Unite! soft-landing services for start-ups
Would you like to create and expand your business to new European markets? Or are you on a stay abroad and want to continue advancing your projects at one of our universities?
Unite!’s locations – Barcelona, Darmstadt, Graz, Grenoble, Helsinki, Lisbon, Stockholm, and Wroclaw – each with their own distinctive focus, are ideal places to create and grow your business in the European market. These cities and their universities have a remarkable pool of digital and tech talent and are welcoming towards new business ideas. Also noticeable are the networks of investors in our ecosystems.
You do not need to start building your network from scratch. Get started with us. The innovation and start-up services in eight Unite! universities are here to support your growth.
Who is it for?
Innovation projects and start-ups originating from any of the nine Unite! universities and start-ups in the universities’ incubator programs. We expect your visit to have a clear purpose and bring value to your start-up.
Your business idea should ideally fit one or more of the focus areas of Unite! including Sustainable Cities and Water, Engineering Biology, Space, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, and Energy.
Photo: Aalto University, Mikko Raskinen
How does it work?
Below you can find a list of services that each university can provide. Please note that we do not give any financial support for the travel. However, the contact person at your local university may be able to guide you toward potential funding opportunities.
Start by contacting your local university's innovation/start-up centre to discuss your needs (Contact information below). They will evaluate whether your start-up meets the selection criteria and help you identify the most beneficial innovation ecosystem for your visit. If eligible, the local university will collaborate with you to complete the Unite! soft landing form, which is then sent to the receiving university for evaluation. The receiving university reserves the right to veto the proposal. If everything is approved, the receiving university will reach out to you directly to finalize the details.
You can find out more information on each innovation ecosystem here.
Aalto University Start-up Center, Finland
- Desk for maximum two weeks for five persons
- Kick-off meeting with a business advisor
- Introduction to the local ecosystem
- Meet investors, startups and other key players at networking events
- Get connected with potential clients and partners through our existing networks
Contact
Head of Aalto Startup Center
Marika Paakkala
marika.paakkala@aalto.fi
Otakaari 5 A, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Website
Graz University of Technology, Research and Technology House, Austria
- Kick-off meeting with a consultant
- Introduction to the local ecosystem
- Participate in events
- Get connected with potential partners through our existing networks
- Co-Working desk for a limited time (if available)
Contact
TU Graz, Research & Technology House
Mario Fallast
mario.fallast@tugraz.at
Mandellstraße 9/II, 8010 Graz
Website
Grenoble INP-UGA, France
- Co-working desk for a limited time (if available)
- Kick-off meeting with business advisors
- Introduction to IP services for strengthening the startup IP
- Introduction to the local ecosystem, including networking opportunities with investors, startups, and key players
- Get connected with other university units supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, key- labs, makerspaces, platforms and scientists
- Participate in events
Contact
Innovation and Transfer Office
, Startup Department
ito-startup@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
KTH Innovation, part of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- Kick-off meeting with a KTH Innovation in-house expert
- Introduction to KTH Innovation Readiness Level Framework
- Co-working desk for a limited time and for up to 3 team members (to be decided together)
- Participate in events
- Access to community activities
- Access to makerspace and makerspace guidance (subject to availability)
- Access to workshops (depending on startup maturity level)
Please note that KTH Innovation only accepts startups where at least 30% of the core team, including ownership, are active members of a Unite! university (e.g., students or researchers).
Contact
Internationalisation Lead at KTH Innovation
Viktor Olsson
viols@kth.se
Teknikringen 1, 114 28 Stockholm
Website
TU Darmstadt HIGHEST, Germany
- Kick-off meeting with a consultant
- Introduction to the local ecosystem
- Co-Working desk for a limited time (to be decided together)
- Access to labs and maker spaces through our partners
- Participate in events
- Pitch Training
Contact
Head Ecosystem Management & Resources | HIGHEST
Sabine Remmert
sabine.remmert@tu-darmstadt.de
Karolinenplatz 5, 64289 Darmstadt
Website
Universidade de Lisboa, Tec Labs' Incubator, Portugal
- Kick-off meeting with Tec Labs team
- Introduction to the local ecosystem
- Access to networking opportunities with investors, startups, and key players and in-house events, if applicable
- Get connected with potential clients and partners through our existing networks
- Co-working desk of up to 2 workstations for a limited time (if available)
Contact
Head of Incubation | Tec Labs
Area of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Daniela Alves
dmaalves@ciencias.ulisboa.pt
Tec Labs Building, FCUL Campus, 1749-016 Campo Grande, Lisbon
Website
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Research, Tech Transfer and Innovation Area, Spain
- Kick-off meeting with a consultant
- Introduction to the local ecosystem, including networking opportunities with investors, startups, and key players
- Participation in regional startup events to expand your reach and visibility Get connected with potential clients and partners through our existing networks
- Co-Working desk for a limited time (if available)
- Access to Park UPC incubators and services, according to the approved fares for 2025.
Contact
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech
Tech Transfer and Innovation Unit
Sonia Touriño
sonia.tourino@upc.edu
Innovation Management Service, Vertex building, plaça Eusebi Güell 6, 08034 Barcelona
Wrocław Tech Academic Entrepreneurship Incubator, Poland
- Kick-off meeting with a consultant
- Co-working desk available for a limited duration (to be decided collaboratively)
- Introduction to the local ecosystem, including networking opportunities with investors, startups, and key players
- Participation in regional startup events to expand your reach and visibility
- Connections with potential clients and partners through established networks
- Collaboration with other university units supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as scientists and experts
- Access to podcast labs equipped with tools for content creation
Contact
Head of Academic Entrepreneurship Incubator at Wroclaw Tech
Anna Górecka
anna.gorecka@pwr.edu.pl
12 Na Grobli Street , Building L-3, room 0.21, 50-421 Wrocław
Website