Each year more than 30,000 patients in Europe and the U.S. receive a kidney from a living or deceased donor. Unfortunately, the donor organ is generally recognized by the patient’s immune system as no-self and therefore regularly rejected. To overcome this natural defensive reaction of the body, physicians must subject their patients to lifelong therapy with drugs which suppress the body’s immune system. This long-term immunosuppressive therapy, however, may lead to serious side effects, such as infections, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The novel approach from t‑cell has been specifically designed to obviate the need for chronic immunosuppressive therapy. It achieves this by utilizing a special type of naturally occurring immune cell called a “regulatory T-cell” (T_reg). In normal body function, T_reg -cells play a central role by preventing overreactions of our immune systems. The innovation conceived by t‑cell and now under development is to use therapeutically introduced T_reg -cells as a tool to persuade the patient’s immune system accepting the foreign kidney as ‘self’.

“The technology from t-cell addresses a billion-euro market with clear medical needs. With no T-cell-based product currently on the market, the company’s development activities are of interest, particularly for large biopharmaceutical companies who wish to broaden their product pipelines. The future value of this innovative product will, for this reason, clearly be driven by the demand of the pharmaceutical industry for cell-based therapies. The broad potential for applications in connection with a patent-protected technology was, in the final evaluation, critical to our decision to invest in this financing round,” explained Dr. Caroline Fichtner, senior investment manager at High-Tech Gruenderfonds.

“As a strategic investor, we always strive to achieve long-term business success through partnership, working together with management for the benefit of the company,” said Dr. Peter Smeets, managing partner at Constantin Bastian Leander Venture Capital GmbH. “In the case of t‑cell, it was first and foremost the interdisciplinary team of company founders along with the technology itself that attracted our interest. For some years already, we have been active supporting the Young Heroes (Junge Helden) Association in Berlin, which works to build awareness and understanding in the area of organ donation. The prospect of being able to significantly reduce the negative consequences of immunosuppression which so often follow transplants with a revolutionary new therapy was something which drove us to make this investment in t-cell.”

“We are delighted about the seed financing obtained from the High-Tech Gruenderfonds and about having brought Constantin Bastian Leander Venture Capital on board as an investor,” added Dr. Claudia Ulbrich, CEO of t-cell Europe GmbH. “This financing will enable our continuing development activities as well as the validation of our platform technology according to pharmaceutical standards so that we may subsequently proceed to clinical studies. When I had my initial meeting with the company last year, I was immediately convinced by the team, by the technology, and by the prospects for successful commercialization. It is thus very gratifying that we have so quickly been able to reach this first milestone, securing the capital which we require to execute our plans.”

About t-cell Europe GmbH
The objective of t-cell Europe GmbH (a spin-off of the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, a joint center of the Charité University Medical Center in Berlin and the Helmholtz Center in Geesthacht which works to translate scientific results into clinical practice) is to develop and commercialize novel T-cell-based therapies based on its IP-protected platform technology. Its first product for a specific medical indication is to be a T_reg-cell product for use in conjunction with kidney transplants. t-cell enjoys a strong position which is protected by patents which cannot be circumvented.

Contact:
t-cell Europe GmbH
Dr. Claudia Ulbrich
CEO
Albert-Einstein-Ring 1
14532 Kleinmachnow
Germany
phone:+49 (0) 33203-182575
fax:+49 (0) 33203-182576
e-mail: c.ulbrich@t-cell.de
website: http://www.t-cell.de

About Constantin Bastian Leander Venture Capital
Constantin Bastian Leander Venture Capital GmbH (CBL) was founded in 2000 by Dr. Rainer Zimmermann and Dr. Peter Smeets, who remain the company’s two managing partners with equal shares. The business of CBL is venture capital investment, particularly in early-stage technology companies, in the acquisition of “old economy” companies which are in special or turnaround situations, and in real estate investment.

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as thirteen industrial groups of ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 563 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million  HTGF I, EUR 291 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Frau Dr. Caroline Fichtner
Senior Investment Managerin
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Tel.: +49 228 823001–00
Fax: +49 228 823000–50
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de 
http://www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de

Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH, headquartered in Erkrath, is a biotechnology research company which was founded in July 2011. It is dedicated to drug development addressing central nervous system (CNS) illnesses and dysfunctions, with a focus on neuropathic pain. A consortium of private investors, as well as KfW and High-Tech Gründerfonds, are investing approx. €4.3 million in Algiax in a first closing.

Pain is the primary reason for a visit to a doctor in Germany. According to the German Research Association for Neuropathic Pain (Deutscher Forschungsverbund Neuropathischer Schmerz, DFNS) chronic neuropathic pain occurs with a prevalence of approx. 6%, corresponding to just under 5 million sufferers in Germany. The global costs for the diverse treatments of neuropathic pain were approx. $US 4.8 billion in 2010 with an estimated increase to $US 10 billion in 2018.

