Our Story

// The FUTURY Journey

Building the Startup Factory.

Futury is supported by a strong alliance of 33 corporate and foundation partners as well as four universities – Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and TU Darmstadt.

2015 — Foundation

FUTURY was founded as a startup platform and incubator to support early-stage entrepreneurs in their first steps from idea to product.

2017 — Development as part of the “Werte-Stiftung”

FUTURY became part of the "Werte-Stiftung" to expand its mission beyond entrepreneurship alone — focusing on innovation for industry partners, sustainability, and long-term value creation.

2018 —Futury & Futury Capital - first Fund togehter

Futury Capital launched the first venture capital fund with a volume of 20m EUR to invest in early-stage startups. The fund was setup in a unique public-private-partnership model: 50% of the capital was provided by the "Land Hessen" and 50% by private investors.

2019 — Launch of “The Mission” with Handelsblatt, Bain&Company, Deutsche Bank and Schwarz Gruppe

FUTURY launched The Mission — a large-scale sustainable innovation program that focuses on solutions along industrial value-chains. For selected industries (e.g. Waste, Food, Construction or Cybersecurity), startups have been working on real-world industry challenges with high impact goals.

2020 — Futury & Futury Capital - second Fund togehter

After the successful launch and first years of FUTURY Capital, the second venture capital fund with a volume of 60m EUR was closed - again in a PPP structure together with the Land Hessen. The fund focuses on startups from seed to Series A+ rounds.

2023 — Acquisition by the Frankfurt School

The Frankfurt School of Finance & Management became shareholder of FUTURY. This strategic step deepened the connection between entrepreneurship, academia, and applied innovation — laying the foundation for FUTURY’s next stage of growth.

2024 — EXIST Leuchtturmwettbewerb Startup Factories

FUTURY applied within the competition "Leuchtturmwettbewerb Startup Factories" by the BMWK (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz) and got approved for the final round by Robert Habeck.

2025 — Three new universities as shareholders

Three major universities of the Rhine-Main region joined the Frankfurt School as shareholders of Futury, which form the foundation of academic excellence and innovation, while 33 corporate and foundation partners provide industry access, strategic expertise, and the financial backing that powers Futury's mission.

2025 –Recognition as one of ten Startup Factories in Germany

After the successful application period, FUTURY got awarded by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Katharina Reiche, as one of 10 officially recognized Startup Factories for Germany. The shared ambition: 1,000 startups out of the Rhine-Main region by 2030.

2026 — Futury & Futury Capital - third Fund togehter

Futury Capital closes its third venture fund with a volume of 47m EUR. The fund seeks for investments in early-stage startups from Pre-Seed to Series A and invests in promising startups across Europe, with a particular focus on Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

2026 — Opening and Go-Live of FUTURY’s Startup and Event Space

In 2026, FUTURY opened its Startup and Event Space and AI Showroom. This new physical hub connects startups, corporates, and researchers to collaborate on scalable projects, with the first pilot programs launching this year.