Take-Off! Your path
to a data-based start-up

From research to High-tech Start-up

As Europe’s leading research center for Data-Driven business and Artificial Intelligence, we develop many forward-looking product ideas. As part of our Take-Off start-up program, we are looking for bright minds in order to found successful start-ups based on our research results.

We hand our particularly early stage ideas over to potential founders, who then will shape their own business based on these ideas. As a spin-off factory or ‘Company Builder’ we support the first steps and accompany you until launch. Due to our network of research and industry partners numerous synergistic effects are generated.

Get ready for take-off

The first round of our Take-Off program will start in July 2021.

You can find our current call for applications here.

Start-up: Educational Technology

Is it possible for AI to predict which slides a speaker will need for a topic? Is it possible for a sports braclet to determine when learning material is best retained?

We’ve been researching options on how technology can support people with teaching and learning at all stages of life via EU-related projects and together with industry partners. Meanwhile we have a great amount of insight at our disposal, methods and technologies and are looking for innovative individuals turning them into successful businesses.

Ready for your start-up?

Apply by yourself or together with your start-up team

We are looking for passionate business economists and technicians who aim to bring innovative technologies and AI applications on the market and are willing to satisfy new types of customer‘s needs. No matter if you are a student, graduate, young professional or already in mid-career – entrepreneurship and a can-do attitude are essential for us.

In addition to technical skills (maker and coder), independent work, leadership qualifications and business know-how are considered indispensable.

We think in teams – so feel free to apply together with your start-up team. If you haven’t yet found your perfect co-founder, we offer Co-Founder-Matching as part of our start-up program.

From idea to foundation in one year

1. We will start out with a Co-Founder-Matching. If you don’t yet have a founding team, we will find a suitable co-founder for you.

2. In the second phase the selection of founders and founder teams takes place. Each founding team should cover predefined professional skills (e.g. programming skills, entrepreneurial and business knowledge) as well as personal skills (e.g. communication skills, leadership). A “can-do attitude” and “ability to work in a team” are considered basic requirements. The application process consists of an assessment center and interviews.

3. After that we start the so-called “Company Shaping Phase“. In this phase you will acquaint yourself with our product ideas and develop your vision and strategy, your business model and your business-plan. We accompany you with 24-workshop-days and a ‚Business Angel‘. Our scientists and technicians are at your disposal.

4. Finally, it’s time to get started! In the “start-up phase” we focus on cooperation and the utilization of synergistic effects. You develop your product and start-up on your own, we provide you with momentum for the foundation and support you in the search for customers, funding and manpower.

We pay a team bonus of 1,000 euros for each achieved milestone, which can be used freely.