GROUNDBREAKERS SUMMIT 2026 / NOVEMBER 5

The innovation­accelerator for the construction and real estate industry

We connect startups with established companies and turn their ideas into breakthroughs – with a focus on digitalization and sustainability.

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You are in good company
Austausch zwischen Gründer:innen beim GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025
Publikum beim GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025
Two paths, one ecosystem

What brings you here?

For Startups / ConTech & PropTech

From pitch deck to paying customer

Accelerator, Investment Readiness, International Batch: we connect you with leading companies – for real pilot projects instead of just pitch decks. Just like Pelicad, who landed their first paying customer through us.

0 €free, no equity taken
15partner companies along the value chain
12weeks to your first pilot
For Companies / Construction & Real Estate

From idea to running pilot

Scouting, matchmaking and pilot project support – from a curated selection of 900+ startups all the way into your daily operations.

0no investment, pilot instead of venture capital
900+curated startups
4steps to your pilot
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Curated startups in the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool
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Accelerator batches run
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Partner companies in the network
GROUNDBREAKERS Banner beim Summit 2025
Team-Gruppenfoto beim GROUNDBREAKERS Kickoff 2026
For Startups

From MVP to market maturity

To the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator >

GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator

12 weeks to Proof of Concept: sales masterclass, pitch training, finance day and 1:1 coaching – free of charge and without giving up equity.

To the Accelerator >

Investment Readiness

Investor-ready instead of someday: 7 modules from the ConTech Capital Stack to Pitch Day.

To the Masterclass >

International Batch

Hi Tech! Startup Welcome Package: we bring ConTech teams from all over Europe to Stuttgart – with costs covered.

To the International Batch >

European Challenge

The European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge searches Europe-wide for the best solution for nature-based materials.

To the Challenge >

GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni

All startups from the Accelerator – organized by planning, construction, operations and deconstruction.

View GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni >
BREAK GROUND /// BUILD BONDS

GROUNDBREAKERS
SUMMIT 2026

The one day when the whole ecosystem comes together – new technologies, real connections, the future of construction.

11/05/2026 / STUTTGART

Events

Nice to meet you

22.09.26
Pitch

Symposium Zukunft Bauen 2026

„Getting into action“: five startups from our network pitch at the WRS and IBA'27 symposium on the EU Buildings Directive for non-residential buildings – featuring Onsite Solutions, Celekohr, bimeto, energieleser and melt.

Citizen Long, Stuttgart
24.09.26
Co-Host

Green Tech Capital Forum

As co-host, we're running the Construction Tech stage – our own, self-moderated session. We'll announce which startups from our network will be there soon.

Freiburg / Host: Smart Green
25.09.26
Industry Conference

„Bauen der Zukunft“ Innovation Day – Hamburg

Industry conference on sustainable and digital solutions in construction, with input from practice, research and policy.

Gleishalle Oberhafen, Hamburg
Oct 5–7, 2026
Pitch & Panel

EXPO Real

Six startups from our network pitch at the WRS booth – energieleser, bimeto, azekura, Onsite Solutions, flinq and vreed. On the panel „We are just getting started“ we discuss how innovation programs are changing the real estate industry.

Munich / Hall B1 & Hall A3, Messe München
15.10.26
Construction Session

Green AI Day

In our breakout session „AI and the Construction Industry“, Thomas Üsländer (Fraunhofer IOSB) and Dr. Jarosch (BTZ Stuttgart) discuss potential and project ideas together with startups from our network.

Metropol Kino, Stuttgart
+6
more events
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For Companies

Your Innovation­Department

Overview for Companies >

Venture Clienting

Buy innovation instead of building it: we find the startup that already solves your problem today – and support the pilot all the way into regular operations.

How Venture Clienting works >

GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

900+ curated ConTech and PropTech startups – structured, evaluated and searchable.

To the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool >

Our Services

Scouting, pilots, training: innovation across three areas – tailored to fit.

All Services >

Become a Partner

From strategy to running pilot – with a team that knows the industry.

Request a Partnership >

Our Partners

15 companies along the entire value chain.

View Partners >
Leuchtschrift GROUNDBREAKERS beim Corporate Dinner
For Everyone

Knowledge, network and formats – open to the whole ecosystem

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Events

Summit, climate festival and more: places where startups, companies and investors come together.

All Events >
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Trend Radar

Twelve trends, four phases, three priorities: which technologies are really changing the industry – and when.

To the Trend Radar >
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Success Stories

Proven results from real collaborations between startups and corporates.

View Stories >
&

Podcast

The innovation podcast for the construction and real estate industry – for everyone shaping the future.

Listen In >
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European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge

The Europe-wide competition for the best solution for nature-based materials in construction.

To the Challenge >
&

Magazine

News from the Accelerator, venture clienting stories and insights into the ecosystem.

To the Magazine >
Magazine

What's new at GROUNDBREAKERS

All Articles >
Stage / GROUNDBREAKERS Summit
August 10, 2026 / Events

5 reasons to attend the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit

Hands-on innovation, a startup stage and a keynote from Kai Kölsch (Neura Robotics) on robotics and AI – why November 5, 2026 in Stuttgart is a must.

Read More >
Group photo / Batch #3 Kick-off
March 23, 2026 / Accelerator

Kickoff for Accelerator Batch #3

Two-day kickoff event in Stuttgart – with pitches, a pilot project workshop and the entire GROUNDBREAKERS network.

Read More >
Team photo / PELICAD
March 12, 2026 / Success Stories

AI revolution on fast-forward: PELICAD & WOLFF & MÜLLER

How a PropTech startup redefined architectural visualization together with a leading construction company.

Read More >
About GROUNDBREAKERS

Who's behind it

About us >
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About GROUNDBREAKERS

The innovation accelerator for the construction and real estate industry – mission, team and the people behind it.

About us >
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The Ecosystem

From initiators to partners and universities to investors – the whole map.

To the Ecosystem >
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Our Advisory Board

Experienced individuals from partner companies and institutions support our development.

To the Advisory Board >
Das GROUNDBREAKERS-Team beim Summit 2025
Voices from the Network

What our partners say about working with us

Schedule a Call >
Our most important resources for sustainable construction are entrepreneurial spirit and creativity – that's exactly where GROUNDBREAKERS comes in.
Dr. Albert DürrAD
Dr. Albert Dürr
WOLFF & MÜLLER
We want to transform the construction industry and need sustainable ideas to do it. Startups are an ideal source, and GROUNDBREAKERS is the ideal platform for it.
Daniela SchmiedleDS
Daniela Schmiedle
Sika Deutschland
Startups driving the transformation of construction in our cities are rare – we want to truly „break ground“ and pool strengths, especially in the Stuttgart region, building the bridge between innovation, need and market.
Steffen BraunSB
Steffen Braun
Fraunhofer IAO
Get Started Now

Become a GROUNDBREAKER

30 MIN. CALL / MICROSOFT TEAMS / NO OBLIGATION

Schedule a Call >
Newsletter

Stay Up to Date

A lot happens at GROUNDBREAKERS. Once a quarter, get the most important news straight to your inbox.

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For Startups / GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator

GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator

The first accelerator exclusively for the construction and real estate industry in Germany.

12 weeks Free No equity Pre-Seed
Our offerings

What to expect at the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator

X

Close relationships with corporates & investors

Direct access to leading companies in the construction and real estate industry.

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Initiation of PoC projects

We help you find the right cooperation partners.

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Tailored to the industry

As Germany's first accelerator with a 100 % focus on construction & real estate – with real industry experts.

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Honest 1:1 coaching

An experienced coach supports you in individual sessions – clear and to the point.

&

Learn from other founders

Exchange and sparring with other startups in the industry.

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Compatible with your daily work

Flexible scheduling and on-demand support, whenever you need it.

Voices from the Accelerator
The GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator gave us huge trust and a platform early on, and opened incredibly valuable doors that we certainly wouldn't have accessed so quickly otherwise. As founders, it felt like GROUNDBREAKERS was among the first to fully believe in us. In the meantime, a few of the corporate partners have already joined in as well.
Robin KarutzRK
Robin Karutz
Co-Founder and Managing Director, Brixl
GROUNDBREAKERS took us along to the major industry trade fairs, giving us visibility that would have been hard to achieve as a young company on our own. At the same time, we gained direct access to relevant decision-makers and partners from the real estate industry. For us as a technology company, this exact combination of visibility, network and genuine industry feedback is extremely valuable.
Tibor HofmannTH
Tibor Hofmann
Co-Founder, Energieleser
For us, it quickly became clear: a program at this level, free of charge and without giving up equity, is an opportunity no founding team needs to think twice about.
Adrian VorbachAV
Adrian Vorbach
CEO & Co-Founder, CO2Materials
Why GROUNDBREAKERS

Your direct line into the construction and real estate industry

You have a solution the industry needs – we take it where it's needed: onto the construction site, into the building, into everyday use.

We connect you directly with companies

Gründer pitcht vor Publikum bei einem GROUNDBREAKERS Event

The construction and real estate industry is urgently searching for new solutions. Rising costs, a shortage of skilled workers, climate targets, digitalization pressure – the challenges are huge, and that's exactly why the door is more open to startups than ever. The problem: as a young team, reaching the right decision-makers often takes months. That's exactly where we come in.

GROUNDBREAKERS is the first and only accelerator in Germany focused 100 % on the construction and real estate industry. Our ecosystem includes leading companies from across the entire value chain – from Sika to WOLFF & MÜLLER to Werner Sobek. These companies aren't just partners on paper: they're actively looking for solutions from startups like yours.

In concrete terms: right from day one of our program, you're sitting at the table with corporate partners. You'll talk about real challenges from practice – and work out together where your solution creates value. We turn these conversations into pilot projects. We turn pilot projects into paying customers.

Leuchtschrift GROUNDBREAKERS im Clubhouse

What you get with us

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Pilot projects instead of PowerPoint

We don't just make introductions, we support you all the way to the proof of concept – and beyond. Just like Pelicad, who through us carried out their pilot project with WOLFF & MÜLLER and won their first paying customer in the process.

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Stages where you get seen

Whether Demo Day, GROUNDBREAKERS Summit or Immobilien-Dialog: we put you in front of the right people. After a single pitch, Otter Energy Trading had ten concrete project inquiries on the table.

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Know-how that makes you faster

In twelve weeks you get everything for a successful market entry: sales masterclass, pitch training, finance day – plus individual 1:1 coaching that fits flexibly into your day-to-day as a founder.

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Access to capital

We open up our network of business angels, VCs and strategic investors to you – and help you access funding programs like Start-up BW Pre-Seed. In our Investment Readiness Program, we prepare you specifically for your funding rounds.

Labs & Spaces

Test your solution in real labs

From material testing to coworking space: through our network you have access to labs and test infrastructure at leading research institutions. To labs and spaces →

And the best part: all of this is free. We're publicly funded and financed by our corporate partners. You pay nothing – and give up no equity!

Are you a fit for us?

We're looking for ConTech and PropTech startups that make the industry more sustainable, more digital and more productive – from decarbonization to modular construction to circular economy. You should have an MVP you can take to customers, and be in the (pre-)seed stage.

More than 900 startups are already part of our curated network. Over 50 have gone through our masterclasses. Through us, they've made the leap into practice.

Free.
And you give up no equity

FUNDED THROUGH STATE FUNDING & CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS

Start-up BW
Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg
Startups treffen das GROUNDBREAKERS-Ökosystem
Is this a fit for you?

Who we're looking for in the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator

Requirements

  • /PropTech or ConTech startup with a focus on sustainability in construction.
  • /At least an MVP, ready for customer contact.
  • /In the pre-seed stage.
  • /Contributes to environmental or social sustainability.
  • /Willingness to take part in the workshops – one person from the founding team is enough.

Your focus areas

We're looking for solutions with real leverage in one of these fields:

Decarbonization Energy transition Circular economy Modular construction Sustainable materials Robotics
Program / Spring 2026

12 weeks to
the pilot project

A clearly structured roadmap of digital sessions and in-person highlights in Stuttgart.

12.03.2026

Digital pre-kick-off

Digital
19.–20.03.2026

Startups meet GROUNDBREAKERS ecosystem + pilot projects workshop

In person / Stuttgart
26.03.–23.04.2026

Sales masterclass / 5 sessions of 2h each

Digital
30.04.2026

Pitch training

Digital
28.05.2026

Finance day

Digital
25.06.2026

GROUNDBREAKERS Demo Day

In person / Stuttgart
05.11.2026

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit

In person / Stuttgart
Frequently asked questions

Good to know

Nothing. The program is free for startups – and you don't give up any equity either. It's financed through state funding and the memberships of our partner companies.

12 weeks to the proof of concept – with flexible, on-demand scheduling that fits around your daily work.

As Germany's only accelerator with a 100 % focus on construction and real estate, we're looking for PropTech and ConTech startups in the pre-seed stage with at least an MVP and a clear contribution to sustainability in construction.

Participation in the workshops is expected – but it's enough if one person from the founding team attends.

Fill out the application form > approx. 45-minute intro conversation > selection decision shortly before the next batch starts. We support you in the network wherever possible, even before that.

Time to accelerate

Bring your solution into practice

Germany's first accelerator exclusively for construction and real estate – get to know us now, no strings attached. Tell us about your startup in a short call. Together we'll work out whether the accelerator is the right fit for you.

  • A direct assessment of your fit
  • Insight into the program & network
  • Next steps for your application
Wim LevenhagenWL
Wim Levenhagen
Head of Startup Success / GROUNDBREAKERS
Schedule a call with Wim > APPROX. 45 MIN / NO OBLIGATION Prefer to write? Email Wim →
Investment Readiness Masterclass

Investor-ready.
Not someday.

Now

A hands-on program that prepares ConTech and PropTech founders for successful funding rounds.

2 Phases 7 Modules 90 min 1:1 100% Remote / Real Results
Book a free intro session >
The Reality

Most founders lose their investors before the pitch

6+ months

wasted in round one – because it only becomes clear halfway through that the wrong investor type was being pitched.

No data room

by the time the investor finally says yes: momentum lost, terms renegotiated, the round dragged out.

80%

of capital flows into Series B+. The seed bar has shifted – most decks haven't.

0 LOIs

in the deck. ConTech rarely shows MRR – but paid pilots and PoCs are exactly the substitute for it.

1 of 4

tiers used: most chase generalist VCs and ignore grants, strategic pilots, and specialist funds.

2× dilution

compared to peers – because cap table and SAFE-vs-priced trade-offs were never modeled before signing.

The Investment Readiness Masterclass fixes all six – before it costs you the round.

Gründer:innen im Austausch beim GROUNDBREAKERS Clubhouse
Generic vs. ConTech

Standard VC playbooks aren't built for this

Most fundraising playbooks were written for SaaS – and fail for ConTech. Eight places where they diverge:

Dimension SaaS Playbook ConTech Reality
Traction Signal
MRR/ARR from month 6
Paid pilots, LOIs, POs – MRR rarely comes before Seed
Time to first revenue
3–6 months
14–24 months – the sales cycle is the runway
Capital Mix
VC, sometimes angels
Grants + strategic pilots + specialist VC + generalists – in parallel
Dilution at Seed
~20%
25–35% under standard corporate VC terms
PMF Metric
NPS, retention, expansion
Pilot-to-contract conversion, TRL/MRL progress
Defensibility
Network effects, switching costs
Certifications, deployments, IP, track record on the job site
The Buyer
Self-serve, SMEs, clean ICP
General contractors, developers, building-materials groups – slow, conservative, fragmented
Investor Expertise
Most VCs
~10% of VCs fund hardware, long cycles & pilots

This masterclass is built around the right-hand column. That's exactly the point.

Who This Is For

When you raise doesn't matter.
Being ready does

Three founder timelines, one program.

Gründer blickt zu einem imposanten Gebäude auf
Round in 12–18 months

Build the asset base now

  • Run customer and pilot conversations with an investor's eye – every contract becomes future evidence in the data room.
  • Lock in the cap table and option pool before strategic pilots change them.
  • Choose milestones that prove what investors actually fund.
Round starting now

Compress 6 months into 6 weeks

  • Skip the "wrong investor type" phase – a pre-built 4-tier target list from day one.
  • Walk into first meetings with a deck, model, data room, and Q&A guide – stress-tested inside and out.
  • Use the GROUNDBREAKERS partner network for warm intros instead of a cold pipeline.
Mid-Round

Prevent the round from stalling

  • Close the gaps investors quietly flag – resilience, governance, IP, the path from pilot to contract.
  • Renegotiate from a position of preparation when corporates push for pilot exclusivity or IP traps.
  • Stagger parallel tracks so a "no" doesn't reset all your momentum.
The Blueprint

The GROUNDBREAKERS Funding House

You build a house from the ground up. That's exactly how the program is structured.

Pitch Day
M7 Outreach & Negotiation
M5 Pitch Deck
M6 Data Room
M3 Strategy
M4 Financials
M2 Investment Needs & Investor Fit
M1 ConTech Capital Stack
The Roof

Pitch Day

The driving force. Every output beneath it exists because it has to hold up in front of investors.

The Walls

Masterclass M3–M7

Five 1:1 modules: strategy, financials, pitch, data room, outreach. This is where the assets are built – and stress-tested.

The Foundation

M1–M2

Map the ConTech Capital Stack, define investment fit. The two modules that carry everything above them.

GROUNDBREAKERS x aed Event
Masterclass Overview

Five modules.
One investment-ready company

Every module delivers real outputs. Take all five for the full program.

M3

Funding Strategy & Target Map

Staggered 12-month plan + 4-tier target list with concrete partners and warm-intro paths.

M4

Financial Plan & Cap Table

Working financial model + cap table + dilution scenarios + use of funds, tied to milestones.

M5

Pitch Deck & Narrative

Designed pitch deck + 3-minute narrative script + Q&A guide for the 15 toughest investor questions.

M6

Data Room & Operational Readiness

Structured, populated data room, KPI dashboard, governance scorecard, investor-prep checklist.

M7

Investor Outreach & Negotiation

4-tier pipeline tracker + personalized outreach drafts + red-flag checklist for term sheet & pilot agreement.

The Framework

The ConTech Capital Stack

Four tiers. Most successful ConTech rounds use all four in parallel.

01

Non-dilutive

Grants, subsidized loans, tax credits

EIC Accelerator (€2,5 million) / EIC Pathfinder / EXIST / ZIM / KMU-innovativ / KfW / Innovate UK / SBIR/STTR / R&D tax credits

02

Strategic / Corporate

Capital + distribution from established corporates

Cemex Ventures / Holcim MAQER / NOVA Saint-Gobain / Hilti / Leonard/VINCI / Suffolk BOOST / Autodesk / PERI / Bosch / Caterpillar / Trimble / JLL Spark

03

Specialist VCs

Sector-savvy ConTech/PropTech funds

Foundamental / Brick & Mortar / Zacua / Fifth Wall / Camber Creek / A/O PropTech / Pi Labs / MetaProp / Zigg / Nine Four / RET Ventures

04

Generalists

Scale capital from Series A+, once tiers 1–3 are validated

Atomico / Index / Balderton / Earlybird / Speedinvest / Creandum / Lakestar / World Fund / 2150 / Extantia / Shell / bp / Siemens / ABB Ventures

Key Insight: The four tiers run in parallel, at different tempos. Approach them one after another and you underfund and over-dilute yourself.

Investor Ready? Book an Intro Session Now >
Time to accelerate

Bring your solution into practice

Tell us about your startup in a short call. Together we'll work out whether the accelerator is the right fit for you – no obligation, straight talk.

  • A direct read on your fit
  • Insight into the program & network
  • Next steps to apply
Wim LevenhagenWL
Wim Levenhagen
Head of Startup Success / GROUNDBREAKERS
Schedule a Call with Wim > APPROX. 45 MIN / NO OBLIGATION Prefer to write? Email Wim →
Hi Tech! Startup Welcome Package

International Batch – Your entry point into the German construction industry

The Stuttgart Region has Germany's highest density of architecture, engineering and construction companies.
The Hi Tech! Startup Welcome Package brings startups and scaleups from all over the world to Stuttgart – with all costs covered.

100% ConTech 1st part remote 2nd part on-site in Stuttgart Corporate Pilots, not Just Pitch Dates All costs covered
Region Stuttgart Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart An initiative by WRS, part of Hi Tech!
implemented by GROUNDBREAKERS
The programme

What is the Hi Tech! Startup Welcome Package?

The Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) initiated the Startup Welcome Package and has brought international founders to the Stuttgart Region through multiple batch editions. This one marks a first: for the very first time, the batch is dedicated exclusively to the construction industry. To make that happen, WRS brought in GROUNDBREAKERS.

