AI Startup Rising makes Hesse's AI start-ups ready for investment
Public funding increased more than tenfold
2026/02/03
The AI Startup Rising (AISR) programme at the Hessian Centre for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.AI) demonstrates how targeted support can accelerate innovation. Since its launch in late 2021, the initiative has supported more than 200 AI start-up teams on their journey from research to market. By the end of 2025, these start-ups had raised over €60 million in funding and private investment – more than ten times the amount of public funding invested. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and will continue until March 2027.
AI Startup Rising is one of four national model projects for AI start-ups, supported by BMWE and managed by the Project Management Agency Jülich (PTJ). Hesse’s experience shows that early-stage support across the entire start-up journey – from ideation and incubation to growth – strengthens not only individual ventures but also the regional innovation ecosystem.
Among the programme’s successful alumni are etalytics (AI-based energy optimisation), Veli (responsible AI in healthcare), and scavenger.ai (AI-driven analysis of complex corporate data). These start-ups have since established themselves in the German market or attracted international investors.
Close ties with cutting-edge research at hessian.AI
A key factor in AISR’s success is its close connection to cutting-edge research at hessian.AI – the Hessian Centre for Artificial Intelligence. Since 2026, this link has gained further momentum through two Clusters of Excellence at TU Darmstadt: “Reasonable Artificial Intelligence” (RAI) and “The Adaptive Mind” (TAM), which strengthen the region’s position in responsible and trustworthy AI. At the same time, hessian.AI is part of the European JUPITER AI Factory (JAIF) consortium – a €55 million initiative to enhance Europe’s AI infrastructure. This gives start-ups, SMEs and research institutions access to exascale-class supercomputers capable of performing trillions of calculations per second.
TU Darmstadt President Professor Tanja Brühl highlights the value of this integration:
“Artificial intelligence is a key technology for our future. It plays a vital role in the competitiveness and resilience of Germany and Europe. The task is to consistently transform ideas into market-ready innovations. This succeeds best in a dynamic innovation ecosystem with strong partners – through the interplay of excellent research, top-tier infrastructure, effective support structures, and skilled teams that accompany founders throughout their journey. hessian.AI | AI Startup Rising is a central part of such a connected ecosystem, through which we are specifically accelerating AI innovation at TU Darmstadt, in the Rhine-Main region, and in Hesse.”
The co-directors of hessian.AI, Professor Kristian Kersting and Professor Mira Mezini, emphasise the strategic interplay between the RAI and TAM Clusters of Excellence and the European JUPITER AI Factory project:
“The Reasonable Artificial Intelligence (RAI) Cluster of Excellence is a game changer for hessian.AI | AI Startup Rising,” says Kersting. “RAI delivers the scientific excellence behind trustworthy AI solutions, laying the foundation for responsible AI start-ups in Hesse – in conjunction with The Adaptive Mind, which focuses on human and natural intelligence.”
Mezini adds: “Our role in the JUPITER AI Factory (JAIF) perfectly complements this foundation: JAIF provides start-ups with essential access to exascale computing – from research ideas to scalable products. Together, we are positioning Hesse as a European hub for AI innovation and responsible AI applications.”
Looking ahead: the next phase of AI Startup Rising
The AI Startup Rising model project will be extended until March 2027 by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The programme will continue to focus on accelerating the transfer of research into start-ups. Through its synergy with the RAI Cluster of Excellence and the European JUPITER AI Factory, hessian.AI | AISR is establishing itself as a leading hub for responsible and future-oriented AI.
AI Startup Rising in figures
- Over 200 AI start-up teams supported
- Around 140 teams in the start-up programmes (incubation and acceleration)
- Over 60 million euros in funding and investments
- Numerous market-ready spin-offs
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