Long-term therapy of neuropathic pain currently involves the use of medicines with a variety of mechanisms of action. In addition to limited effectiveness, the success of treatment is mostly being impacted by resistance, serious side effects and addiction. Current therapy options are not curative, but instead seek to suppress pain by 30-50%. This entails an urgent need for new, effective and safe medications.

It is Algiax Pharmaceuticals’ aim to establish the first causal-therapeutic treatment of chronic neuropathic pain syndrome. The substances patented by Algiax (late preclinical development stage) don’t just target the symptoms of neuropathic pain, but also enable causal therapy of pain induction. The mechanism: a suppression of pain-inducing processes represents a therapeutic intervention at the earliest possible stage. It can not only prevent the development of neuropathic pain syndrome, but also the establishment of pain-induced secondary diseases. In preclinical studies it was shown that the Algiax substances have the potential to address a broad spectrum of both central nervous as well as peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes of differing origin.

“With the first closing for €4.3 million we have laid the foundation for the further expansion of the company. Our aim is to gain approval for the clinical testing stage”, said Dr. Jürgen Schumacher, co-founder and Managing Director of Algiax.

“We are happy that Algiax’s well-stocked seed round will enable the development of a preclinical program for a thus far inadequate treated indication with high medical need”, added Dr. Martin Pfister, responsible Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds.

Dr. Detlev Riesner as the lead investor for KfW, active for years as a business angel in the biotechnology scene, emphasizes that at Algiax excellent science in combination with experienced management and high market potential come together in a perfect way.

Contact Algiax:
Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Stefan Fischer
Max-Planck-Straße 15a
40699 Erkrath
Germany
Phone: +49 211 – 617 851 10
Fax: +49 211 – 617 851 50
Stefan.fischer@algiax.com

About ERP Startfonds at KfW
KfW finances and supports start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as investments in growth and jobs in Germany. With the ERP Startfonds it manages and co-finances, it invests in particular in innovative, technology-oriented companies with good growth opportunities. Both research and product development as well as the launch of new products, processes or services are financed. KfW is always involved along with a lead investor and only at market terms. Since 2004 a total of approx. €730 m has been available to ERP Startfonds for investments in start-up technology companies.

Contact:
KfW Bankengruppe
Branch Bonn
Ludwig-Erhard-Platz 1-3
53179 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49 228 831 0
Fax: +49 228 831 9500
Email: infocenter@kfw.de
Internet: www.kfw.de

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as thirteen industrial groups of ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 563 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million EUR HTGF I, EUR 291 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Martin Pfister
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Tel.: +49 228 823001–00
Fax: +49 228 823000–50
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de 
http://www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de

“Smart Hydro Power has developed a promising product with an enormous market potential. With our investment via eCAPITAL Cleantech Fonds, we will be part of the company’s future growth”, says Dr Michael Lübbehusen, Managing Partner of eCAPITAL AG.  The micro-hydro power plants developed by Smart Hydro Power are optimised for global use in remote areas and have the potential to fully replace expensive, ecologically harmful diesel generators and thus save costs. “Both an international team and an extensive network are necessary for this approach. Smart Hydro Power brings all this to the table”, adds Lübbehusen.

Dr Karl Kolmsee, Managing Director of Smart Hydro Power, issued the following statement on the finalised closings:  “This capital increase will enable us to install first reference projects and to expand our international sales and marketing. In addition, we will profit from the know-how which eCAPITAL offers as an experienced investor.” The signs at Smart Hydro Power are already pointing to growth: from 2012, the company plans to produce 250 micro-hydro power plants per year.

High-Tech Gründerfonds is the second investor committed to Smart Hydro Power. Back in 2011, HTGF became part of the seed financing. Andreas Quauke, Senior Investment Manager of HTGF adds: “Smart Hydro Power’s technology allows for resource-saving and sustainable energy production, which, at the same time, is extremely efficient. We see great potential for the experienced team to open up international markets for their product.”

With its micro-hydro power plants, Smart Hydro Power addresses the market for ecological, decentralised energy supply, particularly in fast-growing developing countries. The plants are characterised by their robust construction, low maintenance and easy installation.  The operation takes places without structural interferences into the sensitive eco-systems of rivers. The turbines generate power of up to 5 kW and are used for the power supply of residential buildings, workshops or hospitals.

The plant is simply commissioned according to the “plug & play” principle: it does not require installation of any external infrastructure and meets the International Energy Agency’s requirements for the protection of fish and consists of water-friendly materials (aluminium and polyethylene). The self-supporting system can either be attached by ropes to the shore or with an anchor to the bottom of the river.

