The AI NATION ACCELERATOR Spring 2026 batch is set! We are delighted to welcome 15 startups, consisting of familiar faces from the AI NATION GRANT or THE POOL, as well as brand-new talent from all over Germany. On Wednesday, April 15, the teams will come together for the Welcome Days to kick off the new batch.

In 2023, Nina Heine and Fabian Habicht founded their company, Shit2Power, with the support of the EXIST and Berlin Startup scholarships. Their innovative idea? Generating energy from sewage sludge – traditionally a waste product – and using it to treat wastewater. By utilizing this recovered energy, wastewater treatment plants can increase their output of purified freshwater in a cost-effective and climate-neutral way.

The startup has already received several awards for this remarkable project, but now founder Nina Heine is being bestowed a very special honor: in 2026, she is one of three finalists at the German Startup Awards in the “Founder of the Year” category. She successfully stood out against more than 400 other nominees. The award ceremony will take place on May 21, 2026, at the Palais am Funkturm in Berlin. We’re crossing our fingers!

Deep Tech Momentum brings together founders, investors, corporates, and policymakers who are actively working to transfer deep tech from science into real-world applications. Science & Startups will also be part of the event this year to network with science-based founders, early-stage teams, investors, and entrepreneurs, while providing insights into the ecosystem of the joint startup service of Berlin’s major universities. The event will take place over two days, from May 20–21, 2026, at Wilhelm Studios in Berlin.

Der Beitrag Week 15: AI NATION ACCELERATOR Batch, Nina Heine at German Startup Awards, Deep Tech Momentum erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Last week, Science & Startups hosted the kickoff event for Batch I of the Berlin Startup Fellowship, where the startups got to know each other, Science & Startups and BSS were introduced, and a workshop titled “Entrepreneur Starter Lab” took place. Over the next few weeks, the teams will be featured on social media. Stay tuned!

Great news! Two AI NATION startup alumni have made it to the finals of the prestigious German Startup Awards and are competing for the title of “Newcomer.” One is Sitegeist, led by Dr. Lena-Marie Pätzmann, Julian Hoffmann, Claus Carste, and Nicola Kolb, which offers autonomous and modular construction robots designed to address the shortage of skilled workers. The other contender is the startup nextract, founded by Maurits Zevering, Daniel Benkoff, and Mariia Semenenko. Their business model is designed to help renewable energy producers reach their full production potential.

Der Beitrag Week 14: Kick-Off BSS Startups, AI NATION Alumni in Finals of German Startup Awards erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Our topics of week 13

Last week brought some big news: Dr. Tina Klüwer, co-founder of K.I.E.Z., is the new Executive Director of AI NATION, Germany’s nationwide ecosystem and platform for AI startups! With K.I.E.Z., she was a true pioneer in the field of AI hubs, setting new standards and playing a decisive role in the program’s high visibility throughout Germany. Now, AI NATION stands to benefit from her extensive experience in AI research, startups, and industry.

She is widely regarded as a key figure in the scene, uniquely combining entrepreneurial, scientific, and political expertise. In the coming years, she will be responsible for the strategic development of AI NATION and will play a major role in shaping the next growth phase of Germany’s AI ecosystem.

The travel group that spent nine days in Shanghai and the Yangtze Delta has returned, bringing back their key takeaways. Dr. Isabelle Harbrecht from the China Competence Center, who played a leading role in organizing the trip, summarized those:

• German companies in China are increasing their investments locally and view China as a model to learn from.
• 73 percent of German companies operating on the ground want the German government to treat China more strongly as a partner again.
• Transfer and matchmaking between researchers and companies are prioritized in the Yangtze Delta.
• China’s new five-year plan focuses on AI, quantum computing, humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, deep-sea and polar technologies, and 6G.
• China’s relevance in international legal affairs has grown. For instance, China acts as a key player in the international development of legislation regarding anti-money laundering, the taxation of global income, and e-Apostilles.

