HIGHEST and FUTURY Launch Second Phase of Company Builder for Deep-Tech Ventures

Darmstadt/Frankfurt, 3 August 2026 – HIGHEST and FUTURY are launching the second phase of their joint Company Builder for technology- and science-based start-ups. The programme focuses on three key drivers of successful spin-offs: €450,000 in private early-stage funding, targeted support for ten deep-tech teams and structured access to relevant venture capital partners.

Funding and a Clear Path to Investment

The Company Builder supports science-based startup ventures on their journey to investment readiness over a six-month program. A new feature of this phase is the opportunity for up to ten teams to receive an investment ticket of up to €50,000 after the first three months. A total of €450,000 in private early-stage capital is available for participating startups, provided by investors including HEAG Holding AG, Norbert Baumann – MiL Holding GmbH, as well as additional private and institutional investors, among them successful former founders with proven exits. The funding will be allocated across all participating startups. In addition, each team receives a €5,000 mentoring budget. Participating venture capital partners may also independently offer further investment tickets beyond the program funding.

Direct Access to Venture Capital

Venture capital partners including BMH, earlybird, D11Z, FUTURY Capital, HTGF, First Momentum Ventures aus Karlsruhe, STS Ventures, TT49 and U2V are involved from the outset. After six months, the teams will take part in qualified meetings and receive warm introductions to five selected venture capital firms.

In this way, the programme combines technology-focused venture building with a clearly defined financing pathway.

Bridging Research, Markets and Capital

“Science-based ventures need more than strong technology. They need an understanding of the market, entrepreneurial clarity and access to capital at the right time,” says Harald Holzer, Managing Director of HIGHEST.
“The HIGHEST & FUTURY Company Builder combines technological strength with a professional venture-building approach, creating a robust bridge between research, the market and financing.”

A Focus on Scalable Deep-Tech Companies

The programme is led by a team with extensive experience in entrepreneurship and technology transfer. Start-ups that have already emerged from the Company Builder ecosystem include Inflabi, Modulux3D, Zenaris, MimoSense, Borionics, Aperio Space, Dentero, SustainCore, Hydro-Skin and WeLearn.

“Deep-tech teams face highly specific questions at an early stage: Which business model is viable? Which milestones matter to investors? And how can a strong technology be developed into a scalable company?” says Melissa Ott, Managing Director of FUTURY.

“In the second phase of the Company Builder, we address precisely these questions—through focused, hands-on support and direct access to investors who understand science-based innovation.”

About the HIGHEST & FUTURY Company Builder

The HIGHEST & FUTURY Company Builder combines structured venture building with a clear investment pathway for science-based start-ups. It supports founding teams from proof of concept through to investment readiness, helping to translate research into viable businesses. The program targets deep-tech startups based in Hesse and the Rhine-Main region, as well as early-stage founding teams from across Germany. Project HA No. 8084/26-484 is funded by the Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas as part of the State of Hesse’s innovation funding programme under the initiative “Projects to Increase Competitiveness and Entrepreneurial Motivation”.