For more information, please see www.ecapital.de,
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de and www.smart-hydro.de.

About Smart Hydro Power GmbH
Smart Hydro Power GmbH develops and markets kinetic micro-hydro power plants. These micro-hydro power plants do not require additional infrastructure, are environmentally friendly, fish-friendly and offer an easily workable alternative to diesel generators, particularly for fast-growing countries in Asia and Latin America. The company’s registered office is in Feldafing near Munich, Germany. The Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs supports Smart Hydro Power within the Bavarian Programme for the Support of Technology-Orientated Business Start-Ups (BayTOU).

About eCAPITAL entrepreneurial Partners AG
 eCAPITAL is an entrepreneurial venture capital company, with a registered office in Münster, which has actively been supporting innovative entrepreneurs in promising industries since 1999. It focuses on fast-growing companies in the fields of renewable energy, renewable raw materials, resource-saving processes, water technology and process technology / new materials and IT. eCAPITAL currently manages five funds with a subscription capital of more than € 120 million and invests in companies Germany-wide in the “later stage” and “early stage” phases, as well as in small and medium sized companies.

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as thirteen industrial groups of ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 563 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million EUR HTGF I, EUR 291 million HTGF II).

Contact person for journalists and editors: 

Dr. Karl Kolmsee
Smart Hydro Power
Alte Traubinger Straße 17
82340 Feldafing, Germany
Tel: + 49 8158 / 90 78 97-10
Fax: + 49 8158 / 907897-17
E-mail: info@smart-hydro.de
Web: www.smart-hydro.de

Magdalena Kramer
eCAPITAL entrepreneurial Partners AG
Hafenweg 24
48155 Münster, Germany
Tel.:      + 49 251 / 70 37 67-0
Fax:      + 49 251 / 70 37 67-22
Email:   info@ecapital.de
Web:    www.ecapital.de

Stefanie Zillikens
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Tel:       + 49 228 / 82 30 01-00
Fax:     + 49 228 / 82 30 00-50
Email:   info@htgf.de
Web:    www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de

More information

Increasing efficiency plays a major role in staying competitive on the energy market. fos4X has developed fibre optic sensors that can, for example, measure the level of wind force on the rotor blades of wind turbines.

A spin-off of Technische Universität München, fos4X was founded by Dr. Thorbjörn Buck, Dr. Lars Hoffmann, Dr. Matthias Müller and Rolf Wojtech. The fibre optic extensometres and sensors they have developed improve monitoring the force on technical structures and systems, especially when employing state-of-the-art materials such as fibre optic or carbon fibre reinforced composites.

“We’re convinced that here we are helping a future market leader take its first steps onto the market. It’s important to us that we act as more than just an investor, also providing advice on business development and establishing contacts to potential customers”, says UnternehmerTUM’s Dr. Ingo Potthof.

Dr. Guillem Sague, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gruenderfonds explains, “Sensors developed by fos4X can be used to optimise rotor blade efficiency and maintenance as well as wind cogeneration in wind power plants. This allows fos4X to solve the monitoring problem that exists in the rapidly growing wind energy market. But it was also the team that convinced us in the end.”

Wolfgang Härtl, Bayern Kapital Investment Manager, on the investment: “Sensitive down to the sub-nanometre range, the innovative sensor technology can determine how the rotor blade’s material is being subjected to forces or damage. The cost of generating electricity can be significantly reduced from lower maintenance costs and improved plant service life.”

Dr. Lars Hoffmann at fos4X predicts, “The fact that there are 21,000 wind turbines in Germany shows the potential for this technology. In the next five years a global market for rotor blade monitoring and measuring equipment worth 280 million euros will arise. Our goal is to have a 15% market share after five years.”

The founders see other areas of application in R&D prototype testing as well as measuring the force of pantographs on trains.

About fos4X
In 2010 fos4X GmbH was founded by an interdisciplinary team at Technische Universität München. The company’s core technology is fibre optic measurement equipment that has a great number of advantages over conventional measurement technology. Measuring the load on lightweight structures, for example, fos4X’s measuring devices and sensors provide distinct customer benefits from longer service life.

Contact:
fos4X GmbH
Dr. Lars Hoffmann
Gunzenlehstraße 8
80689 Munich
Germany

About Bayern Kapital/Seedfonds Bayern
Seedfonds Bayern was founded in 2003, using Clusterfonds Seed GmbH & Co KG’s new capital (24 m euros) since June 2010. The fund finances technology oriented start-up companies in Bavaria. It also serves as regional contact for founders seeking capital. It is managed by Bayern Kapital GmbH, which was set up in 1995 as part of the Bavarian state government’s “Bavarian Future Initiative”, aimed in particular at providing venture capital to newly-founded, innovative Bavarian companies. To date, Bayern Kapital has invested approx. € 171 m in more than 210 innovative, high-tech companies. Bayern Kapital currently manages an overall fund volume of about € 200 m.

