Anjana Pisharody Unni and Somasundar Arumugam, the founders of SuziTrap, are taking on a tiny but destructive enemy: the spotted wing drosophila.

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.

Explore the research-based innovations our Batch #6 Max Planck start-ups are pursuing. Each team is pushing ideas forward that could help define the future.