Start-ups and spin-offs Founding examples

Start-Up: 2025

Little Life Support has set itself the task of providing comprehensive and practical training for caregivers and relatives of children and adults with epilepsy. It offers a training program in a blended learning format. Online modules and face-to-face courses are combined to impart theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Participants acquire basic knowledge in the online module, which is deepened in the face-to-face course. First aid measures and the administration of emergency medication are practiced there. The aim is to create safety in an emergency and ensure a protected environment for those affected. The confidence gained in dealing with people with epilepsy also promotes their inclusion. The course program is aimed at teachers, therapists and nursery staff as well as interested relatives of affected persons.

Start-Up: 2024

eatappie is an innovative therapy app for young people with anorexia and bulimia that is evidence-based, discreet and can be used immediately after diagnosis by family doctors or pediatricians. The digital health startup based in Heidelberg was funded by the EXIST start-up grant in 2023 and the Young Innovators program in 2024. eatappie employs three people and has received 341,650 euros in funding to date

Start-Up: 2023

The AI start-up myScribe, based in Mannheim, has developed the first documentation software for doctors that uses artificial intelligence to create discharge reports at the touch of a button, allowing more time for patient care. myScribe was funded by the EXIST start-up grant in 2020, employs ten people and has received 890,000 euros in funding to date.

Start-Up: 2023

Digital health start-up Midaia supports patients and doctors in the treatment of rheumatic diseases and has been proven to help improve disease activity and well-being. It was supported by the EXIST start-up grant in 2020, now employs seven people and has raised around one million euros in funding.

Start-Up: 2023

AQUAI GmbH was supported by an EXIST start-up grant and is revolutionizing home swimming training with the SwimLoop. The product, an AI-supported virtual swimming trainer, analyzes swimming techniques and provides detailed performance data, reducing electricity costs, noise and CO₂ emissions compared to traditional counter-current systems. The SwimLoop tracker, attached to an elastic strap with force sensor, measures swimming power and transmits data to mobile devices via Bluetooth. Ideal for home pools, SwimLoop offers an efficient, fun training experience and is an innovative solution for swimmers of all levels to improve their technique and performance.

Spin-Off: 2020

rabbitAI GmbH emerged from the Industry on Campus project Heidelberg Collaboratory for Image Processing (HCI) and focuses on researching algorithm tests and image analysis. The start-up successfully applied for start-up funding through an EXIST research transfer. Its extensive expertise and knowledge in the fields of camera technology, AI applications and quality assurance enables rabbitAI to cover the entire process of training data acquisition and generation. In this way, AI solutions are made possible by providing the missing data.

Spin-Off: 2020

Delta Theranostics, as a spin-off from Heidelberg University, is dedicated to the development of a point-of-care test to validate the suspected diagnosis of sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a misdirected immune response to an infection and is responsible for at least eleven million deaths each year. Early diagnosis, which could protect against a severe course, is hardly possible with current diagnostics. The patented technology (Heidelberg University) uses a novel biomarker of the immune response to detect sepsis, significantly improving the diagnosis of sepsis and thus saving lives. The corresponding marker was identified and validated in joint research by the Department of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene at the Center for Infectious Diseases and the Department of Anaesthesiology at Heidelberg University Hospital.

Spin-Off: 2019

Codefy is a start-up based in Heidelberg that has developed a unique software solution in the field of software, artificial intelligence and cyber security. With a team of 25 employees, Codefy supports the judiciary, administration and large companies in significantly accelerating and qualitatively securing processes.

Spin-Off: 2017

HD Vision Systems opens up a new dimension in image processing for industry. Thanks to innovative technology in light field sensors and AI-driven software, companies can automate even complex and shiny objects quickly, easily and intuitively with the products and solutions from HD Vision Systems. The startup supplies ready-to-use systems for the object handling of stationary or moving workpieces as well as for quality inspection and 3D object recognition. Dr. Christoph Garbe and Benedikt Karolus founded HD Vision Systems at the beginning of 2017 out of Heidelberg University, where Dr. Garbe was head of the independent research group “Image Processing and Modeling” from 2009 to 2021.

CanVirex AG is developing and translating a viral immunotherapeutic platform technology for the broad treatment of cancer. The technology is based on the common measles vaccine virus, which selectively infects and destroys cancer cells. In addition, the viruses introduce drugs from the immunotherapy class into the cancer cells, which enhance the immunostimulatory effect of the viruses and thus improve their effectiveness. If the encoded immunotherapeutics are exchanged for pathogen-specific antigens, the viruses can also be used to vaccinate against various infectious diseases. The scientific basis of the technology was researched by Prof. Dr. Dr. Guy Ungerechts and his team at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg.

Spin-Off: 2017

Airyx develops, sells and rents customized, high-precision measuring devices for gases. The optical measurement technology is based on DOAS technology or further developments thereof. The focus is currently on nitrogen oxide (NO2/NO/NOx) gas concentrations, as well as formaldehyde, ozone and sulphur dioxide. For over 3 years, the nitrogen oxide measuring device, the so-called NOx-ICAD, which was originally developed at the Institute of Environmental Physics at the University of Heidelberg and for which a patent application has been filed, has attracted great interest. The novel, transportable in-situ measuring device can be used for mobile nitrogen oxide pollutant measurement, which is unique to date. Another application is the measurement of vehicle emissions by determining the real emission values from simple measurements in the exhaust plume. In addition, immission and emission measurements are offered for various institutions and industrial customers, which are not possible with previous measurement technology in particular.

Spin-Off: 2016

TolerogenixX GmbH is a start-up from the Departments of Immunology, Nephrology and Haematology at Heidelberg University Hospital and has a patented cell therapy technology that can be used to specifically switch off unwanted immune system reactions. This means enormous application potential: transplanted patients become tolerant to the “foreign” donor organ and autoimmune diseases can be treated causally. TolerogenixX has already conducted a successful Phase Ib study in kidney transplantation with the TOL1 study, and a multicenter Phase IbI study will start in Q2 2022.

Start-Up: 2015

LUB - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung is a consulting boutique that offers agency-related text services & consulting on language - from language guidelines in sales, management mission statements and gender-equitable job advertisements to sustainability reports. Founded in 2015 from Dr. Simone Burel's dissertation on the language of DAX 30 companies at the Institute for German as a Foreign Language Philology at the University of Heidelberg, LUB now offers a complex portfolio covering all aspects of language and text optimization in all phases of the value chain.