Fraunhofer AHEAD

AHEAD keeps on growing – thanks for 2,600 followers & counting! 🤯 Last week was all about the #AHEADBootcamp, and in the midst of all the action, we completely missed celebrating 2,500 followers. But here we are, just one week later, already at 2,600! 🔥 A huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you for being part of this journey. Whether you're a scientist, entrepreneur, intrapreneur, ahead alumni, promotor, investor, coach, partner, or entrepreneurship enthusiast – you all play a crucial role in shaping the AHEAD community 💛 Let’s keep growing together! The bigger our #network, the more opportunities we create – for our teams, for the program, and for all hightech and deeptech ventures empowered by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Thanks for so many people from and like Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer IPA Fraunhofer IAPT Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT Fraunhofer IIS Fraunhofer IGD Fraunhofer IML Leo Mueck Florian Ascherl Amélie Fichtl Julia Bauer Lui Herz Lisa Hofer Antonia Arnold Florian Uri Anna Reisnecker BayStartUP MUNICH STARTUP Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) FTTF SMART GREEN ACCELERATOR HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds START Munich Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences M3ve SPRIND - Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen Trent Huon Peter Keinz Matthias Unbescheiden Lilja Meißner Johannes Mielitz Juliane Wunderwald Sophie H., Tim Kunze Max Gulde Dr. Alexander Neb and many many more... Who else should be part of our AHEAD community? Tag them below in the comments so they can join us! ⬇️ #TechTransfer #Innovation #Entrepreneurship

AHEAD Bootcamp hosted at the ZOLLHOF – Tech Incubator – Thanks for having us 💛 For the second time, we ran our AHEAD Bootcamp at ZOLLHOF – a great location and environment that provided the right setting for our four intensive days of starting to build new tech ventures. What made it work? ✔️ this special kind of entrepreneurial atmosphere that fosters exchange and innovation ✔️ a professional and well-equipped space that allowed our teams and us to fully focus on their projects ✔️ Dennis Kirpensteijn and Nicolas Sievers from team ZOLLHOF who contributed with their expertise as 2 of our 24 coaches in our AHEAD Washing Machine sessions 💛 a big thank you to the team of ZOLLHOF for the smooth coordination and a special thanks to Larissa Hentrich and Rebecca Weber for their ongoing support "behind the scenes" (btw... you have a great team at your side Benjamin Bauer!) We truely appreciated the opportunity to be here and look forward to future exchange and collaborations! your AHEAD team 💛 Lisa Hofer Julia Bauer Leo Mueck Anna Reisnecker Antonia Arnold Amélie Fichtl Florian Uri #TechIncubator #Entrepreneurship #ThankYou

🚀 We at Fraunhofer AHEAD are excited for an inspiring day at the SET Tech Festival #SET25! 🌍 This global event brings together the brightest minds in energy innovation and climate tech solutions. It connects founders driving change, investors scouting the next big idea, and corporate leaders shaping the energy transition. 🔋 We're proud to present three innovative teams that are looking forward to connecting with investors and industry partners to scale their solutions: CMID - Component & Material Identity Benedikt Bührle Marcel Winter Eden Energy Management Florian Bierwirth @Ycolalbs Fraunhofer WKI Dr. Henrik-Alexander C.., Steffen Sydow 🌱 As Fraunhofer AHEAD, we’re also excited to meet start-ups that might benefit from Fraunhofer technologies to enhance their products and drive even more impact. 🤝 And of course, we’re eager to meet industry partners interested in discovering groundbreaking start-ups in the energy sector. Looking forward to the exchange with you! 💡 Anna Reisnecker Julia Bauer Florian Ascherl Lui Herz Damian Breu René Böhm Niklas Feierabend Palladion Defence Accelerator >SMART> GREEN ACCELERATOR Grünhof HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds AXEL - Der Energie-Accelerator Variolytics Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE #EnergyInnovation #ClimateTech #FraunhoferAhead #StartupCollaboration #SET25

