Deutsche Börse Venture Network and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) have formalised their existing collaboration by signing a cooperation agreement. The aim of the partnership is to continue linking existing programmes with each other to closely support start-ups throughout their entire funding and growth phase.

HTGF is the first point of contact for all matters relating to early stage financing; the portfolio companies receive a reduced-rate membership in Deutsche Börse Venture Network, giving them access to a network of currently over 260 international investors.

“Our common goal is to make more liquidity available to emerging companies,” commented Eric Leupold, Head of Pre-IPO & Capital Markets at Deutsche Börse. “The cooperation gives start-ups closely aligned and tailored support for their funding and growth needs from seed phase to exit.”

“Both platforms are seminal to start-ups in completely different stages,” said Alex von Frankenberg, Managing Director of the High-Tech Gründerfonds. “Deutsche Börse Venture Network is a key partner for later-stage financing for our portfolio companies.”

HTGF is Germany's most active and leading seed stage investor and has been represented as an investor in Deutsche Börse Venture Network for quite some time. In addition, some HTGF portfolio companies are members of Deutsche Börse’s ecosystem for growth financing. Young, innovative technology start-ups are provided with funding from three funds with a volume of around €875 million. A total of three investment teams focus on hardware-related engineering sciences, life science, chemical and material science as well as software, media and Internet. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW as well as over 30 well-known companies are among the investors in the public-private partnership.

Deutsche Börse Venture Network was created in 2015 by Deutsche Börse AG to better supply start-ups with growth capital. The network is aimed at early to later stage companies, which must meet special criteria for each financing stage in order to join the network. Currently, it comprises around 160 firms. Investors are venture capitalists, private equity firms, family offices, corporate ventures and venture debt investors, based amongst other in the USA, UK, Germany and Asia.