dresden|exists

What dresden|exists does

dresden|exists is a non-profit startup incubation service established in 1999 at TU Dresden, Germany, supporting founders and researchers across an 8-institution consortium of Dresden-area universities and research bodies. The organization operates with a small team of 8 employees and provides structured programmes including the Startup Bootcamp MINT, LifeTechLab, exist Women, m3-Masterclass, and Gründungscoaching, alongside the sub-brand TUD|excite which opened a Space and Innovation Hub on the TU Dresden campus in 2025. Since inception, dresden|exists has accompanied more than 3,500 ideas, secured 145 EXIST grants, and supported approximately 25 company foundations per year, with cumulative external funding of €75 million raised for portfolio startup and transfer projects.

The organization's core service model combines founder coaching, programme-based education, and grant-navigation support across multiple academic disciplines, with particular depth in MINT and life-sciences verticals. Its portfolio spans technology, life sciences, and digital products, and it acts as the regional operational layer for federal and state entrepreneurship programmes rather than as a venture investor.

dresden|exists is publicly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), the Free State of Saxony, and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under the EXIST programme. It does not charge portfolio founders fees, take equity, or generate commercial revenue; its economic model is grant-funded mission delivery rather than venture-style value capture. This makes it structurally comparable to a public-sector university incubator rather than a private accelerator.

Name

dresden|exists

Legal name

Technische Universität Dresden (provider of dresden|exists service)

Website

https://dresden-exists.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Non-profit startup incubation service for Dresden's 8-institution university and research consortium, operating since 1999 with 8 employees. Has accompanied 3,500 ideas, secured 145 EXIST grants, and supports ~25 company foundations annually. Funded by ESF, Free State of Saxony, and BMWi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Entrepreneurship coaching programs
• Research commercialization support
• Founder mentoring services
• University startup services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (ESF, Free State of Saxony, Federal Ministry): dresden|exists is a publicly funded joint project financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), the Free State of Saxony, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under the EXIST programme, and the participating universities and research institutions. No commercial revenue model.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

dresden|exists is the joint startup service of Dresden's universities and research institutions. It provides free-of-charge consulting, coaching, workshops, and structured incubation programmes that take students, alumni, and researchers from initial idea validation through business model development to company founding, including support accessing EXIST and other public funding programmes.

Product overview

dresden|exists is a startup service organization supporting founders from Dresden's universities and research institutions. The organization operates as a platform offering multiple interconnected programs and services: consulting and coaching programs (Beratung & Programme), specialized startup incubators (Startup Bootcamp MINT, LifeTechLab, m3-Masterclass), targeted support for female entrepreneurs (exist Women), and funding program coordination (EXIST-Programm, TechStart Dresden). The services range from initial idea validation through business plan development to investor matching and pitch preparation, supported by the TUD|excite center for physical co-working and event space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TUD|excite: Excellence Center for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship at TU Dresden
• LifeTechLab
• exist Women
• Startup Bootcamp MINT
• m3 Masterclass

