Seal of quality
For more than 25 years, exist has stood for quality, innovation, and long-term success in academic startup support. With impressive impact metrics, the programme has become the leading seal of excellence for innovative start-ups emerging from science and research.
Among investors, exist is regarded as a trusted mark of quality for science-based startups. Funded teams go through a rigorous selection and development process designed to foster both technological excellence and entrepreneurial maturity. Those who successfully complete an exist startup grant or an exist research transfer project have validated their ideas not only scientifically but also commercially.
The results speak for themselves: according to the 2024 Monitoring Report, the startup rate in the exist Research transfer programme is around 85%, and the survival rate of funded companies five years after the end of funding stands at 96%. More than half of all projects enter the programme with their own intellectual property, and two-thirds file new patents within five years of completion – clear indicators of innovation strength and market potential. The exist Start-up grant also shows impressive outcomes, with over 28,000 jobs created and a five-year survival rate of nearly 80%.
In addition to these two core funding lines, programmes such as exist Women and the exist Startup Factories further strengthen the startup landscape at universities. They promote diversity, networks, and the long-term integration of entrepreneurial culture within academia and regional economies.
As such, exist is far more than a funding brand: it is a seal of excellence for outstanding startups that demonstrate innovation, technological maturity, and viable business models – and a key point of reference for investors looking to back quality.