Tentris

On the path from research to starting a company, the exist Research Transfer program played a crucial role. As co-founder Tobias Rebert explains, the biggest challenge lay not so much in the technology itself as in building a company. In addition to advancing their research, the team had to learn to think like entrepreneurs, establish structures, recruit employees, and make decisions that went far beyond their scientific work. The exist Research Transfer program gave the team the necessary time and financial security to take this path step by step and focus on building their company. The personal guidance provided was particularly valuable. Regular exchanges with the program coordinators and the startup ecosystem at the University of Paderborn helped the team identify challenges early on, set the right priorities, and avoid typical pitfalls of the startup phase. Looking back, Rebert emphasizes that the funding not only provided financial support but also created the necessary leeway to develop a company from a scientific idea.

Today, Tentris is working with its first corporate clients to further develop its technology and drive the adoption of trustworthy AI solutions in businesses. With its successful funding round of over two million euros, the startup is continuing to expand its technology, grow its team, and accelerate its market entry. For Tobias Rebert, the journey so far demonstrates one thing above all: Successful spin-offs aren’t created solely by innovative technologies, but also by the opportunity to learn entrepreneurship. The exist research transfer program has created a crucial framework for precisely that.