Xin Chen

TVC is a venture capital investment manager specialized in seed funding and very-early stage companies, with a focus on the applications of advanced research in the fields of software and physics to the ICT, telecommunications and medical technology sectors. The firm invests in technology-based businesses throughout Germany as well as in neighboring German-speaking countries. TVC invests in companies with a business plan supported by a strong intellectual property portfolio, typically spin-offs from universities and other research institutions. The firm leverages their close proximity with the University of Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (known as DKFZ-Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) and well as with several Fraunhofer Gesellschaft applied science research institutes. TVC's investment criteria include a disruptive technology and a management team recruited among the chief developers of the product or concept. They place more emphasis on the market potential of the product than on the experience of the team, and provide extensive business support to their portfolio companies, bringing in outside expertise as needed. TVC invests between EUR 2 and 3 million during the first financing round, always as lead investor. The firm may follow-up on their initial investment with additional capital. Their targeted investment horizon is three to five years, with some flexibility. Depending on the sector, TVC may wait significantly longer for an exit, generally through sale to a strategic investor.