Der Beitrag Week 13: New Executive Director of AI NATION, Key Takeaways from the Trip to China erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Highlights in week 12

From March 15 to 25, 2026, a delegation from the China Competence Training Center at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin including two members of the Humboldt-Innovation Academy as well as specialists and executives from various universities and research institutions traveled to China. Their goal is to expand their China-related expertise and gain firsthand insights into the complex, forward-looking ecosystem of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. During the visit, meetings are scheduled with representatives from science, business, politics, and diplomacy to exchange ideas on China’s higher education and research landscape, innovation strategies, and international cooperation, while also fostering professional networks.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can now apply once again for the Berlin Startup Scholarship (Berliner Startup-Stipendium) through Science & Startups. In March, the startup network launched its new call for applications titled “Science & Startups for Democratic Resilience.” The program awards scholarships to startups that have developed innovations focused on democratic resilience, social stability, and sustainable development. This year, the total funding volume for the Berlin Startup Scholarship amounts to 31 million euros, enabling the support of 680 prospective founders. The funds are provided by the State of Berlin and the European Social Fund. Click here for the full article: Science & Startups Raises 8 Million Euros for a New Round of Funding in the Berlin Startup Scholarship Program • Berlin University Alliance

In mid-March, the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL) was officially inaugurated. In this new facility, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) will collaborate to develop and test resource-efficient battery technologies, with a specific focus on sodium-ion batteries. The research facility is also open to external partners from science and industry, such as startups and technology-based companies. The primary goal of the lab is to accelerate the transition from research to practical application while efficiently leveraging the synergies between the participating institutes. All three institutions possess outstanding expertise in this field; HU, for instance, is one of the leading universities in the area of sodium-ion batteries. Consequently, HU Professor Philipp Adelhelm was appointed as one of the lab’s three scientific directors, alongside Dr. Tim-Patrick Fellinger (BAM) and Prof. Dr. Yan Lu (HZB).

Der Beitrag Week 12: Journey to China, BSS, Inauguration of BBL erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 11

The Berlin University Alliance (BUA)—Germany’s first excellence alliance comprising Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin—successfully passed its evaluation on March 11, 2026, as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.

With this result, the alliance secures continued funding in the millions, marking a significant victory for the scientific landscape of both Berlin and Germany. The positive assessment confirms that the BUA has achieved its 2019 objectives and possesses a robust vision for the future.

On March 10, 2026, OpTecBB hosted the “Female Leadership in Quantum” edition of its BarBQ event at Leap Berlin. Deep tech experts Isabella Douzoglou Muños, Dr. Franziska Greinert, Maria Ksenia Witte, Eda S., and Jana Lehner took the stage as speakers and panelists to share their extensive leadership experience.

The discussion centered on how diversity acts as a catalyst for the quantum industry, yielding exclusively positive results: more resilient teams, better decision-making, and stronger companies. Inclusion improves performance—especially in a field characterized by uncertainty, high complexity, and lengthy innovation cycles. Another topic of discussion was the advancement of women in the quantum industry. The panel concluded that systems that enable female leadership benefit greatly from this. More about the event: BERLIN QUANTUM BBQ April 2026 | Quantum technology from Berlin

Der Beitrag Week 11: BUA continues to Excel, Female Leadership in the Quantum Industry erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 10

On International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8, FLINTA individuals once again took to the streets worldwide to fight for women’s rights and gender equality. On this day, Science & Startups published figures that serve as yet another reminder that equality and equal opportunity are still not a reality in the startup world. In Germany, only 19.8 percent of startup founders are women. In general, women are less likely to envision themselves becoming founders: In a student survey, 40 percent of men stated that they could see themselves as founders in the future. In contrast, only 21 percent of their female classmates said the same. Founders Dr. Adiba Maignan and Stine Hecht, with whom Science & Startups spoke on Women’s Day, say that scholarships and institutional support were crucial in their decision to ultimately start a business. Furthermore, research shows that role models and the ability to balance work and family life are essential for closing the gender gap in the startup industry.

