Our portfolio

Innovative, driven, one of their kind – meet our exceptional founders and their teams! We have successfully invested in and supported several companies in industries such as Industrial Tech, Cybersecurity, Life Science, MedTech and many more.

Otter Energy Trading Secures Pre-Seed Investment

Munich/Essen, 1 July 2025 – Munich-based ClimateTech startup Otter Energy Trading has successfully completed a pre-seed financing round. Investors include the GF BRYCK Ventures fund and experienced business angels. Otter Energy Trading plans to use the fresh capital...

LIDROTEC Raises $13.5 Million to Revolutionize Chip Singulation

Essen, 26 June 2025 – LIDROTEC, a deep tech start-up pioneering next-generation laser systems for low-damage, high-precision chip cutting, has announced the successful closing of a $13.5 million Series A-2 financing round. The round was co-led by Lam Capital, the...
Portrait der talpasolutions Gründer

talpasolutions raises €15M Series B

Essen, 28 March 2024 - talpasolutions, a leading IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), analytics and intelligence solution provider for heavy industry, is announcing today it has raised €15 million in Series B funding led by Bosch Ventures and MIG Capital. The round...

Otter Energy Trading specializes in automated trading of self-generated solar power. By combining radical simplification for customers with advanced algorithms in the background, the company enables efficient and profitable marketing of PV power for plant operators.

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Founding Year: 2024

Initial Investment: 2025

Location(s): Munich

Co-Investors: Business Angels

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Dr. Fabian Hogrebe

Management Team: Niels Schubert, Roman Kurpatov, Marek Szakács

https://otter-energy-trading.com/
TALPA Logo

Talpasolutions transforms industrial equipment into smart assets by leveraging advanced data analytics and AI. Their platform offers real-time insights and predictive maintenance solutions, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing downtime and improving safety in heavy industries like mining, construction and logistics.

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Founding Year: 2016

Initial Investment: 2018

Location(s): Essen

Co-Investors: HTGF, RAG S-Innovation, NRW.BANK, F-LOG Ventures, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, MIG Capital, HDI

GFR Team: Thorsten Reuter

Management Team: Sebastian-Friedrich Kowitz, Philipp Lorenz

http://www.talpasolutions.com
VMRay Logo
Cybersecurity Gründerfonds Ruhr I

VMRay delivers cutting-edge threat detection and analysis solutions, specializing in advanced malware analysis and sandboxing. Their technology helps organizations stay ahead of cyber threats by providing detailed, automated insights into malicious activities without compromising system integrity.

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Founding Year: 2013

Initial Investment: 2022

Location(s): Bochum

Co-Investors: HTGF, Yttrium, e-Capital, TKO Capital (Brienne III), NRW.BANK

GFR Team: Thorsten Reuter

Management Team: Carsten Willems, Dr. Ralf Hund

http://www.vmray.com
Spherity Logo
Cybersecurity Gründerfonds Ruhr I

Spherity empowers digital identity management with secure, decentralized solutions. Their technology provides organizations with scalable identity verification and credentialing systems, enabling secure interactions in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, mobility and logistics.

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Founding Year: 2017

Initial Investment: 2022

Location(s): Dortmund

Co-Investors: HTGF, SeedCapital Dortmund, Blockwall Capital, Business Angels, Dr. Carsten Stöcker, Dr. Michael Rüther

GFR Team: Jan Gräfe

Management Team: Dr. Carsten Stöcker, Dr. Michael Rüther

http://www.spherity.com
Masterplan.com Logo

Masterplan revolutionizes corporate learning through an engaging, scalable e-learning platform. They enable B2B customers to empower their employees to develop the precise skills and competencies needed to meet the company’s current and future demands, driving enhanced productivity and innovation.

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Founding Year: 2017

Initial Investment: 2020

Location(s): Bochum, Berlin

Co-Investors: NRW.BANK, RAG-Stiftung, Tengelmann, DvH Ventures, Business Angel

GFR Team: Jan Gräfe

Management Team: Stefan Peukert, Talip Yenal

https://masterplan.com
Lidrotec Logo

LIDROTEC enhances material processing with its cutting-edge laser technology for ultra-precise wafer dicing. Their innovative process uses a liquid-assisted laser to achieve cleaner cuts, reducing material loss and defects, and enabling the production of higher-quality semiconductor components for a variety of industries like semiconductor, energy, medicine, electronics and material science.

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Founding Year: 2021

Initial Investment: 2022

Location(s): Bochum

Co-Investors: Goose Capital, Luminate, Onsight Ventures, Business Angels

GFR Team: Jan Gräfe, Massi Ali Ahmadi

Management Team: Alexander Igelmann , Alexander Kanitz, Jan Hoppius , Dr. Jannis Köhler

https://lidrotec.com
fasciotens Logo

fasciotens revolutionizes abdominal surgery with devices that optimize fascial tension, enhancing outcomes in complex procedures. By reducing the need for additional surgeries and enabling faster recovery, fasciotens' innovative technology improves patient care and surgical efficiency, particularly in cases of open abdomen and hernia treatments.

