The following text has been machine translated from German.
Triathlon – the ecosystem for entrepreneurship, innovation and transfer at Saarland University – is strategically developing its existing support services for start-ups: the new Startup Launchpad is a three-month intensive programme focusing on technology-driven start-up projects, known as deep tech.
The Startup Launchpad replaces the previous Saarland Accelerator and takes account of changing conditions in the start-up landscape. While getting started with founding a company has become easier in many areas thanks to digital tools and AI support, technology-oriented ventures in particular still face significant hurdles. Long development cycles, complex product requirements and increased capital needs make the path from idea to market more difficult.
“Especially in the deep-tech sector, we are seeing a growing need for structured formats that support teams not only in developing ideas, but above all in concrete implementation and market orientation,” says Michael Jung, Managing Director of Triathlon. “With the Startup Launchpad, we are creating a framework that is designed precisely for this purpose.”
The programme runs for three months and accompanies selected teams from the further development of their business idea through to the concrete preparation of a market-ready business model. Across more than 20 workshops, one-to-one coaching sessions, expert guidance from experienced mentors and exclusive company visits, the programme covers topics including teamwork, validation of the business idea and scalability.
The programme concludes with a Demo Day on 22 September 2026 at the Innovation Center of Saarland University; the time will be announced at a later date. At the event, the best participating teams will present their solutions to representatives from business, the investor community and the innovation ecosystem. The winning team may have the opportunity to receive an incubation option worth up to €100,000, linked to the premise of advancing the start-up in Saarland. The Startup Launchpad is being implemented as part of Impuls 2.0, a project funded by Saarland.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke says: “Saarland is becoming an increasingly successful location for start-ups and innovative new ventures. In the deep-tech sector in particular, we are excellently positioned thanks to our outstanding research landscape. With the Startup Launchpad, we are creating another important building block to provide targeted support for technology-oriented start-ups. In doing so, we help turn innovations with strong market potential into successful companies and secure Saarland’s long-term competitiveness.”
The programme is accompanied by SouthwestX, the Startup Factory in the Southwest, which contributes its expertise and network to the implementation. “With the Startup Launchpad, we are creating a clearly structured framework for teams that want to take the next step from an idea towards implementation,” says Ralf Zastrau, Managing Director of SouthwestX. “Our goal is to connect these teams with relevant partners and the ecosystem at an early stage.”
By further developing this format, Triathlon is placing greater emphasis on a combination of supraregional outreach, technological focus and location development – with the aim of unlocking additional start-up potential for Saarland.
Interested start-up teams can apply with their pitch deck until 3 July at https://www.uds-triathlon.de/en/startup-launchpad/.
Photo:
Technology-oriented start-ups such as the award-winning company “Laha”, which is developing laser-based hearing aids, can now receive know-how and support through Triathlon’s “Startup Launchpad”. The photo shows the founders of Laha: Larissa Schatteburg, Svenja Großmann and Nina-Marie Burmeister, from left to right.
About Triathlon:
Since 1995, Saarland University has systematically supported founders from the academic environment. This many years of experience were brought together in 2023 in the central institution “Triathlon – Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transfer”. Triathlon offers broad support and guidance for start-up, technology and knowledge transfer ideas and helps translate them into commercial and operational implementation. Over the past decades, more than 550 company formations with around 4,000 jobs have been supported from within the university. On average, the Triathlon team supports 120 start-up projects per year, resulting in around 30 company formations.
The Startup Launchpad is part of the Impuls 2.0 project. The “Impuls 2.0” project is funded by the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy, as well as by the European Union.