Luftaufnahme der Stuttgarter Innenstadt
>

Who runs it

GROUNDBREAKERS, the innovation accelerator for construction and real estate, on behalf of Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) as part of their Hi Tech! initiative.

X

What it is

A structured matchmaking and soft-landing programme that brings international ConTech teams together with corporates from the Stuttgart Region – aiming at concrete pilots, not just introductions.

&

New in Batch #11

For the first time, the batch is 100% focused on ConTech – technology for the entire building lifecycle: planning, construction, operation and deconstruction.

How it works

Two phases – remote first,
then on-site in Stuttgart

Phase 1 / Remote

4 weeks. Zero friction. Maximum alignment.

6 Oct – 27 Oct 2026 / ~3 h/week / 20 startups

  • /Business culture & construction industry – how business culture and the construction industry work in Germany and the Stuttgart Region.
  • /Pitch training & matching – sharpen your corporate pitch and prepare your matching conversations.
  • /Pitch session – present your idea live to construction corporates and get direct feedback.

Corporate partners decide together with GROUNDBREAKERS which startups have the greatest potential and travel to Stuttgart.

Phase 2 / On-Site Stuttgart

10 days in Stuttgart. Where deals and foundations are made.

23 Nov – 4 Dec 2026 / Top 10 startups / 1 founder each

  • /Business side – built around networking: three flagship events, company tours, and direct access to the local startup scene.
  • /Cultural side / "Spätzle & Swabian traditions" – get to know the local culture hands-on, for example in a Swabian cooking class making Spätzle from scratch.
  • /Ecosystem side – an immersive tour through Stuttgart's industrial DNA and quality of life.

Framework programme: Mercedes-Benz Museum / Stuttgart 21 construction site / themed city tour / Christmas market / Best of Stuttgart / hidden bars.

Our network

Meet our corporate partners

15 corporate partners along the entire value chain – the innovation alliance for construction & real estate.

Timeline

Key dates at a glance

Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart von innen
Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart
01

Application deadline

September 2, 2026

02

Phase 1 / Remote

6 Oct – 27 Oct 2026

03

Phase 2 / On-Site Stuttgart

23 Nov – 4 Dec 2026

FAQ

Good to know

The Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) initiated the Startup Welcome Package and has brought international founders to the Stuttgart Region through multiple batch editions. This one marks a first: for the very first time, the batch is dedicated exclusively to the construction and real estate industry. To make that happen, WRS brought in GROUNDBREAKERS — the regional innovation accelerator connecting startups with established players in the built environment. As always, WRS covers flight, housing, and coaching costs for one person per startup through the fellowship.

The programme is publicly funded as part of the Hi Tech! initiative. There is no participation fee for selected startups; we cover your travel and accommodation for the on-site phase.

No. Phase 1 runs fully remotely for four weeks, at roughly three hours per week.

For the on-site phase in Stuttgart, one founder per startup joins the top 10 teams.

English throughout.

Our corporate partners decide together with GROUNDBREAKERS, based on the potential shown during Phase 1 and the pitch competition (see "How it works").

We continue to support you in initiating the pilot projects that emerged during the batch.

Questions?

Ask Nelly

For questions about the programme, the network or a future batch, Nelly is happy to help.

  • Insight into the programme & network
  • How Hi Tech! batches usually work
  • Whether a future batch could be right for you
Nelly SchlienNS
Nelly Schlien
Hi Tech! Batch / GROUNDBREAKERS
Ask Nelly >
The GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

900+ curated startups. One platform. Zero search effort.

The GROUNDBREAKERS Tool helps you find the right ConTech and PropTech startups for your innovation projects – structured, up to date, and tailored to your strategic search fields.

Book a Demo >
The Problem

Anyone can google startups. Finding the right ones is different.

The startup landscape in construction and real estate is changing fast. Anyone looking for relevant solutions quickly gets lost in confusing lists, outdated data, and technologies that don't fit their own company.

The GROUNDBREAKERS Tool solves exactly this problem: a continuously maintained platform with 900+ curated startups – categorized, assessed, and structured by our team around the topics that truly move the industry. We don't just list startups, we classify them with purpose. Recommendations are based on relevance, not reach.

Features

What the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool can do

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GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

900+ ConTech and PropTech startups, structured by the phases Planning, Construction, Operation, and Deconstruction as well as by megatrends – from circularity and robotics to smart building and digital planning. Every profile is reviewed and kept up to date by our team.

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Research lists for your search fields

You define a strategic search field – we deliver a precisely matched selection. Research lists are created together, shared, and edited directly in the tool. That turns a long longlist into a solid shortlist, fast.

&

AI-powered research

New startups and technologies can be researched with AI support and added straight to your lists. That keeps you on top of topics that are still niche today – and standard tomorrow.

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A shared platform for venture clienting

From the first scouting to the pilot project: the tool brings all venture clienting activities together in one place. Your team, our team, and the relevant startups work from a shared foundation.

Benefits

Why the tool is worth it for your company

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Save time

No more weeks of scouting on your own: you get direct access to a vetted, industry-specific database. Your team focuses on decisions instead of research.

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Better decisions

100 % focus on construction and real estate means: we understand the industry's market logic, decision paths, and project cycles. The way we categorize startups reflects exactly that understanding.

X

Built with and for partners

The tool was built together with companies from the industry and is continuously expanded around their requirements. What innovation units need day to day flows directly into its development.

How It Works

Three steps to the right startup

1

Define your search field

You bring your challenge – together we translate it into a concrete search field.

2

Get your selection

The tool builds your research list of the most relevant startups – curated, categorized, and directly comparable.

3

Start the conversation

We connect you with the founding teams and support you on the way to a pilot project.

Book a Demo

Get to know the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

In 30 minutes, we'll show you live how to find the right startups for your innovation projects with the tool.

Frieder LindnerFL
Frieder Lindner
Head of Partner Success / GROUNDBREAKERS
Book a Demo with Frieder Lindner > NO OBLIGATION / APPROX. 30 MINUTES / MICROSOFT TEAMS
Accelerator Portfolio

GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni

Germany's first accelerator exclusively for construction and real estate. Over 45 startups have made the leap into practice through GROUNDBREAKERS – through targeted mentoring, direct market access, and a first-class network of industry experts and investors.

03Batches
45+Startups
50+pilot projects initiated
To the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator >
Project PhasePlanning 21 Startups
Project PhaseConstruction 17 Startups
Project PhaseOperation 11 Startups
Project PhaseDeconstruction 6 Startups

Find 900+ more startups in our GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

Learn More >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
AI-RE Logo

AI-RE

AI-RE develops intelligent, digital solutions to make project development significantly more efficient. The platform centrally structures documents, data, and project information, making them searchable and available to everyone involved. This saves project developers time, reduces costs for assistant structures, and increases the quality of construction and development processes.

Challenge

In project development, valuable time is lost to unstructured data, scattered documents, and inefficient information search.

Solution

The platform intelligently structures all project information, making it searchable and centrally available. As a result, documents can be found within seconds.

Impact

Faster decisions, shorter project timelines, lower administrative costs, and improved construction and development quality.

Origin

AI-RE emerged in 2024 from Wissem Ben Rejeb's master's thesis at TU Munich. Together with Nader Bennour, he developed an initial prototype that was successfully tested in live demos. After this proof of concept, Zeno Mertens joined as a third co-founder, bringing nine years of experience in project development as Chief Product Officer.

Who is it for?

Medium-sized and large project developers in Germany.

Team

WB
Wissem Ben RejebCEO
NB
Nader BennourCTO
ZM
Zeno MertensCPO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction
Arctis AI Logo

Arctis AI

Arctis AI develops AI agents for tendering, bid review, and contract award in construction. The platform makes differently structured bids comparable, uncovers deviations in scope and contract terms as well as missing evidence, and links every result back to its original source. Building on automated bid review, a multi-agent system is emerging for the entire tendering and award process.

Solution

When awarding construction and subcontractor work, materials, or technical equipment, bids arrive in different formats and structures. Deviations, exclusions, alternative bids, and missing evidence are often scattered across bills of quantities, cover letters, and appendices. Arctis AI structures and normalizes the documents, maps bid line items to the requirements from the bill of quantities and tender documents, detects deviations in quantities, scope, and contract terms, and checks required qualification and product evidence for completeness. Every result remains traceable back to its original source.

Who is it for?

Clients, project developers, and industrial companies, as well as construction companies, general contractors, and specialist contractors – on both the client and contractor side. The focus is on teams in procurement, estimating, project execution, and contract award; Arctis AI also supports project managers as well as planning and engineering firms.

Impact

Arctis AI speeds up the review and comparison of bids and creates a consistent, traceable basis for decisions. Teams identify gaps in scope, unclear assumptions, and risks of claims before awarding the contract, rather than only during execution. This leaves more time for technical clarification, negotiation, and sound economic award decisions.

Origin

Arctis AI emerged from numerous interviews with practitioners in procurement, estimating, and contract award. The same problem kept coming up: large volumes of unstructured documents for key award decisions are still checked manually and made comparable in Excel. Together with its first pilot customers, the team developed the solution based on real-world tenders – closely aligned with users' existing processes and requirements.

Future Vision

Arctis AI aims to become the central, AI-native working platform for tendering and contract award in construction. To this end, a multi-agent system is being built in which specialized AI agents take on and connect individual work steps – from analyzing tender documents through estimating, forming trade and award packages, and bidder communication, to bid review and preparing the award decision. With every award, a structured data foundation is created that makes future estimates and procurement decisions faster and better informed.

Team

LS
Leon StawowiakCo-Founder & CEO
DE
Dila EkremCo-Founder & COO
DN
Duc-Trung NguyenCo-Founder & CTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction, Operations, Deconstruction
bimeto Logo

bimeto

bimeto develops solutions for the automated evaluation of 3D point clouds to provide precise digital as-built models for construction, industry, and infrastructure. By combining modern surveying technology with AI, bimeto enables a fast, reliable data foundation for planning and decision-making. This makes processes more efficient, reduces risks, and sustainably lowers costs.

Solution

bimeto solves the problem of inaccurate and outdated as-built data, which regularly leads to planning errors, additional costs, and delays in construction and industrial projects. By combining digital surveying with AI-supported evaluation, real-world conditions are quickly, precisely, and automatically converted into reliable models and plans. The efficient processes make it possible to make well-founded decisions early on, reducing risks and significantly lowering costs, especially in later project phases.

Who is it for?

bimeto targets companies in construction, infrastructure, and industry that are responsible for planning, existing stock, or conversion – in particular project developers, general contractors, architects, and operators of complex existing properties. The focus is on organizations that depend on reliable as-built data to implement projects efficiently and make well-founded decisions.

Impact

bimeto makes a significant contribution to the digitalization of the construction and real estate industry by making reliable as-built data the foundation for planning and operations. This allows resources to be used more efficiently, reduces material waste and rework, and makes projects more sustainable overall. For society, this means fewer cost overruns, greater planning certainty for infrastructure and construction projects, and a measurable contribution to greater efficiency and sustainability in how we manage our built environment.

Origin

bimeto is a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (IPM) in Freiburg. The idea for the founding emerged during a strategy audit at Fraunhofer, in close exchange with the co-founder from the Schwarzwald-Eisen environment.

The starting point was a very concrete problem from practice: inaccurate or outdated planning data in construction repeatedly led to significant additional costs and high material waste. These inefficiencies were not only economically burdensome but also structurally embedded in many projects.

At the same time, the founding team at Fraunhofer had sound research experience in digital surveying as well as AI-based evaluation of geodata. It quickly became clear that these technological approaches could be specifically applied to solve exactly these problems – through more precise, up-to-date, and automatically evaluable as-built data.

bimeto ultimately emerged from this combination of a real industry problem and technological solution expertise. The aim was (and is) not only to apply the insights gained in isolated cases, but to scale them to a wide range of use cases in construction, infrastructure, and industry.

Future Vision

bimeto's vision is to seamlessly and continuously transfer the real built environment into the digital world. Through automated capture and AI-based evaluation, up-to-date, reliable digital twins should always be available, enabling planning, construction, and operations to be fully data-driven. The goal is to make decisions across the entire value chain faster, more precise, and more sustainable, making the industry fundamentally more efficient and transparent.

Team

FR
Frank RauchManagement, Sales
SA
Steffen AuerFinance
SS
Simon StemmlerResearch and Funding
BS
Bastian StahlManagement, Sales, Strategy
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
brixl Logo

brixl

brixl is the central platform for public construction tenders in Germany and Europe. Using brixl, construction companies, engineering, and planning firms find all relevant tenders in seconds instead of hours, automatically check their eligibility, and make data-driven bid/no-bid decisions. The result: higher win rates, less effort, real-time market transparency.

Solution

Construction companies, engineering, and planning firms miss out on suitable public contracts every day because relevant tenders are scattered across hundreds of portals and eligibility checks take hours. brixl bundles construction tenders from all public procurement portals in Germany and Europe on one platform, automatically checks eligibility and fit, and delivers deterministic, traceable bid/no-bid decisions with direct links to the original documents. No missed tenders. No formal errors. Only bid when it truly fits.

Who is it for?

Construction companies, engineering firms, and planning firms – from mid-sized businesses to large enterprises.

Impact

brixl balances information asymmetries in a multi-billion-euro market that, to this day, is largely paper-based, unmeasured, and awarded on gut feeling. Greater transparency and process efficiency mean a more level playing field for mid-sized bidders, higher win rates for the most qualified companies, and thus more sustainable, higher-quality public construction projects.

Origin

After completing their studies (M.Sc. RWTH Civil Engineering Management and M.Sc. RWTH Computer Science), the founders started with an agency model for the construction industry. From the overlap of their profiles, the direction was set: construction plus software. In their first in-house developments with construction companies and engineering firms, they kept encountering the same pain points around public tenders – fragmented, manual, opaque. brixl emerged from this.

Future Vision

brixl is the Bloomberg Terminal of the construction industry: the central data layer for every contract, market, and competitive decision in public procurement.

Team

RK
Robin KarutzCo-Founder & Managing Director
SN
Sascha NievelsteinCo-Founder & Managing Director
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction, Operations, Deconstruction
CMiD Logo

CMiD

CMiD gives building components a digital fingerprint. Based on their natural surface, they are uniquely identified and permanently linked to product, quality, and lifecycle data – without any QR code, label, or RFID. This creates the data foundation for traceability, reuse, and new circular business models.

Solution

CMiD gives materials and building components a unique digital identity derived from their natural surface features. No additional markers such as QR codes, labels, or RFID are required for this.

A repeat scan makes it possible to recognize each individual physical element and link it to its associated information. This makes managing and accessing material information simple and accessible for everyone involved – and possible exactly when the information is needed.

Who is it for?

CMiD is aimed at all stakeholders along the value chain – from planning and construction through trade, use, and ownership to deconstruction and reuse. They can provide, supplement, and retrieve information on materials and components exactly when it is needed.

Material manufacturers are at the center of this: they form the starting point where each individual building element receives its digital identity and is linked with reliable information for the first time.

Impact

CMiD improves the construction industry's data foundation at the level of individual building components. Manufacturers, planners, construction companies, owners, and deconstruction stakeholders can pass on, verify, and use information more reliably for downstream processes.

This makes quality assurance, take-back, and reuse easier and creates the foundation for new circular business models. At the same time, processes become more efficient, risks easier to assess, and materials remain economically usable for longer. This can lower costs, make supply chains more resilient, and reduce primary raw materials, construction waste, and CO₂ emissions.

Origin

The idea for CMiD arose from the founding team's many years of work in construction planning. In the process, the founders experienced firsthand how much information about materials and components is lost between planning, construction, use, and deconstruction. At the same time, it became clear how great the construction industry's potential is to become more sustainable and resource-efficient.

While digital models document buildings, the link to the individual physical building component often does not persist. As a result, even high-quality elements are discarded because their origin, properties, and usage history can no longer be reliably traced. Knowledge about our built environment is therefore a key factor in using materials for longer, reusing them, and enabling new circular processes. CMiD emerged from this practical experience.

Future Vision

CMiD's vision is a society in which resources have no expiration date. Materials are viewed as valuable resources that can be used over the long term. Permanently available information on origin, properties, and condition is essential for this. It creates the foundation for materials and components to be developed, installed, and managed from the outset for long use and as many reuses as possible.

Team

MW
Marcel WinterManaging Partner
BB
Benedikt BührlePartner
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
CO2Materials Logo

CO2Materials

CO2Materials develops a technology for producing a sustainable construction sand substitute from CO₂. In the process, CO₂ is permanently stored while simultaneously creating a high-quality substitute for natural quartz sand.

Solution

CO2Materials addresses several global challenges at once: rising industrial CO₂ emissions and growing sand scarcity. CO2Materials' technology enables the permanent storage of CO₂ at industrial scale while simultaneously producing a high-quality sand substitute with properties comparable to, and in some cases even better than, conventional quartz sand.

Who is it for?

The target group includes companies in the construction and concrete industry, building materials manufacturers, infrastructure companies, and industrial operations with high CO₂ emissions. CO2Materials also targets companies looking to adopt sustainable building materials and carbon capture solutions.

Impact

CO2Materials combines permanent CO₂ capture with a sustainable raw material solution for the construction industry. Up to 3.67 tons of CO₂ can be permanently stored per ton of sand produced. This makes CO2Materials a contributor to industrial decarbonization while also reducing dependence on natural sand resources.

Origin

The idea for CO₂ sand emerged from a side hobby project and was continuously developed further. Since November of last year, the founding team has been actively pursuing the venture with the goal of building a company and successfully bringing the technology to market.

Future Vision

CO2Materials' vision is to turn CO₂ from an emissions problem into a valuable raw material. In the long term, the company aims to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions worldwide while providing sustainable building materials at scale.

Team

TK
Dr. Torsten KowaldCTO
AV
Adrian VorbachCEO/COO
DB
Prof. Dr. Benjamin ButzAdvisor Synthesis
DL
Prof. Dr. Stefan LinselAdvisor Construction
MV
Martin VorbachAdvisor
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction, Operations, Deconstruction
Azekura Logo

Azekura

Azekura aims to become the central AI infrastructure for planning, managing, and handing over construction projects. The founding team's vision is a platform that doesn't just support individual tasks, but understands, structures, and actively puts to use all project knowledge across a building's entire lifecycle. Through specialized AI agents, Azekura will proactively support planners, engineers, construction companies, and clients: from early project structuring through research, variant evaluation, plan review, and documentation, all the way to operations and deconstruction. In doing so, Azekura can connect the current construction project, past project data, regulatory requirements, and, going forward, also CAD/BIM models. In the long term, this creates an intelligent work layer for the construction industry: Azekura identifies risks early, prepares decisions, automatically documents relevant steps, and works directly within the project context through deep interfaces. This is how Azekura aims to make construction projects measurably faster, safer, more sustainable, and more economical.

Solution

Today, construction planning teams lose a great deal of time on research, documentation, plan review, and reconciling complex regulatory requirements. These tasks mostly lie outside CAD/BIM, are heavily manual, and often depend on the experience of individual people. This leads to information loss, planning errors, rework, and budget risks.

Azekura solves this problem as an AI planning platform for construction projects: the agents understand project documents, past project data, and relevant regulations, and proactively support planners with research, review, documentation, and decision-making. This makes Azekura an intelligent work layer alongside CAD/BIM, making planning faster, safer, and more consistent.

Who is it for?

Architecture and civil engineering firms, construction companies, as well as project managers and building authorities.

Impact

Plan more safely and faster: Azekura drastically reduces unproductive search and documentation processes, which currently cost skilled professionals an average of more than 14 hours per week. This keeps projects on budget and creates room for the actual building work.

Origin

Oliver (an experienced founder, former CEO in cybersecurity, $4.2M raised) and Dylan (software engineer, also from cybersecurity) researched intensively for new AI application areas. In the process, they approached Leon, a longtime friend of Oliver's. Since Leon's family runs their own general planning and architecture firm in Stuttgart, this offered the perfect opportunity to evaluate the potential in the construction industry directly in practice. After a brief but intensive exchange with the management and staff at the architecture firm, it quickly became clear that there is enormous potential for using AI in construction planning. Once the decision was made to focus on the construction industry, Leon joined as the third founder. Alongside his previous experience in the VC and startup world, he brings deep industry knowledge from construction planning and the family business to the Azekura team.

Future Vision

Azekura is the central planning platform from project start to project completion and handover. Through its AI agents, Azekura proactively supports all tasks alongside CAD. The agent can consult the entire current construction project, data from previous projects, and Azekura's own regulatory database to carry out tasks independently. Through deep interfaces with CAD, Azekura will also be able to work directly within the project and actively support planners.

