Throwback to 2025
16.01.2026
Aline Kinzie
News
This year the startup community was buzzing again with exciting events, innovative ideas, and a great atmosphere. Not only did we launch new initiatives, but together with you, we really made things happen. Now it’s time to look back and celebrate the highlights.
Community Events
While digital networking works well, it’s still best done in person. That’s why events are an integral part of what we offer our community. This year, we not only offered our familiar formats but also introduced a few exciting new ones.
KIT Innovators Homecoming 2025
At the start of the year, the KIT Innovators Homecoming once again brought together alumni, founders, students, and partners. The focus was on in-person interaction: Under the slogan Merging Generations, over 500 alumni came to Karlsruhe to share experiences and drive ideas forward. United by a shared interest in startups and entrepreneurial thinking and action.
We are particularly proud of how much the format has evolved: with more space for conversations, greater community involvement, and increased visibility for startups from the KIT ecosystem. The addition of the Färberei as an exhibition hall is a real asset. We say thank you to all the organizers, helpers, speakers, and participants! Homecoming will remain a central meeting place for our network in the coming year as well.
Startup Date with Mirko Drotschmann
We’re jumping straight from winter into summer. This year’s Startup Date at Kronenplatz featured Mirko Drotschmann (MrWissen2go) as a guest. The conversation focused on his journey as a media entrepreneur, responsibility in the digital public sphere, and the role of curiosity and learning. Around 300 attendees gathered on-site for the hybrid event. The interview was streamed digitally directly to lecture halls at colleges and universities across Germany. Both online and on-site, there was plenty of time for questions and personal conversations – not to mention the line for selfies at the end. Here you can relive the Startup Date.
Engaging and Sharing Knowledge
A new focus in 2025 was on raising awareness of knowledge transfer and innovation. In close collaboration with the maKeIT initiative, we supported researchers and academic advisors in identifying and developing innovation potential at an early stage. How does that work? Through programs like HAFIS and InnoSuper, events at Campus North specifically aimed at researchers, as well as formats like the makelt Happen, where brief knowledge-sharing sessions sparked open discussions. All with the goal of creating low-barrier access and strengthening exchange.
Female Founders
Another key focus that was significantly expanded in 2025 is the support of Female Founders. Backed by the exist Women program, female founders and women interested in starting a business came together in various formats to share experiences, network, and support one another. At the Female Founders Brunch or a two-day retreat in May, coaches, mentors, and the participants themselves created a unique atmosphere and a safe space for growth. This demonstrated how important visibility and exchange are for strengthening and permanently embedding diverse perspectives within the startup ecosystem. In the coming year, the Female Founders Network is set to be further expanded through a new partnership with the DeepTechHub.
StartUpSecure KASTEL Community Congress
At the Community Congress in 2025, the focus was once again on fostering exchange within our innovation ecosystem. Representatives from the startup scene, academia, business, and funding agencies came together to discuss current developments, share experiences, and create new opportunities for collaboration. In addition to substantive insights, the primary goal was to engage in dialogue and initiate partnerships.
The fourth StartUpSecure KASTEL Community Congress took place on April 10. This year’s theme was dynamic, centered on the motto “Wheels in Motion: Bridging Mobility with Cyber Security.” In addition to keynote speeches and a panel discussion, the startup pitches followed by the presentation of the Community Award were a particular highlight. In the end, Detesia won over the audience. We plan to continue the Congress next year as well, focusing on new themes at the intersection of privacy and big data.
What Can’t Be Missed
In addition to new formats, it is above all our recurring events that shape the year and keep the exchange within the community vibrant.
The Gründergrillen has long been an integral part of our year, whether held at our CUBE or in collaboration with partners such as the CyberForum and the IHK Karlsruhe. And even during the cold season, the atmosphere remains convivial: The Gründerglühwein has become a tradition and brings the community together anew every year.
In our IMPULSE series, founders share personal insights into their experiences. This year, we had the opportunity to speak with Lucas Hild from Knowunity about artificial intelligence in the education system, hosted corvolution, LIFTWISE, and NOXON for a discussion on health innovations, and discussed the city of the future as part of KIT Science Week. Thank you for the open and inspiring conversations!
The Idea Competition also entered its next round in 2025. For the fourth time, teams presented and refined their ideas. In the end, Marko Nedilko prevailed with his idea “Canis.Lab” and secured first place. Many thanks to all participants for your contributions and your dedication!
On the Road at Trade Shows and Conferences
We don’t just host cool events – we also regularly attend them. This year, our team was once again on the road at numerous events and trade shows.
At the Hannover Messe and VivaTech in Paris, startups from the KIT ecosystem showcased their technologies and made new connections. At Bits&Pretzels in Munich, we had the opportunity to host an official side event this time and were delighted to meet many alumni and founders from our community for dinner and good conversations. Most recently, our visit to Heilbronn Slush’D also provided a great opportunity to showcase KIT’s innovation potential and initiate international discussions.
Big win: NXTGN Startup Factory
A central theme in 2025 was the further development of the NXTGN Startup Factory. It embodies the goal of linking startup creation, technology transfer, and research even more closely in Baden-Württemberg and creating sustainable structures for entrepreneurial activities. The approval of federal funding was, of course, the absolute highlight, but collaboration on events such as the joint startup barbecue in July also provided important impetus for the future direction of the ecosystem. Find more information about the NXTGN network here.
On the international stage
In the international context, the START Summit in St. Gallen was a key event in 2025. Thanks to the support of Startup Secure KASTEL, we were able to head to Switzerland with a whole bus full of hackers. The exchange with other startup ecosystems provided new perspectives and concrete ideas for our own work.
At the same time, international collaboration within the framework of the KTUR project was continued and expanded. In addition to various meetings in Strasbourg, Freiburg, and Basel, the newly launched podcast format Rheinpreneurs is a particular highlight from this year.
Our Take on 2025
Thank you to all of you – our community and our partners!
Without you, this year wouldn’t have been what it was. Your ideas, your energy, and your willingness to get involved have shaped 2025. Whether at events, in our programs, or in our daily interactions – you make Gründerschmiede what it is.
A big thank you also goes to our startups. You’ve made a big impact this year: developing new products, winning your first customers, reaching milestones, and constantly taking on new challenges. It’s great to see how your ideas continue to evolve and how much momentum there is in the KIT ecosystem.
2026, we’re ready for it!
We’re taking a lot away from this year while already looking ahead. New formats, further collaborations, and exciting topics are already in the works. We look forward to continuing to work with you, trying new things, and further strengthening the startup ecosystem at KIT. Thank you for being a part of it. We’re excited for everything to come!
