KfW Capital is one of the largest VC fund investors in Germany and Europe. The goal of KfW Capital as an investment subsidiary of KfW Bankengruppe is to strengthen the supply of venture and growth capital for innovative technology companies in Germany: KfW Capital invests in German and European venture capital (VC) funds with the support of the ERP Special Fund and the Federal Government's Future Fund. In this way KfW Capital indirectly improves access to growth capital through larger VC funds and strengthens Germany as a location for innovation. The VC funds in which KfW Capital invests are obliged to finance innovative technology companies in Germany with at least the capital provided by KfW Capital. On behalf of the federal government, KfW Capital coordinates the Future Fund, the fund for future technologies, which strengthens the capital-intensive growth phase of start-ups in particular through several building blocks.
As a VC fund investor with a sense of responsibility, KfW Capital applies the sustainability guideline and KfW Capital's exclusion list to investments. In the case of target funds, the VC fund investor attaches importance to the consideration of ESG criteria. KfW Capital always invests on the same terms as other capital providers.
In addition to providing capital support, KfW Capital aims to further develop the VC ecosystem in terms of content. For example, KfW Capital, together with the BMW Foundation and ESG Ventures, offers training in ESG for VC fund managers. Since 2022, KfW Capital has also presented the KfW Capital Award “Best Female Investor” and “Best Impact Investor” and, since 2024, the KfW Capital Award “Best Emerging Manager” to highlight the topics of “diversity” and “impact”, which are still underrepresented in the VC market, and to reward special individual achievements.