Team

LH
Leon HeldCo-Founder & CBO
OH
Oliver HörrCo-Founder & CEO
DK
Dylan KilkennyCo-Founder & CTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Operations
energieleser Logo

energieleser

energieleser develops smart solutions for digitalizing electricity, water, gas, and heat meters. With plug-and-play reading heads and radio solutions, existing meters can be read out and analyzed in real time without any conversion work. The data can be used locally or via the cloud for smart home, energy management, and building automation.

Solution

energieleser digitalizes existing meters without costly conversions or infrastructure replacement. Users get live data on consumption and generation and can use it for monitoring, automation, and optimization. This reduces manual readings, lack of transparency, and inefficient energy management. In addition, the solution enables integration into smart home and energy management systems.

Who is it for?

Landlords, property management companies, energy suppliers, private households, smart home users, and owners of PV and storage systems who want to digitalize their energy and consumption data.

Impact

energieleser creates transparency around energy consumption and helps use energy more efficiently. This can lower costs, conserve resources, and automate processes. In the long term, the solution contributes to the digitalization of buildings and the intelligent energy transition.

Origin

The idea for energieleser emerged from the observation that nearly every building already holds valuable energy data – yet it is often used only manually, irregularly, or not at all. Existing electricity, water, gas, and heat meters do provide consumption values, but they are barely digitally accessible for end users and many companies.

The founding team therefore developed a solution to easily retrofit existing meters and turn them into smart data sources – without costly infrastructure replacement. Starting from the first reading heads for digital electricity meters, a whole ecosystem for digitalizing a wide variety of meter and radio systems gradually emerged.

Future Vision

energieleser's vision is to turn existing meters into smart data sources and build a central platform for energy data. The goal is to digitalize buildings, households, and companies simply and cost-effectively – from single-family homes to multi-family buildings and larger building complexes.

Team

TH
Tibor HofmannManaging Director – Sales
NF
Nicco FinkManaging Director – Technology
NF
Nemo FinkManaging Director – Sourcing & Logistics
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
Kalz Logo

Kalz

Kalz is developing an innovative CO2 mineralization technology that converts industrial residues and CO2 emissions into carbonated building materials. In the process, CO2 is permanently stored in mineral form while simultaneously producing a sustainable raw material for the construction industry. The technology can be deployed both at large industrial plants and at smaller, decentralized emitters, combining climate protection with the circular economy.

Solution

Kalz addresses the challenge of permanently storing CO2 from a wide range of industrial and decentralized sources while producing sustainable building materials at the same time. In addition to classic industrial processes, smaller and decentralized emitters such as biogas plants, recycling operations, or other combustion processes can also be integrated. At the same time, mineral residues such as slags, fine concrete fractions, or ashes are often still used at low value or simply landfilled. Kalz is developing a technology that converts CO2 together with these mineral materials into carbonated building materials, thereby permanently storing CO2, using residues circularly, and supporting the decarbonization of the construction industry.

Who is it for?

Kalz's technology is aimed at companies with CO2 emissions as well as the construction and building materials industry. This includes biogas plants, recycling companies, steel and cement plants, operators of combustion processes, and direct air capture companies looking for solutions for permanent CO2 storage. At the same time, Kalz addresses concrete and building material manufacturers who want to use sustainable, CO2-reduced, or CO2-storing materials.

Impact

Kalz enables the permanent storage of CO2 in mineral form and combines climate protection with the circular economy. By using industrial residues to produce carbonated building materials, CO2 emissions are reduced, natural raw materials are conserved, and mineral waste is transferred into new material cycles.

On a societal level, Kalz helps make the construction and raw materials industry more sustainable and resource-efficient. At the same time, the technology supports regional value chains, reduces the landfilling of mineral waste, and makes a direct contribution to the transformation toward a climate-neutral, circular economy.

Origin

The foundation for Kalz emerged from the scientific work of Till Strunge and Dario Kremer as part of the CO2MIN research project, in which they studied CO2 mineralization and the use of mineral residues in depth. During their research, it became clear why, despite decades of research, hardly any large-scale industrial applications of CO2 mineralization exist: many existing processes require highly pure CO2, high pressures, and energy-intensive process conditions, which makes economic implementation very difficult.

From this insight, together with Jason Collis, came the idea of developing a novel mineralization process that works with moderate process conditions and real industrial exhaust gas streams. The goal was to significantly reduce energy and process costs while creating a scalable technology for permanent CO2 storage and the production of sustainable building materials.

Future Vision

Kalz pursues the vision of making CO2 emissions worldwide usable as a raw material for a circular construction industry. In the long term, industrial and decentralized CO2 sources are to be converted into sustainable, CO2-storing building materials through regional mineralization hubs and modular plants. The goal is to build a scalable carbon economy in which CO2 is permanently stored in materials, actively contributing to climate neutrality.

Team

TS
Dr. Till StrungeCo-Founder and CEO
DK
Dr. Dario KremerCo-Founder and CTO
JC
Dr. Jason CollisCo-Founder and CRO
AZ
Dr. Arno Zimmermannstrategic advisor and shareholder
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Operations
OnSite Solutions Logo

OnSite Solutions

OnSite Solutions develops customized digitalization strategies for buildings and real estate portfolios. The team supports owners, investors, and facility management companies in making their buildings more efficient, more sustainable, and future-proof — through data-based analyses, smart technologies, and regulatory compliance, among other things.

Solution

OnSite Solutions solves the challenge of operating buildings and property portfolios efficiently, sustainably, and in compliance with the law. Many owners and investors don't know which digital technologies make sense or how to meet regulatory requirements such as the Buildings Energy Act (GEG) or the EU Buildings Directives.

That's why the team develops customized digitalization roadmaps, analyzes buildings on a data basis, and identifies potential for energy, cost, and CO2 savings. In addition, OnSite Solutions helps select suitable technologies and creates transparency for complex decisions.

Who is it for?

The offering is aimed in particular at:

Owners and investors of real estate

Facility management and building operations companies

Operators of larger real estate portfolios

Technology providers and PropTech companies

Associations and institutions in the building sector

Companies with larger building portfolios in particular benefit from the strategies for sustainable and digital optimization.

Impact

OnSite Solutions contributes to the sustainable transformation of the real estate industry. Through digital strategies and data-based analyses, the team helps reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions and operate buildings more efficiently.

At the same time, the company promotes digitalization in the building sector and helps customers position their properties for long-term economic and climate-friendly success.

Origin

The idea emerged from the founding team's scientific work at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). During their doctoral studies, the founders recognized that many companies struggle to successfully meet the growing demands of sustainability, digitalization, and legal requirements.

From this observation came the vision of bringing research and innovative technologies directly into practice and offering companies concrete solutions for the digital transformation of their buildings. That's how the idea eventually became OnSite Solutions.

Future Vision

OnSite Solutions' vision is to make buildings smarter, more sustainable, and future-proof. Digitalization, energy efficiency, and user comfort are to be brought together — as an active contribution to a climate-neutral real estate industry.

In the long term, the company wants to create a central interface between the real estate industry, technology, and policy, in order to establish innovative and standardized solutions for the buildings of the future.

Team

TE
Dr. Tristan EmichCEO
TK
Dr. Tobias KroppCOO
MD
Mario DropulićCTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Planlabs Logo

Planlabs

Planlabs develops an AI-powered SaaS platform for the automated planning of building technical systems. The solution creates optimized, collision-free 3D planning variants and helps planning and project teams make well-founded decisions on cost, energy efficiency, and CO₂ impact faster. In the long term, Planlabs is building an intelligent multi-trade planning platform for all building technical systems.

Solution

Today, planning building technical systems is highly manual, time-intensive, and dependent on individual experience. This results in long planning cycles, little variant comparison, oversizing, coordination errors, and a lack of transparency on cost, energy consumption, and CO₂ impact in early project phases.

Planlabs solves this problem by automating building technical planning with AI-powered generative design. The platform creates collision-free, optimized 3D planning variants in a short time and makes technical, economic, and environmental impacts visible early on — so planners, building owners, and project teams can make better decisions faster.

Who is it for?

Engineering & planning firms for building technical systems (focus on ventilation in 2026, followed by expansion into heating, cooling, and fire protection)

Manufacturers of components in the trades mentioned.

Later: integral planners, building owners, contractors

Impact

Planlabs makes building technical planning faster, more efficient, and more sustainable. Automated, optimized planning variants reduce planning effort, material use, oversizing, and coordination errors.

In doing so, Planlabs contributes to a more productive construction and planning industry, relieves the burden on skilled professionals, and creates early transparency on cost, energy consumption, and CO₂ emissions. In the long term, Planlabs helps plan buildings more resource-efficiently and accelerates the decarbonization of the building sector.

Origin

Planlabs AG is a spin-off of HHM Holding AG, a building technical planning company. Between 2020 and 2022, HHM carried out an Innosuisse project (Swiss state technology funding) together with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, developing a prototype for automated ventilation planning. Planlabs was founded in 2024 to take over the technology and further develop it for commercial use.

Future Vision

Planlabs' vision is a fully automated, intelligent, cross-trade planning process for building technical systems — from ventilation to heating/cooling, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection.

In the future, Planlabs aims to plan various trades in an integrated, collision-free, and optimized way, making planning variants comparable in real time and thereby laying the foundation for more efficient, more sustainable, and better-coordinated buildings.

Team

RS
Rea SoderoCEO & Co-Founder
OD
Olivier De DekenCTO & Co-Founder
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction, Operations
powerIO Logo

powerIO

powerIO offers a decentralized building automation system. It enables more efficient control, better monitoring, and safer operation than conventional systems to date.

Solution

Decentralized building automation is the future of all smart buildings.

The powerIO system requires less installation, coordination, and cost — while offering more control and information. In this way, powerIO connects people

and technology, environment and energy, as well as life and comfort.

Who is it for?

Building automation is used to control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

For system integrators, powerIO is the first choice for successfully executing building automation projects.

Independent of control-system providers.

Impact

powerIO is transforming building automation with an innovative, decentralized installation system. The company has developed a completely new approach that fundamentally changes the way modern buildings are automated and controlled.

powerIO supports its partners with clear and economical solutions so they can plan projects more easily, implement them faster, and operate them more successfully.

Origin

A vision grew, evolved, and became reality.

Born out of practical experience and around 30 years of expertise in planning and constructing commercial buildings for industry, offices, municipalities, hotels, schools, and many others, a decentralized installation system for building automation was created.

Future Vision

We make Building Automation simpler, safer and more future-ready for partners worldwide.

Team

LP
Lukas PfänderCEO
KR
Kevin RohnCTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction
RefinemySite.ai Logo

RefinemySite.ai

RefinemySite develops user-friendly planning software that engages not just site management but every trade involved, inviting all of them into collaborative planning.

Solution

RefinemySite's motto is: "Plan simply, deliver with confidence" — because building on schedule has become almost a utopia today.

Today's master schedules are highly complex. As soon as the first delay hits, a team can barely tell what situation it will face tomorrow, and chaos takes its course. That's why, on the platform, planning periods further in the future are reduced to milestones. The executing team refines the plan according to its respective level of detail and then breaks it down together into weekly packages and, for the coming weeks, down to daily activities. This way, everyone keeps an overview of the current situation, and project complexity becomes manageable again.

Who is it for?

The solution is aimed primarily at general contractors. Architecture firms, project managers, and lean consultancies are also among its customers.

Impact

RefinemySite.ai tackles one of the big levers. Waste caused by misaligned and outdated master schedules can account for as much as 10% of total construction volume. At the same time, the hurdle is correspondingly large, since applying these principles requires a new mindset built on trust, transparency, and a constructive culture around mistakes.

Origin

For founder Stefan Gaa, the journey began in the break room of a construction company. After a conversation about future topics, the group agreed: everything has to start with a better understanding of the schedule. That's how the idea for a platform emerged, on which complex milestones are refined step by step by the very people who actually carry out the work.

How that turned into a startup is a longer story.

Future Vision

RefinemySite believes in the strength and motivation of working together — and that this spirit can be carried into the digital world with a user-friendly interface and a healthy dose of humor.

Team

SG
Stefan GaaFounder
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
ReWorth Blocks Logo

ReWorth Blocks

ReWorth Blocks develops circular lightweight building blocks made from mineral construction waste. Its product, ReBlock, is the first aerated-concrete block made from construction waste: price-competitive, repeatedly recyclable, and usable without any changes to existing construction processes. ReWorth makes sustainable building economically attractive, turning it into the new industry standard.

Solution

The construction industry has run on a linear model for decades: take, build, dispose. 90% of the world's mineral resource extraction flows into the construction sector, almost none of it circular. ReWorth Blocks breaks this pattern: instead of mining new raw materials, mineral waste that companies currently pay to dispose of is processed into high-quality lightweight building blocks — economically attractive, technically mature, and easy to implement.

Who is it for?

End customers are architects and general or structural contractors active in private and/or commercial construction. In the long term, the goal is to distribute the material through building-materials retailers.

Impact

The primary impact of using ReBlocks lies in recovering mineral construction and demolition waste that currently has no further use. By keeping this demolition waste circulating as a resource and substituting the globally critical resource of quartz sand, 6 kg of resources are reused per ReBlock. Extrapolated, that means 6,000 kg of material savings per small house, while keeping housing affordable. ReWorth is driving the shift from an extractive to a regenerative construction economy and, through price competitiveness, making circular building the new standard.

Origin

During a project with the UN Environment Programme and ESCP, Esther Heyse spent nearly a year observing the construction sector and speaking with over 50 stakeholders. ReWorth, then a student project, went on to win the final competition: the clear insight that prices in building materials could be significantly leveraged in the future through the untapped potential of mineral waste volumes in the construction sector convinced the jury on both economic and sustainability grounds.

The idea was then further developed by Esther, together with Oskar, and a research and development partnership was established with the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics. This partnership is now in its final stages, while the patented technology is being scaled up to industrial scale with industry partners over the summer.

Future Vision

The vision: to give sustainable and circular building materials a physical and collaborative platform to build tomorrow's standard together with ReWorth. That starts with producing ReBlocks — with the long-term goal of offering a broad range of circular, price-competitive building materials.

Team

EH
Esther HeyseManaging Director
OL
Oskar LeibnitzCTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Operations
TALPA-Inspection Logo

TALPA-Inspection

TALPA-Inspection AG develops a hardware-enabled SaaS platform for infrastructure inspection. Its contactless sensor system is mounted on standard drones and measures corrosion in reinforced concrete 10x faster than existing methods — without scaffolding and with just two people on site. The measurement data feeds into a 4D digital twin that enables predictive maintenance and data-driven decisions for aging infrastructure.

Solution

Corrosion causes over 70% of all damage to reinforced concrete structures — costing $2.5 trillion globally per year (3.4% of world GDP). Mandatory inspections only capture visual data, even though corrosion remains invisible for 5–10 years — until repairs become 50–100x more expensive. Existing methods require scaffolding, cranes, and many people on site, delivering operator-dependent single measurements and fragmented PDF reports. Without spatially resolved, reliable data, targeted maintenance is impossible — asset owners fall back on costly complete overhauls.

Who is it for?

1. Inspection and engineering firms (e.g. IMP, SVTI): purchase the sensor hardware to offer faster, safer inspection services.

2. Public asset owners (ASTRA, US DOTs, armasuisse): subscribe to the SaaS platform for portfolio-wide condition intelligence.

3. Private infrastructure operators in energy and mining: need inspection data for predictive maintenance of hard-to-access assets.

Impact

TALPA enables data-driven predictive maintenance for aging infrastructure for the first time — preventing unnecessary complete overhauls that generate millions of tons of CO₂. For society, TALPA reduces the risk of infrastructure failure (such as the Morandi Bridge in Genoa or the Carola Bridge in Dresden). Economically, the platform allows maintenance budgets to be deployed strategically rather than reactively — a paradigm shift for anyone managing critical infrastructure.

Origin

The idea emerged from Lukas' master's thesis on new inspection methods for underground structures. During a lab experiment, a pipe leaked — a small jet of water sprayed out of the test setup and produced precise, reproducible false readings. From this came the insight: electrochemical measurements also work contactlessly through a jet of water. A few years later, this insight led to the idea of mounting the sensor on drones, enabling the first contactless electrochemical corrosion measurement from the air. TALPA-Inspection AG was founded in 2025 as an ETH spin-off to bring this technology to market readiness.

Future Vision

Aviation doesn't rely on visual inspection and hope for the best — aircraft are systematically checked from inside to outside on a periodic basis, every measurement documented, every deviation tracked. This enabled the shift from reactive repair to predictive maintenance. TALPA applies exactly this principle to infrastructure: away from superficial visual inspection every few years, toward periodic, systematic checks that deliver real electrochemical data from inside the structure — fully georeferenced and comparable over years. This lets asset owners know exactly where, when, and how to intervene at the portfolio level — before anything becomes visible. Infrastructure finally gets what aviation has had for decades: a data-driven operating system.

Team

FM
Dr. Federico Martinelli-OrlandoCo-Founder & CEO
LB
Lukas BircherCo-Founder & COO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
VisioPlan Logo

VisioPlan

VisioPlan develops the AI platform that turns any building plan or CAD model into photorealistic visualizations and sales-ready marketing materials within minutes — no prior experience required. This turns visualization from an expensive end product into the shared language of everyone involved in construction — from architects to investors, municipalities, and buyers. Because every image is based on real building structure and real manufacturer products, everything you see is buildable and orderable.

Solution

Access to high-quality visualization is broken: expensive, slow, and dependent on a few experts. Only flagship projects get premium visualizations — around 90% of properties are marketed with static plans, PDFs, or outdated images. The result: misunderstandings between everyone involved, costly changes, long sales cycles. VisioPlan solves this with an AI platform that turns any plan or CAD model into photorealistic visualizations and sales-ready marketing materials without requiring any prior experience. Two principles make the difference: every image is based on real building structure rather than AI fantasy — what you see is buildable. And real products from real manufacturers are integrated into the scenes — what you see is orderable. A real pilot project shows the scale: 20 renderings of a neighborhood development — agency quote: 6–8 weeks, around €30,000 — were created with VisioPlan in a single morning, by one person with no rendering experience at all.

Who is it for?

Everyone who plans, builds, markets, or operates buildings — not just the one percent who are visualization professionals: project developers, architects and planning firms, real estate agents, construction companies, prefab-home manufacturers, and municipalities (e.g. for public participation). Looking ahead, the platform connects two further sides: product manufacturers, who place their real products in visualizations and generate qualified leads, and end customers, who experience and configure their future home themselves. Customers ranging from freelancers and students to SMEs and large corporations are already live on the platform today.

Impact

VisioPlan turns visualization from a luxury into a standard: up to 300x lower costs and 40x shorter turnaround times open up the roughly 99% of projects that have never been visualized before. For the industry, that means better decisions at the earliest possible point, fewer costly design changes, and faster sales. For society: more transparency and acceptance in construction — municipalities use VisioPlan to make projects understandable for citizens from the very start and to build trust. And because every visualization is based on real manufacturer products, inspiration immediately becomes buildable reality.

Origin

The idea for VisioPlan emerged at Bauhaus University — the place where, a hundred years ago, people were already rethinking how we build. Three of the four founders met there and worked in research on digital planning and BIM. In doing so, they kept running into the same paradox: digital building models contain almost all the knowledge of a project — but only a tiny circle of experts can read it. The building owner thinks in feelings, the architect in plans, the investor in numbers, the municipality in cityscapes, the manufacturer in products: everyone is talking about the same building, yet no one sees the same thing. The key insight: there is exactly one language that truly everyone involved understands — images. Thanks to leaps in AI, visualization is turning from an expensive, rigid end product into a tool that enables decisions in nearly every process — from planning to financing, public participation, and sales. It was equally clear: the construction industry doesn't need yet another highly complex piece of software for the one percent of specialists, but solutions that make the work enjoyable and let the added value be felt within minutes. Out of this conviction, VisioPlan was born — today a live platform that lets anyone, without prior experience, create photorealistic visualizations and sales-ready materials from plans and CAD models.

Future Vision

Visualization is becoming the common language of the built world — as natural as the floor plan, but understood by everyone. On this, VisioPlan is building the first end-to-end platform that truly brings together supply and demand in construction: every rendering with real products is an early signal of who wants to build what, where, and when. This creates a two-sided market that connects planners, marketers, and manufacturers, digitizing the last mile of the real estate transaction — from the CAD model to the closing, from the inspiring image to the orderable product. The conviction behind it: foundation models make the image interchangeable — VisioPlan builds what matters after that: shared understanding, decisions, and deals rather than mere pixels. The better AI gets, the stronger VisioPlan becomes.

