Short News Spotlights

August 17, 2026
Silvacx GmbH has been awarded exist Research Transfer Phase II funding. The funding period will commence immediately after the conclusion of the Funding Phase I on September 1, 2026, and will extend over 15 months. During this time, the spin-off of Heidelberg University that has their offices in the hei_INNOVATION Startup Hub, will focus on advancing SilvacxBooster toward clinical Phase I readiness. Key activities will include GMP-compliant manufacturing and the design of the Phase I clinical study. In parallel, the company will expand its development pipeline by introducing a new indication in the field of oncology. A further strategic priority will be the acquisition of additional investors to support critical next steps, including GMP production and the execution of the planned Phase I trial. hei_INNOVATION, who supported Silvacx with their application, is excited to see the project move into its next phase and look forward to its continued development!

July 1, 2026
From June 22 to 26, 2026, the week-long InnoXchange delegation trip took place, organized by DWIH New Delhi and DAAD together with NXTGN Startup Factory and additional partners. As a pilot project in Baden-Württemberg, the program visited the locations of Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Heidelberg, with the goal of establishing a systematic exchange format between the Indian and German deep-tech start-up and entrepreneurial ecosystems, including through collaboration with incubators, start-ups, universities, and other research institutions. The trip brought together seven start-ups from India along with three representatives of Indian incubators, joined by participants from the 2025 Innovators Connect Tandem. The program focused on key industries such as battery technology, biotech, and medtech, and included a varied schedule featuring, among other things, participation in the Applied Deep Tech Fest in Stuttgart. In Heidelberg, the delegation was welcomed by hei_INNOVATION together with Heidelberg University's South Asia Office. The visit also included a tour of the new audiMAX building as well as an exchange with the Heidelberg Technology Park.

June 10, 2026
The start-up Sapientec, which has developed an AI-assisted system for improved radiation protection in the operating room in collaboration with researchers at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Marcus Vetter and in cooperation with Heidelberg University, will receive approximately one million euros in funding over the next two years. The underlying technology was developed as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative project at the M²OLIE Research Campus. hei_INNOVATION closely supported the team throughout the application phase, providing assistance with the development of the business and financial plan as well as professional pitch training. We warmly congratulate the team on securing this funding and are delighted to have contributed to this success through our support.

April 22, 2026
On April 17, 2026, hei_INNOVATION welcomed a delegation from the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership to the hei_INNOVATION Startup Hub. The visit was part of a one-day programme in Heidelberg that also included the Heidelberg Innovation Park and tours of the Bahnstadt and Neuenheimer Feld. At the Startup Hub, hei_INNOVATION and BioRN introduced themselves to the delegation and offered insights into Heidelberg's startup ecosystem. The subsequent discussion centred on two key questions: how to better engage young people with knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship – and what role networks and ecosystems can play in supporting them.

February 27, 2026
Heidelberg University is, through hei_INNOVATION, once again a cooperation partner in the Germany-wide GeneNovate program 2026. GeneNovate is the first nationwide entrepreneurship program in Germany, designed to empower innovators and entrepreneurs in the field of Gene and Cell Therapies (GCT), Biotech, Medicine Health and Life Science. The program targets early-career scientists and physicians, such as advanced students, PhD candidates, and Postdocs, but it is also open to experienced researchers and medical professionals. On February 24, 2026 already the second workshop took place in Heidelberg, where hei_INNOVATION contributed a session on pitch training, presenting strategies for creating and effectively delivering pitch decks. Other cooperation partners in the Heidelberg circle include the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), bioRN, the Helmholtz H3 Health Hub, and the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim. 

February 17, 2026
On February 4, 2026, hei_INNOVATION, in cooperation with the KI-Garage, held the first edition of its new workshop format "Perspectives Beyond Papers" at the BioQuant Institute. The new format creates space to explore how research can translate into real-life impact. The central focus of the workshop was the question of how scientific findings make their way from the laboratory into tangible application. Researchers not only generate knowledge, but also have the potential to develop solutions to real-world challenges. The interactive session provided impulses and practical tools to help participants unlock this potential in a structured way, from identifying concrete fields of application to taking initial steps toward innovation and technology transfer. Further workshops in this format will follow.

February 5, 2026
The transfer agency hei_INNOVATION, which has been funded to date as part of the Excellence Strategy, will be permanently established as a central operating unit and thus transformed into a long-term structure. This underscores Heidelberg University's strategic orientation to further strengthen and expand transfer as the third pillar alongside research and teaching. The University Senate approved the statutes of the new structure, including the establishment of a transfer advisory board, at its December meeting.