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The partnerships with selected universities as well as venture capital companies enable the family businesses to gain additional insights – individually and on demand.
Our partners as co-curators of the ecosystem
Maschinenraum is an initiative from family businesses for family businesses. In the sense and according to the needs of the family businesses, we expand our ecosystem sustainably and systematically. Through trusted collaboration with our partners, we create additional offerings for family businesses. We are stronger together.
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Universities
We cooperate with leading universities to combine scientific theory and entrepreneurial practice and to show students and alumni career paths in German Mittelstand. The aim is to strengthen the future viability of German Mittelstand as backbone of the German economy.
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Venture capital (VC) & startups
Partnerships with VCs give our member companies access to the latest technologies and knowledge, joint market and trend monitoring, inspiration and sparring for new business models, and an extensive network into the investment and startup landscape.
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University Partners
Structured startup scouting process
Together with 30 students from EBS University, we developed a systematic approach for JUNG to identify relevant startups and build visibility within the scene. The focus was on analyzing existing scouting models, defining clear selection criteria, and creating a scalable networking approach.
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VC Partners
Startup contest: entrepreneurial spirit meets Mittelstand
At Maschinenraum Momentum, founding teams nominated by our VC partners pitched their solutions for industrial family businesses live on stage – from AI-driven processes and robotics to smart automation. The audience of family business owners decides which solution is truly ready for real-world application.
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University Partners
Innovations for customer loyalty
Together with six master's students from EBS University, we explored how DAW can develop new service offerings for painting businesses beyond the product itself. Analyzing customer needs and challenges led to concrete consulting offers, which were then evaluated for strategic relevance and feasibility.
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University Partners
AI in action for more efficient e-learning
How can artificial intelligence speed up the time-intensive creation of e-learning content? Ten students from HTW Berlin analyzed the existing development process, identified suitable AI application areas, and compared effort, cost, and quality with and without AI support.
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VC Partners
Nine hypotheses for the tech ecosystem
Together with our VC partners, we developed nine theses that map the technology trends shaping the Mittelstand in the years ahead – from AI and robotics to New Space. For our member companies, the investor perspective turns abstract trend topics into tangible strategic insight.
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