The LMU Innovation Incubator

The LMU Innovation Incubator is now part of LMU’s Entrepreneurship Catalyst

The LMU Innovation Incubator becomes part of the permanent offering from the LMU under the leadership of Annie Weichselbaum. Since April 1, 2026 the program became directly integrated into the university’s administration Entrepreneurship Division under Vice President Dr. Philipp Baaske.

The LMU Innovation Incubator team is happy to further strengthen the ties within the university to provide a more robust and stronger startup support together with the Spin-Off service. We are immensely grateful to the LMU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center’s team and their Leads, Prof. Dr. Jelena Spanjol, Prof. Dr. Albrecht Schmidt, Prof. Ali Gümüsay, and Dr. Dominik Domnik for closely supporting and enabling the program to succeed.

We look forward to a more comprehensive startup support ecosystem within the university, and to continue to support excellent and innovative research- and knowledge- based startups coming from the LMU.

At a Glance

Apply Now

Applications are open for the LMU Innovation Incubator Cohort #8

Application deadline: July 31, 2026

Whether you already have an innovative startup concept, an early-stage research-based idea, or simply want to explore the potential of your work through entrepreneurship — we encourage you to apply.

We look forward to learning more about your ideas and welcoming the next generation of founders and innovators into the LMU entrepreneurial community.

Program

Who is the program for?

The Incubator is aimed at:

• LMU students and researchers
• Interdisciplinary teams with innovative ideas
• Individuals who are beginning to consider starting a business or have early-stage concepts
• Anyone who wants to systematically explore the commercial potential of their idea
• A concrete intention to start a business is a prerequisite.

What we do

The Incubator is designed for aspiring and early-stage founders who want to systematically develop their ideas and understand their true potential. It provides a structured framework for testing assumptions, defining target audiences and problems, and laying a solid foundation for future startup ventures.

How we do it

The teams work with established methods from innovation and entrepreneurship:

• Validation of ideas and assumptions
• Analysis of target audiences and application areas
• Development of use cases and business models
• Derivation of concrete implementation paths

The four-month part-time program includes: masterclasses on innovation and entrepreneurship, hands-on workshops, individual coaching, and access to mentors from academia, industry, and the startup ecosystem. The LMU Spin-off Service also provides support in securing public funding before, during, and after the program.

Münchener Universitätsgesellschaft (MUG) Award

Since 2024, the Münchener Universitätsgesellschaft (MUG) has been supporting the incubation teams with the Award for Research Transfer and Impact Entrepreneurship. the funding is awarded to the most promising teams during the program.

Application Requirements

• Research or an idea with clear practical and application potential
• Interest in entrepreneurship within an academic setting
• Early stage (pre-seed, concept, or prototype)
• Motivation to validate the market, founders, and business model
• Active participation throughout the program duration
• Applications must be submitted as teams (at least 2 people), with at least one person having an affiliation with LMU
• PhD candidates, researchers, or alumni

Important to know

A clear and transparent clarification of the IP situation is required before the program starts. In case of external funding, a willingness to discuss IP and project details confidentially is necessary.

Application Deadline: 31. July. 2026

Program Benefits

Questions / Contact

If you have any questions about participation or the program, the team is always available to help.

Contact:

Annie Weichselbaum

Incubation Lead

a.weichselbaum@lmu.de