DTCF, or DeepTech & Climate Fonds, launched in 2023 in Germany, invests up to one billion euros over the coming years. Financed by the Zukunftsfonds and the ERP Special Fund, the firm serves as an anchor investor alongside family offices, foundations, corporations and private individuals. Under the leadership of Dr. Elisabeth Schrey and Tobias Faupel, DTCF provides sustained capital and strategic guidance to emerging technology companies with the goal of broadening Germany’s technology ecosystem and supporting a technology-based Mittelstand.
The fund targets deep technology and climate technology ventures with extended development cycles and substantial financing needs. Areas of interest include Industry 4.0, robotics, sensor technology, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, big data, quantum technology, cybersecurity, blockchain, new materials, industrial biotech, medtech, digital health, smart grids, e-mobility, smart cities and agri-food technology. Individual investments range from at least €1 million in initial rounds to a maximum of €30 million across all financing stages, often matching private co-investor contributions. DTCF maintains minority equity positions and operates with a minimum 25-year term. Since 2024, the fund has placed additional emphasis on later-stage, growth-phase startups that require significant capital, addressing Europe’s gap in post-Series B financing.
Within its clean technology remit, DTCF supports firms advancing sustainable energy, resource efficiency and decarbonization. Notable portfolio companies include eze.network, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure operator; node.energy, which provides software for optimizing distributed energy resources; Cylib, a developer of lithium-ion battery recycling processes; and Proxima Fusion, working on a fusion power plant. These investments in e-mobility infrastructure, energy storage solutions and battery technology recycling reflect the fund’s commitment to enabling a low-carbon economy and strengthening the battery ecosystem across Europe.
