Your Research. Your Start-up Journey.

Imagine you've spent years working on a scientific breakthrough. The results are promising, colleagues are excited, and your network starts asking questions. You may begin to wonder: Could this become more than research? It is at exactly this moment that many researchers discover a whole new world, one filled with terms like incubator, accelerator, intellectual property, business modelling, and entrepreneurship. Exciting? Absolutely. But also a little overwhelming when you're

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

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.

Building a company involves many steps, from choosing the right legal structure and exploring funding options to refining the business model and market strategy. While the process can sometimes feel overwhelming, it is also an exciting and rewarding journey.

The founder’s sense of self needs to evolve just as much as the company does. Speed, control, and hands-on execution are vital early on, but later they can become obstacles to growth.

Securing funding is often seen as one of the biggest challenges in building a start-up. However, a strong financing strategy is not about raising as much capital as possible — it is about raising the right type of capital at the right time.

Starting a company is always a leap into the unknown. Especially in the early stages, when a technology is still being developed and its market potential is uncertain, raising private capital can be difficult. This is where public funding plays a crucial role.

Agile team retrospectives are more than just meetings. They are a powerful tool to strengthen communication, trust, and team dynamics. By reflecting in a structured way, teams can consciously shape their collaboration and continuously improve.

A Manual of Me is a structured self-description. Each team member reflects on how they work best and documents their preferences for communication and collaboration.

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

The Max Planck Society stands for research excellence – but how do you turn discoveries into real-world impact? MAX!mize helps researchers transform insights into innovations and even launch a start-up.

Here’s a quick and honest overview of financing options for your start-up – with pros, cons, and practical tips to help you decide.

This tool guide offers practical tips to help your start-up team work smarter, create faster, and grow your business effectively.

Let’s talk about how and why intellectual property can be a key success factor for your science-based start-up.

Thinking about founding a start-up? The key question is: Is your technology ready for the market? Get to know the 9 different levels of technology readiness.

You’ve got groundbreaking research? To build a successful start-up, a business plan is essential – a clear roadmap to guide your journey from idea to impact.

Whether you're looking for your first investor, a trusted advisor, or even your future co-founder – your stakeholder network can be the difference between potential and progress.