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Founding Year: 2016

Initial Investment: 2018

Location(s): Essen

Co-Investors: Coparion, RAG-Stiftung, Fa. Dahlhausen, Fa. Sorbion, 4K Immobilien

GFR Team: Florian Stinauer (NRW.BANK), Thorsten Reuter

Management Team: Dr. Gereon Lill

http://www.fasciotens.com
Emergence Therapeutics Logo
Life Science Gründerfonds Ruhr IExit

Emergence Therapeutics is advancing cancer treatment with its innovative Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) technology. This targeted therapy uses a highly specific antibody that binds to a surface protein unique to tumor cells, delivering potent anti-cancer drugs directly to the cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

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Founding Year: 2019

Initial Investment: 2019

Exit: 2023

Location(s): Duisburg

Co-Investors: NRW.BANK, Kurma Biofund, Idinvest, HTGF, BPI France/Innobio, Pontifax, Orbimed, Hadean, Surveyor, RA Capital

GFR Team: Dr. Thomas Raueiser (NRW.BANK), Dr. Marek Kozlowski (NRW.BANK), Thorsten Reuter, Jan Gräfe

Management Team: Dr. Jack Elands, Carsten Dehning

ekko Logo

ekko transforms shopfloor operations by digitizing production and warehouse processes, making them more transparent, efficient, and sustainable. By automating routine tasks and minimizing manual interventions, ekko reduces errors, optimizes workflows, and enhances material flow, leading to increased productivity and reduced process times.

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Founding Year: 2021

Initial Investment: 2023

Location(s): Bochum

Co-Investors: DvH Ventures, Technologiefonds OWL, Saarbrücker 21, Business Angel

GFR Team: Jan Gräfe, Massi Ali Ahmadi

Management Team: Benny Philip Lehmann , Dr. Daniel Schütt

http://www.ekko.io
ABALOS Logo

Abalos Therapeutics harnesses the unique immune stimulation of the arenavirus to develop a novel anti-cancer approach that provides the full breadth of the immune system’s power specifically against cancer cells. Through viral replication within cancer cells, Abalos’ arenavirus-based drug candidates are designed to awake precise innate and adaptive immune responses and activate all relevant immune cell types against primary tumors and metastases.

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Founding Year: 2019

Initial Investment: 2019

Location(s): Düsseldorf

Co-Investors: BI Venture Fonds, NRW.BANK, HTGF, Coparion, Seventure, Ventura, Droege Gruppe

GFR Team: Dr. Thomas Raueiser (NRW.BANK), Jan Gräfe

Management Team: Dr. Dethardt Müller, Dr. Jörg Vollmer

http://www.abalos-tx.com
DIMATE Logo

DIMATE transforms industrial quality assurance with its digital platform for non-destructive testing (NDT). By digitizing and automating NDT processes, DIMATE enables companies to efficiently manage and analyze inspection data, ensuring higher safety standards and reducing operational costs across different industries.

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Founding Year: 2018

Initial Investment: 2019

Location(s): Bochum

Co-Investors: HTGF, NRW.BANK, Meerkat Holding, Grönemeyer Health

GFR Team: Thorsten Reuter, Massi Ali Ahmadi

Management Team: Peter Rosiepen, Jens Martin

http://www.dimate.de
Logo von eduneon
Enterprise Software GF BRYCK Ventures

eduneon modernizes public administration with a data-driven platform for efficient procurement and process management. Their solution centralizes data, streamlines workflows, and enhances collaboration among stakeholders. By providing precise needs assessments and budget control, Eduneon facilitates sustainable and future-ready administrative operations.

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Founding Year: 2022

Location(s): Berlin

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Christian Stiebner

Management Team: Clemens Grolman, Oliver Marusczyk

https://www.eduneon.de/

Spexa empowers organizations to promote employee health and performance through the Business Health Index (BHI). This comprehensive tool offers insights into physical, mental, and social health factors, enabling data-driven decisions and targeted interventions. By identifying hidden efficiency losses and optimizing health investments, Spexa contributes to sustainable organizational success.

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Founding Year: 2022

Location(s): Essen

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Jan zur Hausen

Management Team: Marc Sommer, Wolfgang Köning

https://www.spexa.de/

Advosense innovates elderly care with smart incontinence management solutions. Their disposable sensor technology monitors patient dryness and provides real-time notifications to caregivers, ensuring timely and appropriate responses to patient needs. This technology enhances patient comfort and supports efficient caregiving workflows in geriatric care settings.

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Founding Year: 2020

Location(s): Berlin

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Jan zur Hausen

Management Team: Martina Viduka, Erin Webb, Chris Norman

https://www.advosense.com/

Shit2Power transforms wastewater treatment by converting sewage sludge into renewable energy. Their patented, containerized solution attaches directly to existing wastewater treatment plants, processing sludge into energy-rich gas and phosphorus-rich ash without producing waste byproducts. This innovation reduces energy costs for treatment facilities by 30% and promotes sustainable resource management.

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Founding Year: 2023

Location(s): Berlin

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Christian Stiebner

Management Team: Nina Heine, Dr.-Ing. Fabian Habicht

https://www.shit2power.de/

dubidoc enhances medical practice efficiency with its smart online appointment calendar. Their solution integrates seamlessly with existing practice management systems, offering features like self-check-in to automate patient registration. By optimizing scheduling and reducing administrative workload, dubidoc improves patient care and operational productivity in healthcare settings.

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Location(s): Essen

Co-Investors: Business Angels

GFR Team: Ann-Christin Kortenbrede, Jan zur Hausen

Management Team: Dr. Shabnam Fahimi-Weber

https://www.dubidoc.de/

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