The performance of quantum computers far exceeds that of classical models. Quantum computing is considered a key technology of the future, as it enables fundamentally new approaches to highly complex problems in business, mobility, energy, and medicine. The potential of the technology became clear at the awards ceremony for the first Berlin Quantum Hackathon 2026. Charité and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe had tasked six development teams with challenges in the fields of medicine and mobility, which they were to solve using quantum computing. All teams arrived at practical solutions. Three of them received awards from State Secretary Severin Fischer: First place went to Team Mayo Clinic, second place to The Depth Compressors, and third place to Beerantum. The project demonstrates how quantum computing is increasingly being put to practical use and solving complex societal problems. The 2026 Hackathon was funded through the Zukunft Berlin project of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises, as well as with EU funding. It was organized by Kipu Quantum in collaboration with BERLIN QUANTUM. “The impressive number of applications for the hackathon has once again shown how important the quantum computing scene is for Berlin!” emphasizes HI Managing Director Volker Hofmann.

Der Beitrag Week 10: Gender Gap in Startup Scene, first Quantum Hackathon 2026 erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Last week, Science & Startups relaunched the EXIST Women program. This initiative supports FLINTA individuals* from the scientific community who are ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Participants are equipped with the necessary tools, provided with financial funding, and integrated into strong networks to bring their ideas to life. Consultation sessions are available until December 15, and applications are open until December 31, 2025. The initiative is funded by EXIST, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Project Management Jülich. More info: EXIST Women Science & Startups.

On December 4, 2025, Volker Hofmann, Managing Director of Humboldt-Innovation GmbH, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Humboldt-Universitäts-Gesellschaft (HUG). The society bridges research and teaching with businesses and organizations, serving as a vital link between Humboldt-Universität and the general public. The honorary board supports young researchers in their projects and helps them present their work to a wider audience.

Last Thursday, the startup factory JUNI (formerly “UNITE”) hosted its UNITE Science Day, where association members came together to advance UNITE’s shared mission as a central catalyst for academic spin-offs. The event opened with welcoming remarks from State Secretaries Dr. Henry Marx and Tobias Dünow, as well as Olaf Schulz. Following this, Managing Directors Laura Möller and Christoph Krüger presented the UNITE strategy, leading into a panel discussion moderated by Stefanie Molthagen-Schnöring. Panelists Thomas Heilmann, Laura Möller, Christian Segal, and Matan Beery discussed how UNITE can serve as a bridge between science and industry. To conclude, participants joined deep-dive workshops to develop concrete next steps for the hub, which will guide UNITE’s future direction. One of UNITE’s core goals is to facilitate the creation of 365 startups per year.

Der Beitrag Week 48: Board Position for Volker Hofmann erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Last week, we published a new HI:LIGHT on our blog featuring the study ‘The Electoral Effects of State-Sponsored Anti-LGBTQ Measures’ (2025). The research that was conducted by Violeta Ines Haas, Konstantin Bogatyrev, Tarik Abou-Chadi, Heike Klüver, and Lukas Stoetzer from the Humboldt Governance Lab examines how state-sponsored anti-LGBTQ measures affect voting behavior. The researchers’ findings are distressing. Read more here: Winning Elections with Homophobia? – Humboldt-Innovation Insights

Scientists have until February 15, 2026, to apply for the ProValid funding program with innovations they aim to bring to market maturity. Funded projects will receive support through prototyping, feasibility studies, as well as market and patent analyses. More information: ProValid: from research to application | Humboldt Innovation

The China Competence Center has released a new podcast episode exploring the interconnectedness of Germany, China, and global innovation hubs through investment, startup ecosystems, and talent development. Chinese-American investor and startup expert Yier Erin B. joined the discussion, providing a global perspective and deep expertise. Listen now and subscribe here: China Competence Training Center

Der Beitrag Week 5: HI:LIGHT, Application Phase for ProValid, CCTC Podcast Episode erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Highlights of week 6

To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Science & Startups, in collaboration with AI NATION and the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin), hosted a Female Founders Lounge on February 11, 2026. This time, the event took place in the morning as a Breakfast Edition on the theme “Building the Future – Women Shaping Responsible Tech Innovation.” As always, the lounge offered women from the startup, science, and industry communities an opportunity to network and exchange ideas. Women who have already built long careers in science enriched the event as panelists: Tina Kluewer, Alexandra Begue, Dr. Jelena Ivanovska, and Dr. Adiba Maignan. Startup consultant and mentor Katja Brunner once again served as host. The next FFL will take place in a few months or weeks.

