As the central co-innovation platform of RWTH Aachen University, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, the Collective Incubator offers young innovators and startups a place to turn their ideas into reality. The space includes flex desks, lecture halls and meeting rooms for collaborating on new projects. With over 4,000 square meters of space, it also has an event space, a film studio, a sound studio, and much more. For the development of new technological innovations, the Collective Incubator offers workshop facilities for the processing of metal, plastic, wood, textile, electronics and 3D printing. In addition to that, the Collective Incubator also features a number of offices for upcoming startups to work on their businesses.
aiXopt
One of our new teams at the Collective Incubator is aiXopt. Learn more about the young RWTH spin-off below.
Team Name: aiXopt
Founders: Dr.-Ing. David Stenger, Dr.-Ing. Tim Reuscher, supported by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Trimpe
Move-in Date: 01.11.2025
Scientific Roots: Institute for Data Science in Mechanical engineering, Institute for automatic Control
Industry Sector: Manufacturing
Problem & Solution: The European manufacturing industry is highly automated— yet machine setup remains a critical task for experts. The consequences: suboptimal efficiency, potential for errors in complex systems, and a critical reliance on a dwindling pool of skilled personnel. In the long term, this situation is unsustainable for manufacturing companies. This problem is particularly acute in high-volume and high-variance manufacturing, where products and raw materials change frequently.
aiXopt offers an optimization solution that interacts directly with production machinery. By analyzing machine KPIs and the corresponding settings, the solution optimizes the settings step by step. Ten years of research have yielded the following USPs:
1. minimal data volume –> short integration times and low costs,
2. pragmatic security level -> trust,
3. integration of experts, and
4. adaptive behavior under changing conditions.
What makes the RWTH startup ecosystem special? What are you most looking forward to in your time at Collective Incubator?
The RWTH Startup Ecosystem is a unique combination of highly specialized knowledge and university connections and a significant industry interest. The biggest benefit is the wholistic support provided by the ecosystem from network to events and coaching. The Collective Incubator offers high quality offices and a great community. We are very excited to work here and get into contact with many others facing the same challenges.
What will be your next steps during your time at the Collective Incubator? What do you aim to achieve?
We are currently closing our first contracts and working on initial funding. Soon we will think about hiring to increase our teams capabilities. Our aim is to bring pragmatic AI to the European manufacturing sector. From the heart of Europe in Aachen.
