A boost for deep tech start-ups in the Hamburg metropolitan region
Leuphana is a partner of the federally funded startup factory “Impossible Founders.”
2025-07-11 Lüneburg/Hamburg, July 10, 2025 – The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) is providing €10 million in funding for the new Hamburg-based startup factory “Impossible Founders.” Leuphana University Lüneburg is a partner in the award-winning joint project. The aim is to significantly increase deep tech spin-offs from science in the Hamburg metropolitan region, with a focus on green technologies, new materials, artificial intelligence, and data science. A total of over €50 million will be invested in setting up the new startup structures. In addition to federal funding, Hamburg foundations and companies are contributing over €40 million. The official project launch is on November 1, 2025.
A win for the whole region – and for Leuphana
“The federal government's decision to support ‘Impossible Founders’ sends a strong signal about the innovative strength and entrepreneurial potential of the Hamburg metropolitan region,” says Prof. Dr. Markus Reihlen, Vice President for Transfer and Entrepreneurship at Leuphana. “As a partner, we contribute our many years of experience in academic start-up training, sustainability orientation, and transdisciplinarity, and look forward to working with our partners to provide new impetus for a technology-driven, responsible start-up culture.”
Leuphana has been one of Germany's most successful medium-sized start-up universities for many years. With its award-winning start-up awareness, practical entrepreneurship training, and close links with businesses and civil society, it has already set standards beyond the region. As part of the Startup Factory, Leuphana will contribute its expertise in the area of sustainability-oriented business model development and entrepreneurship education for students, researchers, and spin-off teams.
A strong alliance for a strong future
Impossible Founders is creating a forward-looking green tech ecosystem between Hamburg, Harburg, Bahrenfeld, Altona, and Lüneburg. In addition to Leuphana, other participants include the University of Hamburg, the Technical University of Hamburg, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), foundations such as the Joachim Herz Foundation and the Michael Otto Foundation, and well-known companies from the region. Together, the partners are pursuing the goal of significantly increasing the number of technology-driven start-ups and developing the Hamburg metropolitan region into a leading location for deep tech start-ups in Europe.
“I would like to congratulate Leuphana on its successful participation in Startup Factory Hamburg,” said Falko Mohrs, Minister for Science and Culture in Lower Saxony. “With its long-standing commitment to sustainable innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, it is an important driving force for the start-up ecosystem in the Hamburg metropolitan region. This project impressively demonstrates how future technologies and social responsibility go hand in hand.”