Start-up
Dossier

Dossier

KfW Capital

For five years now, it has been easier for young innovative technology companies in Germany to strengthen themselves with equity capital during their growth phase. KfW Capital, the investment subsidiary of KfW Group, has played a key role in this since 2018. Read our dossier to find out how KfW Capital works and who stands to benefit.

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

Read the interview with Heliatek-CEO Guido van Tartwijk
Two man attaching solarfilms onto a wall

"On virtually any surface"

Heliatek CEO Guido van Tartwijk on his organic solar films, the solar market of the future and the most important decision in the company's history.

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Read article about the KfW Capital Awards
Sarah Littek receives award on stage

"We are looking for great solutions"

Interview with the winners of the KfW Capital Award, Manon Sarah Littek and Sebastian Heitmann, about insights into the VC market in Germany.

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Read the interview with Christian Lindner and Stefan Wintels
Double portrait of Stefan Wintels and Christian Lindner

„Shaping the future“

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, currently Chair of the KfW Board of Supervisory Directors, and KfW CEO Stefan Wintels about the role that private capital plays for the transformation, the new energy policy and the attractiveness of green investments.

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Rocket in space, flying above globe.

Reaching for the stars

Munich-based rocket building company Isar Aerospace is expected to launch satellites into Earth orbit from 2023.

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Warehouse with large containers in which plants are stored.

The seeds of success

The Berlin-based company Infarm produces organic food without chemical pesticides or long transport routes. The company aims to revolutionise food production with growing centres close to urban hubs and smaller greenhouses in supermarkets and restaurants.

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man with mobile mapping system in a warehouse with boats.

Google Maps for buildings

The Munich-based company NavVis creates digital copies of buildings.

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teammeeting

From niche provider to global player

Berlin-based fintech company Mambu bet early on cloud solutions for financial services providers. Today it is valued at 1.7 billion euros.

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VMRay Managing Director Carsten Willems on the balcony

The sandbox trick

German cybersecurity provider VMRay uses smart security technology to help the world’s most valuable corporations fight hacker attacks. KfW Capital has made several investments in the fast-growing company from Bochum.

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nurse

Protection against hospital germs

Patients become infected with pathogens as many as 700,000 times a year during a stay in hospital. In order to optimise hand hygiene in hospitals, the start-up GWA Hygiene relies on artificial intelligence.

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Machine with a robot arm

KfW Capital supports innovative start-ups

Many young technology companies depend on venture capital. However, the necessary funds are often lacking due to the coronavirus crisis. Jörg Goschin and KfW Capital help cover the need for liquidity.

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Green apples hanging on a tree

"We want to change the sector"

Christina Ulardic, a partner at Belgian financial investor Astanor Ventures, on the food of the future, the importance of impact funds and cooperation with KfW.

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A man looks out of his rooftop window onto his photovoltaic modules.

Solar energy on demand

Sonnen GmbH has developed a storage system so that solar power can be used even after sunset. Homeowners can use an app to control when and to where the electricity should flow from their photovoltaic systems.

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A Centogene employee takes a throat swab on a passenger

“We have to live with it”

Coronavirus tests could become part of everyday life in future. Germany is also gaining good experience just now. The mobile laboratories of the Rostock-based biotech company Centogene enable preventive and extensive testing.

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The founders of the company Bookingkit Christoph Kruse (right) and Lukas Hempel (left)

So long slips and tickets

Canoe trips, museum visits, parachuting: if you book an experience online, Bookingkit is often behind the process. A fast-growing business – until the pandemic arrived, that is. To survive the coronavirus crisis, the Berlin-based start-up needed strong partners, had to rethink its strategy and came of age practically overnight.

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protective clothing hospital

Intermediary in times of crisis

The start-up scoutbee developed a platform to bring together buyers and suppliers. During the coronavirus crisis, the company is helping to locate urgently needed medical equipment such as protective suits and breathing tubes.

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