MetisMotion: BORN2GROW, High Tech Gründerfonds and Siemens Technology Accelerator invest 1.5 million euros in second financing round

Munich/Bonn/Heilbronn, May 10, 2021. Munich-based tech startup MetisMotion has closed its second round of financing and received another €1.5 million in fresh capital. As with the first financing round in December 2018, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), BORN2GROW – a subsidiary of ZFHN Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn – and SIEMENS Technology Accelerator (STA) invested. The fresh capital will be used to prepare the market launch of the patent-protected naXture actuator platform.

MetisMotion’s core technology is highly dynamic and lightweight, powerful actuators for automation applications. MetisMotion has developed an actuator platform (comparable to servo motors) that offers unprecedented, technical possibilities. “Imagine being able to replace pneumatic or hydraulic solutions with large force potential in existing installation spaces with highly efficient electrically powered actuators! This is usually not feasible with conventional electric motors,” explains Patrick Fröse, one of the three managing directors of MetisMotion.

Based on the outstanding power density and efficiency of MetisMotion actuators, a network of renowned national and international pilot customers has grown since the company was founded in 2018, driving the sustainable electrification of drive tasks with solutions from MetisMotion.

With the capital raised in the current financing round, the technology will now be made available to a broad group of customers. The launch of the naXture platform is planned for late summer.

naXture enables users to quickly and easily configure individual actuators for the smallest installation spaces. Here, actuator geometry, available forces, speeds and travels, as well as safety behavior are always based on the specific requirements of the application.

Quotes from the investors:

Thomas Villinger, Managing Director of Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn: “MetisMotion was already very close to the market and active in many application areas at the time of the spin-off. Particularly in the Heilbronn region, the region of world market leaders, MetisMotion was already able to win promising customers during the pilot customer phase. The openness for innovation is naturally obvious here and we are therefore looking forward to the further roll out. We see great market opportunities – not only nationally.”

Jens Baumgärtner, Investment Manager of High-Tech Gründerfonds: “The electrification of today’s still inefficient pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, especially in industrial automation, is an exciting growth opportunity. MetisMotion can define a new segment here with its technology! Exciting for investors who are looking for disruptive technologies and want to participate in their success.”

Dr. Rudolf Freytag, CEO of Siemens Technology Accelerator GmbH: “MetisMotion has proven with its initial customers that it can develop and manufacture high-performance actuators for the most demanding environmental conditions. We are therefore convinced of the company’s potential and look forward to continuing to contribute to its success as an investor and through our network within Siemens and beyond.”

About MetisMotion

Actuating Innovations – Following the Genius of Nature. Following this guiding principle, MetisMotion GmbH has been developing bio-inspired actuator systems since 2018. The company is a spin-off from the Siemens Group and sets new standards for the sustainable electrification of drives with maximum energy efficiency. Based on highly integrated micro-hydraulic circuits, MetisMotion is able for the first time to combine a particularly high force density with ultra-dynamic movements in the smallest installation spaces. At the same time, MetisMotion actuators typically require only a quarter of the energy compared to, for example, pneumatic solutions. Customers include national and international manufacturers in the fields of factory and process automation, robotics and mobility.

The Munich site is currently home to in-house development, manufacturing, marketing and sales.

Contact:

MetisMotion GmbH

Patrick Froese

T: +49 176 73 24 13 43

info@metismotion.com

www.metismotion.com

About ZFHN – Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn

Since its foundation in 2005, ZFHN Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn has been one of the major venture capitalists in Germany. It primarily supports young, innovative technology companies that are located in the Heilbronn area or are prepared to settle there in the short to medium term. The Future Fund is privately financed and endowed with equity capital in the three-digit million range. It supports companies with capital, know-how and contacts in the Heilbronn economic region. The aim is to develop Heilbronn into a highly successful technology location. This includes the establishment and expansion of clusters (MedTech, BioTech, Cleantech) locally.

Since its foundation in 2013, BORN2GROW GmbH & Co. KG, based in Heilbronn, has been supporting innovative technology companies in the seed and start-up phase. The seed fund supports young companies by accompanying them from the proof-of-concept stage to market launch. This early-stage financing enables fast-growing technology-oriented start-up companies to develop their ideas and concepts. BORN2GROW, a subsidiary of ZFHN Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn, works with other venture capital funds and business angels to make fast and transparent financing decisions.

Contact: Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn GmbH & Co. KG

Andrea Muth

T: +49 7131 87 31 83 23

am@zf-hn.de www.zf-hn.de

About High-Tech Gründerfonds

The seed investor High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) finances technology start-ups with growth potential. With a total volume of 892.5 million euros distributed across three funds and an international partner network, HTGF has already supported more than 500 startups since 2005. Its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts supports the young companies with know-how, entrepreneurial spirit and passion. The focus is on high-tech start-ups in the hardware, software, life sciences and chemical industries. To date, external investors have invested more than 1.9 billion euros in around 1,400 rounds of follow-up financing.

follow-on financing rounds into the HTGF portfolio. In addition, the fund has now successfully sold shares in 100 companies.

Investors in the public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as well as the business enterprises ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, B.Braun, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, Drillisch AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, Postbank, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Group, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Contact:

High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH Jens Baumgärtner T: +49 228 82 30 01 38 j.baumgaertner@htgf.de www.htgf.de

About the Siemens Technology Accelerator

Siemens Technology Accelerator GmbH is a subsidiary of Siemens AG and has been successfully commercializing innovative Siemens technologies in applications outside the strategic focus of Siemens business units for over 20 years. This is done either by founding venture capital funded start-ups or by selling or licensing to established companies.

Contact:

Siemens Technology Accelerator GmbH

Dr. Rudolf Freytag

T: +49 152 55 46 20 19

rudolf.freytag@siemens.com

www.siemens.com/sta