Agenda
Mainstage
Hosted by Andrea Löffler, hr info
- 1:30 p.m.
Opening & Welcome Remarks Harald Holzer, Managing Director, HIGHEST Innovation and Startup Center; Prof. Dr. Tanja Brühl, President of TU Darmstadt; Kaweh Mansoori, Minister of Economic Affairs of Hesse (video message); Holger Follmann, Startup Representative for the State of Hesse; Hanno Benz, Mayor, Science City Darmstadt - 2:45 p.m.
Live Podcast: “Technology Reaches Market: How Cutting-Edge Research Becomes a Successful Deep-Tech Company” Prof. Dr. Tanja Brühl, President of TU Darmstadt; Prof. Dr. Markus Roth, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Focused Energy - 3:30 p.m.
Presentation of the TU Darmstadt xchange Award for Knowledge and Technology Transfer Prof. Dr. Thomas Walther, Vice President for Innovation & International Affairs, TU Darmstadt - 4:00 p.m.
International Keynote: “Starting Is Easy. Scaling Is Hard.” Why Deep Tech Is Different. Rutvika Acharya Oloffson, Co-Founder & CEO, caplyzer (Presentation in English) - 4:30 p.m.
From Science to Scalable Startups – HIGHEST & FUTURY Company Builder Batch 1 Harald Holzer, Managing Director, HIGHEST Innovation and Startup Center Thomas Glaser, Futury GmbH - 4:50 p.m.
Investors Talk: Why We Invested in…? Carmen Rommel, Co-Founder & COO, Biovox GmbH; Tilmann Petersen, Investment Manager, HTGF, in conversation with Harald Holzer, Managing Director, HIGHEST
- 5:10 p.m.
Interview: 10 Years of INNODAY. What We’ve Accomplished. What we will achieve. Prof. Dr. Peter Buxmann, Unipreneur 2026, Chair of Business Informatics, TU Darmstadt Harald Holzer, Managing Director, HIGHEST Innovation and Startup Center, TU Darmstadt Prof. Dr. Thomas Walther, Vice President for Innovation & International Affairs, TU Darmstadt Melissa Ott, Managing Director, Futury
- 5:30 p.m.
Finals and Awards Ceremony for the TU Ideas Competition: 1-minute pitches by all finalists; awards ceremony for the “Students” and “Researchers” categories, as well as special prizes from Merck, the Weiland Foundation, and hessian. - 6:45 p.m.
Booth party with the HIGHEST band at Hessen Ideen
- 8:00 p.m.
End of INNODAY26
Pitch Corner
- 2:30 p.m.
Startup Elevator Pitches - 3:45 p.m.
Funding Spotlight: A Quick Look at Funding Programs with Hessen Ideen, Exist, ESA/BIC, Startup Secure, hessian.ai, EEN, push!, and more
Sidevents & Workshops
- 2:00 p.m.
Workshop: From Prototype to the Global Market: The EIC Accelerator as a Growth Booster for Startups and Deep Tech Spin-offs Matthias Wurch, EIC Accelerator National Contact Point Dagmar Heidenreiter-Gelov & Stephan Dillenberger, EU Funding Program Consulting, Innovation Enterprise Europe Network Hessen / Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH Room 2.08 platinum - 3:00 p.m.
Workshop: Eureka! What’s next? – From invention to a successful tech startup Dr. Maximilian Knaus, WSL Patent Attorneys Room 2.06 argentum 4:00 p.m. Workshop: Beyond the Pitch – Your cap table looks great. Your bank cares about something else. Mathias Krätzer and Sherwin Hilkene, ODDO BHF Room 2.08 platinum - 4:40 p.m.
Female Founders Talk “Ask Me Anything” (women only) Rutvika Acharya Oloffson, Co-Founder & CEO, caplyzer Caro Wagner, Futury and Female Founders Alliance Simone Lühl, Female Founders @ HIGHEST Wine Bar
Exhibition Floor
Highlights
10 Years INNODAY
Sponsors
Medienpartner
INNODAY – Team
FAQs
INNODAY26 brings together science, startups, companies, investors, and talent on 29 October 2026 at the darmstadtium in Darmstadt. Here you will find the most important information about the program, registration, target groups, and participation in the startup and innovation event of TU Darmstadt.
INNODAY26 is the central startup and innovation event of TU Darmstadt. On 29 October 2026, HIGHEST, the Innovation and Startup Center of TU Darmstadt, will bring together students, researchers, founders, startups, companies, investors, and representatives from politics and society at the darmstadtium in Darmstadt. Under the motto “Science. Startups. Future!”, INNODAY26 shows how scientific ideas, research results, and new technologies become real-world innovations and startups.
INNODAY26 will take place on 29 October 2026 at the darmstadtium in Darmstadt. The event runs from 1:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The darmstadtium is centrally located in Darmstadt and offers an ideal setting for exchange, technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
INNODAY26 is organized by HIGHEST, the Innovation and Startup Center of Technical University of Darmstadt. HIGHEST supports students, researchers, and founders in turning ideas into viable business models, startups, and innovations.
INNODAY26 is designed for students, researchers, founders, startups, companies, investors, and everyone interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and future-oriented topics. The event is especially relevant for people who want to discover startups, develop their own business ideas, connect with the innovation ecosystem in Hesse, or experience new technologies from science and research.
INNODAY26 offers a compact and high-quality overview of the region’s innovation and startup landscape. Visitors can experience more than 100 exhibitors, startups, research projects, investor pitches, keynotes, a science slam, workshops, and the final of the TU Ideas Competition. Anyone interested in startups, careers, research, future technologies, or cooperation opportunities will meet the right people in one place.
