(From left) Stefan Vorbach, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at TU Graz; Muaaz ABDUL HADI, co-founder of MUST Visibility FlexCo; Erkut Sarikaya, co-founder and CEO of AutonomIQ; and Stefan Trabesinger, co-founder of MUST Visibility FlexCo. Photo credit: Christof Hütter Photography
New soft landing services support start-ups
Start-ups and spin-offs from TU Darmstadt now benefit from new Europe-wide support offerings within the Unite! alliance. The so-called soft landing services of the Unite! universities provide start-up projects with access to regional innovation ecosystems, financing options, and sector-specific expertise in eight other European countries.
Overview of the services:
- Information on local funding programs, start-up initiatives, and legal frameworks
- Consultation with local contact persons
- Access to partners from industry, research, and investment networks
With minimal bureaucratic effort, start-ups can position themselves across Europe, open up new markets, and reach potential investors.
First successes: Software start-up from Darmstadt networks with TU Graz
The Darmstadt start-up AutonomIQ, which develops AI-based solutions for manufacturing processes, used the new Unite! services as part of the Tech Startup Forum 2025 in Graz. Direct synergies arose through engagement with the local innovation ecosystem—among others with the TU Graz spin-off MUST Visibility FlexCo. The two founding teams subsequently conducted a joint workshop. Stefan Vorbach, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at TU Graz, emphasized: ” The new Unite! services bring start-up teams from all over Europe together with industry and investors. In doing so, we are building bridges to European innovation regions, which also open up new opportunities for our local start-ups.”
Text: TU Darmstadt