TUM: 115 Spin-offs and a Presidential Award for OroraTech

In 2025, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) set a new record for the number of startups founded. A total of 115 startups emerged from the university community—more than ever before. A highlight of this year’s TUM Entrepreneurship Day was the presentation of the TUM Presidential Entrepreneurship Award to the Munich-based aerospace company OroraTech, which has gained international attention for its satellite-based early warning system for wildfires.

Startup Momentum at Record Levels

Startup activity at TUM remains strong. In addition to the 115 spin-offs, the number of initial consultations provided by the university’s own startup advisory service also reached a new high at around 500. TUM was also particularly successful in securing EXIST startup grants from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs: A total of 32 funding commitments went to startup teams at the Munich university. This makes TUM the national leader in this field.

This year’s TUM Entrepreneurship Day brought together around 1,500 visitors. More than 40 startups presented their technologies and business models, while international experts discussed new ways to transfer knowledge from research to industry.

OroraTech Wins with Satellite-Based Wildfire Detection

This year’s TUM Presidential Entrepreneurship Award, worth 10,000 euros, was awarded to the Munich-based SpaceTech company OroraTech. Founded in 2018, the company is developing a satellite-based early-warning system for detecting wildfires.

Nineteen of the company’s own small satellites are already in orbit, monitoring the Earth’s surface using high-resolution infrared cameras. Unlike traditional weather satellites, OroraTech’s systems can already detect fires as small as a single vehicle and capture images of every point on Earth several times a day. The data collected helps civil protection agencies and forestry companies, among others, to identify wildfires early and combat them more quickly.

The company’s roots trace directly back to TUM. Three of the four founders met while studying and developed their first technologies in the student research group WARR MOVE.

DeepDrive: More Efficient Electric Motors for the Mobility Transition

The Munich-based DeepTech company DeepDrive was honored as one of the finalists. The startup is developing innovative electric motors with dual-rotor technology that promise higher efficiency and reduced material usage.

The technology could help increase the range of electric vehicles while simultaneously reducing their production costs. The founders originally came together in the TUfast Racing Team, where students develop race cars for international Formula Student competitions.

Lio Technologies Automates Corporate Procurement with AI Agents

Lio Technologies was also a finalist. The startup develops AI agents designed to largely automate corporate procurement processes. From supplier search and requests for proposals to price negotiations and invoice processing, the systems handle numerous tasks independently.

The company is thus addressing an area that is still heavily manual in many companies and offers significant potential for automation.

TUM Strengthens Its Position as a Leading Startup University

These record figures underscore the role of the Technical University of Munich as one of Europe’s most important innovation and startup ecosystems. Through initiatives such as UnternehmerTUM, the Venture Labs, and extensive funding programs, the university has for years been successfully transforming research findings into marketable companies.

This year’s award winners and finalists showcase the full spectrum of university spin-offs—from aerospace and mobility to artificial intelligence.