EXIST — Existenzgründungen aus der Wissenschaft

EXIST supports science-based company formation in Germany under the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Operated by Projektträger Jülich, it has backed technology-oriented and knowledge-based ventures from universities and public research institutions since 1998, with individual funding beginning in 2000. The active program family includes EXIST-Gründungsstipendium for students, graduates, and researchers; EXIST-Forschungstransfer for research-heavy, high-risk spinouts; EXIST-Women for female founders from academia; EXIST-Potentiale for university-wide founding culture work; and EXIST Startup Factories, which sit within the federal startup strategy. Applications are routed through program-specific forms and checks on the EXIST portal. The best fit is a team that is still close to the academic source of the idea and can show that the venture is technically grounded, knowledge-based, and ready for a structured formation process. EXIST is also unusually broad on ecosystem building, because it supports not only individual spinouts but also universities and network-level efforts that raise the supply of founders.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.