20 million euros for founding offensive: NXTGN STARTUP FACTORY START!

20 million euros for founding offensive: NXTGN STARTUP FACTORY START!

Baden-Baden, Deutschland - in the heart of Baden-Württemberg is big: The NXTGN Startup Factory has been the international innovation platform of the latest data records and creative ideas from founders. Today, on July 10, 2025, the initiative was officially presented and immediately encounters a lot of interest. The federal government and business will provide up to 20 million euros to drive the founding landscape in Germany vigorously. But what exactly is behind this ambitious project?

The NXTGN consortium includes some of the most renowned educational and research institutions in the country, including the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Stuttgart, the University of Heidelberg, the University of Ulm and the Media University in Stuttgart. In addition, NXTGN Management GmbH and Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) are there to make the band between science and business even closer. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann emphasizes that these cooperation will play a central role in Baden-Württemberg's innovation history, while Science Minister Petra Olschowski emphasizes the importance of startups for economic dynamics.

three pillars for success

A central concern of the NXTGN STARTUP FACTORY is the support of technology-driven startups and spin-offs. This happens over three load -bearing columns: First, the strengthening of startups is supported that venture into the market from research. Second, the cooperation between startups and medium -sized companies is to be optimized, and thirdly, a connection between physical hubs and digital offers is sought. The latter is particularly important to actively integrate and promote the potential of the start -up efforts in the country.

The goals are ambitious: by 2030, the NXTGN is planning to found over 300 deep tech startups and the implementation of at least 1,000 cooperation projects between startups and medium-sized companies. Furthermore, it is targeted to acquire one billion euros in private risk capital and to create over 10,000 new jobs in future -oriented industries. This is a lot of wood, but with the strong research landscape and the technical expertise of the universities in Baden-Württemberg, the plan could open.

more than just founding aid

The NXTGN Startup Factory is not only an equally innovative initiative, but also part of the Federal Government's comprehensive startup strategy. The competition for new key players in the German startup ecosystem is intensively promoted. The “Startup Factory” lighthouse competition aims to organize new central actors privately and to make it internationally visible. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) also has extensive experience from the promotion of startup teams, because since 2013 over 400 teams have been supported, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and medical technology.

In addition, the NXTGN consortium is supplemented by various private partners and the VC Mätt VC, which together ensure a strong economic basis and drive the startup idea. Companies such as ADS-TEC Industrial IT, Festo and the Baden-Württemberg Foundation are among the strategic partners who support the project.

For founders and innovators in Baden-Württemberg it says: there is something! The NXTGN startup factory opens doors and promotes talents, founding ideas and companies on their way to transformation. It remains exciting to see how the innovation landscape will develop in the coming years, but the foundation is laid.

More information about this initiative is on the websites of Baden-württemberg and kit founders' smithy