Innovation Sprint 2020-2024
Build prototypes and validate your business idea as soon as possible
NRW aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial culture at universities with focus on research and technology transfer through its initiative "Excellence Startup Center.NRW". It encourages sustainability and supports the implementation of strategic concepts that promote the formation of deep tech startups from the research conducted at RWTH Aachen University.
As part of this initiative, the Innovation Sprint was developed at RWTH. This is a new funding mechanism that provides researchers with financial resources quickly and without bureaucracy, thereby supporting them on their path to successful startups.
Selected startup teams could receive funding of up to 90,000 euros to validate the commercial viability of their research results through product development in a very short time. The goal of this development phase was to further advance the product by creating a prototype, thereby increasing its technology readiness level. This enhanced the chances of securing additional funding or investment and supported the spin-off of the project.
The program has ended. A new version of the format is currently in development. To find out when the next round of the Innovation Sprint begins, please sign up for our newsletter here.