For the first time, Hessen Ideen is awarding dedicated fellowships to female founders — a milestone for equal opportunity in innovation support. The result: 39% of participants are women — significantly above the national average. The message is clear: targeted support makes a difference.
Seventeen teams from nine universities are starting the new fellowship round — more than ever before. Among them: five all-female teams that will benefit not only from financial support (up to €2,500 per month) but also from tailored mentoring, workshops, and access to an innovation-focused network.
Hessen’s Minister of Science, Timon Gremmels, captured it well during the kick-off in Kassel:
“Diversity is not a side issue — it is the foundation of true innovation.”
➡️ The Hessen Ideen Fellowship provides space to think and create — for students and graduates before the official founding of their startup. It offers time, funding, guidance — and now, finally: equality.
♀️ The female-led teams are developing ideas in digital healthcare, mental well-being, plant-based innovations, green energy, virtual reality, and access to education. Their projects demonstrate that diversity doesn’t just bring new perspectives — it brings new solutions.
Among the selected start-up projects are two pioneering ideas from Technische Universität Darmstadt:
🔹 OptiMigration – an AI platform that streamlines immigration processes and reduces administrative workload.
🔹 PseudoAI – intelligent pseudonymization for privacy-compliant document management.
Congratulations to all the teams — and sincere thanks to Hessen Ideen for providing momentum when it matters most.
