Partners
To us, networking is more than “smile and wave”. It is cherishing and caring for strong roots. Here in Darmstadt, we like to stand on fertile grounds when it comes to meaningful cooperation and a symbiotic exchange of knowledge.
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 akaris 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
Ecosystem partnerships
Achieve more together. With joint events, exchange of information and sharing of goals.
FUTURY – The Future Factory
FUTURY – The Future Factory is transforming the RhineMain region into a unique startup and innovation hotspot, driving sustainable, technology- and knowledge-based entrepreneurship with a global reach. FUTURY is built on the cutting-edge research power of RhineMain’s leading universities, including Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Universitätsmedizin Mainz and Technische Universität Darmstadt. With expertise in AI, Life Sciences, and DeepTech, alongside the business competencies of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, FUTURY matches and empowers visionary founders to scale groundbreaking ideas from ideation and conceptualization.
Business Angels Frankfurt Rhein-Main
Connecting business angels with start-ups for over 20 years, with more than 150 members (2020), and exceeding 25 events per year, this is one of the most active BA networks in Germany.
WebsiteDigital Hub ATHENE Cybersecurity
Germany’s Leading Innovation Community for Cybersecurity Startups [Text] We support research teams in founding cybersecurity companies and guide startups through their market entry and business scaling. ATHENE leverages its extensive expertise and operates within a strong local, national, and international ecosystem. We are the home for those passionate about innovations in cybersecurity. As a hub, we connect startups with companies, investors, VCs, and other key stakeholders.
WebsiteCesah
The center of satellite navigation Hessen (cesah) stands for expertise and startups in applied space technology.
Located right here in Darmstadt, next to the ESOC (European satellite control center), it. It supports, connects and funds the ecosystem of space technology in Hessen (and beyond).
WebsiteGreen Tech Accelerator ryon
Das Angebot schließt die Lücke im Bedarf der Start-ups von Labor und Technikumsflächen kombiniert mit maßgeschneiderter Unterstützung. Standort ist das FLUXUM-Gelände in Gernsheim am Rhein. Die hervorragende Qualität des regionalen Ökosystems ist vielversprechende Grundlage für die Vision der Ansiedlung hoch technisierter Industrie und damit verbundener neuer Arbeitsplätze in der Region. Initiiert ins Leben gerufen durch die GreenTech Accelerator Gernsheim GmbH bestehend aus der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, der Technischen Universität Darmstadt, dem Wissenschafts- und Technologieunternehmen Merck, der Hessen Trade & Invest (HTAI) sowie der Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank).
GreenTech Accelerator ryon – Start-up Flyer ryon_FlyerA4_8s_WerdenSiePartner_240327_EZS_RZ Websitehessian.AI
The center with a future-proof agenda and a scientific goal: Establish the 3rd wave of AI. With their program “Ignition” and “Rising”, they support start-ups from early beginnings to great expansions.
WebsiteHessen Ideen
Linking the state, universities, and companies, it is Hessen Ideen’s mission to find and fund business ideas within their own educational facilities from a very early stage on.
WebsiteHub31
As a central hub for our start-up ecosystem in Darmstadt, Hub31 offers spaces for students and researchers to work and collaborate. Aside from offices, there are shops with tools and machines for various applications (metal and woodworking, laser cutter, 3D printing, welding, and more)
Also, they’re very welcome to take part in events in the lounge area.
WebsiteSocial Innovator Hessen
Supporting people who are aiming to establish their social companies in Hessen, the Social Innovator provides funding programs to those who’re trying to make the world a better place.
WebsiteTechquartier
In the heart of Frankfurt, the TechQuartier offers start-ups and companies access to future-oriented, innovative programmes and a diverse, dynamic network.
The TechQuartier is an innovation hub and offers space to work and network in a central location in Frankfurt. With over 100 events and co-created programmes per year, such as meetups, hackathons and bootcamps, training and education, the implementation of digital innovations takes place here. At the same time, the TechQuartier is the contact point for established companies from the financial and real economy to the dynamic start-up scene: As the ecosystem manager of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region, the TechQuartier is committed to closer networking and cooperation between local start-up initiatives and in supporting start-ups. The innovation platform aligns its ecosystem activities with socially relevant industry and technology trends. Along these themes, the TechQuartier offers industry-specific as well as cross-industry start-up programmes. These target different phases of the start-up life cycle, from founding and incubation, to fundrasing, acceleration and scaling.
YUBIZZ.DE, the founder initiative of h_da
YUBIZZ is a 24-month funding program for knowledge and technology start-ups in h_da’s career center.
WebsiteCollaboration and funding opportunities
HIGHEST is backed by strong partnerships with institutions and businesses.
Benefits for companies
HIGHEST is backed by strong partnerships with institutions and companies to find answers for pressing global issues together. As a HIGHEST partner, you’ll have access to our entire science network, our most creative thinkers, and the start-ups they built.
As a part of our ecosystem, you will witness up-close the spirit of innovation — from the first idea spark to a successful knowledge- and technology-based company that already has a foot in the market.
As a guide through our eco-system, HIGHEST will assist you and prioritize your business-specific needs. To put in in plain and simple words, this is what you get:
● Access to state-of-the-art technologies and innovative business ideas of our entire university and science network.
● Gain reputation and awareness for your company’s image as a driver of innovation in Germany.
● Networking with founders will give you early access to ideas and talents.
● Funding innovation and entrepreneurship will bump up your social responsibility.
Innovators
Netzwork
Ideas
Startups
Sponsoring events
HIGHEST club
Start-up-Scouting
