“HTGF is an ideal platform for supporting creative ideas and promoting the exchange of views between startups and established companies,” said Rudolf Staudigl, president & CEO of Wacker Chemie AG, explaining the reason for joining the fund. “After all, it’s not enough just to have a good idea: the right project needs to be provided with the right resources at the right time.” He added that WACKER, as a research-driven chemical company, was able to offer startups more than just financial support in putting their ideas into practice. Company founders, he explained, would also benefit from WACKER’s many years of expertise gained in the development of new solutions, as well as from its production know-how and extensive knowledge of markets.
From fall 2017, WACKER will be taking part in HTGF III, which aims to provide startups with early-stage funding. Membership is another systematic building block in WACKER’s strategy of cooperating with startups and innovative companies. The investment promotes joint developments and intensifies collaboration with promising startup entrepreneurs.
Dr. Michael Brandkamp, managing director of HTGF, explains: “The chemical industry is Germany’s third largest industrial sector, and, as such, is open-minded toward the challenges of digital transformation. Large, well-established companies continue to show considerable interest in supporting the founding and expansion of high-tech startups from the chemical industry and related sectors. We are delighted that WACKER has joined HTGF III, as it means we have gained another strong chemical-sector partner.”
About HTGF
The High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) fund is Germany’s most active early-stage investor. Generating a volume of some €875 million across three funds, HTGF finances recent innovative technology-driven startups, actively supporting them in putting their business concept into practice. HTGF covers a wide range of topics – from robotics, energy and the Internet of Things, through to the medtech, biotech, chemical and software sectors. The public-private-partnership investors are the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the KfW bank group and leading private-sector companies.