Yes. Participation in INNODAY26 is free of charge. Prior registration is required. Interested visitors can register online and secure their free ticket.
Registration for INNODAY26 is available online through the official event registration platform. After registering, visitors will receive their ticket for INNODAY26. Participation is free of charge.
Visitors can expect a diverse program focused on startups, science, innovation, and future technologies. The program includes keynotes, investor pitches, a science slam, workshops, networking formats, more than 100 exhibitors, and the final of the TU Ideas Competition. INNODAY26 combines the strengths of a trade fair, conference, startup event, and networking platform.
INNODAY26 focuses on startups, science-based innovations, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, careers, financing, investment, and cooperation between science and industry. The event highlights ideas, technologies, and business models emerging from universities, research institutions, and startups.
The motto “Science. Startups. Future!” captures the core of INNODAY26: scientific insights become business ideas, startups, and innovations. INNODAY26 makes visible how research from TU Darmstadt and the regional innovation ecosystem contributes to the future of business and society.
For students, INNODAY26 is an opportunity to meet startups, companies, and innovative research teams. They gain insights into career paths, startup ideas, and future technologies. Students interested in startup jobs, internships, thesis topics, founding a company, or starting a career in an innovative environment can connect directly with founders, companies, and experts.
Founders and startups meet companies, investors, research teams, talents, and partners from the startup ecosystem in Hesse. INNODAY26 offers visibility, contacts, exchange, and inspiration. It is particularly valuable for teams looking to expand their network, receive feedback, find cooperation partners, or connect with other founders.
Companies gain access to startups, research, technologies, and talent at INNODAY26. The event offers an opportunity to discover innovative solutions, identify cooperation potential, and connect with founders, researchers, and students. For companies, INNODAY26 provides a compact entry point into the innovation and startup ecosystem of TU Darmstadt and the Hesse region.
Investors can discover new startups, founding teams, and science-based innovations at INNODAY26. Investor pitches and networking formats provide insights into young companies, technologies, and business models from the TU Darmstadt environment and the wider startup ecosystem in Hesse. The event is particularly relevant for investors interested in deep tech, technology-driven startups, and science-based ventures.
The final of the TU Ideas Competition is one of the highlights of INNODAY26. Students and researchers from TU Darmstadt present their innovative ideas and startup projects live on stage. The final showcases new concepts, technologies, and business models emerging from the university.
Yes. Networking is a central element of INNODAY26. Visitors can connect with startups, founders, researchers, companies, investors, students, and experts from the innovation ecosystem. The event is designed to enable exchange, cooperation, and new contacts.
Yes. INNODAY26 will offer workshops on topics relevant to startups and entrepreneurship. These include, among others, patent law, financing, and further questions related to founding, growth, and innovation. The workshops are particularly aimed at founders and people interested in starting a business who are looking for practical input for their next steps.
The Science Slam at INNODAY26 brings science to the stage in a clear, engaging, and entertaining way. Researchers present their topics in a concise and accessible format. The Science Slam shows how exciting science, research, and innovation can be.
More than 1,600 visitors are expected at INNODAY26. This makes INNODAY one of the relevant startup and innovation events in Darmstadt, the Rhine-Main region, and Hesse.
More than 100 exhibitors are expected at INNODAY26. They include startups, research projects, university teams, companies, and partners from the innovation and startup ecosystem.
INNODAY26 combines elements of a trade fair, conference, and networking event. Visitors can meet exhibitors, experience stage program highlights, attend workshops, discover startups, and connect with the innovation ecosystem. INNODAY26 is more than a traditional trade fair: it is a meeting point for science, startups, and future-oriented topics.
TU Darmstadt is a strong university for science, technology, and innovation. Through HIGHEST, it supports startups, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. INNODAY26 showcases the ideas, startups, and innovations emerging from TU Darmstadt and its network.
HIGHEST is the Innovation and Startup Center of TU Darmstadt. It supports students, researchers, and founders from the first idea to the startup and helps them develop viable business models. HIGHEST connects science, startups, companies, investors, and partners within the innovation ecosystem.
Darmstadt is an important location for science, technology, and innovation. With TU Darmstadt, strong research institutions, technology-oriented companies, and a growing startup scene, the city provides an ideal environment for INNODAY26. The event highlights the innovative strength of Darmstadt and the Hesse region.
INNODAY26 strengthens the startup ecosystem in Hesse by connecting founding teams, science, companies, investors, talent, and institutions. The event creates new contacts, cooperation opportunities, and momentum for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
Yes. Numerous startups and founding teams will present themselves at INNODAY26. Visitors can speak directly with founders, learn about business models, experience technologies, and build contacts for cooperation, jobs, investment, or joint projects.
Yes. Companies are part of INNODAY26. They contribute their perspectives on innovation, cooperation, talent, and technology transfer. For students, founders, and researchers, INNODAY26 offers the opportunity to speak directly with company representatives.
Yes. Investors are part of INNODAY26. The event includes formats where founders and startups can meet investors and gain insights into financing, growth, and investment criteria.
No. INNODAY26 is not limited to members of TU Darmstadt. Students, researchers, founders, startups, companies, investors, and interested visitors from Darmstadt, Hesse, and beyond are welcome.
INNODAY26 is an international startup and innovation event in a university environment. Individual program items may take place in German or English. The event is also relevant for international students, founders, and guests.
Current information about the program, speakers, workshops, exhibitors, and registration will be published on the official INNODAY website. There, visitors will find all relevant information about INNODAY26.