Gründerfonds Ruhr is a private venture capital fund driving innovation in the Ruhr area by investing in new technologies impacting a broad range of industries. We deploy the capital, the business expertise and the industry access from leading international corporations who share our goal of building Ruhr-based start-ups with transforming ideas. Our objective is to be the institutional investor of choice for founders and become a trusted partner with the resources to catapult young companies to their next stage of development and commercial success. Our long-term vision is to thereby boost entrepreneurial spirit in our region.
Key sectors include chemicals & new materials, energy & industrial sector, life sciences & healthcare, logistics & retail and the digital economy.
Our current portfolio consists of Abalos Therapeutics, DIMATE, Emergence Therapeutics, Fasciotens, Masterplan.com and talpasolutions.
For further information: www.gruenderfonds-ruhr.com
Key sectors include chemicals & new materials, energy & industrial sector, life sciences & healthcare, logistics & retail and the digital economy.
Our current portfolio consists of Abalos Therapeutics, DIMATE, Emergence Therapeutics, Fasciotens, Masterplan.com and talpasolutions.
For further information: www.gruenderfonds-ruhr.com
Location: Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Essen
Employees: 1-10
Investment Type: Venture Capital
Portfolio 8
| Date | Name | Website | Total Raised | Location |
| 19.09.2025 | Factor2 En... | factor2-energy.com | $9.1M | Germany |
| 06.09.2022 | Spherity | spherity.com | $2.74M | Germany, N... |
| - | Emergence | emergencetx.com | $98.47M | Germany, N... |
| - | talpasolut... | talpasolutions.eu | - | - |
| - | Abalos | abalos-tx.com | $63.16M | Germany, N... |
| - | DIMATE Gmb... | dimate.de | - | Germany, N... |
| - | Masterplan | masterplan.com | $22.58M | Czechia, P... |
| - | Fasciotens | fasciotens.de | - | - |
Mentions in press and media 11
| Date | Title | Description |
| 21.09.2025 | Factor2 Energy Secures $9.1M to Unlock CO₂ Geothermal Power | German climatetech pioneer Factor2 Energy secures $9.1 million in seed funding. This capital fuels its innovative CO₂-based geothermal power system. The technology leverages CO₂ as a working fluid, tapping moderate-temperature resources. It... |
| 19.09.2025 | Factor2 Energy raises $9.1M to unlock CO₂ geothermal power | Factor2 Energy, a German geothermal innovator, has raised a $9.1 million seed round led by At One Ventures, with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds, Gründerfonds Ruhr, Verve Ventures, and Siemens Energy Ventures. Factor2 Energy is a ... |
| 25.07.2025 | Swiss AI Innovator Reshape Systems Secures €856K for Industrial Risk Analysis | Lausanne-based Reshape Systems, a spin-off from CERN, secured an oversubscribed €856k pre-Seed funding round. Their advanced AI platform addresses critical challenges in risk analysis for complex industrial systems. It helps companies manag... |
| 24.07.2025 | CHF 800,000 pre-seed funding for Reshape Systems | Today, companies are under pressure to deliver increasingly complex products in shorter timeframes, while navigating supply chain disruptions and high staff turnover, factors that intensify the challenges related to risk analysis and certi... |
| 28.03.2023 | talpasolutions breaks new ground as it raises a €15 million round to tackle other large machinery based industries | Essen-based talpasolutions raised a €15 million Series B round to expand its digital fleet and operations management solution offering and move from mining into other industries such as construction and logistics. The round was led by MIG C... |
| 19.12.2022 | Germany's VMRay ties up $34 million series B to expand threat detection and analysis | Germany-based cybersecurity startup VMRay has closed a $34 million series B round to support expansion of its advanced threat detection and analysis services into new target markets. The round is led by Tikehau Capital, an alternative asset... |
| 19.12.2022 | Germany-based VMRay bags €32M to solve ‘the toughest cybersecurity challenges’ | Germany-based VMRay, a solution provider for dynamic analysis of advanced threats such as zero-day and targeted attacks, announced on Monday that it has extended its Series B funding to $34M (approximately €32M). The company mentions in a s... |
| 20.09.2017 | High-Tech Gründerfonds is raising €310 million for its third fund | German public-private VC firm High-Tech Gründerfonds has announced the launch of its third fund which currently stands at €250 million with a final closing expected to be €310 million as more investors commit to the fund. The fund, HTGF III... |
| - | Abalos Therapeutics Launches with €12M Series A Round to Develop Novel Immuno-Virotherapies Against Cancer | Abalos Therapeutics announced today a EUR 12 million Series A financing round establishing its operations and leadership. The Company’s objective is to develop new immuno-oncology therapeutics based on a specific arenavirus strain that pref... |
| - | VISUS Industry IT receives funding for the digital revolution in quality assurance | Gründerfonds Ruhr, NRW.BANK and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) invest a seven-digit amount in VISUS Industry IT, which digitizes industrial test procedures with their test data and report management system JiveX NDT and provides a standardiz... |
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