Participated · Grant · Jul 2026

QuantumDiamonds develops and plans to manufacture advanced measurement and test systems for the semiconductor industry using novel quantum sensors that enable high-resolution, three-dimensional inspection of modern chips. The company is building the first production site for these quantum-sensor-based systems in the EU, with an announced investment plan of €152 million. It secured a €76 million direct grant approved by the European Commission and expects additional public support from the German federal and Bavarian state governments. QuantumDiamonds has made operational commitments tied to the public support, including prioritizing orders during shortages, offering early access to parts of the facility to startups and academic labs, and sharing excess project-related profits with Germany. The project is positioned as contributing to European semiconductor supply security and to strengthening the EU value chain under the European Chips Act.

Participated · Grant · Jul 2026

Tentris builds TentrisDB, a high-performance, disk-based RDF graph database designed for analytical workloads and large, highly connected enterprise knowledge graphs. The technology stems from more than eight years of research at the University of Paderborn and the company claims its architecture can execute queries up to 150 times faster than conventional graph databases while reducing storage needs by up to 1,000-fold. Tentris positions its product as infrastructure for modern enterprise AI use cases such as semantic search, RAG-based workflows and intelligent knowledge management. Several Fortune 500 technology companies are reported to be testing the technology, and Tentris says it already works with initial enterprise customers and has a growing pipeline of mid-sized and large companies evaluating the solution. The company plans to use newly raised capital to advance product development, scale engineering and sales headcount, and speed the market launch.

Led · Grant · Dec 2025

Founded in Aachen in 2022, Cylib develops proprietary recycling processes that recover up to 90 % of materials from end-of-life and production-scrap batteries while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 80 % versus primary extraction. The company has progressed from laboratory work to a proven pilot plant and now employs 120 people preparing an industrial facility at Chempark Dormagen. When fully built, the Dormagen site will offer 60,000 tonnes of annual capacity—enough to recycle roughly 140,000 electric-vehicle batteries—and will be Europe’s first plant able to handle both NMC and a dedicated 30,000-tonne LFP line. Cylib’s “lithium-first” approach uses closed-loop water systems and minimal waste generation to meet EU Battery Regulation standards. Production is slated to begin in 2027 with additional ramp-up phases thereafter. To date, the company has secured more than €140 million in total funding through a mix of non-dilutive grants and a Series A equity round, reflecting strong public and private confidence in its technology and market position. The latest grant also supports the creation of 180 new jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia, underscoring Cylib’s role in Europe’s drive for battery-material independence.

Led · Equity · Nov 2025

Vulcan Energy focuses on producing battery‐grade lithium hydroxide while simultaneously generating renewable geothermal energy. The company achieved its first pre-series production of lithium hydroxide in early November at the CLEOP pilot plant in Frankfurt, a key operational milestone that validates its technology. To accelerate commercialisation, Vulcan Energy has entered a strategic partnership with chemical giant BASF, signalling strong industrial endorsement. Financially, the firm’s momentum has been bolstered by a €100 million funding award from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, easing prior uncertainties around capital availability. This fresh funding is expected to support the scale-up from pilot operations to commercial production. By integrating geothermal power with lithium extraction, Vulcan Energy aims to deliver a low-carbon supply of critical battery materials to European customers. Continued progress at the Frankfurt facility is intended to pave the way for larger-scale production and long-term revenue generation.

Led · Equity · Aug 2025

Warden Robotics is building technologies for heterogeneous fleets of ground robots and drones to detect and fight fires at recycling yards. The team—Lucas Dehmel, Lukas Bartenstein, Konstantin von Haugwitz and Hans-Jörg Göschl—developed a FireBot prototype that won the TUniCorn ideas competition at TU Clausthal in 2023. Their current development focus is improving a sensor unit that can detect and localize fires from greater distances and be deployed on aerial drones and ground vehicles. Part of the work involves generating datasets to train the sensor unit’s AI for fire detection. The startup has first pilot customers lined up to test and refine the system in real-world conditions. The EXIST-Gründungsstipendium will enable the team to work full time on product development and company building.