Boost for the start-up scene in the Rhine-Main region: Four universities and Futury launch the Future Factory
- The Future Factory has the ambitious goal of producing 1,000 new startups by 2030.
- Founders benefit from structured start-up programs: direct access to financing, industry and coaching from industry experts.
- Application for the “Startup Factories” lighthouse competition of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) opens up additional funding opportunities for the Future Factory and strengthens the competitiveness of the project at national level.
Frankfurt/Main, 24.03.2025 — Four universities — Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Technical University Darmstadt and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management — as well as the Futury startup ecosystem, are launching a new era of academic start-up funding for the Rhine-Main region. With the Future Factory, they combine their strengths and optimize the interface between academic teaching and research and entrepreneurial practice.
The aim of Futury - The Future Factory is to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit at universities, to support students and researchers on their way to becoming entrepreneurs and to transfer their innovative business models into marketable companies. Thanks to Futury's many years of experience and expertise, founders receive support and coaching right from the start during start-up, product development, market access, relevant industry contacts and the necessary financing.
Universities as drivers for start-up funding
As part of the partnership, Frankfurt School, which was previously the sole owner of Futury GmbH, is transferring 45% of the shares to the three Rhine-Main Universities (RMU). Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Technical University Darmstadt now each hold 15% of Futury. In doing so, universities are intensifying their commitment to combine academic teaching and research with entrepreneurial implementation and to further focus on start-ups. With the acquisition of shares, the universities and Frankfurt School are strengthening Futury as the central start-up factory in the region. Futury — The Future Factory aims to establish the region as Germany's leading startup and innovation hub. Together, the universities want to achieve the goal of 1,000 start-ups by 2030 with Futury.
From idea to success: Get started faster thanks to Futury - The Future Factory
Futury supports young talents and startups in turning their ideas into marketable solutions. Futury places particular focus on university-related or science-based ideas and their transfer to new spin-offs. Through structured programs — from training to transfer to piloting — industry expertise and specialist coaching are incorporated into the start-up ideas from day 1.
“We want to develop startups faster, more efficiently and more sustainably. With our factory, we are creating closer links with industry and a structured and consistent start-up program. Our goal is to produce a new generation of founders,” says Charlie Müller, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Futury, summarizing the vision of the Future Factory.
Strong industrial partnerships with companies from a wide range of industries are a key success factor of Future Factory. More than 100 leading industrial partners have already worked with Futury since its founding in 2015 and supported founders in developing and implementing their business ideas. Corporate partners include Bain & Company, Deutsche Bank and Procter & Gamble. These partners not only contribute their professional expertise, but also provide startups with direct market access and practical insights into relevant economic fields. This close cooperation creates sustainable business models that are geared towards sustainable implementation right from the start. The wide range of industries of partner companies ensures that Future Factory can promote innovative ideas from a wide range of areas.
The development of Futury - The Future Factory is a continuation of a success story
Since 2015, Futury has successfully supported around 120 startups through their programs, formed sustainable companies from visionary ideas and piloted them directly in the market. This success shows the potential of targeted support for founders.
Some of the successful startups include Formo, a FoodTech startup that uses precision fermentation to develop animal-free dairy products and is sustainably changing the food industry. Recyda, which develops digital tools to assess the recyclability of packaging and helps companies switch to more sustainable materials, is also one of the successful startups. And Circolution — a digital reusable system for food retailers — has also brought its idea to the market together with Futury.
Futury Capital has provided around 80 million euros in capital for startups since 2018. Investments included start-ups such as Energy Robotics — provider of autonomous inspection solutions using robotics — and Wingcopter, a pioneer in the field of delivery drones for medical care. Both startups, as well as the heat storage startup Magnotherm, founded at TU Darmstadt, are examples of the innovative strength that can be developed through targeted funding and reliable partnerships. Melissa Ott, Managing Director of Futury, emphasizes: “These success stories are the best proof that close networking between science, business and the start-up scene creates sustainable companies. With the joint expertise between universities and Futury, we now want to scale this innovation ecosystem and massively increase the number of technology-based spin-offs. ”
Participation in the federal competition “Startup Factories” of the BMWK
In order to further expand national visibility and support for the Future Factory, the four universities and Futury are taking part in the “Startup Factories” lighthouse competition organized by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK).
The competition provides an important platform for promoting innovation hubs in Germany and provides access to additional financial resources. The combined expertise and resources of the partners make Future Factory a strong candidate with a convincing concept and long-term impact for the entire region. The application is intended to further advance the long-term development of Future Factory as a leading start-up center in the Rhine-Main region. The final application will be submitted on April 30, 2025.
Statements from university presidents
Prof. Dr. Tanja Brühl, President of TU Darmstadt:
“Powerful support for spin-offs is part of our self-image as a technical university. With our HIGHEST Innovation and Start-Up Center, we are in an excellent position when it comes to start-up management. With “IP for Shares,” for example, we have already successfully developed and introduced foundation-friendly IP transfer models. Through our participation in Futury GmbH, we are becoming part of an even larger, powerful innovation ecosystem — we are really looking forward to that. Our networking and offerings at the Future Factory will further expand the bridge between cutting-edge research and innovative strength. Our common goal: 1,000 start-ups by 2030 in the Rhine-Main region as Germany's leading startup and innovation hub. ”
Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch, President of Gutenberg University Mainz:
“Innovative start-ups do not arise in isolation — they require a strong network of science, industry and society. This is exactly where Future Factory comes in: It brings universities, companies and founders together on a platform to bring future technologies to market faster. ”
Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University Frankfurt:
“For Goethe University — founded from Society for Society — it is part of the DNA that real solutions arise from research. At RMU, too, we and our partner universities assume responsibility for implementing scientific excellence in society and thus also in the economy and in the market. With its extraordinary density of scientific institutions and research-intensive companies, the region between Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Mainz has the potential to become a leading innovation hub in Europe. The new factory will provide direct access to markets with fast processes, clear financing options and good contacts with industrial partners. ”
Prof. Dr. Nils Stieglitz, President of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management:
“The region must spark a new entrepreneurial spirit in order to remain competitive in the long term. Successful start-ups require science, research, technology. But we need a lot of young people in particular who want to make a difference, who are willing to take risks and who know how startups work. Futury will do just that — inspire, promote, do. ”