Request for Applications: Spark Fund to develop Business Model – Germany

The Materials Lab Incubator empowers founding teams in the area of advanced materials to innovate products with high value. The Materials Lab Incubator combines material sciences with modern methods of biotechnology and biocompatible as well as scalable production technologies to become the leading materials deep tech science incubator in Europe.

The Spark Fund is intended for founding team to incubate their envisioned product idea in the MerLIn lab located in Baesweiler, to develop and validate their respective business model, and prepare a pitch/reading deck to present the team, their technology and their product in front of an evaluation panel composed of investors and experts.

Focus Areas

• Focus topic area 1:
  • From renewable resources to valuable compounds and materials:
    • The biological transformation of industries requires a shift from oil-based to renewable resources. Successful examples to synthesize from ideally local renewable resources, valuable molecules, polymers, materials, or material systems are within the core scope of The Materials Lab Incubator. Functional materials or materials systems can include but are not limited to, e.g., fibers, textiles, hydrogels, particles, or complex polymer systems. Programmable properties such as but not limited to programmed degradation or stimuli that provide novel/sustainable solutions or substitute harmful molecules/materials across all industries fit to the Focus topic area 1.
• Focus topic area 2:
  • Enabling platform technologies leading to sustainable materials innovations and/or scalable/biocompatible production technologies:
    • The design of products for recycling requires novel concepts, materials, and recycling processes. Enabling technology platforms such as (a) switchable glues that enable bonding and/or debonding on demand, (b) materials with biointegrated and programmable properties or other (c) key enabling technologies that are used for a product development are in the core of Focus topic area 2. The envisioned products of the founding teams should include a concept for a scalable production with a biotransformative impact. Novel scalable and biocompatible production technologies, especially for multi-layered products, which lead to new and improved recyclability, are also in the core of Focus topic area 2.
• Focus topic area 3:
  • Sustainable materials and coatings for the biological transformation across industries
    • The transformation of industries toward sustainable materials and coatings that contribute to a climate-neutral circular economy are of high economic and societal interest. Therefore, high-value and sustainable products such as, but not limited to, functional textile-, lightweight construction-, paper-, chemical- or food industry, functionalized medical as well as machine manufacturing are funding themes in Focus topic area 3. Sustainability of products can also be achieved through biobased or sustainable functional coatings or finishes in order to improve existing materials or material systems. Improvements are, for instance, but not limited to, replacing toxic chemicals or enabling recyclability.

Funding Information

• The whole budget of a Spark Fund amounts to a maximum. 100,000 Euro/team in total.

Duration of Spark Fund

• 8 months after receiving the approval/funding letter

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants are founding teams of 1 or more team members that are not founded by another public entity. Perquisite for applicants is a valid working permit for Germany, since applicants of the Spark fund are employed through RWTH Aachen University for the period of funding. It is expected that the translation work is mainly performed by at least one team member in Aachen/Baesweiler and that all team members participate in the personalized team coaching.

For more information, visit MaterialsLab Incubator.