Three Startups from the ZfE Environment Successfully Selected

Admission is based on a demanding selection process. UnternehmerTUM describes the current batch as the result of a highly competitive selection process, with 34 startups selected for the Creation and Growth Tracks. In 2026, UnternehmerTUM, together with TUM and the TUM Venture Labs, was ranked first in the Financial Times ranking “Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs” for the third consecutive year. The Incubator focuses particularly on technology-driven startup teams and supports them from validation through to market entry and financing.

MYCO, a deep-tech startup co-founded by Philipp Flauger, a doctoral researcher at the Chair of Tourism and the Center for Entrepreneurship, was selected for the Creation Track of the UnternehmerTUM Incubator. MYCO is developing a new approach to signaling and process control in precision fermentation, with a particular focus on enabling the more precise production of medically relevant compounds and other high-value biotechnology products. Within the Incubator, the venture will further validate both its technology and business model and continue its development towards market readiness. MYCO is one of 18 teams in the current Creation Track.

The link to entrepreneurial practice is not limited to a single project, but is also reflected directly in teaching. MicroFuel, which is developing an innovative hydrogen fuel-cell system particularly for mobile applications, has also secured a place in the current programme. Co-founder Aijaz Muhammad Usmani previously participated as a student in the course “Entrepreneurial Networks and Startup Management.” Novina was likewise selected for the current Growth Track. The startup combines brain stimulation with virtual-reality exposure therapy in a new approach to the treatment of PTSD. Co-founder Marie Eyring had previously been involved in the same course as a practice partner, giving students the opportunity to work on challenges arising from a real entrepreneurial venture. MicroFuel and Novina are therefore among the 16 startups currently working on their further positioning and scaling within the Growth Track.

These three different connections also illustrate the approach taken by the ZfE in its entrepreneurship activities: entrepreneurship is not addressed solely from a theoretical perspective, but is complemented by first-hand entrepreneurial experience, student ventures, and the involvement of external founders. Experiences from real startup processes can thus feed back into teaching and advisory activities, while providing students with direct insights into the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship.

For students with their own ideas or an interest in entrepreneurship, the ZfE therefore provides a point of contact to discuss initial questions, gain insights into startup processes, and explore possible next steps.