From research to business: ‘Demo Days: Secure & Connected’ in Berlin

Cover photo: Head of Department Dr Alexandra-Gwyn Paetz at the “Demo Days: Secure & Connected” event at the Forum for Digital Technologies in Berlin.

On 18 and 19 June 2026 in Berlin, around 30 research-based start-ups specialised in the field of in cyber security and communications technologies demonstrated what public funding can achieve – and how research, application and capital come together. The “Demo Days: Secure & Connected” event brought the concept of knowledge transfer under the High-Tech Agenda Germany (HTAD) to life.

© BMFTR/Czybik & Schmid Media/Kurc

Two days, one goal: to demonstrate that research into cyber security and communications technologies gives rise to marketable businesses. At the Digital Technologies Forum in Berlin, the “Demo Days: Secure & Connected” brought together elements that are rarely found in one place – in-depth technological expertise from the research sector, real-world needs of users from the business world, and capital seeking to invest specifically in such solutions. Organised by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) as part of the StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect funding initiatives, the Demo Days exemplify the central philosophy underpinning the HTAD: today’s research creates tomorrow’s value.

The funding and the Demo Days contribute directly to the so-called Lever 1 of the HTAD, which aims to accelerate the transfer of knowledge and technology. The HTAD identifies precisely the gap that StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect address: that, despite excellent research and a sophisticated funding system, scientific findings have not yet been sufficiently utilised in business and society. The Demo Days brought the transition from discovery to commercialisation to life.

© BMFTR/Czybik & Schmid Media/Kurc

Core technologies of a connected world

Cybersecurity and communications technologies form the foundation upon which a digitally connected society is built. Those who develop these systems play a decisive role in determining who will have the technological capacity to act in the future. That is why the BMFTR deliberately considers both fields together in its funding policy. Within the HTAD, they are part of the strategic research field of security and defence research – one of five strategic research fields through which the Agenda addresses the country’s security and technological capacity.

The around 30 participating start-up teams clearly demonstrated that the funding is having an impact. Through pitches, live demos and open discussions, the start-ups showed what they are working on, what is already working and where there are still challenges.

“From lab to life”: What makes the leap from the laboratory a success

The second day, under the title “From lab to life”, focused on the crucial question of how research can be turned into a viable business. The general consensus was that it takes more than just outstanding technology. Key factors include a culture in which spin-offs are the norm and seen as attractive, and a sustainable dialogue between the research community, established industry and investors, who often operate according to different rationales. The four incubators each run by StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect play a central role in bringing these spheres and ways of thinking together. They are based where research takes place and support teams through the challenging transition from the laboratory to the market.

© BMFTR/Czybik & Schmid Media/Kurc

Numerous start-up teams at the event demonstrated how this approach can succeed. MOXZ, for example, a spin-off from the Technical University of Berlin, is working on precise positioning without GPS or line-of-sight, which is crucial in underground rail transport, for instance. The company emproof, based in the Bochum research community, is bringing security for embedded systems into practical application. These two are just two examples of how StartUpConnect and StartUpSecure are helping to create viable businesses.

Over the course of the two days, it became clear that these two funding initiatives, together with the HTAD, are creating more than just individual companies; they are fostering an innovation ecosystem in which universities, research institutions, start-up teams, end-users and investors come together in a structured way.

Further information – in German only:

• StartUpSecure
• StartUpConnect
• Demo Days