"We want to build a bridge between academic research and business start-ups."

Eleven outstanding young researchers from across Germany embarked on their journey into entrepreneurship in February: as part of the AI Founder Fellowship from MISSION KI, they spent nine months working on transforming their AI research into marketable start-ups. They are supported in this by venture developers, coaches, and a broad mentoring network. On October 9, the fellows will present their start-up projects to a larger audience for the first time at the Demo Day in Berlin-Neukölln.

We spoke with Dr. Julian Kahl, head of the fellowship program at MISSION KI/acatech - German Academy of Science and Engineering, about the idea behind the program, its progress so far, and its prospects for the future.

Dr. Kahl, you head the AI Founder Fellowship, which since February has been supporting eleven researchers in transforming their AI research into startups. What was the idea behind this program – and why is this kind of format needed in Germany?

Germany is one of the world's leading research locations and invests enormous sums in research and development. Nevertheless, it is far too rare for these scientific achievements to result in marketable products or successful start-ups. This means that enormous innovation potential remains untapped.

This is exactly where the AI Founder Fellowship comes in. We want to build a bridge between academic research and business start-ups. We want to provide researchers with comprehensive support in translating their findings into practice. The fact is that the transition from science to the world of start-ups brings with it many new and often unfamiliar challenges. These range from questions about market potential and team building to successful fundraising. Dealing with economic and personal risks is also part of the process.

With the fellowship program, we enable researchers to further develop their ideas in a protected environment. They can validate start-up potential and build fundraising skills without having to take big risks or give up company shares.

In addition to financing and covering the costs of technical development, close support from our venture developer team is a central element of the program. The venture developers provide the necessary entrepreneurial know-how that start-up teams from the research sector often lack. With their expertise, they support the fellows in building teams and structures, providing exactly the practical support that researchers need on their way to a successful start-up.

The fellows have gone through an intensive support package – from business model validation to team building. What experiences or developments from these nine months have particularly impressed you?

Our program participants started out as pure research teams with some extremely technology- and research-intensive, so-called deep tech start-up ideas. When it comes to taking the step towards founding a company within a short period of time, this is particularly challenging. It was therefore impressive to see how much motivation and openness the fellows brought to the task. Thanks to the combination of clearly structured content in the program curriculum and intensive support from the venture developers, the fellows made remarkable progress within a few months.

The fellows managed to significantly advance their original start-up ideas. Some teams are on the verge of founding their companies and have raised initial investor funds. Some are close to completing an investment round. What particularly pleased me was the great commitment shown by our ecosystem of mentors, investors, and partners in supporting the teams.

A jury from the MISSION-KI and acatech network selected the best ideas for the fellowship. What criteria were decisive in this process – and what do you think makes this year's cohort particularly special?

An important factor in the success of the program was that we selected very carefully. Because only with the best teams and the most promising ideas can startups with great innovation potential emerge. We therefore defined clear criteria early on in the application process: First, applicants had to demonstrate research excellence. Second, it was crucial that the project ideas offered a high degree of technological innovation and demonstrated significant market potential. When making our selection, it was important to us to evaluate the projects from both a scientific-technical and an investor perspective. By combining these two perspectives, we were able to thoroughly assess the innovation potential of each idea.

Unlike many other formats, the AI Founder Fellowship is nationwide. This enabled us to reach AI researchers from all over Germany. The fellows are accordingly spread across Germany. We regularly organize boot camps at the Merantix AI Campus in Berlin, which the fellows attend together.

What distinguishes this year's cohort is the technological depth of their projects and the fact that the fellows come from very different academic disciplines. As expected, many of the applications were for start-up ideas in computer science. We are delighted that numerous applications were also submitted from the fields of engineering, bioinformatics and medicine, electrical engineering, physics, and psychology, underscoring the cross-disciplinary nature of artificial intelligence. It is precisely this diversity that is reflected in the first cohort of the AI Founder Fellowship.

Demo Day on October 9 marks the end of the program. What can visitors expect—and why is this moment so important for the fellows?

Demo Day is both the highlight and the conclusion of the program. For the fellows, this is a pivotal moment because it gives them the opportunity to show a high-caliber audience of investors, founders, industry experts, politicians, and the general public what they have built over the past nine months. In short pitches, the teams present their start-up projects and demonstrate how they have developed viable business models from research-intensive ideas.

The program is deliberately designed to be diverse. Prof. Henning Kagermann, former CEO of SAP and Chairman of the acatech Board of Trustees, will open Demo Day with a keynote speech. This will be followed by further keynotes from Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Governmental Affairs, and serial entrepreneur Carsten Kraus. Another highlight is the panel talk “Beyond the Blueprint – Contrasting Founder Journeys,” in which successful female founders will share their very different paths to entrepreneurship and discuss their personal experiences.

The focus of the day will be on the pitches of our fellows. A jury consisting of early-stage investors will evaluate the pitches and present an award to the two most convincing start-up teams.

Berlin is considered a hotspot for AI in Germany. What role does the Berlin ecosystem play for the fellowship and for founders who are starting out from a research background?

The Berlin AI ecosystem plays a central role for us. Berlin has developed into a hotspot for AI. The city has a high density of research institutions, a dynamic start-up scene, and numerous investors. Our fellows come from universities all over Germany. With the fellowship, we enable them to connect directly to this AI ecosystem.

At the end of the funding period, the teams are at the transition stage to practical application. What does the future hold for them – and what role will the AI Founder Fellowship play in the transfer of AI research to startups in the future?

For most of our fellows, the completion of the program marks the decisive step towards starting their own business. Many teams have carefully prepared for this transition and are now ready to get started. The majority have already secured follow-up financing – from business angels to specialized early-stage funds to renowned deep tech investors. These funds are now flowing directly into the further development of their technologies and products as well as into market entry. This ensures that the results of the program's work are quickly put into practice.

For the future of the AI Founder Fellowship, we are already thinking about possible next generations of programs that will further strengthen and accelerate the transfer of AI research to startups. We cannot provide any concrete details yet, but we will share our initial insights during Demo Day on October 9.

Thank you very much for talking to us.