a central module of the Future Fund, which with 10 billion euros strengthens the venture capital supply for technology-oriented startups.
Elisabeth Schrey, CEO of the DTCF, explains:
“The DTCF has established itself in the market over the last three years and has built a portfolio of currently 19 impressive companies. With large investment syndicates such as The Exploration Company or Cylib, tech firms were given more time for development and scaling in the early growth phase.”
Also, Janina Jänsch, head of department at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, sees the integration as an important step:
“One of the central questions of our time is: Where does our prosperity come from tomorrow? One key lies in innovative power. The DTCF has demonstrated in a short time how targeted growth financing drives innovation and technology in Germany, and how essential the collaboration between the state and private investors is.”
With the new model, a venture capital structure is created that maps the entire innovation chain. By pooling capital, expertise, and networks, German and European technology startups should be able to grow faster in the future.
