Driving change through entrepreneurship: With its new KIT FORGE platform, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is boosting its entrepreneurship activities with the aim of becoming a leading European hub for innovation and startup support. The platform’s purpose is to provide systematic and lasting support for entrepreneurial talent and to accompany science-based startups from the initial idea to successful growth.
With 68 spinoffs last year, KIT is one of the strongest universities in Germany’s startup ecosystem. Guided by the motto “Build what’s next,” KIT FORGE will help turn research ideas into successful businesses and innovations that benefit society. It will bring together existing services, expertise, and networks, refine them, and create additional opportunities for entrepreneurial initiatives.
"Our aim with KIT FORGE is to transfer even more scientific insights into concrete solutions for business and society. We want to encourage and enable students and researchers to use their ideas to develop new businesses and tackle the challenges facing society,” said Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT. “We’re building on KIT’s existing strengths and creating new opportunities for successful spinoffs.”
Long-term Commitment to Innovation and Entrepreneurship
A major donation of EUR 6.9 million by businessman Stefan Quandt, a KIT alumnus and Supervisory Board member, will support the ongoing development of entrepreneurship activities at KIT with the KIT FORGE platform. Quandt’s donation to the KIT Foundation builds on his long-standing commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship at KIT, including his financial backing for the TRIANGEL Open Space at Kronenplatz square in Karlsruhe, a place where researchers, businesspeople, and the general public can engage in lively dialogue.
“Over the years, KIT has built up an important framework for innovation and entrepreneurship, and its outstanding research has enormous potential for generating new technologies, innovations, and successful businesses,” Quandt said. “I’m glad KIT FORGE can reinforce this trend. It’s important to me that good ideas don’t fail for lack of infrastructure or opportunity, and that enterprising people get the support they need to bring their ideas to life.”
New Organization for Innovation and Startup Support
The new platform’s aim is to support students and researchers at all career stages develop, test, and bring their business ideas to life. KIT FORGE will guide teams of founders from KIT on their way from the initial idea to a successful business. It will also foster the development of deep-tech startups by bringing together the right teams to turn promising research results into marketable innovations. In addition, KIT FORGE will help KIT employees and students prepare their ventures for market entry, provide access to funding, networks, industry partners, and investors, and facilitate exchanges with experienced entrepreneurs.
KIT FORGE will combine the expertise of the previous KIT Founders Forge, the maKeIT intrapreneurship program, and other entrepreneurship initiatives. Its goal is to better integrate existing services and establish a central “home of entrepreneurship” for spinoffs at KIT with close ties to regional and national networks such as the NXTGN Startup Factory in Baden-Württemberg. “If we want to advance research-based spinoffs, especially in deep-tech, we can’t afford to stop at organizational boundaries,” said Thomas Neumann of KIT’s Innovation and Relations Management service unit (IRM), one of KIT FORGE’s spokespersons. The platform will also introduce new approaches within KIT. Niels Feldmann, KIT’s other spokesperson, said “Research expertise and entrepreneurial talent don’t always reside in the same person. That’s why we want to reach out to researchers systematically and work with them to build founding teams,” said Niels Feldmann, the platform’s other spokesperson.
Kickoff with Entrepreneurship Festival
The kickoff for KIT FORGE takes place during the first KIT Entrepreneurship Festival, which will be held at TRIANGEL Open Space on Kronenplatz square in Karlsruhe from November 11 to 13, 2026. Under the motto “Build what’s next” the festival offers an opportunity for students, researchers, founders, alumni, and other people from business and academia to discuss ideas, build connections, and explore KIT’s startup ecosystem.
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In close partnership with society, KIT develops solutions for urgent challenges – from climate change, energy transition and sustainable use of natural resources to artificial intelligence, sovereignty and an aging population. As The University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT unites scientific excellence from insight to application-driven research under one roof – and is thus in a unique position to drive this transformation. As a University of Excellence, KIT offers its more than 10,000 employees and 23,000 students outstanding opportunities to shape a sustainable and resilient future. KIT – Science for Impact.