Start-ups & Start-up projects (pre-incorporation)

Aachen Proteineers is a startup that specializes in providing high-quality, innovative, and bio-based coating solutions. The company utilizes a versatile platform technology developed at the Chair of Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University in collaboration with the DWI. Their cutting-edge coating technology is based on material-binding peptides or anchor peptides, which are optimized for specific materials. These peptides enable the functionalization of a wide range of materials, such as polymers, glass, steel, or natural materials. The Aachen Proteineers team has set itself the goal of commercializing the technology for various applications on different materials, such as synthetic and natural polymers, metals, and ceramics.

naion.tech has developed a nanofiltration technology for recovering critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are indispensable for green and high-tech applications and in high demand worldwide. Based on technologies developed by researchers at the DWI and the Aachen Institute of Process Engineering, naion.tech optimizes existing recycling processes: Instead of adapting entire filtration systems to different water compositions, naion.tech improves membrane filters by calculating the ideal membrane properties and using a special coating process. This enables higher product quality while simultaneously shortening project timelines. The membrane filters are then integrated into modular filtration systems.

SeSaM Biotech is a spin-off company dedicated to using directed enzyme evolution—also known as protein engineering—to accelerate “Darwinian evolution” in vitro. The company aims to provide its customers with advanced enzymes and proteins for industrial applications that offer improved properties. The spin-off is built on the expertise of biotechnologists.

CELLOREON is a pioneer in the development of next-generation human organoids for drug discovery. Using synthetic microgels, CELLOREON generates various organoids—such as heart, kidney, bone marrow, nerve, and retinal organoids—that are fully reproducible, animal-free, and suitable for automated use. CELLOREON’s technology overcomes the limitations of animal-derived materials such as Matrigel and ensures consistency, scalability, and compliance with ethical standards. Unlike conventional systems, their organoids develop without the formation of necrotic cores and exhibit homogeneous differentiation throughout the entire structure, making them more physiologically relevant and reliable. By combining advanced biomaterials with automated workflows and data analysis, CELLOREON accelerates biomedical research, reduces costs, and improves translation for the benefit of society and human health. From personalized medicine to high-content drug screening, CELLOREON supports scientists and pharmaceutical companies with a faster, more reliable, and ethically superior organoid technology platform.

CELLOREON is currently part of the QuinCAT incubator.

QDSense is developing a next-generation biosensor platform for the highly sensitive and multiplex detection of biomarkers. The technology was designed to improve performance with complex biological samples and offers greater robustness and reliability than current gold-standard methods in in vitro diagnostics. The platform operates at room temperature with a compact design and has demonstrated suitability for multiple target molecules in early proof-of-concept studies. Applications for this technology include diagnostics, drug development, and research.

Amovion has set itself the goal of closing the salt and water cycles through capacitive flow-cell deionization (FCDI). FCDI is an innovative electrochemical technology for separating ions from water. The technology will make it possible to recover not only freshwater but also valuable salts such as chloride, nitrate, and lithium. The recovered raw materials can then be recycled and reused.

naion.tech has developed a nanofiltration technology for recovering critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are indispensable for green and high-tech applications and in high demand worldwide. Based on technologies developed by researchers at the DWI and the Aachen Institute of Process Engineering, naion.tech optimizes existing recycling processes: Instead of adapting entire filtration systems to different water compositions, naion.tech improves membrane filters by calculating the ideal membrane properties and using a special coating process. This enables higher product quality while simultaneously shortening project timelines. The membrane filters are then integrated into modular filtration systems.

HAIRSENSE has developed a technology that can guarantee the authenticity and quality of high-end textiles. This makes it possible to definitively answer questions such as, “Is my cashmere sweater really genuine?” HAIRSENSE thus offers consumers, brands, and retailers the assurance that their products are authentic. This is particularly relevant for leading fashion labels and textile manufacturers, as it makes it easier for them to meet their legal obligations regarding product control. HAIRSENSE’s technology combines established analytical methods using microscopy with AI-supported evaluation. It thus surpasses the accuracy and efficiency of traditional approaches. The technology is based on the results and developments of the IGF research project 21376 N, “Artificial Intelligence for the Automated, Counterfeit-Resistant Identification of Animal Hairs.”

FORMeat is developing groundbreaking technology for meat production: Using FORMeat’s advanced fiber spinning techniques, the company aims to produce steaks from animal stem cells, thereby offering a more environmentally and animal-friendly alternative to conventional methods of factory farming and meat production in the future. The specially developed spinning machines are designed to process lab-grown meat, which is intended to replicate the texture and structure of conventional meats. The scalable spinning technology ensures that lab-grown meat meets the highest quality and taste standards.

Verdancy is convinced that both biological and chemical pesticides will continue to play an important role in agriculture, especially in light of the ever-changing climate. That is why the startup is working to improve their effectiveness and environmental friendliness using a technology developed jointly at the DWI and the Chair of Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University. They are doing this by encapsulating plant protection agents in upcycled, plastic-free, and fully biodegradable microgels that protect them and release them in a controlled, programmable manner. They coat the outer surface of the microgels with naturally occurring peptides designed to act as anchors, allowing the microgel containers to adhere to the leaf. This prevents them from being washed away by rain, which reduces the risk of soil contamination and is intended to enable greater efficacy with less product.