The energy transition poses significant challenges for the utility industry, especially municipal utilities. These challenges include the digitalization of networks and infrastructure, the expansion of renewable energy sources, the modernization of business processes, and a cultural shift towards greater innovation. To actively shape this transformation, SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator and Energieforen Leipzig have established a partnership.

Startup accelerator SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is entering the next round with a record number of over 500 applications for its 16th cohort. From this impressive pool of applicants, ten international startups in the fields of energy, smart city, and e-health have been selected. The diversity of business ideas from these emerging entrepreneurs is enormous: ranging from immersive audio technologies, with the founder of the MP3 format involved, to the development of the first AI-powered health platform for lipedema sufferers, and innovative, cost-effective pollutant filters made from recycled plastic. The participating teams benefit from mentoring and access to a prestigious network of companies and investors to maximize their potential and establish valuable partnerships. As an expert in venture clients, SpinLab identifies the global startup ecosystem for innovative solutions as well as potential customers or partners for cooperation.

From July 24 to 28, 2023, HHL DIGITAL SPACE and SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is joining forces to support diverse startups in their early stages with a tailored program to evolve their business idea. The goal of the "Leipzig Summer School for Diverse Startups" is to empower underrepresented founders, break down barriers to success and create an inclusive startup ecosystem. The program is supported by the City of Leipzig, Sächsische Aufbaubank, EDIH Saxony, Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, S-Beteiligungen and Germany Trade and Invest.

Central German, as well as international teams, come together in Leipzig to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills. The professional, free program offers participants interactive workshops on important topics such as sales, marketing, and financing, led by experienced mentors, investors, and coaches. The city of Leipzig supports the program as a cooperation partner and will present the "Digital Award," endowed with 2,000 euros, for the second time during the Summer School closing event on July 27 in the new city hall of Leipzig.

Patron Burkhard Jung, Mayor of the City of Leipzig:

"Openness brings progress and development; in this context, openness is not limited to technical or entrepreneurial aspects. Social and intellectual openness are also in demand. That is what the Digital Award  and Summer School for Diverse Startups stands for. This is exactly what we need in our city."

SpinLab and HHL DIGITAL SPACE create an inclusive environment for diverse startups in Saxony

Eric Weber, CEO of SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, summarizes:

"The Leipzig Summer School for Diverse Startups helps to promote diversity and innovation in the startup scene. The Leipzig startup ecosystem, with its broad network and diverse initiatives, offers valuable support to aspiring founders from all over Europe to successfully implement their ideas in Saxony."

Francie Lange, Incubation Manager of HHL DIGITAL SPACE:

"The Summer School for diverse startups will take place for the third time in 2023. Diversity is in focus with the goal of promoting underrepresented founders and breaking down barriers. It also strengthens the inclusive and entrepreneurial environment in Leipzig. The incubator HHL DIGITAL SPACE and the accelerator SpinLab support the startups in terms of content. In addition, we are very pleased that mayor Burkhard Jung is taking over the patronage of the Summer School."

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, one of Europe's leading startup programs, today announced ten of the most promising startups in the fields of energy, health, and smart city. The selected startups have distinguished themselves with their innovative business models and great market potential, and will now be supported by SpinLab through a six-month program. Startups from Poland, France, New Zealand, and Germany are represented. The innovative solutions range from a digital app for food intolerance to tactile, pressure-sensitive skin for robot grippers and digital twins of power grids that are designed to support the energy transition.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator gains Actemium Germany, the VINCI Energies brand for industrial process solutions, as new innovation partner. Actemium is a powerful worldwide network with 400 Business Units located in 40 countries across the world. Operating throughout the entire industrial life cycle, from design to maintenance, Actemium innovates in order to support the long-term development of industrial customers, sustainably.

The partnership strengthens SpinLab's ecosystem and startups participating in the accelerator program will benefit from Actemium's expertise, resources and network. This also includes the planned allocation of a coworking space at Schkeuditz near Leipzig. In the new premises, the development of market-specific solutions will be driven forward together with Actemium employees. Moreover, the partnership facilitates the industrial service provider's access to smart solutions from highly innovative young companies. In this way, practical use cases can be developed even better - and applied directly in customer projects. 

With around 400 applications from all over the world, we reached a new record. The freshly incoming 14th class startups are as diverse as they are promising: a mental health lifestyle app for Gen Z, a chip like the human brain, road reconstruction through radio waves, or the production of hydrogen only from sunlight and water. Like 118 other startups before them, the new class is supported in scaling their their business by an extensive program. Clear numbers prove that the SpinLab ecosystem works: Over 1000 new jobs have been created by the startups that have already gone through the program. A total of 10 startups from SpinLab, such as mementor, Rhebo or Infrasolid, managed a successful exit and were acquired by international companies. Exciting pilot projects will also follow in the future - not least due to a recently concluded partnership between SpinLab and Leipzig University Hospital. 

More than any other service sector, the healthcare industry is facing the challenges of demographic and digital change. The impact of innovations in healthcare on society is enormous. This was recently demonstrated very clearly during the corona outbreak. In this context, startups are increasingly gaining relevance. However, strict regulations, complex systems, and long time-to-market bring specific hurdles for e-health startups. Given this background, University of Leipzig Medical Center and SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator have agreed on a partnership.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator acquires BITROAD and strengthens its management team: as of today, SpinLab has grown by a top-class team of management consultants and from now on also offers strategy and organization consulting around the topics of digitalization and innovation. The acquisition gives a strong boost our ambitious growth plan.

SpinLab, one of the top 3 accelerators in Germany, is once again opening its application phase for startups. Ambitious founders who want to accelerate their innovation can apply from now until November 16. 2021 and benefit from the 6-month program. Startups from the fields of e-health, smart city and energy as well as cross-sectional technologies that are related to these topics and are in the pre-seed, seed or growth phase can apply.

SpinLabs own digital learning platform

The partnership contract between the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL), SpinLab-The HHL Accelerator and SachsenEnergie was signed yesterday as part of the East German Energy Forum. The collaboration provides for SachsenEnergie to get into strategic exchange with relevant startups over SpinLab-The HHL Accelerator. In addition, SachsenEnergie will advise the startups on the implementation of promising innovation projects. For the SpinLab startups, the partnership is highly valuable in optimizing their promising business idea for major customers and gaining access to the target market.