Recap of the AHEAD Bootcamp – Day 4: the final pitches & a sweet goodbye! 🎤❤️ After four intense days, we wrapped up the AHEAD Bootcamp with a big final challenge: the 90-second jury pitches! 💥 ✔️ Pitch Training 📣 – refining and perfecting how to get to the point (fast) and win the jury! ✔️ AHEAD Jury Session – a true pitch marathon: 31 teams, 6 jury members, 3.5 minutes of Q&A per team 💡 ✔️ Official Outro – a moment to reflect on the intense journey and celebrate the progress made ✔️ AHEAD’s Sweet Goodbye – every participant left with a traditional #Lebkuchenherz, inspired by a little entrepreneurial love story, shared by our Lisa Hofer 💛 So what’s next? The selection process for AHEAD Phase 1 is done and the teams will receive their final decisions by early next week 📩 🙏 A huge #thankyou to all teams, our jury members, the ZOLLHOF – Tech Incubator for having us in their locations, the AHEAD team itself and literally everyone who made this bootcamp a success! You brought energy, ideas, and commitment – and we can't wait to see what’s growing in the next six months of AHEAD Phase 1. #TechIncubator #Innovation #Entrepreneurship Our Jury at the Bootcamp: Matthias Keckl from FTTF, Johannes Mielitz from SMART GREEN ACCELERATOR and from inside Fraunhofer Moritz Sachs, Lilja Meißner, Kai-Olaf Preiss and Juliane Wunderwald Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer IGD Fraunhofer IPA Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung IAP Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT Fraunhofer IPMS Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik IBP Fraunhofer IFAM Fraunhofer IFF Leo Mueck Florian Ascherl Antonia Arnold Lui Herz Amélie Fichtl Julia Bauer Florian Uri

Latest updates from the AHEAD Bootcamp – days 2 & 3: Refining, Testing & Preparing! 🔥 We are still in full swing at the Bootcamp, and the teams have tackled two intense days of product visioning, sketching a business strategy, and team development. 💡 Day 2 Highlights: ✔️ Product Readiness with our alumni Leonard Rinser 🤘🏼 – diving deep into what it takes to form a product vision based on inventions and tech ✔️ Spin-off vs. Licensing – exploring the available entrepreneurial tech transfer pathways ✔️ Highlight: the AHEAD Washing Machine 🌀 – our teams were put to the test by our expert panels in the dimensions Market, Product, and Team ✔️ Wrapping up the day with networking and great conversations. Day 3 Highlights: 📌 Lean Canvas session with Florian Uri – structuring all thoughts & insights generated during the workshops and coachings 📌 Action Plan for Phase 1 – defining the next milestones and priorities 📌 Jury Preparations – teams preparing the last jury documents and shaping the first drafts of their 90 seconds-pitch on day 4 What's up next: Of course the final Jury Pitch preparations! 🎤 On day 4, the teams will sharpen their 90-second jury pitches – bringing everything together for the big moment. Stay tuned for more on the jury and an introduction to our format and experts of the "AHEAD Washing Machine" (coming next week) Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer IGD Fraunhofer IPA Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung IAP Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT Fraunhofer IPMS Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik IBP Fraunhofer IFAM Fraunhofer IFF Leo Mueck Florian Ascherl Antonia Arnold Lui Herz Amélie Fichtl Julia Bauer #TechIncubator #Innovation #Entrepreneurship

AHEAD Bootcamp – Day 1 done and what a start it was! 🔥 We invited 30+ teams from 19 Fraunhofer institutes. They work intensely to secure their seat in AHEAD Phase 1 on Thursday. We kicked off with an inspiring keynote by Amelie Reigl from our alumni team TigerShark Science, setting the stage for a intense four days. From there on, things got more and more hands-on: 👉 Innovation in 1h – our dynamic intro session to get everyone into the right customer-centric mindset. 👉 Customer & Market Discovery – diving deeper into the projects and their transfer potential by Julia Bauer 👉 Team Setup – working on individual strength of team members and a common team vision by Anna Reisnecker & Lisa Hofer 👉 ongoing support by our AHEAD & CoLab Coaches as well as the visiting entrepreneurs from Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences After a packed day of arriving in Nürnberg, learning and many many discussions, the teams wrapped up with some well-earned downtime – choosing between a city tour, bouldering, or a classic Bavarian Wirtshaus visit 🍻 And this is just the beginning as the bootcamp continues until Thursday with the final 90 seconds jury pitches. Stay tuned! Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer IGD Fraunhofer IPA Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung IAP Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT Fraunhofer IPMS Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik IBP Fraunhofer IFAM Fraunhofer IFF Leo Mueck Florian Uri Florian Ascherl Antonia Arnold Lui Herz #TechIncubator #Innovation #Entrepreneurship