Products and services

• Startup Bootcamp MINT

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 company foundations per year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999TU Dresden is the lead institution of the dresden|exists consortium. It hosts the Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (LEI) and the TUD|excite centre. TU Dresden provides the primary institutional framework and personnel for the startup service.
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden (HTW Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTW Dresden participates in the dresden|exists consortium and hosts the Gründungsschmiede (founding workshop). It jointly runs the exist Women programme and contributes to the Startup Bootcamp MINT.
• Fachhochschule Dresden (FH Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFH Dresden participates in the dresden|exists consortium and jointly runs the exist Women programme with TU Dresden and HTW Dresden.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e. V. (HZDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHZDR is a member of the dresden|exists consortium. It runs its own HZDR Innovation Contest and hosts the Innovation Campus Radeberg. dresden|exists supports HZDR researchers in spin-off activities, including hosting the Startup Pitch-Day.
• Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e. V. (IPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPF Dresden is a member of the dresden|exists consortium, supporting researchers and scientists from the institute in commercialising polymer research through startup formation.
• Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden e. V. (IFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFW Dresden participates in the dresden|exists consortium, supporting materials science researchers from the institute in founding spin-off companies.
• Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden (HfBK Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHfBK Dresden is a member of the dresden|exists consortium, providing support for creative and artistic entrepreneurship in addition to STEM-focused founding support.
• Hochschule Zittau Görlitz (HSZG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSZG participates in the dresden|exists consortium, extending the startup service's reach to the Zittau-Görlitz region in Upper Lusatia.
• Sächsische Beteiligungsgesellschaft (SBG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBG co-organises the TechStart Dresden competition with dresden|exists, providing seed funding and investment perspective for early-stage startup teams.
• Saxeed (Sächsische Gründungsnetzwerk)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSaxeed is a Saxon startup network that collaborates with dresden|exists on joint events and the m3 Masterclass programme spanning multiple Saxon startup networks.
• Smile (Sächsische Gründungsnetzwerk)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmile is a Saxon startup network collaborating with dresden|exists on joint initiatives such as the m3 Masterclass and shared presence at the Saxon Innovationskonferenz.
• Startbahn13 (Sächsische Gründungsnetzwerk)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartbahn13 is a Saxon startup network that partners with dresden|exists on joint events, the m3 Masterclass, and the annual Investorentag.
• ZEISS Innovation Hub (Dresden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ZEISS Innovation Hub in Dresden-Johannstadt hosts LifeTechLab final pitch days and serves as a venue for deep tech startup events facilitated by dresden|exists.
• Impact Hub DresdenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Hub Dresden provides co-working space for dresden|exists events and programmes including LifeTechLab pitch days and beginnerinnen networking evenings.
• Altes Pumpenhaus DresdenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Altes Pumpenhaus in Dresden is used as an event venue for dresden|exists anniversary celebrations and networking events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goethe-Unibator (Goethe University Frankfurt): Startup incubator at Goethe University Frankfurt providing coaching, workshops, and EXIST support to students, researchers, and alumni. Direct peer in structure, target audience, and EXIST programme participation.
• Founders Foundation: Bielefeld-based non-profit startup support organisation, founded by regional industry, that runs incubation programmes for student and alumni founders. Comparable in offering free coaching and programmes to academic and regional founders, similar to dresden|exists's mission.
• KIT Gründerschmiede: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology's central startup service, providing coaching, workshops, and EXIST funding support for KIT students, researchers, and alumni. Closely mirrors dresden|exists's model as a university-led, EXIST-funded founder service.
• RWTH Aachen Centre for Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation: RWTH Aachen's central unit supporting academic spinouts, with a strong engineering and deep-tech founder pipeline. Comparable to dresden|exists in serving a technical university ecosystem with EXIST-aligned programmes.
• HU Berlin Startup Service / Humboldt Innovation: Berlin-based startup and transfer service affiliated with Humboldt University, supporting academic founders and researchers. Comparable in providing EXIST coaching and access to investor networks for university spinouts.
• UnternehmerTUM (TUM): Munich-based startup and innovation centre affiliated with TU Munich, offering consulting, programmes, and co-working for academic founders. Directly comparable to dresden|exists in mission, structure, and EXIST-programme participation, but operating at significantly larger scale in Bavaria.
• Freiburg Startup Office / FRIZ: University of Freiburg's central startup service, supporting founders from idea through EXIST funding. Directly comparable as a public German university-based EXIST service with similar coaching and event programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Venture: Central tech-transfer and venture unit of the Fraunhofer Society, supporting spinouts from applied research institutes. Related in mission (academic commercialisation) but operates across a much larger national network rather than a single region.
• Max Planck Innovation: Technology transfer office of the Max Planck Society, commercialising research from MPIs. Comparable in helping academic researchers form companies, but at national scale and focused on patent-driven deep-tech spinouts rather than broad student/alumni support.

Others

• Science4Life e.V. German non-profit startup initiative running the Science4Life Venture Cup and Energy Cup competitions. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — overlaps with dresden|exists in supporting academic founders, but via national competitions rather than regional coaching.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dresdenexists
• Facebookfacebook.com/dresdenexists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dresden-exists
• Instagraminstagram.com/dresden.exists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dresden|exists