Team

KF
Kevin FechnerCEO – Strategy, Funding, Marketing & Sales
MW
Mathias WormCTO 3D – 3D & AI Development
MS
Maximilian SchmidtCTO Web – Web Development & Software Architecture
AL
Albert LößnerCOO – Product Management, Design, AI Integration & Finance
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning, Construction
VOUND Logo

VOUND

VOUND is an AI employee that planning firms rent to run their acquisition of public tenders.

Solution

Public tenders determine a planning firm's revenue for years. Even a single application ties up an experienced planner for most of a week — around 30 hours: reading tender documents, gathering references, filling out forms, all under deadline pressure. It's pure back-office work, and it pulls a firm's best people away from planning and design — the work they actually want to do. Worst of all: a single missing form or a missed deadline is enough to knock a firm out of the running, regardless of how good the technical work is. VOUND takes this entire burden off planning firms so they can focus on their core work.

Who is it for?

Architecture and engineering firms in Germany that bid for public contracts.

Impact

Public tenders are meant to reward the best planners. In practice, they reward the largest procurement departments — because winning a tender is an administrative arms race that only large firms can sustain over time. As a result, 18.8% of German public contracts receive only a single bid. And as a result, public contracts keep concentrating in fewer, ever-larger firms, while the independent planning office — often the one with the greatest local knowledge — gets pushed out of its most stable source of revenue. VOUND gives a ten-person firm the procurement power of a two-hundred-person company. This way, the quality of the planning — not the size of the back office — decides who plans a country's schools, hospitals, and town halls.

Origin

Loren Gütinger was 13 when he saw his first public tender at his stepfather's engineering firm in Nuremberg. He didn't understand the documents — but he saw what they cost: evenings spent searching for references, and twice a year, the moment the firm was knocked out of the process. Not because the work was bad, but because a checkbox was missing. At university, he initially took a different path and worked on digitalizing heavy industry. But the problem from his childhood was still there — unsolved for decades. So he returned to his roots and built what should have existed long ago: outcome-oriented tender management for planning firms.

Future Vision

An AI employee that firms rent to take over their entire acquisition process — not another notification tool that spits out a list and stops there. It owns the outcome: from finding the right tender to the finished application. And because it builds on the firm's own knowledge, that knowledge grows over time instead of disappearing the moment a person leaves the company. From there, VOUND expands into the rest of a firm's work — from winning tenders to planning and coordinating them: the same team, ten times the output.

Team

LG
Loren GütingerCEO
AL
Alexander LimonovChief AI Officer
IS
Ivelin StoyanovCTO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
dcarbonize Logo

dcarbonize

Dcarbonize develops scalable, standardized solutions for façade renovation in the existing building stock. The technology transforms the traditionally long and cumbersome renovation process and overcomes the drawbacks of maintenance-intensive insulation systems (ETICS). By creating standardization within clustered project silos and simplifying workflows, the entire renovation process becomes more economically attractive for general contractors.

Challenge

Façade renovation is a long, cumbersome process. On top of that, maintenance-intensive external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) lose significant quality after 10-15 years.

Solution

DCarbonize streamlines the renovation process through standardization in clustered project silos. This makes the process more economically attractive for general contractors.

Impact

Makes façade renovation simple and affordable, so more buildings can be renovated.

Origin

DCarbonize emerged from the motivation to develop scalable solutions for the building transition in the existing building stock.

Who is it for?

General contractors for renovations.

Team

Valentin ÜbelhörCivil engineer from TU Munich, with experience in research (Fraunhofer IBP, TU Munich) and serial renovation (ecoworks)
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Diafania Logo

Diafania

Diafania develops AI-based solutions to make unstructured data usable in building operations and to significantly speed up processes. With automated data structuring, information is extracted directly from documents and turned into reliable insights. This gives housing companies and facility managers higher data quality, reduced effort, and minimized risks.

Challenge

In building operations, complex information exchange wastes valuable time and resources and creates risks.

Solution

Through automated data structuring, information is extracted directly from documents and turned into reliable insights.

Impact

Housing companies and facility managers benefit from higher data quality, reduced effort, and minimized risks.

Origin

Founder Vera recognized the problem of missing or poor-quality data during her tech career – especially the completely untapped treasure of unstructured data. Together with Michael, who contributed technological AI expertise, she set out to unlock this potential.

Who is it for?

Mid-sized to large housing companies as well as facility managers at larger companies who manage their own property portfolios.

Team

VM
Vera Meinert
MB
Michael Brunzel
JP
Johannes Peschko
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Flinq Logo

Flinq

flinq is a cross-modal embedding model for the European construction industry: it brings heterogeneous construction data — from BIM models to tenders to manufacturer products and construction site photos — together in a shared semantic space and makes it usable via an API.

Challenge

In every construction project, information about the same building component is scattered across different standards and sources — from BIM models to tenders to manufacturer products and construction site photos. They describe the same physical reality but speak different languages, and no software recognizes the common core. Every manual translation costs time, every gap produces errors.

Solution

flinq solves this problem with a domain-specific AI model delivered as an API that links the data in a shared language — as a semantic foundation on which construction and planning companies as well as software providers build their own applications for the construction and real estate industry.

Who is it for?

Construction and planning companies as well as software providers who want to build their own AI applications on construction data.

Team

VM
Valentina Mayer-SteudteCEO – Corporate Design, Business Management & Sales
MH
Matthias HornungCTO – Software Development, UX/UI Design & Technical Management
LS
Lukas SimonCPO – Product Development, Data Pipelines & Data Analysis
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
focused ai Logo

focused ai

focused ai is building the AI layer for the construction and real estate industry: a system of intelligent AI agents that solves the everyday challenges of fragmented information flows and isolated data silos. The solution weaves the scattered data landscape into a single, reliable information base — for greater efficiency and control over the construction process.

Challenge

Everyday life in construction is characterized by fragmented information flows, disconnected point solutions, and isolated data silos.

Solution

A team of AI agents weaves the fragmented data landscape into a reliable information foundation, addressing the challenges of information distribution and data silos in construction.

Impact

Site managers spend less time distributing and searching for information and can focus on project management and site supervision.

Origin

focused ai emerged in the office of the construction company Gemünden, where employees spent a lot of time sorting documents from emails into the digital construction file. The automation project for this document management eventually became the startup focused ai.

Who is it for?

Construction companies such as Gemünden Bau, Molitor, Spitzke, Eurovia, and RSRG.

Team

JM
Jonas MühlbauerFounder & CEO – Civil Engineer, former AI Consultant, 6 years in the AI industry
TG
Tim Gemünden5th-generation construction entrepreneur
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Fünf Prozent Logo

Fünf Prozent

Fünf Prozent is the digital operating system for the municipal heating transition, a SaaS platform that intelligently connects municipalities, building owners, and trade businesses. Through digital building profiles and data-driven campaigns, it turns theoretical climate action plans into collective action and activates private households for serial renovation at scale.

Challenge

Climate action initiatives often fail at implementation. Municipalities struggle to activate citizens for building renovation — especially in the private housing stock, which holds the greatest CO2 savings potential in the building sector.

Solution

A SaaS platform that connects municipalities, building owners, and trades via digital building profiles and data-driven campaigns, turning climate action plans into coordinated, collective implementation.

Impact

In individual cities, more than 100 households were activated simultaneously. Climate action managers described this as climate action "going viral."

Origin

The idea emerged in the Startplan program at PLAN G, where conversations with municipalities revealed the massive implementation problem of the heating transition — especially in the private building stock. After a successful prototype and with funding from the Stuttgart Climate Innovation Fund, the venture officially launched in December 2023 with support from GROUNDBREAKERS.

Who is it for?

Municipalities on the path to climate neutrality — including Schorndorf, Überlingen, Esslingen, and Bietigheim-Bissingen, as well as partner municipalities in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Team

SK
Dr. Sally KöhlerFounder
SH
Sarina HötzelFounder
MS
Matthias SchöttlerFounder
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
HeatPump23 Logo

HeatPump23

HeatPump23 develops a smart floor-level heat pump specifically designed for existing apartments with gas floor heating, where central renovation solutions are not technically or economically feasible. The solution replaces the existing gas boiler quickly and independently, enabling a subsidy-eligible switch to climate-friendly heating with significant CO2 and heating cost savings per housing unit.

Challenge

Around 4 million existing housing units with gas floor heating have no viable central renovation solution under the requirements of the Buildings Energy Act (GEG).

Solution

HeatPump23 replaces the existing gas boiler 1:1 in just two days. This includes an app for controlling temperature and hot water as well as a remote maintenance portal for installers.

Impact

Significant CO2 savings and lower heating costs; the goal is 20,000 units sold by 2030.

Origin

Founders Georg and Frederik began developing the concept in early 2023 after failing to find a satisfactory sustainable heating solution for their own gas-heated apartments in Stuttgart. They initially developed the floor-level heat pump themselves on the side. The company was founded in February 2024.

Who is it for?

Heating installers as direct customers; end users are both apartment owners and housing companies.

Team

GB
Georg BarbunolulosCEO & Co-Founder – Strategy, Sales & Digital Services
FJ
Frederik JanzenCTO & Co-Founder – Development, Production, Installation
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Lastbim Logo

Lastbim

Lastbim is a platform for collaborative BIM data management that takes data quality in construction planning to the next level by bringing all project stakeholders together and enabling a seamless workflow without loss of information.

Challenge

In construction planning, planners must enrich digital building models with precise data. Because the three central roles — information requirements, implementation ("attribution"), and quality assurance — often don't exchange requirements efficiently, redundant processes, sources of error, and inefficient information management arise.

Solution

A platform for collaborative BIM data management that brings all project stakeholders together and enables a seamless workflow without loss of information.

Origin

Founded by Antonia Langner, who experienced these challenges firsthand in 2022 while working at Schüßler-Plan. There, she encountered the inefficiencies in information management of BIM projects and set out to solve them.

Who is it for?

Project stakeholders in BIM construction planning — especially those in the roles of information requirements, attribution, and quality assurance.

Team

NP
Niklas PortmannCEO & Technology
AL
Antonia LangnerProduct Management & Customer Success
SH
Stefan HellwegSales & Finance
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Natstruct AG Logo

Natstruct AG

Natstruct AG is a developer and supplier of sustainable fiber technologies that helps industrial companies in the construction sector replace petroleum-based materials by substituting them with natural fibers from agricultural waste — either produced in-house on a TRL6 machine or sourced externally.

Challenge

Rising costs for petroleum-based and energy-intensive materials such as PU foam and mineral wool in the construction and real estate industry.

Solution

Natstruct develops sustainable natural fiber technologies as a substitute for petroleum-based materials. These are produced on a TRL6 machine or obtained from agricultural residues and continuously refined based on customer feedback.

Impact

Due to its high degree of innovation, the company already receives research funding for two projects.

Origin

Natstruct develops natural fiber solutions produced on a TRL6 machine or obtained from agricultural residues — consistently refined based on customer feedback — to replace petroleum-based materials.

Who is it for?

Industrial companies in the construction sector.

Team

TF
Toni FrankensteinCEO – Engineer
MG
Martina GrimbergCFO – Engineer
FH
Frederik HuxhageCTO – Engineer
SJ
Serena JägerHR
DS
Dominik SchreiberCLO / CSO
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Pelicad Logo

Pelicad

Pelicad develops an AI-powered platform that revolutionizes the costly, time-consuming processes of early-stage architectural visualization. The solution automates manual modeling and rendering by automatically turning simple 3D CAD models into high-quality 2D renderings — seamlessly integrated into the real surroundings. This lets architecture firms, project developers, and building owners significantly accelerate their design processes.

Challenge

Pelicad solves the problem of slow, costly, and often unrealistic early-stage architectural visualizations.

Solution

The AI-powered platform automatically turns simple 3D CAD models into high-quality 2D renderings and integrates them seamlessly into the real surroundings.

Impact

Design processes are significantly accelerated, and communication barriers between architects, investors, authorities, and other stakeholders are reduced.

Origin

Pelicad was created to revolutionize the costly, time-consuming processes of early-stage architectural visualization. Instead of manual modeling and rendering, the solution automates this process.

Who is it for?

Primarily small to mid-sized architecture firms, project developers, and building owners.

Team

RR
Robin RömerCEO
SW
Sebastian WittCTO
YS
Yannic SchwarzCMO
BH
Bernward HoffmannSoftware Developer
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Planning
Vyzn Logo

Vyzn

Vyzn is an AI-powered 3D/BIM software platform that helps developers and planners deliver sustainable, economical construction projects through holistic, iterative optimization.

Challenge

The construction and real estate industry causes around 40% of CO₂ emissions, with construction and disposal remaining particularly problematic. Inefficient planning processes under time pressure and with incomplete data lead to suboptimal decisions.

Solution

Vyzn is an AI-powered 3D/BIM software platform that helps developers and planners deliver sustainable, economical construction projects through holistic, iterative optimization.

Who is it for?

Developers and planners in the construction and real estate industry.

Team

AH
Adrian HenkeCo-Founder & CEO
MS
Michael SinnigerCCO
MT
Martino TschudiCo-Founder & Head of Operations
RR
Dr. Romana RustCo-Founder, Head of Research & Innovation
RT
Rafael Toledano IllánHead of Tech
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
3D-bautec Logo

3D-bautec

3D-bautec develops a mobile, automated 3D printing system that offers a future-proof alternative to conventional construction, enabling construction companies, cooperatives, and municipalities to build quickly, cost-effectively, and climate-neutrally. Combined with natural materials such as clay and wood, material waste and CO₂ emissions are drastically reduced.

Challenge

The construction industry is grappling with housing shortages, skilled labor shortages, high CO₂ emissions, and inefficient 3D printing systems.

Solution

3d bautec develops a mobile, automated 3D printing system based on natural materials such as clay and wood, offering a future-proof alternative to conventional construction.

Impact

Faster housing construction despite the skilled labor shortage, drastically reduced CO₂ emissions, less material waste, and greater transparency through digital construction processes.

Origin

3d bautec emerged from the vision of creating affordable, climate-neutral housing for everyone – using a purpose-built 3D printing system that overcomes the weaknesses of existing solutions.

Who is it for?

Construction companies, housing cooperatives, municipalities, architects, and gravel plants.

Team

NG
Nicolas GresserStrategic Direction, Business & Organization
MM
Marco MeierTechnical Development of the 3D Printing System
JM
Jacqueline Molly OrnerMaterial Research & Mechanical Design
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
MELT Logo

MELT

MELT is developing the MELT Plates, an innovative solution for the low thermal mass in ecological lightweight construction (timber construction, modular construction), which otherwise tends to overheat. The panels provide high thermal mass in a thin form, reduce embodied carbon by 40–60%, and set a new standard for climate-friendly, cost-efficient building.

Challenge

Lightweight ecological buildings (timber and modular construction) have too little thermal mass, leading to summer overheating and limiting the flexibility of heating systems.

Solution

MELT Plates provide high thermal mass in a thin form. This makes buildings climate-resilient and enables flexible heating control concepts.

Impact

Reduces embodied carbon in lightweight buildings by 40–60% (around 50 MWh savings per 150 m² house) and lowers operating costs by about 3,000 kWh annually.

Origin

MELT is a spin-off of Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, where the founders researched thermal storage technology for years. In 2023, the team launched with an EXIST founding grant.

Who is it for?

Manufacturers of prefabricated houses, modular buildings, temporary structures, residential containers, as well as OEM component suppliers for drywall solutions.

Team

F
FrederikCo-Founder – Process Engineer
S
SebastianCo-Founder – Process Engineer
MR
Matthias Rädleformer Professor at Mannheim University of Applied Sciences
P
PhilippTimber Construction Engineer
Contact

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
Monco.ai Logo

Monco.ai

Monco.ai automates the capture and analysis of construction site data, enabling site managers to detect and report issues earlier without manual inspections.

Challenge

Progress monitoring and plan comparison on construction sites are inefficient and costly. Existing solutions often require expensive hardware or time-consuming manual inspections.

Solution

monco.ai automatically captures construction site data using 3D reality-capture technology and 360-degree video recordings. This produces precise 3D models that are automatically compared with the building plans to detect deviations.

Impact

Enables earlier detection and reporting of issues without manual on-site inspections.

Origin

The solution was developed in close collaboration with site managers.

Who is it for?

Site managers as well as construction companies and their site management.

Team

V
VictorBusiness Development & Finance
A
AshotChief Scientist
T
TigranSoftware Architecture & Technical Lead
Contact

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Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

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> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
MycoLutions Logo

MycoLutions

MycoLutions closes the gap in the market for low-emission, circular building materials by developing high-performance acoustic solutions based on mushroom mycelium. The technology transforms residues such as straw into a solid, pollutant-free, and fully circular acoustic material.

Challenge

The acoustics industry lacks sustainable alternatives. Architects are looking for circular, low-emission materials, and starting in 2028, EU building regulations will mandate binding CO2 limits, while manufacturers lack suitable substitute materials.

Solution

MycoLutions transforms agricultural residues such as straw, using mushroom mycelium, into a solid, pollutant-free, and fully circular acoustic material.

Impact

Reduces dependence on fossil raw materials and significantly lowers CO2 emissions in construction — enabling low-emission, circular building at scale.

Origin

The company was founded in 2023 by three co-founders. It emerged from Helge Schritt's master's thesis, which examined the potential of mycelium composites as sustainable insulation materials. The three environmental engineers knew each other from university and are also active together in the band Blackbird Mantra.

Who is it for?

Manufacturers of acoustic products switching to sustainable materials, as well as office fitters who distribute MycoLutions' acoustic panels.

Team

HS
Helge SchrittEnvironmental Engineer
TL
Thies LingnerEnvironmental Engineer
DG
David GradlEnvironmental Engineer
Contact

Interested in MycoLutions?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
Nanolope Logo

Nanolope

Nanolope is a provider of innovative thermal storage technology, helping property owners and construction companies reduce energy costs — with a recyclable, machinable storage material offering high energy density and mechanical stability, based on phase-change materials, similar in size to a gypsum board.

Challenge

The building sector is currently responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional thermal storage requires a lot of space, while battery storage is expensive.

Solution

Nanolope has developed a recyclable, machinable storage material with high energy density and mechanical stability based on phase-change materials. It is the size of a standard drywall panel and efficiently stores heat directly in the room without any loss of comfort.

Impact

Increases heating efficiency and shortens payback periods by making use of dynamic electricity tariffs.

Who is it for?

Property owners and construction companies.

Team

FM
Dr. Felix MarskeCEO – Product Development, Corporate Finance & Chemistry
EM
Eric MatthesCTO – Systems Integration, Production Scaling, Engineering & Materials Science
Contact

Interested in Nanolope?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Construction
Sitegeist Logo

Sitegeist

Sitegeist is a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich developing robotic systems for automated concrete restoration. The technology enables precise treatment of complex areas such as corners, edges, or columns using high-pressure water — fully automated and without manual rework.

Challenge

Complex areas such as corners, edges, or columns have until now had to be treated manually with high-pressure water.

Solution

The startup automates demanding surfaces using sensor-based high-pressure water technology, enabling precise concrete removal without manual rework.

Impact

Improves working conditions in concrete restoration, increases efficiency, and helps address the restoration backlog in Germany.

Origin

Sitegeist grew out of a research initiative at the Technical University of Munich, which began researching robotic concrete restoration around five years ago. The company was officially spun off in mid-2025 (formerly Aiina Robotics).

Who is it for?

Concrete restoration professionals who currently perform this work manually.

Team

LP
Lena-Marie PätzmannBusiness (St. Gallen)
NK
Nicola KolbRobotics (TUM)
JH
Julian HoffmannRobotics (TUM)
CC
Claus CarsteRobotics (TUM)
Contact

Interested in Sitegeist?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Operations
Effinigo Logo

Effinigo

Effinigo develops intelligent, minimally invasive solutions to significantly cut energy consumption in existing buildings. With the EffiniCloud platform, lighting, heating, and energy monitoring are digitally controlled and sustainably optimized. This helps municipalities, public institutions, and companies save costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

Challenge

Many existing buildings waste energy due to inefficient systems that lack digital control options.

Solution

Effinigo offers the minimally invasive modernization of lighting, heating technology, and energy monitoring. AI-supported optimizations are carried out via the EffiniCloud platform.

Impact

Significantly reduces energy consumption, saves costs, and lowers CO₂ emissions. Continuous monitoring enables long-term building optimization.

Origin

Effinigo emerged as a spin-off of Saarland University from a research project on intelligent lighting control. The EffiniCloud platform later developed from this.

Who is it for?

Public institutions, municipalities, and companies – including schools, office buildings, administrative buildings, and sports halls.

