A Hub for Start-ups

FORUM: The University of Mannheim has been focused on start-ups and entrepreneurship for over 15 years. Since 2013, all related activities have been consolidated under MCEI. What led to the creation of the center?

Michael Woywode: Over the years, entrepreneurship has become increasingly important in higher education across Germany. In 2012, the federal government launched the “EXIST-Gründerhochschule” competition, encouraging universities to promote start-up culture. As part of our preparations for the competition, we founded MCEI— which to this day serves as a virtual competence center, bundling all of the university’s start-up-related activities, resources, and networks in one place.

Nora Zybura: The University of Mannheim recognized early on that entrepreneurship and spin-offs from research are not just important for our students, but also for the economy—both regionally and beyond. At the time, MCEI was one of the first university initiatives in Germany to offer a fully English-language curriculum and extracurricular programs in entrepreneurship and start-ups.

FORUM: What are MCEI’s main goals?

Woywode: Our biggest priority is to get students excited about entrepreneurship and support them in launching their own ventures—either during their studies or after graduation. But not all of them want to start a business themselves. Many of our students attend our events because they’re interested in working at a start-up, going into venture capital, or pursuing corporate innovation roles at larger companies.

FORUM: As the university’s central hub for start-up activities, what does your work involve?

Woywode: For one thing, we organize Founder Talks featuring entrepreneurs and Start-up Lounges with mostly early-stage start-ups. The goal is to introduce students to career paths in entrepreneurship, spark their interest, and motivate them to develop their own start-up ideas. We also provide guidance on securing EXIST start-up grants and help students refine their business models. Beyond that, teaching is a major focus—we offer both curricular and extracurricular courses on entrepreneurship for bachelor’s and master’s students from all schools.

Zybura: We want students to gain hands-on experience and experiment with their ideas. If they want to launch a start-up while still in university, they can do so as part of our courses and receive regular feedback. Some even write their master’s thesis on their own start-up or on a current challenge faced by an existing start-up.

Woywode: Another part of our work is providing general support to start-ups—whether through initial consultations for aspiring founders, business model development, or connecting them with funding opportunities and industry contacts. We want to be a go-to resource for our entire start-up network.

FORUM: Who is part of this network?

Zybura: Within the university, MCEI collaborates with various chairs and research institutes, ENGAGE.EU, the TransforMA project, and student organizations such as Enactus, thinc!, and Q-Summit. Beyond the university, we work closely with the city of Mannheim, NEXT MANNHEIM, and start-up incubators like MAFINEX. We also partner with other universities on start-up support initiatives, such as the DeepTechHub—where we collaborate with the University of Heidelberg, KIT, and the Mannheim and Karlsruhe universities of applied sciences. There are also specialized support programs, like the KI-Garage for AI start-ups and the Gründerinnen-Akademie for female founders.

FORUM: In recent years, not only has MCEI evolved, but the entire start-up landscape has changed. What shifts have you noticed among students?

Woywode: Overall interest in entrepreneurship has grown significantly. We can see that in the increasing membership numbers of student-run start-up organizations. Students today also have a more nuanced understanding of entrepreneurship than they did in the past. One major trend is the rise of sustainable start-ups, such as Elona Health, Vee Collective, and Everphone. In earlier years, many Mannheim founders rode the wave of the internet and e-commerce boom to build their businesses—think Auto1.com, McMakler, Amorelie, and Stocard. Today, new technologies are shaping the start-up landscape—things like artificial intelligence, business analytics, and advanced manufacturing processes. We also see more interdisciplinary founding teams among Mannheim graduates than before, as seen in recent start-ups like ICODOS and The Oater.

FORUM: In your opinion, what makes the University of Mannheim a great place for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Zybura: The start-up-friendly environment. At Mannheim, students have strong personal networks, which makes it easy for aspiring founders to connect with potential co-founders. The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region also offers a top-tier start-up ecosystem, and we actively connect our students with this network. Beyond that, we prepare students for entrepreneurship through academic programs and hands-on start-up support—and we continue to support them even after they graduate.

FORUM: Aside from a great idea, what do students need to succeed as founders?

Woywode: First and foremost, they need a strong “need for achievement”—a deep drive to accomplish something. They also need conviction in their idea and the determination to stick with it, even when things get tough. Starting a company is a huge amount of work. Founders also need to embrace risk because there’s always a chance their business won’t take off—around 50% of start-ups don’t make it past their first four years. That’s why it’s so remarkable how many Mannheim alumni start-ups thrive despite these challenges. Think of Payback, Statista, Treasury Intelligence Solutions, Foodspring, and Sovanta. And new success stories emerge every year. The University of Mannheim is known for its unusually high number of successful start-ups—and that’s something other universities envy. Ultimately, it comes down to having highly motivated students and researchers who are willing to take entrepreneurial risks, build strong social networks, and leverage those networks to launch and grow their businesses.

Interview: Linda Schädler and Jessica Scholich / April 2025