Altmaier wants to promote AI start-ups

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is increasing the Exist Programme and the German Accelerator by a total of 46.5 million euros.

In order to provide even more support for start-ups in the AI sector, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is increasing the Exist Programme and the German Accelerator by a total of 46.5 million euros until the end of 2024.

"With the Exist programme, we are promoting the transfer of research into application and thus putting horsepower on the road - now also with additional funding for start-ups in the field of artificial intelligence," says Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU). "I am delighted that 'Science & Startups' is the first model project to be launched here in Berlin, and other model projects in other regions are to follow this example."

As the first model project, "Science & Startups", the network of start-up services of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité, will receive almost seven million euros to promote spin-offs in the field of artificial intelligence. The model project is intended to cover the entire innovation chain, from the identification of start-up potential in research, to the targeted acceleration of the feasibility phase, to an accelerator program at the new AI Campus Berlin. There are also plans to set up an AI Academy for start-ups and stakeholders.

The ministry's goal is to also make Germany visible internationally in AI hotspots such as Silicon Valley or Singapore. "How much potential there is in the combination of start-up funding and AI is shown by the success of Celonis, a start-up founded with the help of Exist and funded by the German Accelerator, which was valued last week at 11 billion. Dollars," says Altmaier.