Team

CP
Christoffer PohlDevelopment
TH
Tarek Hamadeh-SpaniolSales & Personnel
TD
Tobias DeckerFinance & Marketing
Contact

Interested in Effinigo?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Operations
Hydrop systems Logo

Hydrop systems

Hydrop systems closes the gap in household water monitoring, making water consumption transparent and tangible. The University of Stuttgart spin-off detects anomalies and leaks instantly at the water meter, reduces potential repair effort and costs by more than 50%, and enables a more conscious use of water as a resource.

Challenge

Lack of transparency around household water consumption and consumption anomalies, which have so far often remained inaccessible to end users.

Solution

A technology that makes water consumption transparent and monitorable for every household member. It enables real-time leak detection directly at the water meter.

Impact

On average, 20% less water consumption due to increased awareness, as well as more than 50% lower repair costs and CO2 emissions through early damage detection.

Origin

Hydrop systems was founded in 2024 as a spin-off of the University of Stuttgart. The trigger was a specific gap: the lack of awareness of water consumption before damage or high bills occur.

Who is it for?

Private individuals in single-family homes as end customers; an expansion to apartments is planned for 2026.

Team

KK
Katrin KreidelFounder
ME
Moritz EmbergerFounder
RK
Raimund KoopFounder
Contact

Interested in Hydrop systems?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Operations
Otter Energy Trading Logo

Otter Energy Trading

Otter Energy Trading develops a digital trading infrastructure that simplifies complex energy trading and makes it more profitable for owners of commercial PV systems. Customers simply sell their PV power locally, regionally, or on the electricity exchange — Otter handles trading, billing, and regulatory compliance in the background.

Challenge

Operators of PV systems struggle with regulatory complexity and market intricacies, which keeps them confined to economically suboptimal compensation models such as Germany's EEG feed-in tariff.

Solution

The platform lets operators of commercial PV systems sell their power directly to local buyers, other facilities, or exchanges. Trading, billing, and regulatory compliance run in the background, without requiring any expert knowledge.

Impact

Makes energy trading more accessible and profitable for operators of commercial PV systems and supports the transition to a decentralized, 100% renewable energy system.

Origin

Founded by Niels after he recognized that the market was still deeply rooted in old structures. His background in energy trading combined with the entrepreneurial drive of the UnternehmerTUM ecosystem.

Who is it for?

Owners of commercial PV systems such as farmers, property owners, or companies (not private households).

Team

NS
Niels SchubertFormer energy trader
RK
Roman KurpatovFull-stack software developer (15 years of experience)
MS
Marek SzakacsFull-Stack Developer & Algorithm Expert
Contact

Interested in Otter Energy Trading?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Deconstruction
Abnoba Logo

Abnoba

Abnoba develops AI-powered computer vision technology that lets recycling companies make their material flows visible and automate inefficient, manual sorting processes. Data-driven optimization drastically reduces material losses and lowers operating costs – a scalable, measurable contribution to the circular economy.

Challenge

Inefficient, manual sorting processes at recycling facilities, where valuable materials are lost and high costs arise.

Solution

Abnoba uses AI-powered computer vision to automate sorting processes and optimize workflows based on data. This reduces material losses and lowers operating costs.

Impact

Measurable CO₂ savings and a concrete contribution to the circular economy.

Origin

Co-founder Alissa Beck recognized the untapped potential of material reuse from her background as a carpenter and civil engineer. She set out to unlock this potential using modern AI technology.

Who is it for?

Recycling companies that want to digitalize their processes, reduce material losses, and lower operating costs.

Team

AB
Alissa BeckCEO
JB
Jonas BreinerCTO – Expert in Computer Vision & AI for Industrial Applications
Contact

Interested in Abnoba?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Deconstruction
Optocycle Logo

Optocycle

Optocycle develops an AI solution for real-time detection of construction waste, ending inefficient manual sorting. The technology detects and classifies construction waste with precision, replacing error-prone visual inspection with automated, objective classification and promoting the production of recycled concrete — for a circular construction economy.

Challenge

The construction industry struggles with error-prone and often subjective manual visual inspection at facilities and disposal sites. This leads to significant resource losses and hinders circular-economy goals.

Solution

Optocycle offers an automated AI system that objectively classifies construction waste around the clock, replacing manual sorting with consistent, weather-independent classification. The technology integrates seamlessly into existing processes on construction sites and at recycling facilities.

Impact

Supports municipalities, construction companies, and planners in building sustainably, and promotes resource sovereignty and circular economy — with higher data quality, lower material losses, and improved recycled-concrete production.

Origin

Founders Max-Frederick Gerken and Lars Wolff originally developed a technology to recognize fruit and vegetables at supermarket checkouts. A conversation with a friend from construction-waste recycling revealed the bigger opportunity: inefficient material sorting in the construction industry.

Who is it for?

Waste management companies, construction-waste recyclers, processing plants, municipal utilities, and construction companies with in-house recycling — especially mid-sized businesses.

Team

MG
Max-Frederick GerkenCEO
LW
Lars WolffCTO
LN
Laura NeusserCCO
Contact

Interested in Optocycle?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
> GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni Project Phase / Deconstruction
Rement Logo

Rement

Rement develops intelligent solutions to significantly reduce resource consumption and CO₂ emissions in concrete production. Using a novel concrete recycling technology, high-quality raw materials are recovered from demolished concrete and CO₂ is bound into materials — for a climate-neutral circular economy.

Challenge

Around 30 billion tons of fossil material are extracted from nature every year for concrete production. Processing it causes about 8% of global CO₂ emissions.

Solution

An innovative concrete recycling technology that recovers high-quality raw materials from demolished concrete while permanently storing CO₂ in materials.

Impact

Achieves the highest value creation worldwide from demolished concrete, permanently storing the largest amount of CO₂ per ton of concrete.

Origin

Rement was developed around three years ago by co-founder Felix, with the idea of solving the emissions and resource problem of concrete production through an innovative recycling process.

Who is it for?

Partners from the recycling, cement, and building-materials industries interested in operating their own facilities as well as in the recycled raw materials.

Team

FB
Felix BaurChief Product Officer & Initiator
RS
Robert SchleinhegeChief Commercial Officer
AS
Dr. Achim StammerChief Technology Officer
Contact

Interested in Rement?

Wim Levenhagen, Head of Startup Success, connects you with the team and answers your questions about the Accelerator.

Contact Wim >
For Companies

Together for the Construction Transition

We are the innovation accelerator for the construction and real estate industry. Together with our corporate partners – from mid-sized construction companies to international engineering firms to industrial conglomerates – we bring new technologies where they make an impact: onto the construction site, into the building, into the city of tomorrow.

Why Partnership

One Ecosystem, Many Perspectives

No one can transform the construction and real estate industry alone. That's why we connect established companies, rising startups, universities and investors in a vibrant ecosystem. Our partners contribute market access, experience and real-world use cases – and in return gain curated access to the industry's most promising startups, a strong network and visibility as innovation drivers.

&

Access to Startups & Innovation

We bring companies into direct contact with the right startups and new technologies – curated, not random.

/

Full Focus on the Industry

All our activities and contacts are fully focused on construction and real estate.

X

Neutral Platform

As a neutral platform, we bring partners together as equals – for open exchange without any sales pressure.

>

From Contact to Project

We support more than just the introduction – we support implementation too: from clarifying needs to scouting to a joint pilot project.

You Are in Good Company

Our Partners

Our corporate partners cover the entire construction value chain – from planning and engineering to construction execution and building materials to energy and investment.

Every partnership is different: some partners mainly use Scouting & Matchmaking to find the right startups, others specifically look for investment opportunities or draw on our market overview for insights into new technologies. What unites them all: the exchange within our network – whether at the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit or in the monthly partner meeting – and the shared will to actively transform the industry.

View All Partner Profiles →
How We Work Together

The Extended Arm of Your Innovation Department

As a partner, you get access to a service package that treats Venture Clienting as a service.

Publikum beim GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025
>

Scouting & Matchmaking

We clarify your needs together with your departments, define search profiles and deliver qualified shortlists from our database of 900+ curated startups – including moderated first meetings.

&

Pilot Projects

From concept through KPIs and timeline to the final decision paper: we operationally support your pilot projects with startups all the way to the result.

X

Network & Exchange

At the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit, in exclusive CXO formats and in our digital ecosystem forum, you connect with like-minded people and thought leaders in the industry.

/

Market Overview

With our trend radar and regular market updates, you stay on top of new technologies, providers and developments – presented in a practical, hands-on way.

>

Visibility & Talent

We make your innovation efforts visible – on our website, at events, in editorial project features – and open up access to talent through university formats.

&

Strategy & Structure

We support you in building your own innovation unit – with annual planning, clear processes and roles, plus governance and data-protection templates for fast pilot launches.

Our Services for Companies in Detail >
Where We Meet

Networking Isn't a Coincidence – It Has a Calendar

Innovation happens through conversation. That's why we create opportunities all year round for partners, startups, investors and industry thought leaders to meet – from the big industry gathering to the confidential dinner.

&

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit

Once a year, rising startups, leading companies and investors meet at the big industry event. The next Summit takes place on November 5, 2026. More →

&

Corporate Dinner

Our exclusive evening format for decision-makers at our partner companies: in a small, confidential group – with an inspiring talk and good food – the honest exchange happens that daily business rarely leaves room for.

>

Pitch Formats

At pitch events at trade fairs and major industry gatherings, our partners meet founding teams and new technologies in person – compact, hands-on and without detours.

/

On-Site Innovation Formats

On request, we bring the ecosystem directly to you: innovation days, workshops and startup pitches on your own premises, curated and moderated by GROUNDBREAKERS.

X

All Events at a Glance

Summit, dinner, pitch events and more: all dates and formats at a glance.

To the Events >

900+ Curated Startups. One Access Point.

Anyone can google startups. We curate: in our GROUNDBREAKERS Tool, our partners find 900+ vetted startups from ConTech, PropTech, Urban Tech and adjacent technology fields – filterable by topic and application area, classified by maturity and fit. That turns a confusing market into a searchable toolbox for your specific challenges.

Voices of Our Partners

What Partners Say About Working With Us

Our most important resources for sustainable construction are entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.
Dr. Albert DürrAD
Dr. Albert Dürr
WOLFF & MÜLLER
We want to transform the construction industry, and for that we need sustainable ideas. Startups are an ideal source, and GROUNDBREAKERS is the ideal platform for it.
Daniela SchmiedleDS
Daniela Schmiedle
Sika Deutschland
Become a Partner

Become a Groundbreaker Now

Want to drive innovation in your company in a structured way – and be part of an alliance that's truly moving the industry? Then let's talk.

More About Partnership > Schedule a Meeting with Frieder >
Our Services

Your innovation department for construction & real estate

We bring innovation into your company – across three areas: Strategy & Structures, Venture Clienting & Platform and Network & Visibility. You bring the challenge, we bring method, market overview and an ecosystem of over 900 vetted startups.

You don't need to build your own innovation department for this: we take on that role – or build it together with you. You decide how to start: from a single pilot project to an ongoing partnership.

What we do

Three areas where we make you stronger

We support you across the entire innovation process: from strategic anchoring, through operational implementation with startups, to visibility across the industry.

GROUNDBREAKERS-Mitgliedsplakette beim Summit 2025
01

Strategy & Structures

The foundation of your innovation work

We anchor innovation as a fixed process in your company – with clear roles, decision paths and annual planning that fits your goals. That way, progress no longer depends on individual people.

  • Annual planning & pilot portfolio
  • Trend radar & market updates
  • Innovation formats & in-house events
  • Building your venture clienting process
  • Enablement program for stakeholders
  • Governance, data protection & fast track
Core 02

Venture Clienting & Platform

Operational implementation in day-to-day business

From need to proven pilot: we find the right startups, manage the collaboration operationally, and document everything on one platform – with access to over 900 vetted startups. This is startup collaboration at its core.

  • Needs assessment with your departments
  • Startup scouting, shortlist & initial conversations
  • Pilot design, support & decision documents
  • GROUNDBREAKERS tool with 900+ startups
  • Project & task management platform
  • Ecosystem forum & community
03

Network & Visibility

Your external presence in the industry

We open up the ecosystem of startups, universities and partners for you – and position you as an innovation leader in the industry: with customers, with talent and in public.

  • Exclusive peer exchange in the network
  • Connections with universities & associations
  • Early access to startups via the accelerator
  • Positioning as an innovation leader
  • Access to talent through university formats
  • Storytelling for your innovation projects
Venture clienting in practice

How a pilot project works

Venture clienting is the operational core – and instead of becoming an investor, you become a customer: a clearly defined problem, a manageable pilot, no venture capital, and a clear exit option. In four steps, structured and flexible to fit your needs:

Austausch beim GROUNDBREAKERS Kickoff
01

Focus

Together we sharpen your challenge and the selection criteria.

ResultA clear search field
02

Selection

We screen our curated GROUNDBREAKERS tool with over 900 startups and the wider ecosystem, and put together a tailored, evaluated selection for you.

ResultA well-founded shortlist
03

Pilot

We structure the pilot project, moderate the collaboration and see it through to the result.

ResultA proven proof of concept
04

Integration

From follow-up project to integration into day-to-day operations.

ResultA viable solution + innovation capability in-house
Impact

What that means in practice

0
Curated startups in the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool
0
Partner companies from construction & real estate
0
Pilot projects supported
0
Startups supported in the Accelerator
0
Event participants per year

Working with startups that already have market-ready solutions is usually significantly faster and more resource-efficient than developing a comparable solution yourself or building your own innovation department.

Become a partner

Ready for the first step?

We tailor the collaboration to your company – from a one-off startup contact to a fully supported partnership. In an initial conversation, we work out together what fits you best.

Our Partners

The Companies Behind GROUNDBREAKERS

GROUNDBREAKERS thrives on strong partners. Our corporate partners bring decades of experience, real construction projects, and the will to rethink the industry together with startups. They open their construction sites, planning processes, and networks to new technologies – turning ideas into pilot projects. Here we introduce them.

Voices from the Network
We want to transform the construction industry and need sustainable ideas to do it. Startups are an ideal source, and GROUNDBREAKERS the ideal platform for it.
Daniela SchmiedleDS
Daniela Schmiedle
Sika Deutschland
Our most important resources for sustainable construction are entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.
Dr. Albert DürrAD
Dr. Albert Dürr
WOLFF & MÜLLER
Startups for the structural transformation of our cities are rare – we want to truly "break ground," especially in the Stuttgart region, by pooling forces and building the bridge between innovation, demand, and market.
Steffen BraunSB
Steffen Braun
Fraunhofer IAO

WOLFF & MÜLLER

Founding Partner
Construction Company / Building Construction

WOLFF & MÜLLER is one of Germany's leading family-run construction companies. From its base in Stuttgart, the company delivers demanding building and turnkey construction projects and actively drives the transformation of construction through its innovation unit MORGENbau. As a founding partner, WOLFF & MÜLLER shapes our ecosystem like almost no other company: venture clienting is lived here. Together with startups from our Accelerator, WOLFF & MÜLLER implements concrete pilot projects – from the first proof of concept to successful application on the construction site – showing how quickly a startup solution turns into real value on-site.

Visit Website >

Sika Deutschland

Founding Partner
Construction Chemicals / Building Materials

Sika is a globally leading specialty chemicals company that develops systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting for the construction and automotive industries. As a founding partner, Sika brings deep material and technology know-how into our ecosystem – from sustainable building materials to innovative processing solutions. For startups, Sika is an ideal sparring partner when it comes to material innovation, scaling, and access to international markets.

Visit Website >

Stadtwerke Stuttgart

Founding Partner
Energy Supply / Energy Transition

As the municipal energy utility, Stadtwerke Stuttgart drives the energy transition in the state capital – with renewable energy, charging infrastructure, and smart energy solutions for neighborhoods and buildings. As a founding partner, Stadtwerke Stuttgart represents the future topic of energy in the building sector within our ecosystem. Startups in Energy Transition and Decarbonization find a partner here with direct access to the city's energy infrastructure and real-world use cases.

Visit Website >

Köster

Construction Company / Building, Civil & Tunnel Construction

As one of Germany's major construction companies, the Köster Group delivers building, civil engineering, and tunnel construction projects nationwide – from individual planning to turnkey handover, with a network of more than 20 locations. With Köster Ventures, the Group has created its own unit dedicated to working with startups. In our ecosystem, Köster stands for venture clienting lived at scale: startups gain access to real construction projects across Germany and a partner that systematically brings innovation into practice.

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SchwörerHaus

Serial Construction / Timber Construction

SchwörerHaus is one of Germany's leading prefabricated home manufacturers and has stood for quality, innovation, and sustainable timber construction for decades. The family business from the Swabian Alps is a pioneer in serial and industrial construction – a topic that is decisive for the future of the industry. In our ecosystem, SchwörerHaus brings the perspective of industrial prefabrication. Startups in Modular Construction, Sustainable Materials, and Digitalization find a partner here that can translate innovations directly into series production.

Visit Website >

MÖRK

Architecture, Construction and Real Estate

MÖRK is a specialist in architecture, construction, and real estate. The family business from Leonberg, with a history of more than 120 years, brings architects, specialist planners, and civil engineers together under one roof and accompanies construction projects from the first idea to turnkey handover – and, as a project developer and property developer, beyond. In our ecosystem, MÖRK represents the holistic view of building. Startups benefit from a partner that thinks planning and execution from a single source and can test new solutions along the entire project process.

Visit Website >

Unternehmensgruppe Metzger + Co.

Project Development / Property Developer

Unternehmensgruppe Metzger + Co. develops, builds, and manages residential and commercial properties, covering the entire lifecycle of a property – from the plot of land through project development to operation. In our ecosystem, Metzger brings the perspective of the project developer and property developer. Startups benefit from this practical knowledge along the entire value chain and find real projects at Metzger where new solutions can be tested.

Visit Website >

Mailänder Consult

Engineering Services / Infrastructure

For almost 40 years, Mailänder Consult has stood for innovative engineering services in transport, architecture, environment, and energy. With more than 300 employees at its Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt locations, the owner-managed company plans and accompanies demanding infrastructure projects – from rail to building construction. In our ecosystem, Mailänder Consult brings the infrastructure perspective and opens the door for startups to a project environment where digital planning methods and sustainable solutions make a real difference.

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Wurster Bau

Construction Company / Building & Civil Construction

Wurster Bauunternehmung is a traditional company that lives innovation and quality in building and civil engineering. With decades of expertise and craftsmanship excellence, Wurster Bau represents the strong Mittelstand that forms the backbone of the German construction industry. In our ecosystem, Wurster Bau bridges the gap between established Mittelstand companies and agile startups: direct practical relevance for new tech solutions, know-how transfer at eye level, and joint pilot projects that bring real efficiency gains to the construction site.

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JKM consult

Consulting / Project Management

JKM consult is a consulting firm for building and infrastructure construction, specializing in project and construction law consulting, client representation, and digital process optimization. With modern BIM and data visualization tools, JKM ensures transparent, agile workflows – from major projects in energy and transport infrastructure to industrial planning. In our ecosystem, JKM consult represents the digital transformation of project management. Startups find a partner here that not only understands new digital tools but can bring them directly into ongoing major projects.

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TBF + Partner

Engineering & Consulting Company / Infrastructure

TBF + Partner is an independent engineering and consulting firm with locations in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. More than 400 experts plan and deliver complex projects in infrastructure, energy, mobility, and the environment – from idea to operation. With TBF Ventures, the company also has its own unit that accompanies startups as a strategic sparring partner. In our ecosystem, TBF combines engineering excellence with entrepreneurial spirit, supporting founding teams with expertise from six decades of project experience.

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albrings + müller

Real Estate Consulting / Construction Management

albrings + müller ag is an independent commercial and technical real estate consultancy based in Stuttgart. The interdisciplinary team of engineers, architects, and business economists supports investors, owners, and project stakeholders across the entire real estate lifecycle – from development and transactions through construction and operation to processes and organization. In our ecosystem, albrings + müller brings the perspective of the real estate industry and helps startups understand how investors and asset holders think – a decisive key to the market success of PropTech solutions.

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Werner Sobek

Engineering Firm / Sustainable Planning and Construction

Werner Sobek is one of the most internationally renowned engineering firms for planning and construction. With more than 450 employees worldwide, the Stuttgart-based company stands for engineering excellence at the highest level – and for an uncompromising commitment to sustainable, resource-conserving, and recyclable construction. In our ecosystem, Werner Sobek is a driving force for the construction transition. Startups in Low-Carbon Materials, Circular Economy, and Lightweight Construction find a partner here that connects scientific excellence with built reality.

