AI Founder Fellowship Program: Top Researchers Present Their Startups at Demo Day
Germany is among the world leaders in AI research, though there remains room for improvement in translating this expertise into viable market applications. To address this, acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering launched the AI Founder Fellowship Program as part of MISSION KI. Through the program, MISSION KI supports emerging AI talents in Germany in founding their own companies and transforming cutting-edge research into innovation.
Since February, 11 fellows across six fellowship projects have been working to turn their top-level research into successful startups. Until the end of October, they receive a comprehensive support package. The Demo Day on 9 October 2025 in Berlin marks the highlight and formal conclusion of the program. On this day, the fellows publicly present their startups to a professional audience.
MISSION KI has prepared a special program for Demo Day. The event brings together investors, founders, industry experts, the startup community, and the interested public to learn more about the fellows’ startups. The aim is to foster direct exchange. In a series of pitches, the fellows will present their projects, demonstrating how — over the past nine months, with close support from venture developers and mentors — they have developed viable business ideas from their original venture ideas.
Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Innovation, explains:
“We want to make life easier for founders. Founding faster and reducing regulation — only then can we unleash the full power and innovative strength our country has to offer. Especially in key technologies like artificial intelligence, we need freedom to ensure that top-level research becomes marketable products. That’s why we are also working at the European level to ensure that AI developers have the right framework conditions in place. With programs like the AI Founder Fellowship, we show how to support talent and turn innovation from research into successful startups.”
Manfred Rauhmeier, Board Member of the acatech Foundation, adds:
“With the AI Founder Fellowship Program, we’re investing in Germany’s innovative strength. We’re excited to see the wide range of startups that the fellows will present on Demo Day. We’ve ensured that the fellows receive comprehensive support throughout the program and are connected with key stakeholders. In doing so, we want to help make their startups successful, keep AI talent in Germany, and enable the transfer of AI research into the market.”
Opening remarks at Demo Day will be delivered by Prof. Henning Kagermann, former CEO of SAP AG and Chair of the acatech Board of Trustees. This will be followed by keynotes from Thomas Jarzombek, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation (BMDS) and Carsten Kraus, serial entrepreneur, AI expert, and Business Angel of the Year 2024.
A highlight of the program is the panel talk “Beyond the Blueprint – Contrasting Founder Journeys”, where experienced founders share the diverse paths that can lead to entrepreneurial success. The panel includes Julian Teicke (founder of The Delta startup campus, Berlin), Nicole Formica-Schiller (Pamanicor Health), Catherine Schreiber (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg), Dr. Anna Güntner (eclarity.io), and Prof. Peter Gentsch (AICONIQ Group).
A high-profile jury will also be present to evaluate the fellows’ pitches and award prizes to the most compelling startups. In the “Reverse Investor Pitch”, jury members briefly introduce themselves and outline their individual investment approaches. The jury will then select two winning startups, which will receive attractive prizes sponsored by The Delta, IPAI, and Campus Founders.
At the end of the day, all attendees will have the opportunity to network and engage directly with the MISSION KI fellows. The event is open to the public.
Those interested can register here: Event Registration
Further information about the Fellowship Program: https://mission-ki.de/de/ai-founder-fellowship