Contact:
Bayern Kapital GmbH
Wolfgang Härtl
Ländgasse 135 a
84028 Landshut
Germany
Phone: +49 871 92325-0
Fax: +49 871 92325-55
info@bayernkapital.de
www.bayernkapital.de

About the UnternehmerTUM fund
The UnternehmerTUM fund looks for strong teams throughout Germany working in the fields of information and communication technology, medical technology and cleantech, with a pronounced entrepreneurial spirit and understanding of technology, as well as first-class management skills. A business model with big international potential and a sustained competitive advantage are important requirements for an investment. The fund’s first investment is usually up to €500,000. The fund can invest up to a total of €3 m in a successfully growing business. The UnternehmerTUM fund acts as both lead and co-investor.

Contact:
Sabine Hansky
Head of Communication & Development
Phone 089 / 32 46 24-365
hansky@unternehmertum.de
UnternehmerTUM GmbH
Lichtenbergstr. 8
85748 Garching bei München
Germany

About High-Tech Gruenderfonds
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests EUR 500,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the KfW Banking Group, as well as thirteen industrial groups of ALTANA, BASF, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE Color, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 563 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million EUR HTGF I, EUR 291 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Guillem Sague
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Tel: +49 228 823001-00
Fax: +49 228 823000-50
info@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de – Venture Capital für Startups

In industrial nations, stroke is the third most common cause of death after cancer and heart disease and is responsible for most of the cases of adults requiring ongoing care. In Germany alone, there are up to 1.5 million people affected by the illness and suffering with its consequences; around 300,000 new patients are added every year. Neurostimulation offers therapy options for many neurological illnesses today. Clinical research is now being carried out into non-invasive neurostimulation for the treatment of stroke patients, in an attempt to find a way to repair brain damage using neural synchronisation.

The second issue of MedTech Radar provides a case study on stroke rehabilitation with a feature on the company EBS Technologies from Kleinmachnow, near Berlin. “In the case of damage caused by a stroke it is scientifically proven that approximately 20 to 30% of the affected cells do not die off, but fall into a ‘sleep mode’”, explains the CEO of EBS, Ulf Pommerening. “The main aim of the EBS therapy is to reactivate these residual areas.” The support of investors has made possible the development and completion of a market-ready device.

Well-qualified scientists and engineers, but too much bureaucracy in the innovation process: MedTech Radar also reports on a current survey by German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) on the climate for innovation in German medical technology.

77 MedTech research companies took part in the German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) survey. On a scale of 0 to 10 the companies rated the climate for innovation in medical technology in Germany at 6.2. The conclusion: “Germany has well-qualified scientists and engineers and a high standard of patient care. Yet the climate for innovation in Germany is increasingly jeopardised by bureaucratic procedures, health insurance companies that are anti-innovation, and low reimbursement.” The companies currently rate cardiology as the most innovative research area. Sixty percent of those questioned named this area, followed by neurology (43 percent), orthopaedics (40 percent), oncology (39 percent), diagnostics (31 percent) and surgery (26 percent).

“MedTech Radar is intended to provide a continual insight into new developments in the world of innovation in medical technology”, says BVMed Managing Director and Board Member Joachim M. Schmitt. “We want to illustrate the important role that investment in innovation plays in bringing benefit to patients in Germany”, says Dr. Michael Brandkamp, Managing Director of High-Tech Gruenderfonds, describing the aim of the service. “Using examples from the industry, we will show the complex journey a medical product makes from initial research through to use by patients” explains Earlybird Partner Thom Rasche.

 You can read the complete issue of MedTech Radar here

About the publishers:
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invests venture capital in young technology companies with excellent prospects that are converting promising research results into businesses.

Earlybird Venture Capital is one of the most successful venture investors in Europe and currently manages over 500 million Euros of capital for an international investor base.

The German Medical Technology Association (BVMed) represents over 230 industrial and commercial companies in the medical technology sector.

Responsible under German press law:
German Medical Technology Association (BVMed), Reinhardtstr. 29 b, 10117 Berlin
Manfred Beeres, Head of Communication/Press
Tel. +49 – 30 246 255-20, beeres@bvmed.de, www.bvmed.de

Earlybird Venture Capital GmbH & Co KG, Torstr. 109, 10119 Berlin
Christine Höfer
Tel. +49 – 40 432941 0, hoefer@earlybird.com, www.earlybird.com

High-Tech Gruenderfonds Management GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn
Stefanie Zillikens
Tel. +49 – 228 82300107, s.zillikens@htgf.de, www.htgf.de