Visit Website >

RSE+

Architecture and Engineering / Industrial Construction

RSE+ Architekten Ingenieure combines architecture and engineering services under one roof. Around 100 employees at the Stuttgart, Kassel, and Göttingen locations plan demanding projects with a focus on industrial construction – integrated, efficient, and with high design standards. In our ecosystem, RSE+ brings the integrated planning perspective: architecture and engineering from a single source. Startups benefit from a partner that can integrate new technologies and materials early in the planning process – exactly where the most important decisions for any construction project are made.

Visit Website >

Ready to Move the Industry Together?

Become part of the GROUNDBREAKERS ecosystem and shape the future of construction together with startups.

Become a Partner >
For Companies in the Construction and Real Estate Industry

Your Partner for Innovation – From Strategy to Operations

We specialize in the construction and real estate industry. Working with startups is at the heart of what we do – but our offering goes further.

Gründungsmitglied hält die GROUNDBREAKERS-Plakette
The Problem

Four Hurdles Where Innovation Projects Usually Get Stuck

Most companies in the industry know that change is needed. Implementation is harder than the decision – and the same hurdles keep coming up.

Netzwerken beim GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025
01

No Overview

There are countless startups. Which ones are credible, relevant, and mature enough for you is hard to judge from the outside.

02

No Process

A good meeting at a trade fair rarely leads to a pilot project. Without clear steps, the contact fizzles out.

03

No Owner

Innovation often depends on a single committed person. Without a mandate, time, and budget, little moves forward.

04

No Path Into Operations

The pilot went well, but the solution never makes the leap into day-to-day operations.

Experience shows that collaborations with startups rarely fail because of the technology itself, but rather because of the wrong choice of partner and a lack of process. This is exactly where we come in.

Why GROUNDBREAKERS

Industry Focus That Makes the Difference

01

Full Industry Focus

All our activities and contacts are focused on construction and real estate.

02

Curated, Not Random

Your own research delivers names but no assessment. We select the most promising startups and evaluate them.

03

Vendor-Neutral

We are independent – you get an honest, neutral assessment instead of a pre-packaged solution.

04

Anchored in the Ecosystem

Startups, universities, investors, and associations at one table.

05

Regionally Rooted

Closely networked in the Stuttgart region and beyond – short paths to decision-makers, universities, and startups.

Sprecherin beim GROUNDBREAKERS Clubhouse Event
GROUNDBREAKERS-Beschriftung beim Clubhouse Event
Our Offering

Tailored to Your Company

No one-size-fits-all: we tailor our services to the needs and requirements of your company – from family-run SMEs to large corporations. Whether it's occasional startup contact or a fully accompanied venture clienting unit: you decide the scope and depth, we deliver the right building blocks.

>

GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

Access to the curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool with 900+ vetted startups from ConTech, PropTech, and Urban Tech.

/

Scouting & Matchmaking

We sharpen your search criteria, create evaluated shortlists, and moderate initial conversations with suitable startups.

&

Pilot Projects & Venture Clienting

From pilot design through operational support to the final decision proposal – with your own process setup and pilot portfolio on request.

X

Network & Events

Confidential exchange rounds, summit tickets, and exclusive formats with industry decision-makers.

>

Visibility & Communication

Presence as an innovation driver – on our website, at events, and in editorial project features.

&

Talent & Enablement

Access to talent through university formats and theses, as well as workshops and innovation days at your company.

The individual building blocks are not a rigid concept – we align with your needs and priorities. We'll work out the right fit together in a short conversation.

Schedule a Conversation >
Frequently Asked Questions

What Companies Often Ask Us

Especially then. You don't have to develop any technology yourself. You bring the practical knowledge of your industry, the startup brings the solution – we bring the two together.

No. You become a customer, not an investor. Venture capital is not required.

That's the normal case. As a first step, we sharpen your search field together before it gets concrete.

As much as you want to invest. We handle selection, structuring, and guidance; you decide at the key points.

No. It's precisely SMEs and family-run companies that use this path because it requires few resources. Partnering with us makes getting started even easier.

Conclusion & Contact

A First Conversation – As Equals

In about 30 minutes, we'll work out together whether and where working with startups is worthwhile for you – an open assessment with concrete recommendations for a first step.

  • An assessment of your topics and priorities
  • A recommendation for the right way in
  • A transparent look at our approach, network, and references
Frieder LindnerFL
Frieder Lindner
Head of Partner Success / GROUNDBREAKERS
Schedule a Meeting with Frieder > NO OBLIGATION / APPROX. 30 MINUTES / MICROSOFT TEAMS
GROUNDBREAKERS Updates

What Moves the
Industry

Insights into the GROUNDBREAKERS ecosystem.

Meeting / ConTech & PropTech
September 3, 2026 / Ecosystem

ConTech and PropTech Explained: Definition, Origin, Difference

What the terms mean, where they come from, how they differ – and why GROUNDBREAKERS prefers to think in project phases rather than labels.

Learn More >
Group photo / Batch #3 Kick-off
March 23, 2026 / Accelerator

Kickoff for Accelerator Batch #3

With a two-day event in Stuttgart, the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator officially kicked off its third batch – with intensive coaching and a focus on pilot projects with established companies.

Learn More >
Team photo / PELICAD
March 12, 2026 / Success Stories

AI Revolution on Fast-Forward: PELICAD & WOLFF & MÜLLER

How a PropTech startup from the Accelerator redefined architectural visualization together with one of Germany's leading construction companies.

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Award Ceremony / StrawBrick
January 15, 2026 / Challenge

StrawBrick Wins the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge

The project from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar wins the Europe-wide competition for nature-based innovations in construction.

Learn More >
Recap / Summit 2025
October 23, 2025 / Events

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025: Shaping the Future of Construction Together

Eight startup pitches, political impulses, and venture clienting – a look back at a day full of innovation in Stuttgart.

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Policy / Strategiedialog
November 17, 2025 / Ecosystem

GROUNDBREAKERS at the Strategy Dialogue "Affordable Housing"

How Baden-Württemberg is driving the construction transition – and the role GROUNDBREAKERS plays as a bridge in the ecosystem.

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Event / Start-up BW Summit
June 2, 2025 / Events

Construction Innovation at the Start-up BW Summit

Brunch, a venture clienting panel, and the Batch #2 Demo Day – with Rement and HeatPump23 as winners.

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Networking / ZIA Breakfast
July 7, 2025 / Ecosystem

4th PropTech Breakfast of the ZIA Region Südwest

GROUNDBREAKERS as host – with pitches from diafania, Nanolope, AI-RE, and beeboard.

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International / Israel
April 2, 2025 / Ecosystem

Innovative Power from Israel: Startups Visit

Seven Israeli ConTech startups presented at HFT Stuttgart – from Buildots to Kamai.

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Kickoff for Accelerator Batch #3

GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator Batch #3 – Kick-off in Stuttgart

With a two-day event in Stuttgart on March 19 and 20, 2026, the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator officially kicked off its third batch. Over the course of the year, the program supports startup teams from the construction and real estate industry.

Alongside intensive coaching, GROUNDBREAKERS' focus is above all on initiating pilot projects with established companies, so products can be tested directly in practice.

Day 1:
Networking and pitches at the Steyg

The first day at Stuttgart's "Steyg" was all about getting to know each other. All partners of the network were represented: WOLFF & MÜLLER, SchwörerHaus, Metzger, Mörk, Siemens, and Köster, as well as newcomers such as Wurster, JKM Consult, and Mailänder Consult. Support came from the law firm Dornkamp, Porsche Consulting, Fraunhofer IAO, and Uplift Founders. After a round of partner introductions, each startup presented its solution in a pitch and received direct feedback. The rest of the day offered space for intensive networking between founders and partner companies.

Day 2:
Pilot project workshop and corporate insights

On the second day, WOLFF & MÜLLER hosted the pilot project workshop in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Moderated by Hannah Pinell, Arthur Gottfried (Köster), Nadja Pfeifer (Metzger), Gino Klose (W&M/Dquadrat), and Pascale Todtenhaupt (Siemens) discussed collaboration between corporates and young companies.

Key takeaways from the workshop:

  • Internal drivers: Gino Klose emphasized that "companies need a responsible person who actively drives an idea forward."
  • Involving the business units: According to Pascale Todtenhaupt, collaborations stand no chance if the business unit and sales team aren't convinced.
  • Differentiation: A startup must clearly show where it's better than the company's existing internal departments.
  • Decision paths: While corporations need to involve specialist departments, at smaller companies it's often convincing management with concrete use cases that makes the difference.

In the Founders Talk that followed, Dominik Gern of SeDoMo talked about developing his HouseMeister app in collaboration with partner Metzger. He emphasized that a strong network is the most important factor in selling a product.

GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator Batch #3 – Pilotprojekte-Workshop, Panel-Diskussion bei WOLFF & MÜLLER

Deep dive into project planning

The afternoon was reserved for hands-on work. In the "Pilot Reality Stations" and the "Deep Dive" sessions that followed, founders and corporates worked together on concrete roadmaps for the coming months. These direct conversations laid the foundation for the pilot projects to be realized over the course of Batch #3.

We're looking forward to the year ahead and to working with every startup in the GROUNDBREAKERS ecosystem.

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AI Revolution on Fast-Forward: How PELICAD and WOLFF & MÜLLER Are Redefining Visualization

PELICAD × WOLFF & MÜLLER

Every architect and project developer knows the bottleneck: a design changes, but high-quality visualization takes days to catch up. External agencies are expensive, and in-house capacity is often stretched thin. A recent venture clienting project from the GROUNDBREAKERS ecosystem proves this process no longer has to take weeks – just minutes.

Here, the AI power of Munich-based startup PELICAD meets the execution strength of construction giant WOLFF & MÜLLER. The result? A reality check for the digital construction world.

The Pain Point:
When Data Meets Emotion

In theory, it sounds simple: turn 3D CAD models into compelling images. In practice, this has often meant a break in the workflow. WOLFF & MÜLLER, an innovation leader in the industry, was looking for a way to close this gap. That's exactly where PELICAD comes in, democratizing architectural visualization.

"We enable our customers to create visualizations in-house themselves – without agencies, in minutes instead of days."Robin Römer / Co-Founder, PELICAD

The Match:
Where Innovation Meets Need

The spark was struck at the GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator Batch 2024. In one of the curated matching sessions, PELICAD presented its cloud-based solution.

"What we value about GROUNDBREAKERS is the structured access to technologically strong startups – with a direct link to practice."Pleurat Halili / Investor, WOLFF & MÜLLER

As facilitator, GROUNDBREAKERS guided the process from the initial needs analysis through to the pilot. Because a good contact is only the beginning – what counts is execution.

The Pilot Project:
The Reality Check in Just a Few Weeks

In no time at all, PELICAD's tool was integrated into real planning processes at WOLFF & MÜLLER. Instead of theoretical dry runs, it was tested on a concrete construction project:

  • Automation: AI-powered analysis of technical planning data.
  • Speed: Creating emotionally powerful images in minutes instead of days.
  • Usability: Employees delivered productive results right away, without lengthy training.
"For us, the pilot project was a reality check. We wanted to know how well the tool works with our data – and what that means for our processes."Florian Gruber / Head of Technical Project Development, DQuadrat Real Estate, WOLFF & MÜLLER

The result: visualizations created with PELICAD met the quality standards for both internal and external purposes. Even without specialist know-how, employees could work productively with the software – and save an enormous amount of time doing it.

Venture Clienting:
Our Turbo for the Mid-Market

This collaboration is a prime example of GROUNDBREAKERS' core model. Venture clienting means an established company becomes a startup's first customer – before any complex equity stakes or lengthy R&D cycles even begin.

  1. Low risk: No major upfront investment required.
  2. Speed: Results are ready within a few weeks.
  3. Real impact: The solution addresses a concrete business challenge.
"Venture clienting gets companies to solid results within a few weeks. For the mid-market especially, it's a pragmatic way to bring innovation directly into the core business."Frieder Lindner / GROUNDBREAKERS

What's Next? The Journey Continues

The pilot project between PELICAD and WOLFF & MÜLLER was just the beginning. The successful test phase showed that the construction industry is ready for AI-powered automation. At GROUNDBREAKERS, we're already working on bringing the next startup together with established players in the construction and real estate industry.

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StrawBrick wins the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge

StrawBrick Preisverleihung

StrawBrick, a project from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, is the winner of the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge, a Europe-wide competition for nature-based innovations in construction and urban space. The award was presented on 14 January 2026 at the awards ceremony at BDA Wechselraum in Stuttgart.

StrawBrick was recognized for a novel building material concept based on straw, a regionally available agricultural residue. The team is developing highly compressed straw building blocks that offer a load-bearing yet resource-conserving alternative to conventional mineral-based building materials. Combined with lignin-based binders, the project addresses key challenges in construction – including high CO₂ emissions, linear material flows, and dependence on energy-intensive raw materials.

The decision was made by an interdisciplinary panel of experts, who evaluated the submitted projects based on criteria including degree of innovation, scalability, ecological impact and feasibility in a real construction context. The European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge is run by GROUNDBREAKERS – the innovation accelerator for the construction and real estate industry – and funded by the Stuttgart Climate Innovation Fund (SKIF). It is aimed at people across Europe developing nature-based solutions that contribute to climate-resilient, future-ready construction and urban development.

The win comes with funding of €100,000. This will enable the StrawBrick team – Julian Pracht and Katharina Elert – to bring their innovation to life as a real demonstrator in Stuttgart in 2026. The project will be realized ahead of the exhibition year of the International Building Exhibition 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA'27) and publicly presented there.

Alongside the awards ceremony, an exhibition opened showcasing other especially promising entries from the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge alongside the winning project. The exhibition highlights the broad potential of nature-based innovations for construction and urban development, and can be seen through 28 January 2026 at BDA Wechselraum, Friedrichstraße 4, Stuttgart.

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GROUNDBREAKERS at the Strategiedialog "Affordable Housing and Innovative Construction"

GROUNDBREAKERS-Team

Climate-neutral. Resource-efficient. Affordable. With this ambition, Baden-Württemberg showed on 07.11.2025 at the Wagenhallen in Stuttgart what the future of construction should look like. We were there with Hannah, Wim, Nelly and Johanna – representing the startup and ecosystem perspective across all expert forums.

The Strategiedialog as a working platform – not just a stage

Since 2022, the Strategiedialog "Affordable Housing and Innovative Construction" has brought together all relevant players in construction at a working level. It deliberately widens the circle of discussion and looks for new ways to collaborate between politics, administration, industry, research and civil society. What began as a dialogue format has grown into a network of over 200 experts, out of which concrete projects, studies and political momentum have emerged.

BFZ Bau:
A spirit of new beginnings and an ecosystem approach

One central highlight: Baden-Württemberg's role as a founding member of the new National Research Center for Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction (BFZ Bau). BFZ Bau aims to pool innovations and bring them into construction practice faster – explicitly as an ecosystem of research, companies, startups and public actors. The planned state hub "NextBauBW" in Stuttgart will also become a permanent pivot point for this transfer.

Rhomberg impulse talk:
Rethinking construction processes from the ground up

To truly transform construction, it's not enough to optimize individual materials or technologies. In many cases, construction processes and solutions need to be rethought entirely – from planning logic and procurement to value chains and circular business models. It's exactly at these fault lines between "the way it's always been done" and "the way it could work in the future" that many of the startups in our network operate.

Our role:
a neutral bridge within the ecosystem

In Baden-Württemberg's official contribution to BFZ Bau, GROUNDBREAKERS is named as one of the key transfer initiatives. In concrete terms, that means:

  • We translate studies like "Bauen im Wandel" into actionable focus areas for startups and corporates.
  • We connect ideas for regional secondary raw material hubs with real solutions from our network – from material passports to logistics tools.
  • We help ensure that new structures like NextBauBW are designed from the outset with startup perspectives and venture-client approaches in mind.

Key takeaways

  • The transformation of construction has arrived as a strategic issue for the future of the state.
  • Baden-Württemberg continues to expand its role as a leading region for circular, digital construction.
  • Without strong ecosystem work, innovations won't make it into widespread practice fast enough.
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GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025: Shaping the Future of Construction Together

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025

On 23 October 2025, the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025 took place in Stuttgart – a day full of inspiration, innovation and momentum for the future of the construction and real estate industry. Under the motto "Building the future – together. boldly. sustainably.", startups, established companies, investors and representatives from politics and research came together.

Kickoff with political input

The Summit was opened with welcoming remarks from Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister for Construction, and Andrea Lindlohr, State Secretary at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Regional Development and Housing. Both emphasized the importance of innovation, digitalization and bold collaboration for transforming the construction and real estate industry.

GROUNDBREAKERS News:
Europe, Research, Collaboration

In his keynote, Prof. Dr. Patrick Planing, founder and initiator of GROUNDBREAKERS, presented the latest developments:

  • European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge – expanded to European startups, with a focus on nature-based construction.
  • National Research Center for Construction and Construction Resource Platform – new initiatives for connecting knowledge and materials.
  • Acceleration Program 2026 – launching in spring to bring innovations into practice even faster.
  • Whitepaper on collaboration between startups and established companies – a hands-on guide; a companion trend report is in the works.
  • Köster GmbH was introduced as a new partner.
"Our goal remains the same: to spark as many pilot projects as possible."Prof. Dr. Patrick Planing / Founder, GROUNDBREAKERS

Venture Clienting:
Building Successful Partnerships

Prof. Dr. Tobias Gutmann, Associate Professor of Technology & Innovation Management at EBS Business School, showed in his keynote how companies can effectively engage startups – through clear processes, cultural change and targeted venture clienting. His message: anyone who truly wants innovation must treat startups as partners on equal footing.

Eight Startups, Eight Visions

  • diafania – AI platform that creates value from unstructured building data
  • hanz – digital construction app that simplifies on-site workflows and connects teams in real time
  • LastBIM – ensures the data quality of digital building models
  • Flexfy – makes walls and ceilings flexibly electrifiable and spaces adaptable
  • dcarbonize – prefabricated retrofit façade that makes serial renovation 50% cheaper
  • azekura – AI for architecture and construction planning that radically cuts planning time
  • effinigo – boosts energy efficiency in existing buildings through smart IoT technology
  • Sitegeist Robotics – autonomous construction robot tackling the skilled labor shortage and efficiency issues

Awards for Innovation

Two prizes – both endowed by the Wolfgang Dürr Foundation – recognized the best pitches. The Audience Award (€2,000) went to Sitegeist Robotics, and the Jury Award (€3,000) to azekura for its visionary AI. The prizes were presented by Dr. Julia-Carolin Carbon, Managing Director of the Wolfgang Dürr Foundation. The jury consisted of Anna Stetter (HTGF), Omid Haiati (Köster), Linda Wurster (Wurster Bau), David Zwilling (STYX Urban Investments) and Matthias Lederbogen (Realyze Ventures).

A Day Full of Courage, Ideas and the Future

Hosted by Chris Veit, the Summit gave the stage to doers and visionaries actively shaping the industry. A heartfelt thank-you to our partners WOLFF & MÜLLER, Sika, Stadtwerke Stuttgart, Unternehmensgruppe Metzger, MÖRK, Siemens and Köster – together, we're creating an environment where ideas grow and the future takes shape.

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4th PropTech Breakfast of the ZIA Southwest Region

PropTech-Frühstück

Last Friday, GROUNDBREAKERS hosted the 4th PropTech Breakfast of the ZIA Southwest Region – together with dedicated partners, innovative startups, and a room full of ideas, exchange and future energy.

The breakfast was opened by Chris Haller (Instone Real Estate Development GmbH), who made clear in his welcome how important formats like this are for the future of the industry. In his input talk, Patrick Planing looked at the success factors behind collaboration between startups and established companies – and showed how GROUNDBREAKERS puts the venture-clienting approach into concrete practice in its work with partners.

The startup pitches took center stage: diafania, Nanolope, AI-RE and beeboard presented their visions – ranging from intelligent data processing and digital building models to innovative energy storage solutions. Their contributions made clear the potential that lies in connecting tech and the construction industry.

What made this morning special: it didn't stop at input talks. There was discussion, networking – and direct conversation about next steps. Because that's exactly what matters to us: forging new paths together, building partnerships and bringing innovation into practice.

A heartfelt thank-you to the ZIA team – especially Jens Kuderer – as well as to all participating startups and guests. We look forward to the next one. It's time to break new ground!

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Construction Innovation at the Start-up BW Summit

Start-up BW Summit

The Start-up BW Summit was a real highlight for GROUNDBREAKERS – a day that showed just how much momentum exists in the construction and real estate industry when startups, companies, and innovation drivers come together.

