How do you capture attention, build trust, and communicate a complex idea in just a few minutes? We asked MAX!mize pitch trainer Nina Spiri, who regularly supports founders in transforming scientific excellence into compelling pitches. For Nina, one thing is clear: "People connect with people. A great pitch is about more than presenting facts. It is about showing who you are, why your idea matters, and why your team is the right one to bring it to life." Start with Your Story

"Was that the right decision?" It's a question almost every founder asks themselves. Should we grow the team now? Is the prototype ready for its first user tests? Is this investor really the right fit for the company? Or is it still too early to enter the market? Building a startup means making decisions every single day, often in the absence of certainty. Markets evolve, customer needs change, and technological advances make long-term predictions nearly impossible. It's no s

Imagine you could meet two versions of yourself. The first carefully analyzes every decision and waits until all the information is available. The second decides earlier, tests ideas, makes mistakes, and learns from them. Which one would likely have built the more successful startup after two years? Probably not the person who tried to prepare every decision perfectly—but the one who learned the most along the way. This highlights one of the biggest differences between academ

Turning cutting-edge research into a successful business is rarely a straightforward journey. For the team behind C4Value, consisting of Frederike S. Heinen, Maurice Belleflamme, and Jonas Gerber, the challenge extended beyond developing an innovative technology to transforming scientific excellence into a solution with real market impact. Creating Sustainable Value from Renewable Resources C4Value started their journey with a clear mission: to develop scalable catalytic tech

The Business Model Canvas gives your idea the structure it needs to survive contact with reality.

What is a business idea, really? At its core, a business idea is two things in one: a problem you want to address, and a solution you believe can solve it. Both halves matter equally.

This Max Planck start-up project is tackling a very human challenge: helping vocal musicians and DJs connect better with their audiences.

Explore the research-based innovations our Batch #7 Max Planck start-ups are pursuing. Each team is pushing ideas forward that could help define the future.