Highest

HIGHEST is the innovation and startup center of the Technical University (TU) of Darmstadt, functioning as the university's central service unit for commercializing research. Its primary mission is to support scientists, researchers, and students in transforming research results and innovative projects into marketable products and sustainable companies.

The center's history began in 2007 with its launch at TU Darmstadt. It held its first idea competition in 2010 and the inaugural Start-up & Innovation Day in 2016, officially receiving the name HIGHEST in 2018. As a service unit of the university, its services are offered free of charge to members of the university community. HIGHEST operates as a key link between science, business, and industry, positioning itself as a leading technology incubator for deep tech and green tech in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region. Over the last decade, it has supported the creation of more than 200 startups.

HIGHEST provides a comprehensive suite of services for aspiring entrepreneurs. This includes confidential consulting on business model development, guidance on securing public funding and private capital, and support for intellectual property (IP) protection and patent applications. The center also facilitates access to essential resources such as office spaces, laboratories for prototyping, and a broad network of industry experts, mentors, investors, and corporate partners. Educational offerings like workshops, lectures, and networking events like the 'foundersXchange' are organized to build entrepreneurial skills.

As part of its strategy, HIGHEST is a key partner in 'The Future Factory,' a collaborative startup initiative with Goethe University Frankfurt and other regional institutions, aimed at supporting science-based startups from the idea stage to scaling.

Keywords: university incubator, technology transfer, deep-tech startups, green-tech, academic spin-offs, research commercialization, intellectual property management, startup consulting, entrepreneurship support, TU Darmstadt, venture creation, scientific innovation, startup ecosystem, funding advisory, prototype development, innovation management, science-to-business, patent consulting, academic entrepreneurship, startup network