Last week, Oliver Hasse, deputy managing director of HI, traveled to San Sebastián, Spain, to attend the opening of the Quantum Tower at the CIC nanoGUNE research center. The tower houses a unique infrastructure for the development of silicon-based quantum chips, marking a milestone for the region’s deep tech ambitions. The opening ceremony also included a panel discussion in which Oliver participated; the panel concluded that Europe possesses the scientific expertise necessary for innovation and simply needs more industry partners to join research projects at an earlier stage. “Europe’s innovation challenge is not about ideas—it’s about scaling them together,” Oliver summarized.

At the end of last week, around 100 researchers gathered at the Erwin Schrödinger Center at Humboldt University in Berlin to share their interim results from projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space under the initiative “Innovative Materials and Processes for Quantum Systems.” The projects cover a broad range of research topics: These range from new processing techniques for materials used in cryogenic circuits for quantum computing to new linearly refractive optical materials for photonic chips used to control quantum systems. Dr. Gregor Pieplow kicked off the scientific exchange with a keynote speech on the research work of the DINOQuant junior research group. Within this framework, the results of all 13 funded projects were presented, followed by an opportunity for networking.

Der Beitrag Week 6: Innovation in Europe and Women in Science erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.

Weekly Wrap-up: Highlights in week 47

The Forum Junge Spitzenforschung is a highlight every year when it comes to showcasing young researchers and their excellent projects. This year, the focus was on topics related to “Water & Water Management.” Six finalist teams from Berlin’s major universities presented their innovative research projects, which were awarded a total of 42,000 euros. The following teams won, recognized by a jury of business experts for their practice-oriented solutions and transfer potential:

• 1st place (€12,000):
  • Bio-adsorber beads for water purification, Dr. Alejandro José Lorente Sanchez, Dr. Olaf Wagner, Ana Zidar, Freie Universität Berlin
• 2nd place (€10,000):
  • DeepANN-Hydro3D, Abdelrahman Ahmed Ali Abdelrahman, Technische Universität Berlin
• 3rd place (€8,000):
  • iOLE – intelligent online leak detection, Dr. Ella Steins, Nikolai-Iraj Sanamrad, Technische Universität Berlin
• 4th places (each €4,000):
  • CompactWater, Dr. Christian E. Halbig, Freie Universität Berlin;
  • High-performance atmospheric water harvester (HYVEST), Dr. Gustav Graeber, Maria Geidel, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin;
  • Ecopotfilter – Modular Biopolymer-Based Water Filtration for Heavy Metal Ion Removal, Dr. Mohammad Fardin Gholami, Dr. Siamak Gholami, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

The event is an initiative of Humboldt-Innovation GmbH and the Stiftung Industrieforschung, and showcases how outstanding young research is supported and celebrated in Berlin.

Why are young people turning to the extreme right, and what can we do about it? On November 21, 2025, researchers, journalists, policymakers, and representatives of civil society came together at the Lovers & Leaders Space in Berlin to discuss exactly this question. Participants included, among others, Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Prof. Dr. Sara Binzer Hobolt (The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)), Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn (Universiteit van Amsterdam), and Dr. Lena Gumnior (Alliance 90/The Greens).

Laura Möller, CEO of UNITE and Managing Director of AI NATION, has now been selected by Capital magazine as one of the “Top 40 Under 40,” recognized as individuals who achieve extraordinary things for German society. Laura can look back on an impressive career in the startup sector: she is a successful founder, has served as an investor, board observer, member and director, business angel, and today successfully leads UNITE and AI NATION. The startup factory UNITE is now supported by 35 partners as well as by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which is funding the initiative with a total of 25 million euros. AI NATION is also a recent achievement: it represents the recent merger of the AI hubs K.I.E.Z. in Berlin and AI Munich. The merger aims to provide even better support for AI startups.

Der Beitrag Week 47: Forum Junge Spitzenforschung erschien zuerst auf Humboldt-Innovation Insights.