Following the lead of IT, telecoms, and media companies, more traditional brick and mortar German companies are increasingly funding and investing directly in startups across Germany, the U.S. and Israel—a sign that German heavy industry is on the hunt for disruptive innovation. With TMT companies like SAP SAP.XE -0.92% and Deutsche Telekom DTE.XE -1.74% long active in the start-up scene, more traditional players from a wide array of industries, like pharmaceuticals, energy utilities, and automotive, are now shifting into high gear.
