Volker Hofmann is a member of the management team of Science & Start-ups, the network of start-up services in the Berlin University Alliance. In the interview, Hofmann explains what makes start-up funding in the Excellence Alliance so special.

Mr. Hofmann, Science & Start-ups has been recognized by the Financial Times, Statista and Sifted as one of Europe's leading start-up hubs in 2025 – that’s a great success! What does this recognition mean to you personally and to the Joint Start-up Service of the BUA partners?

The award recognizes the innovative strength of our spin-offs, our students, researchers and alumni! The incredible Science & Start-ups team deserves recognition for rendering excellent services for founders, at all times aimed at becoming even better. For me personally, the award is personal confirmation that we are on the right track with our “Better together” strategy.

What makes Science & Start-ups so special compared to other start-up services?

A joint start-up service for three of the most entrepreneurial universities in Germany is a real first. It is remarkable that this vision emerged from the individual start-up services. We have realized that we can achieve even more together and as a result, we are also more competitive, nationally and internationally. According to the current ranking, we are ranked first in Berlin, sixth in Germany and nineteenth in Europe. What is important here is that this applies to all start-up hubs, not just those with a scientific focus! Of course, we now also want to be among the top 10 in Europe.

What are your most important support instruments?

We tailor our offers to the needs of our target groups and the progress made in the start-up process. We offer the full spectrum of services, from activating and training entrepreneurial talent, to supporting the development and financing of the business model, providing co-working spaces and labs, to networking with investors and initial support for internationalization. All phases are accompanied by start-up consultants, coaches and mentors who provide intensive support to the teams. In recent years, we have also increasingly built up topic-related support structures, such as the Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship Center (K.I.E.Z.), the largest German accelerator for AI start-ups from the scientific community. We are also placing a greater focus on the digitalization of our services. By way of match’em, for example, we have created a cross-university digital platform to facilitate the search for co-founders, among other things.

What do successful start-ups bring to universities and the capital region?

Our start-ups are one of the city’s economic drivers. They create new, future-proof jobs and increase tax revenues. For example, one study calculated that for the EXIST start-up grant, one of our most important funding programs, almost six euros of additional value are generated for every euro invested. It is important that the added value from start-ups is reinvested in research and teaching. Because strong universities are the basis for a vibrant start-up scene. In addition to the economic effects for Berlin, spin-offs also benefit the universities themselves. This includes career opportunities for graduates, who are enthusiastic about our start-ups early on through internships in our start-ups. Over time, many start-ups also grow into research partners. And finally, spin-offs also offer real added value for science communication: while as universities, on occasion we face the challenge of reaching the general public with topics in basic research, which our start-ups find much easier. After all, they develop solutions for specific everyday problems based on science. One example is the Aaron.AI start-up, which helps to arrange doctor’s appointments.

How is Science & Start-ups financed?

In the early phases of establishment, in the area of entrepreneurial activation and training, funding usually comes from the public sector, i.e. the universities themselves or state and federal funds. In the later phases, especially the start-up, companies and investors also make a greater financial contribution. One example of this is the annual Berliner Sparkasse Start-Up Prize.

What is your most important advice to students and researchers who want to start a business?

Unrestrained networking and 15-minute initial consultation can be booked directly with us: www.science-start-ups.berlin/kontakt.