Join us for the next AHEAD #PitchNight in Munich on April 1, 2025 (no joke 😅 ). We'll bring together the hightech and deeptech community at MARK München for an evening full of future startups and innovations paired with an informal networking opportunity. 👉 Meet 15 selected spin-off and intrapreneurship teams from the AHEAD program and discover their cutting-edge technologies 👉 Exchange ideas with exciting personalities from our AHEAD universe 👉 Connect with teams looking for co-founders, industry partners and intitial investors or angels 👉 sneak: we'll add 3 very promising newcomer teams on stage to spice up their journey Agenda: 🕕 6:00PM – Registration & snacks 🎤 6:30PM – Short intro & 2.5 minute pitches of the teams 🍷 from 9:00PM – Casual networking & afterwork drinks Get your free ticket now: https://lnkd.in/d3H7v3a7 📧 tag your network contacts in the comments of the post to share the invitation with them #FraunhoferAHEAD #Innovation #Startups #MunichNetworking Fraunhofer Venture BayStartUP MUNICH STARTUP START Munich Start2 Group Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) Possible Ventures Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences FTTF SPRIND - Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen Florian Huber Dr. Barbara Mehner Visionaries Tomorrow First Momentum Ventures Stiftung Familienunternehmen Manage and More by UnternehmerTUM XPRENEURS incubator for high-tech start-ups Business Angels Deutschland e.V. (BAND)

📣 We are getting ready for the AHEAD Bootcamp next week where we will host over 35 teams. Over four days we will help to validate and reflect science-based business ideas with applied entrepreneurship. The location can't be a better one. For the second time we will be at the ZOLLHOF – Tech Incubator with one of our Bootcamps. A place full of great people that really understand what we do at AHEAD and why. 📦 Our AHEAD team is already busy preparing all materials to ensure everything is set for a productive week! The teams can look forward to interactive workshops and 1:1 coaching sessions with our experts to challenge their business ideas and gear up for the final pitch in front of the AHEAD Jury. With a new partnership with the Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences we will bring fresh impulses to the Bootcamp. Stay tuned for more 💛💜 💡 We can't wait to welcome the new teams, dive into their projects and technologies, meeting the minds behind the ideas - that's what fuels our passion at AHEAD! We will post some updates and impressions from the bootcamp over the entire next week! Julia Bauer Florian Uri Leo Mueck Anna Reisnecker Lisa Hofer Antonia Arnold Amélie Fichtl Florian Ascherl Lui Herz Damian Breu Fraunhofer Venture FTTF

📣 Heads up all Fraunhofer #deeptech #sciencepreneurs - this is a great opportunity to make the first step in turning your #moonshot research into a deeptech #startup even before joining the AHEAD program! Our friends from a group of Munich VCs are offering a paid, 3-month part-time program in Munich to connect PhD students with the deep tech startup and VC ecosystem: 👉 The Deep Tech Fellowship The Deep Tech Fellowship will match 9 Fellows with 9 VCs for a boosting partnership! Follow the link to get an overview of the program, what it offers, and how you can apply: https://lnkd.in/dszkEb85 📅 Application deadline: March 15th 2025 So time to hurry up! The Fellowship doesn’t only offer you the ability to conduct your own research project with a VC being your sparring partner for market opportutnities. It provides you with ✔️ a VC residency, allowing you to work with their investment team ✔️ educational modules from the VCs that enable entrepreneurial insights and knowledge ✔️ direct access to a network of funds and scientists ✔️ a €3,000 stipend will be provided for each Fellow by the VCs 💛 On top you will receive the support from AHEAD on your way! The Deep Tech VC Fellowship is rooted in science - so it's our core business. It's designed for super early-stage deeptech projects and guides through the startup and funding ecosystem - inspiring you to turn science into action. Are you ready? 🚀

AHEAD x TALENTA: Intrapreneurial thinking for the next career step at Fraunhofer Last week, our colleague Antonia Arnold from the AHEAD team had the opportunity to present the intrapreneurial tech transfer path "Licensing" of our program at #TALENTA – a fantastic initiative that supports women in their career development at Fraunhofer 🚀 Why is this relevant? ✅ the Licensing path enables participants to be entrepreneurial while continuing their scientific careers at Fraunhofer. ✅ the results are technologies and inventions that generate real impact in the world. ✅ the insights and skills gained through AHEAD have a direct benefit to the "everyday work" at the Fraunhofer institutes. ✅ the next career step can often be an entry into intrapreneurship and empowers others to do it in the same way #leadingbyexample A big thank you goes to Teresa Kindermann - We are thrilled to have presented AHEAD at TALENTA – and we look forward to welcoming many intrapreneurial women from inside the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in the upcoming batches at AHEAD! 💡💪 #Fraunhofer #Intrapreneurship #Career #Innovation