GROUNDBREAKERS Brunch:
Networking with Impact

Around 50 guests joined our invitation to this industry gathering – united by one mission: connecting the construction and real estate world more closely. We're especially happy to welcome two new members to our community: MÖRK GmbH & Co. KG and Siemens. Welcome!

Keynote & Panel:
Why the Industry Is Betting on Startups

On the Venture Clienting Stage, construction companies and startups discussed their experiences working together – openly, honestly, and with plenty of inspiration. On stage:

  • Pleurat Halili / WOLFF & MÜLLER
  • Steffen Wache / Sika Deutschland
  • Frederik Janzen / HeatPump23
  • Michael Brunzel / diafania

Elena and Steffi from the GROUNDBREAKERS team also presented answers to the question "How startup-friendly is the construction and real estate industry?" from the whitepaper.

Demo Day of Accelerator Batch #2

Nine startups presented their solutions – ranging from digital construction site management to circular materials. The jury, made up of Marnix Roes, Christian Albrings, Georg Charlier, and Moritz Vohler, was impressed. Rement won over the audience with a strong pitch, taking home the GROUNDBREAKERS prize money of 2.000 € (sponsored by Holcim) – and also secured 3rd place in the big BW pitch final, awarded by Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut. Another highlight: HeatPump23 took the win in the state final of the Start-Up BW Elevator Pitch.

Our Takeaway

Never before have so many startups and companies from construction and real estate been represented at the Start-up BW Summit. The growing interest in innovative solutions is palpable – and we're excited to keep building together. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible. Let's build the future – together.

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Innovation Power from Israel: Startups Come to Visit

Israelische ConTech-Delegation

Seven Israeli ConTech startups present forward-looking solutions at HFT Stuttgart.

On April 1, 2025, leading figures from the construction and real estate industry gathered at HFT Stuttgart to meet a delegation of Israeli ConTech startups. The exclusive event, organized by GROUNDBREAKERS in collaboration with the Israeli Consulate General, ConTech Israel, and MORGENbau by WOLFF & MÜLLER, offered exciting insights into innovative technologies for the construction and real estate industry.

From Major Construction Site to Pitch Event

Before the startups presented their innovative solutions, the delegation visited the WOLFF & MÜLLER Campus. There, participants exchanged ideas on future topics such as new work and venture partnering in the construction industry and got to know the construction group's modern campus. This was followed by a tour of the Stuttgart 21 construction site – an example of a state-of-the-art construction project in Germany that greatly interested the guests from Israel.

Seven Startups, One Vision:
Rethinking the Future of Construction

  • Buildots – AI-powered 360° construction site analysis for optimized processes
  • OKIBO – Autonomous robots for painting and plastering work
  • Skyline Cockpit – Remote crane control for greater safety
  • Constrol – BIM-based cost and quantity calculation
  • RESALT – Sustainable building materials from industrial salt waste
  • Beamware – AI-driven planning and compliance monitoring
  • Kamai – AI-powered construction project management

Industry Insights and New Networks

Alongside the startup pitches, representatives from leading companies and organizations in Stuttgart and the surrounding region took an active part in the exchange. The Israeli startups used their delegation trip to present their business models in the German market and forge valuable contacts – further proof of just how important international collaboration is for progress in the construction industry.

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5 Reasons to Attend the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit

On 5 November 2026, Stuttgart will become the meeting point for everyone who wants to rethink the construction and real estate industry. The GROUNDBREAKERS Summit brings together startups, established companies, research institutions and political decision-makers – with one clear goal: to actively and sustainably shape the future of the built environment.

Here are five good reasons why you shouldn't miss the Summit:

Experience Innovation and Future Trends Up Close

The GROUNDBREAKERS Summit is a platform for the latest developments in the construction and building industry. From artificial intelligence to digital twins to sustainable building materials – this is where technologies revolutionizing the industry are presented.

For companies and professionals, the Summit offers the chance to engage early with relevant trends and take home strategic input for their own organization. The event shows not only what's possible – but also what's already becoming reality.

A Stage for Startups and Young Innovators

Startups are at the heart of the Summit. They present their technologies on the big stage and get direct access to potential partners, investors and funding institutions.

For founders, the Summit is a unique opportunity to gain visibility, get feedback from customers and build valuable connections.

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit
GROUNDBREAKERS Summit / Stage

High-Caliber Networking with Relevant Players

The GROUNDBREAKERS Summit brings together 200 people from the construction and real estate industry who want to make a difference. Targeted matchmaking and great conversations over dinner spark new partnerships, collaborations and ideas.

For SMEs, corporates, universities and investors, the Summit is an ideal place to connect with other players in the industry. The mix of business, academia and politics creates an inspiring environment for interdisciplinary exchange.

Competitions with Real Impact

At the startup pitches, the audience and a high-caliber jury recognize projects that offer real solutions to the challenges of our time – for example in climate protection, resource efficiency or digitalization.

The best ideas have a chance to win up to €5,000 in prize money. For innovators and project teams, that's not just financial support – it's also strong recognition of their work and commitment.

An Inspiring Keynote from an International Thought Leader

In his keynote, Kai Kölsch of Neura Robotics shows how robotics and artificial intelligence will transform the construction and real estate industry. As a thought leader in robotics, he offers insight into tomorrow's technologies – and what they mean for startups, companies and the entire value chain.

For young professionals and industry audiences, the Summit is a valuable opportunity to expand their knowledge, gain new perspectives and engage with the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.

Shape the Future Instead of Just Watching

The GROUNDBREAKERS Summit is more than a conference – it's a place for connection, exchange and inspiration. Anyone who wants to do more than just observe the construction and real estate industry – and actively help shape it – should be in Stuttgart on 5 November 2026.

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ConTech and PropTech Explained: Definition, Origin, Difference

Meeting-Situation im Gegenlicht, im Hintergrund eine europäische Altstadt-Skyline

In short: ConTech stands for technology that transforms the construction process itself – from planning to the job site. PropTech stands for technology built around real estate as an asset and object of use – from marketing to operations. Both terms follow the pattern set by FinTech, both are younger than you might think, and in practice, the line between them is increasingly blurring.

What Does ConTech Mean?

ConTech (Construction Technology) refers to digital technologies that make the actual construction process – planning, execution, and site management – more efficient, safer, or more sustainable.

Typical fields where ConTech startups operate:

  • Construction site digitalization – tracking progress, documentation, and quality assurance via app instead of clipboard.
  • BIM & digital twins – continuous planning data from the design phase through to demolition.
  • Robotics & automation – from 3D printing to construction robots to autonomous machinery.
  • Material innovation – new, resource-efficient building materials and manufacturing methods.
  • Safety & occupational protection – sensors and AI to prevent accidents on site.

What Does PropTech Mean?

PropTech (Property Technology) refers to digital technologies built around real estate as an economic asset – from marketing and financing to operations and facility management.

Typical fields where PropTech startups operate:

  • Marketing & transactions – digital platforms for buying, renting, and management.
  • Real estate financing – digital financing and investment models.
  • Smart building & operations – sensors and software for energy, maintenance, and user experience during ongoing operations.
  • Facility management – digital processes for administration, maintenance, and tenant communication.
  • Data-driven valuation – AI-powered market and property analysis.

You'll find an overview of real-world ConTech and PropTech startups in our GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni network.

Where Do the Terms Come From?

The Pattern: FinTech as a Blueprint

Both terms follow the word-formation pattern of FinTech (Financial Technology), which became established in the 2010s as an umbrella term for the digitalization of the financial industry. Numerous industry terms have since emerged following the same pattern – including, of course, PropTech and ConTech.

PropTech: From Around 2014/2015

PropTech became established internationally from around 2014/2015 onward, driven in part by the work of Andrew Baum at the University of Oxford, who described PropTech as a distinct investment and innovation category in the real estate industry in a widely cited report.

ConTech: The Younger Term

ConTech is the younger of the two terms and became established from around 2017/2018 onward – initially often under the broader label "AEC Tech" (Architecture, Engineering & Construction Technology), before ConTech prevailed as its own, catchier designation.

ConTech vs. PropTech:
The Difference at a Glance

FeatureConTechPropTech
Starting pointThe construction process itselfThe property as an economic asset
Typical phasePlanning & constructionMarketing & operations
Typical usersConstruction companies, plannersOwners, property managers
Example topicBIM, construction robotics, site appsRental platforms, smart building

Why the Divide Is Crumbling in Practice

  1. More and more startups work across phases: planning data from the construction phase flows directly into later operations.
  2. Digital twins accompany a building from the first sketch through to demolition – and can no longer be clearly assigned to either category.
  3. Investors and corporations increasingly look for the lifecycle of a property rather than a label – in investment practice, ConTech and PropTech are merging into a single category more and more often.

According to the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction by UNEP and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the building and construction sector still accounts for around 37 percent of global CO₂ emissions – a figure that can only be reduced if planning, construction, and operations are thought of as one continuous process rather than separate technology categories. Our own Trend Radar reflects exactly this cross-phase perspective.

What This Means for GROUNDBREAKERS

We Think in Project Phases, Not Labels

Instead of strictly sorting startups into ConTech or PropTech, GROUNDBREAKERS Accelerator organizes its portfolio along the real project phases of a property: planning, construction, operations, and demolition. This makes visible where in the lifecycle a startup operates – regardless of whether it calls itself ConTech or PropTech.

Project phaseStartups in the portfolioExample topics
Planningincl. Planlabs, VisioplanDigital planning tools, BIM
Constructionincl. Talpa Inspection, Otter Energy TradingConstruction site digitalization, robotics
Operationsincl. Energieleser, PELICADSmart building, facility management
Demolitionincl. Optocycle, CO2MaterialsCircular economy, material recovery

A Look Inside Our Network:

The Trend Radar as Proof of the Phase-Based Logic

Our Trend Radar follows this same logic: instead of sorting trends into ConTech or PropTech, the methodology places them along the real estate lifecycle. Two key findings from the current edition: digital twin technologies are growing fastest across all phases, and today's strongest innovation pressure arises at the transitions between phases – not within a single category.

What This Means for You

If you're a startup: don't waste energy forcing yourself into a category. Show us which project phase you address – the rest will follow.

If you're coming from an established company: don't look for "the one PropTech startup," look for the startup that solves exactly your challenge in exactly your project phase – whether it calls itself ConTech, PropTech, or something else entirely doesn't matter.

As of: September 2026


Frequently Asked Questions

ConTech addresses the construction process itself (planning, execution, the job site), while PropTech addresses the property as an economic asset (marketing, financing, operations).

Generally PropTech, since it addresses the operating phase of an existing property – not its construction.

PropTech became established from around 2014/2015, while ConTech, emerging around 2017/2018, is the younger of the two terms.

FinTech (Financial Technology) set the word-formation pattern that numerous industry terms have followed ever since – including PropTech and ConTech.

Because many startups today work across phases. That's why we categorize them by project phase – planning, construction, operations, demolition – instead of by label.

The Trend Radar places current technology trends along the real estate lifecycle, instead of forcing them into ConTech or PropTech categories.

Sources

  • Andrew Baum, University of Oxford Saïd Business School: PropTech 3.0: the future of real estate.
  • UNEP / Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC): Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction.
  • GROUNDBREAKERS: Trend Radar 2026.
  • GROUNDBREAKERS: GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni.
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About Us

The innovation accel­erator for the construction and real estate ind­ustry

We connect startups with established construction and real estate companies to help ideas, technologies, and business models break through – with a focus on digitalization and sustainability.

Why We're Needed

The biggest transformation in its history

The construction and real estate industry shapes the world we'll live in tomorrow – and is facing the biggest transformation in its history. At the same time, digitalization, automation, and new materials are fundamentally changing the way we plan, build, and operate.

38%

of global CO₂ emissions come from the construction and real estate industry – and with that, the greatest structural potential for CO₂ reduction as well.

Startups are the decisive lever for this transformation. They produce groundbreaking, scalable solutions – but often struggle to prove feasibility, win the market's trust, and integrate their solutions into the practice of a tradition-rich industry. Established companies, in turn, know they need innovation – but not always where to find the right technologies or how to successfully shape collaborations with young companies.

That's exactly where we come in.

Who We Are

The first startup accelerator for construction and real estate

GROUNDBREAKERS is Germany's first startup accelerator for the construction and real estate industry – today the central hub for construction innovation in the German-speaking region, with a network that reaches far beyond national borders.

Spatenstich-Moment mit dem GROUNDBREAKERS-Team
Founded by Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart DGNB Fraunhofer IAO

As an independent company, GROUNDBREAKERS GmbH has continued the GROUNDBREAKERS initiative since May 2026 – an initiative originally founded in 2023 by Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, DGNB, and the Fraunhofer Society. GROUNDBREAKERS GmbH's shareholders are the Steinbeis Foundation, Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, and the management team – though the largest share is held by GROUNDBREAKERS employees themselves, who participate in the company through a VSOP model.

We work independently and take no equity in the startups. Our success isn't measured in shares, but in how many innovations actually make their way into built reality.

What We Do

Three levers for a real breakthrough

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Accelerator

We accelerate ConTech and PropTech startups on their way to proof of concept: with targeted mentoring, direct market access, and a first-class network of industry experts and investors.

To the Accelerator >
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Pilot Projects

We broker pilot projects between startups and companies and support their implementation – from the first conversation to application on the job site and in the building.

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Network

We bring together rising startups, decision-makers from leading companies, and investors: at the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit, in clubhouse and dinner formats, and through the daily exchange within our ecosystem.

To the Ecosystem >
An Ecosystem That Delivers

One of the largest ecosystems for construction innovation in Europe

Innovation doesn't happen alone. That's why we've built one of the largest ecosystems for construction innovation in Europe:

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900+ Startups

From ConTech, PropTech, Urban Tech, Circular Economy, and Sustainable Materials in our curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool – continuously maintained and developed further together with our partner companies.

To the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool >
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15 Corporate Partners

Across the entire value chain – from building material manufacturers to construction companies and planning offices to the energy industry.

To Our Partners >
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Science & Research

Strong partners from science, research, and industry – including gpti, DGNB, Fraunhofer IAO, and Deutschland Baut! – connecting industry knowledge, research, and practice.

To the Labs >
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Investors & Funding Partners

They pave the way for startups to access capital and growth.

This ecosystem is our greatest lever: it pools knowledge, prevents duplicate work, and creates synergies – so good ideas don't fail for lack of the right connections.

Network in Detail

Who powers GROUNDBREAKERS

From the founders to partners and universities to investors – the full map of our ecosystem. To the GB Ecosystem →

From Germany – For the World

Rooted in Germany, oriented toward the world

GROUNDBREAKERS is rooted in Germany and internationally oriented – with three levers through which we reach the best construction startups in the world.

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International Batch

With our International Batch, we recruit the most innovative construction startups worldwide and bring them together with German industry partners – most recently with applications from 21 countries.

To the International Batch >
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European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge

Europe's largest startup competition for nature-based construction reaches founding teams across the entire European region.

To the Challenge >
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A Bridgehead to the Gulf Region

With our own strategic bridgehead in the Gulf region, we open up access to international markets, capital, and pilot partners for our startups.

Our ambition: We are the central platform where the world's best construction innovations and the companies that implement them come together.

What We Stand For

Our principles

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Breakthrough over debate

We believe in pragmatic doing: short paths, fast decisions, real pilot projects instead of endless concept phases.

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Independence

We don't take equity in startups. What counts is the success of the collaboration – not our portfolio.

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Responsibility

The construction industry's transformation is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Every day, we work to make sure digitalization and sustainability don't stay buzzwords in the industry, but become built reality.

Funded By

Publicly funded, independent in action

Start-up BW
Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg
Klima-Innovationsfonds
Kofinanziert von der Europäischen Union
Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart

Become Part of the GROUNDBREAKERS Community Now.

Get in Touch >
Team

The people behind GROUNDBREAKERS

Meet the team that drives GROUNDBREAKERS forward every day.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Planing
Prof. Dr. Patrick Planing
Managing Director

Researches the acceptance of new technologies.

Elena Schön
Elena Schön
Co-Founder

Co-built GROUNDBREAKERS.

Stefanie Börsig
Stefanie Börsig
Sustainability Projects

Implements sustainability projects and events.

Wim Levenhagen
Wim Levenhagen
Head of Startup Success

Guides construction startups on their way to pilot projects.

Frieder Lindner
Frieder Lindner
Head of Partner Success

Initiates collaborations between companies and startups.

Nelly Schlien
Nelly Schlien
International Batch

Brings international startups to Germany.

Hannah Pinell
Hannah Pinell
European Challenge

Coordinates the competition for nature-based construction.

Philipp Lin
Philipp Lin
Head of Communications

Responsible for website, podcast and community visibility.

Johanna Beslmeisl
Johanna Beslmeisl
Circular Economy

Builds the building-materials resource platform for Stuttgart.

Oliver Dewar Kreusen
Oliver Dewar Kreusen
International Office

Develops startups and markets in the Gulf region.

Our Ecosystem

The GROUNDBREAKERS Ecosystem

An ecosystem is more than a network. At GROUNDBREAKERS, startups, established companies, academia, associations, and investors come together – and encounters turn into pilot projects. As the innovation accelerator for the construction and real estate industry, we bring together everyone who wants to shape the transformation of the industry.

The Players

Who Makes Up Our Ecosystem

Innovation doesn't happen alone. That's why we connect the players along the entire construction value chain – from the first design to deconstruction. At the center: GROUNDBREAKERS as the hub that brings the right people together at the right time.

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Startups

The drivers of change: founding teams from ConTech, PropTech, and Urban Tech who rethink the industry with digital and sustainable solutions. They come from our Accelerator batches, the International Batch – and from our curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool with over 900 startups from around the world.

GROUNDBREAKERS Alumni >
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Established Companies

15 corporate partners along the entire value chain: building material manufacturers, construction companies, project developers, planning firms, and energy providers. They bring market access, practical knowledge, and real-world use cases – and find the startups that match their challenges with us.

Our Corporate Partners >
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Associations and Initiatives

Strong partners who multiply our reach into the industry: BDBau, the BIM Cluster, and gpti. Through them, our startups reach the breadth of the construction and real estate industry – and we stay close to the topics that move the industry.

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Science and Academia

GROUNDBREAKERS was founded out of HFT Stuttgart – together with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and Fraunhofer IAO. This grounding in research is our foundation: it brings scientific depth to every pilot project and bridges the gap between the lab and the construction site.

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Public Sector and Funders

The State of Baden-Württemberg (Start-up BW), the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS), the City of Stuttgart with its Climate Innovation Fund, and the European Union make our work possible. Their mandate to us: bring innovation into the industry – independently, in the public interest, and without taking equity in the startups.

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Investors

From business angels to venture capital funds: we open up access to capital for our startups – through our Investment Readiness Program, targeted investor matchings, and formats like the Finance Day.

Our Network

The Organizations in Our Ecosystem

Corporate Partners

Associations & Initiatives

Science & Research

Funders & Public Sector

Investors

Our Advisory Board

Experience That Guides Our Course

Since 2026, an advisory board of experienced figures from our partner companies and institutions has accompanied the strategic development of GROUNDBREAKERS. It brings perspectives from the construction industry, academia, and economic development together at one table – and ensures that our ecosystem grows where the industry needs it.

More About the Advisory Board >
How the Ecosystem Works

Where Connections Are Made

An ecosystem doesn't live on contact lists, but on encounters. That's why we create formats where a first conversation turns into a joint project.

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Accelerator

In our programs, we get startups ready for the proof of concept – with masterclasses, pitch training, 1:1 coaching, and direct access to decision-makers at our partner companies.

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Pilot Projects

The core of our work: we broker pilot projects between startups and companies and support their implementation. This turns a promising idea into a proven product – and a first contact into a long-term partnership.

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Events

At the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit, in our Clubhouse, at corporate dinners and speed datings, the people behind the companies and startups meet. In person, as equals, and always with the goal of sparking something new.

To Our Events >
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GROUNDBREAKERS Tool

Our curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool is the digital backbone of the ecosystem: over 900 construction-specific startups, searchable for our partners – maintained and further developed together with the companies that work with it.

To the GROUNDBREAKERS Tool >
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Trend Radar

With the annual Trend Radar, we connect industry developments with startup activities – giving all players in the ecosystem a shared map for the future of construction.

To the Trend Radar >
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Labs and Spaces

Through our network, startups have access to labs, testing facilities, and coworking spaces – for prototypes, material testing, and exchange with other founders.

