Fraunhofer Venture has unveiled an accelerator for businesses based on its research in areas including artificial intelligence, digital medicine and industry 4.0.
Fraunhofer Venture, the tech transfer division of the Fraunhofer Society, has launched a new Germany-based accelerator program called Ahead to catalyse new spinouts.
Ahead begun yesterday with a four-day boot camp, Ahead Boot Camp, training 30 startups with business concepts in areas including artificial intelligence, industry 4.0, digital medicine, energy storage and materials.
A select number from the boot camp will progress to Ahead’s full program, then gaining access to Fraunhofer Society’s extensive technical and networking resources over a 24-month period, during which they will set the trajectory for companies commercialising Fraunhofer’s research.
Ahead’s main accelerator will invite scientists and experts to join with entrepreneurs in teams comprising a range of perspectives and professionalism. These teams will receive professional coaching as they take their projects forward towards market maturity.
Ahead is allied with Fraunhofer Society’s $68m tech transfer vehicle, Fraunhofer Fund, which finances spinouts and licensing opportunities early in development, however participants will also be put in contact with more than 150 external VC firms and other potential investors.
Fraunhofer expects that in the medium term, Ahead will become the primary point-of-contact linking its research to Germany’s startup community and potential industry partners.
Thomas Doppelberger, head of Fraunhofer Venture, said: “The Ahead program is designed to help new, agile, high-performance, high-tech companies become the technology drivers of the future. Ahead combines all spinoff initiatives of the Fraunhofer Society into an effective process, from initial concept development to market entry.”
Thorsten Lambertus, chief acceleration officer of Ahead, added: “The DNA of our Ahead program is tailored to the individual challenges of each startup team and the combination of cutting-edge technology with genuine entrepreneurial spirit. In the medium-term we want to achieve a leading position among the international company building programs. “