Applied Deep Tech for the
Next Generation Mittelstand

Baden-Württemberg is shaped by an excellent research landscape, a strong and often family-run SME sector, and a rising startup ecosystem. As a central innovation platform in THE LÄND, we connect these elements and thus lay the foundation for the next generation of Mittelstand.

Our Mission

NXTGN connects science, industry and the startup ecosystem

ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENTS & STARTUPS

Deep Tech Inkubator & Accelerator

Are you an entrepreneurial talent ready to launch your own business? Or an ambitious startup looking to grow, secure funding, or access new markets? We are your success booster!

ESTABLISHED COMPANIES

Partner for Innovation and Transformation

Are you an established company looking to tap into the ecosystem, discover innovative solutions, and gain fresh inspiration for your organization? We are your innovation enabler!

HUBS & SUPPORTER

Ecosystem BW
Connector

Are you an innovation hub or ecosystem player looking to join forces with NXTGN to shape the future? We’re your bridge to meaningful collaboration!!

NXTGN Startup Factory

These partners are part of the consortium

NXTGN has been the official startup factory of the German government since 2025. Uniting Baden-Württemberg’s top startup institutions and strong industry partners.

Consortium partner

Anchor Partner

Business Partner

Corporate Member

Financial Times Ranking

NXTGN is one of Europe’s top startup hubs

The NXTGN Startup Factory is Germany’s highest new entrant in the Financial Times ranking “Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs 2026,” reaching 13th place out of 180. In the European tech segment, NXTGN ranks 2nd and is therefore one of Europe’s leading platforms for deep tech innovation.

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Several people can be seen chatting at the CXO DINNER 2023.

NXTGN Report ’25

Der Report fasst die zentralen Entwicklungen, Schwerpunkte und Erfolge von NXTGN im vergangenen Jahr zusammen. Er bietet einen kompakten Überblick über Aktivitäten an der Schnittstelle von Startups, Mittelstand, Wissenschaft und Politik in Baden-Württemberg.

Zum NXTGN Report ’25

Startup factory

Das NXTGN Konsortium ist Startup Factory

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy selected ten leading Startup Factories as central innovation hubs. Our consortium from Baden-Württemberg prevailed in the nationwide selection and we are proud to represent The Länd as its official Startup Factory.

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Faces of Our Ecosystem

NXTGN in the spotlight: What our network says

Dr. Michael Förtsch

CEO Q.ANT

"The NXTGN Startup Factory bridges the gap between scientific excellence and industrial innovation—putting deep tech to work where it shapes the future."

Prof. Dr. Katja Patzel-Mattern

Vice Rector for Innovation and Transfer, Heidelberg University

"The universities, universities of applied sciences, and private-sector partners [involved in NXTGN] have joined forces to create strong momentum at the intersection of cutting-edge research, an innovative startup culture, and responsible entrepreneurship — impulses that sustainably strengthen the competitiveness of both the region and the country, while driving social progress."

Curt Michael Stoll

Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board and owner of FESTO, shareholder of NXTGN Management GmbH

"The NXTGN Startup Factory bridges the gap between scientific excellence and industrial innovation—putting deep tech to work where it shapes the future."

Petra Olschowski

Minister of Science, Research and Arts for the State of Baden-Württemberg

"Startups are key drivers of innovation, knowledge transfer and economic momentum in Baden-Württemberg. By connecting the Startup Factory with the INSPIRE BW Hubs, we are building a strong, statewide ecosystem that fosters talent, accelerates startups, and secures Baden-Württemberg’s future as a leading hub for innovation."

Dr. Helmut Schelling

Founder of Vector Informatik & partner at NXTGN Management GmbH

In recent years, it has become clear that many startups lack a central point of contact that brings together the potential of science and business. I’m pleased that the Startup Factories initiative addresses exactly this need.

Katherina Reiche

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy

"To win the future, we need not just today’s industry leaders but also tomorrow’s. Startup Factories are where the next generation of startups is born, and where today’s ideas become the scaleups of the future. Our goal: to unleash the untapped potential of academic and research-based spin-offs."

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth

Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs KIT

"The NXTGN Startup Factory is a flagship project for KIT and for Germany as a hub of innovation. By collaborating closely with leading universities and companies, we are building a shared platform for deep tech spin-offs and the ‘Next Generation Mittelstand’. With a focus on deep tech innovation, we are working together to deliver strong momentum for Germany’s innovation and global competitiveness."

David Reger

Gründer & CEO von NEURA Robotics

“The NXTGN Startup Factory brings together bright minds and strong partners to turn ideas into groundbreaking technologies – directly from the region, for a future that serves people.”

Winfried Kretschmann

Minister-President of the State of Baden-Württemberg

"With the NXTGN Startup Factory, we are writing a new chapter in our country’s innovation story. In Baden-Württemberg, we don’t think small when it comes to future technologies. We think in systems. We unite cutting-edge research, bold founders, and responsible companies to create sustainable prosperity and quality of life for future generations."

Prof. Dr. Alexander Brem

Vice Rector for Transfer and International Affairs Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research University of Stuttgart

"Successful startups emerge when the right people come together at the right time with the right ideas. Contributing to that process is incredibly rewarding. It also teaches me something new every time."

Alexander Wehrle

Chairman of the Board, VfB Stuttgart 1893 e.V.

'The Startup Factory can be compared to a youth academy in soccer. With our Innovation Ground, we want to offer young, promising companies a platform to develop, gain visibility, and make an impact—always with a strong sense of regional responsibility."

Oliver Hanisch

CEO Campus Founders Heilbronn

„NXTGN is not built around a single institution, but around shared infrastructure, long-term alignment, and entrepreneurial logic. This coordinated effort across Baden-Württemberg forms a hub of innovation, continuously expanding its reach. Seeing ecosystems collaborate, each with its own strengths, is a rare and powerful signal for a large, strong ecosystem – in the Southwest and all of Germany.“

Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism for the State of Baden-Württemberg

"With NXTGN, we translate scientific excellence into targeted economic value. What makes this model particularly promising is its close integration with the German Mittelstand."

Maike Lambarth

CEO Cyclize

“The NXTGN Startup Factory enables an extremely exciting ecosystem for both medium-sized companies and startups. This includes not only development partnerships, but also supplier and customer relationships. Both sides benefit from the professionalization of this unique potential in order to realize the innovations of tomorrow.”

Johannes Heinloth

Member of the Board of L-Bank

“We need a strong venture capital landscape in Baden-Württemberg in order to take the next step in our development as an ecosystem. With Mätch VC, we already have a great player on board as an anchor investor. Now we need to generate momentum. That's why we, as the state bank, are supporting the NXTGN Startup Factory.”

Prof. Dr. Michael Kühl

Vice President for Cooperations at the University of Ulm

"With NXTGN, we are closing a strategic gap: accelerating the path from research to application and strengthening technology-driven startups emerging from the scientific community. This is transfer in action—rooted in the region, ready for the world."

Prof. Dr. Nils Högsdal

Vice Rector for Innovation Management Stuttgart Media University

"A strong network is essential because it’s more than just the sum of its parts. No one can do everything alone; you need to know who to turn to when it counts."