German VCs call for €15B annual funding boost to build the next generation of tech giants

Today the German federal government is holding its first investor conference: the Invest in Germany Summit The event focuses on what Germany needs right now as a business and investment destination. Venture capital leaders warn that the country's reliance on foreign funding risks losing both economic value and control over critical technologies. The German Venture and Growth Forum (GVGF), representing more than 20 leading German venture capital and growth funds with €28 billion in assets under management, argues that Germany must mobilise more domestic institutional capital to finance the next generation of global technology companies. According to figures provided by the Forum, €5.1 billion was invested in German startups during the first half of 2026, but less than a third came from domestic investors. The Forum estimates that Germany could mobilise approximately €15 billion in additional private capital annually for growth companies by increasing institutional allocations to ve