Facts and figures
25,000 students, researchers, and scientists. 14 HIGHEST employees. 29 experts. 1 goal: Show the world that innovation is made in Darmstadt, Germany!
HIGHEST milestones
2007
Center for innovation and start-ups at TU Darmstadt launched
2010
First TU Idea Competition
2016
First Start-up & Innovation Day
2018
The center gets its name: HIGHEST
2021
InnoDay digital exhibition platform
2021
HIGHWAY innovation platform
2022
HIGHEST relaunch
Success Storys
Sucess Story
February 26, 2026
Light for Health and a Better Mood
Sunlight governs a wide range of processes in the human body. To make these benefits available during the dark winter months, the start-up avakis is developing a mask that recreates key properties of daylight—aiming to boost wellbeing and performance in a short time, and to support people coping with shift work and jet lag.
Sucess Story
December 4, 2025
Refuge for small computers
SANCTUARY Systems: Three Darmstadt researchers make critical computers secure
Sucess Story
November 13, 2025
Abbreviations in Space
How the TU Darmstadt Startup Aperio Space Technologies Makes Satellite Data Available in Minutes Instead of Hours
Sucess Story
April 24, 2025
Borionics: Two heads, one salt – and the idea of changing Europe's energy storage system
A young team at TU Darmstadt is developing an innovative electrolyte salt for supercapacitors – efficient, recyclable and independent of Asia. A start-up with a real impact.
Sucess Story
February 20, 2025
Back to the future – smart technology for senior citizens
TUDa start-up Zenaris brings the Internet into the living room
Sucess Story
February 13, 2025
Light, stable, precise: carbon motor spindles
Carbon-Drive start-up has arrived on the market