To Labs and Spaces >
Numbers

Our Ecosystem in Numbers

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Startups in the curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool
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Corporate partners along the value chain
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Accelerator batches since founding
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Guests from over 90 companies at the Summit 2025
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Applications from 16 countries for the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge
Stuttgart and Europe

Rooted in Stuttgart, Connected Across Europe

Our ecosystem grows where construction innovation has tradition: in Stuttgart, the architecture lab of modernism and today's startup hotspot for ConTech and PropTech. From here, we think European – with the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge, Europe's largest startup competition for nature-based construction, and our International Batch, which brings the world's most innovative construction startups to Stuttgart.

Gemeinsamer Holzbau bei der European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge
European GROUNDBREAKERS ChallengeNature-based construction – implemented together.
Get Involved

Become Part of the Ecosystem

For Startups

Are you developing a solution for the construction and real estate industry? Apply for our Accelerator.

For Companies

Want access to the most innovative startups in the industry? Let's talk.

For Everyone

Stay up to date – the most important news from the ecosystem, once a quarter.

Advisory Board

The GROUNDBREAKERS Advisory Board

Since 2026, an advisory board of experienced figures from our partner companies and institutions has been supporting the strategic development of GROUNDBREAKERS.

More content on the Advisory Board coming soon.

Labs and Spaces

Test, build, collaborate

From material testing to coworking space: these labs and spaces from our network are open to GROUNDBREAKERS startups – for prototypes, testing, simulations, and exchange with other founders.

Immersive Participation Lab
Fraunhofer IAO

Immersive Participation Lab

VR environment with a four-sided CAVE and 45 million pixels for true-to-scale 3D visualization – ideal for presenting construction projects immersively to clients and investors.

Learn more >
Zentrum für Virtuelles Engineering
Fraunhofer IAO

Center for Virtual Engineering (ZVE)

Research platform with several sub-labs for VR, digital product development, and new ways of working – sister lab to the Immersive Participation Lab.

Learn more >
DGNB Akademie
DGNB

DGNB Academy

Training, continuing education, and certifications in sustainable building – over 11.000 certified experts trained in 64 countries.

Learn more >
Materialprüfungsanstalt Universität Stuttgart
University of Stuttgart

Materials Testing Institute (MPA)

An accredited testing and research institute for over 135 years, specializing in component testing, structural assessment, fire protection, and non-destructive testing methods.

Learn more >
Labor für Baustoffprüfung
HFT Stuttgart

Building Materials Testing Lab

Material testing on wood, metal, natural stone, cement, concrete, and masonry – with universal testing machines up to 6.000 kN, frost chambers, and a building-authority-approved public testing office.

Learn more >
Labor für Bauchemie
HFT Stuttgart

Construction Chemistry Lab

Analytical testing with X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence analyzer, and ion chromatograph – from lab exercises to supporting research projects.

Learn more >
Digitallabor Bau
HFT Stuttgart

Digital Construction Lab

Digital infrastructure for BIM and construction planning: around 150 workstations, a 3D printer, VR headsets, and a drone for projects in digital planning and building.

Learn more >
Öffentliche Baustoffprüfstelle
HFT Stuttgart

Public Building Materials Testing Office

A recognized testing, monitoring, and certification body for construction products – from concrete and paving stones to membrane structures.

Learn more >
Labor für Straßenbaustoffe
HFT Stuttgart

Road Construction Materials Lab

Specialized in testing road construction materials – including bitumen testing (needle penetration, ductility, softening point), skid resistance measurements, and analysis of aggregates and void content.

Learn more >
MaterialSTUDIO
HFT Stuttgart

MaterialSTUDIO

Interdisciplinary platform of the Faculty of Architecture and Design featuring curated material samples, construction models, and a growing materials database for teaching in architectural design.

Learn more >
Coworking Space
GROUNDBREAKERS

Coworking Space

A centrally located coworking space in the heart of Stuttgart – with workspaces and room for exchange between the startups in the accelerator.

Job Board

Build the future – with the right people

Open positions at GROUNDBREAKERS, in our accelerator startups, and at partner companies across the industry. A platform for everyone who wants to rethink construction and real estate.

12 open positions
Company Type
GROUNDBREAKERS

Communications & Events Internship (m/f/d)

GROUNDBREAKERS

Support our team with Summit, Clubhouse & Co. – from content and social media to organizing our industry events.

StuttgartInternship
View job posting >
Startup

Senior Robotics Software Engineer

Sitegeist

You develop the software for construction robots, from motion planning to computer vision, and see your code run directly on active job sites.

Garching near MunichFull-time
View job posting >
Startup

Senior Electrical Engineer

Sitegeist

You design the robots' electrical systems and make them field-ready for dust, vibration, and everyday job-site conditions.

Garching near MunichFull-time
View job posting >
Startup

Safety Engineer

Sitegeist

You embed functional safety and compliance into every robot design without slowing down development speed.

Garching near MunichFull-time
View job posting >
Startup

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Sitegeist

You develop robust, manufacturable mechanical systems that hold up under harsh job-site conditions.

Garching near MunichFull-time
View job posting >
Startup

Forward Deployed Engineer

Sitegeist

You bring the robots to real construction sites, operate and test them there, and help build out the field operations function.

Garching near Munich + job sitesFull-time
View job posting >
Startup

Working Student Forward Deployed Engineer

Sitegeist

You support the deployment, operation, and testing of the robots directly on the job site and feed your findings back to engineering.

Garching near Munich + job sitesWorking Student
View job posting >
Startup

Working Student Electrical Engineering

Sitegeist

You wire, integrate, and test the electrical side of the robots – from power supply to motor control to sensors.

Garching near MunichWorking Student
View job posting >
Startup

Working Student Mechanical Engineering

Sitegeist

You design and assemble mechanical components from CAD through brackets to drivetrain, and get them running on the test bench and the job site.

Garching near MunichWorking Student
View job posting >
Startup

Hardware Development Intern

Sitegeist

You work hands-on on the robots' electronics and mechanics and test the systems on their way from the lab to the field.

Garching near MunichInternship
View job posting >
Startup

Fullstack Engineer (m/f/d)

Optocycle

As a Fullstack Engineer, you develop the software platform that Optocycle uses to detect and sort construction waste in real time using AI.

TübingenFull-time
View job posting >
No positions for this selection – please reset the filter.
Cover des GROUNDBREAKERS Trendradar 2026
Trend Radar

What comes next

We continuously track the technologies that are transforming construction and real estate – and assess what will really matter before it goes mainstream. The result: our Trend Radar 2026.

12 trend clusters4 phasesAct / Prepare / WatchPDF download

Which technologies are really changing construction and real estate – and when is the right time to act? Our Trend Radar 2026 maps twelve trend clusters along the value chain and translates them into clear action priorities.

The industry is under massive pressure to change: decarbonization, the shortage of skilled workers, digitalization and new regulation are colliding with tight margins. At the same time, the supply of technologies is growing faster than companies can evaluate it. The decisive question is no longer whether innovation will matter – but which, and when.

The Trend Radar is based on a combination of desk research, a standardized survey and in-depth expert interviews. Trend signals from startup and technology ecosystems, industry platforms, market and trend reports, and scientific publications were clustered and mapped along the value chain – supplemented with practical knowledge from the GROUNDBREAKERS network.

The result: twelve trend clusters across the phases of planning, construction, operation and deconstruction – each assessed by impact on the industry, time horizon and priority for action.

Trend Radar 2026

Twelve trends. Four phases. Three priorities

PLANNING CONSTRUCTION DECONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS ACT PREPARE WATCH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 9 12 8 10
Planning
  • 1AI-Powered Planning & Cost OptimizationAct
  • 2BIM & Data InteroperabilityPrepare
  • 3Digital Building PermitsPrepare
Construction
  • 4Additive Manufacturing & Eco-MaterialsPrepare
  • 5Construction Site Digitalization & Material TrackingPrepare
  • 6Robotics & AutomationPrepare
  • 7Industrial & Modular ConstructionPrepare
Operations
  • 8Smart Buildings & IoTAct
  • 9Digital Twin & MonitoringAct
  • 10ESG/CSRD Reporting & Data LiteracyAct
Deconstruction
  • 11Circularity & Urban MiningPrepare
  • 12Low-Carbon Building Materials & CO₂-Optimized DesignAct
How to read this

From signal to decision

Act / High urgency

Pilot now

Relevant in the short term: launch concrete pilot projects and validate the benefit in your own context. If the results convince, scale quickly and anchor them in the organization.

Prepare / Medium urgency

Build capabilities

Relevance is foreseeable, but widespread implementation is often still premature. Build up capabilities, a data foundation, a partner network and a roadmap now – with clearly scoped proofs of concept.

Watch / Low urgency

Monitor systematically

Impact and timing are still uncertain. Instead of major investments: monitoring with defined signals and triggers. Experiment only where it fits strategically.

The twelve trend clusters

What will shape the industry next

Phase 1 / Planning
1Act

AI-Powered Planning & Cost Optimization

AI and advanced analytics improve scheduling, resource allocation and cost estimation – deviations and risks are identified early, and budget overruns are reduced.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption4–6 years
2Prepare

BIM & Data Interoperability

Digital building models and their data become exchangeable across stakeholders, platforms and lifecycle phases via open standards (IFC, Open BIM) – fewer errors, better collaboration.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption4–6 years
3Prepare

Digital Building Permits

Digitalized and automated application, review and approval processes replace paper-based procedures – significantly shortening turnaround times for construction and infrastructure projects.

Impact on the industryFairly high
Mainstream adoption6–8 years
Phase 2 / Construction
4Prepare

Additive Manufacturing & Eco-Materials

Layer-by-layer manufacturing from digital models, combined with bio-based, recycled or low-carbon raw materials – material-efficient, low-waste and circular.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption8–10 years
5Prepare

Construction Site Digitalization & Material Tracking

Digital tools make materials, equipment and construction progress visible in real time – lowering costs, avoiding waste and supporting circular construction.

Impact on the industryFairly high
Mainstream adoption6–8 years
6Prepare

Robotics & Automation

Industrial and collaborative robotics, increasingly AI-powered, take over repetitive tasks – boosting productivity and cushioning the structural shortage of skilled workers.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption6–8 years
7Prepare

Industrial & Modular Construction

Standardized modules are manufactured off-site and assembled on location – shorter construction times, better quality control and significantly less waste.

Impact on the industryFairly high
Mainstream adoption6–8 years
Phase 3 / Operations
8Act

Smart Buildings & IoT

Sensors, connected systems and data analytics optimize energy consumption, maintenance and safety in building operations – faults are detected early and operating costs go down.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption4–6 years
9Act

Digital Twin & Monitoring

The dynamic virtual replica of a building uses real-time data for simulation, monitoring and optimization across the entire lifecycle – failures are detected before they occur.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption4–6 years
10Act

ESG/CSRD Reporting & Data Literacy

The EU's CSRD directive mandates comprehensive sustainability reporting – companies that build data processes early secure access to sustainable financing and reduce greenwashing risks.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption2–4 years
Phase 4 / Deconstruction
11Prepare

Circularity & Urban Mining

Materials stay in the loop: reuse, recycling and recovery of valuable raw materials from existing buildings and construction waste – including new business models like material passports.

Impact on the industryHigh
Mainstream adoption8–10 years
12Act

Low-Carbon Building Materials & CO₂-Optimized Design

Low-emission materials and resource-efficient planning reduce the carbon footprint across the entire lifecycle – in a sector responsible for around 37 % of global emissions.

Impact on the industryVery high
Mainstream adoption6–8 years
Download

The complete Trend Radar

Cover des GROUNDBREAKERS Trendradar 2026

GROUNDBREAKERS Trend Radar 2026

All twelve trend clusters in detail – with definitions, opportunities and risks, complete sources, and matching startups from our network for each trend.

PDF / English / 0.4 MB Download the Trend Radar >
Stay in touch

Understand trends before they go mainstream

Want to know what these trends mean for your company – or talk to the right startups from our network? We'll connect you with them.

Talk to our team >
Summit
03Success Stories

Proven results

Real pilot projects instead of pitch decks: which startup solved which challenge for which company – and what came out of it.

Stories in the magazine >
Venture Clienting

Buy Innovation Instead of Building It

The construction and real estate industry faces enormous challenges: decarbonization, skilled-labor shortages, cost pressure, digitalization. Solutions already exist – developed by startups working on exactly these problems with speed, specialized expertise and venture capital. Venture Clienting is the most direct way to bring these solutions into your own company.

What Is Venture Clienting?

Customer, Not Investor

In Venture Clienting, a company becomes an early customer (a "client") of a startup – while its product is still a "venture," meaning still in an early stage of development. The company buys the solution, tests it in a clearly defined pilot project under real-world conditions, and decides on permanent adoption based on measurable results.

The crucial difference to other forms of startup collaboration: no equity changes hands. The company doesn't take a stake in the startup – it uses its technology instead: "use, not own." That makes Venture Clienting the fastest, cheapest and lowest-risk instrument for bringing external innovation into the core business. The model pays off for startups too: they gain a real, paying reference customer who validates their solution in the market – without having to give up any equity.

Where It Fits

Venture Clienting, Venture Capital & Co. – The Differences

Venture Clienting is one of several instruments of corporate venturing – the systematic collaboration between established companies and startups. These approaches aren't mutually exclusive – they pursue different goals:

ModelGoalEquity StakeTime Horizon
Venture ClientingUse a startup's solution as a customer and integrate it into your own businessNoWeeks to months
(Corporate) Venture CapitalFinancial returns and strategic technology access through a minority stakeYesYears
Venture BuildingDevelop a new business model from scratch in-houseYes (own founding)Years
Accelerator / IncubatorSupport startups and build early-stage accessPartialMonths to years
M&A / Venture AcquisitionFully integrate technology and team through acquisitionYes (majority)Months to years

Venture Capital is an investment decision: the company buys equity, hoping for value appreciation and strategic insight – with a long time horizon and corresponding capital commitment. Venture Clienting, by contrast, is a purchasing decision: the company solves a specific problem of its own with a startup solution – fast, budget-friendly and with immediately measurable benefit.

In practice, the "Test & Invest" pattern often proves successful: a solution is first tested as a Venture Client in a pilot project. Once the technology, team and benefit have proven themselves, this can be followed by an equity stake, a long-term supply relationship or a deeper partnership.

The Benefits – For Both Sides

What Companies and Startups Gain

For Companies

  • /Speed: From problem definition to a solid pilot result in weeks instead of years – significantly faster than in-house development or acquisition.
  • /Low risk: No equity, no long-term commitment. Testing happens within a clearly defined scope with success criteria set in advance.
  • /Access to cutting-edge technology: Startups concentrate highly specialized expertise and are funded by venture capital – the company doesn't share in their development costs.
  • /Fact-based decisions: Every pilot ends with a clear go/no-go decision based on real data from your own operations – no innovation theater.
  • /Impact on the core business: Venture Clienting targets specific bottlenecks that affect time, cost, quality or risk today.

For Startups

  • /Real reference customers: A paying first customer from the industry is worth more to young companies than any award – it validates the product in the market.
  • /Revenue instead of dilution: Revenue from pilot projects finances growth without having to give up equity.
  • /Product maturity through real-world use: Feedback from real deployment – on the construction site, in existing buildings, in planning – makes the solution better and more market-ready.
  • /A door-opener into a hard-to-access industry: Established structures, long decision-making paths, high requirements – Venture Clienting creates a clear, fair path to the first contract.
Our Approach

Venture Clienting for the Construction and Real Estate Industry

Hardly any industry is as well suited to Venture Clienting as construction and real estate – and hardly any struggles with it so structurally. Value creation is project-based and fragmented, margins are tight, and innovations have to prove themselves under tough real-world conditions. Large upfront investments in unproven technologies rarely fit the business model. This is exactly where Venture Clienting plays to its strengths: small, fast, measurable tests directly within the project – instead of long conceptual phases.

At the same time, it keeps becoming clear: Germany doesn't have a startup problem, it has a collaboration problem. Startups bring creativity and speed, established companies bring market access, experience and scale – but the bridge between them is often missing. We build that bridge.

As the innovation accelerator for the construction and real estate industry, we've made Venture Clienting a core model of our work:

  • We curate. Anyone can google startups. We select the industry's most promising solutions – from our accelerator, our network and our GROUNDBREAKERS Tool with 900+ vetted startups from construction, real estate and adjacent fields.
  • We translate. Between startup dynamics and corporate processes, speed and impact are easily lost. We take on the role of a neutral mediator who understands both worlds and aligns them with each other.
  • We support. From sharpening needs to scouting and matching to moderated piloting and evaluation – we structure the entire process so good ideas turn into solid results.

Why are we convinced that Venture Clienting is decisive for the future of the industry? Because the transformation toward sustainable, digital and efficient construction can't wait. The technologies for the construction transition already exist – in thousands of ConTech and PropTech startups worldwide. The question isn't whether these solutions will arrive, but who uses them first. Companies that learn today to work systematically with startups secure a structural competitive advantage: they access new technologies faster, make better decisions, and position themselves as attractive partners and employers in an industry undergoing change.

Venture Clienting in Practice

Proven Success Stories

One of several examples: the collaboration between our founding partner WOLFF & MÜLLER and the PropTech startup Pelicad from our accelerator. Contact was made through a curated matching session, and together they tested AI-powered automation of architectural visualizations in a pilot project on a real construction site – supported by GROUNDBREAKERS from sharpening needs to evaluation. The result: practical visualizations in minutes instead of days, created by their own employees, without specialized know-how. Solid results within a few weeks – without major upfront investment, but with real business impact.

View All Success Stories > More on WOLFF & MÜLLER × Pelicad >
Our Services

Systematic Venture Clienting

Many companies have access to startups – but no reliable routine for turning contacts into results. That's exactly what we offer as a service: a modular package of services for companies in the construction and real estate industry.

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Strategy & Structures

We help you build your own Venture Clienting process – with clear roles, decision paths, templates and KPIs. This includes enablement formats for departments and management, as well as standardized review paths that speed up pilot launches instead of slowing them down.

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Venture Clienting as a Service

From clarifying needs with the relevant departments, through startup scouting with a long list and shortlist, to pilot design, operational support and a clean decision paper – we take on the entire process as an extension of your innovation department.

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GROUNDBREAKERS Tool & Platform

Our curated GROUNDBREAKERS Tool with 900+ vetted startups, filterable by topic and application area, plus a platform where all scouting and pilot activities are documented and managed.

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Network & Visibility

Confidential peer exchange with other companies in the industry, early access to our accelerator's startups, networking with universities and associations – and editorial storytelling that makes successful pilot projects visible.

All Services in Detail >
Become a Groundbreaker Now

Want to know what Venture Clienting could look like in your company?

Let's talk.

Frieder LindnerFL
Frieder Lindner
Head of Partner Success / GROUNDBREAKERS
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European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge / 2025–2027

Searching for Europe's best solution for nature-based building

The European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge (EGC) is a Europe-wide innovation competition aimed at taking nature-based solutions for construction and urban space from concept to real-world implementation.

The Challenge covers a broad spectrum: from green façades and roofs, water-based cooling and retention systems, bio-based building materials, biodiversity-boosting building elements to integrated concepts – the solutions combine ecological function with architectural value.

What matters most is measurable ecological benefit combined with clear applicability in an urban context. The EGC isn't just a competition – it's deliberately designed as an implementation platform: we're not looking for theoretical visions, but solutions that can actually be built, installed or integrated.

The winning team receives €100,000 in funding to realize their solution in Stuttgart in 2026 and will be presented at the 2027 International Building Exhibition StadtRegion Stuttgart (IBA'27). The European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge is funded by the Stuttgart Climate Innovation Fund and The Nature Conservancy.

Stuttgarter Klima-Innovationsfonds The Nature Conservancy
Milestones

Three years. From concept to built reality

Completed
2025

Challenge

Europe-wide competition, jury selection and award of the winning team.

Now
2026

Implementation & Construction

Realization of the demonstrator in the courtyard of HFT Stuttgart, October.

Outlook
2027

IBA'27 Presentation Year

Public presentation as part of the International Building Exhibition StadtRegion Stuttgart.

And the winner is

StrawBrick – a load-bearing straw brick from Weimar

StrawBrick – Gewinnerteam EGC 2025
EGC Winner 2025

StrawBrick

The team from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar came out on top: with StrawBrick, an innovative load-bearing straw brick, they won the EGC.

TeamBauhaus-Uni Weimar
Research basisStrohGold
MaterialStraw + Lignin

Fully bio-based, load-bearing, monolithic: StrawBrick compresses unused straw and lignin into a masonry block that combines structure and insulation in a single layer.

StrawBrick is a fully bio-based, load-bearing masonry block made of compressed straw and lignin. Based on the “StrohGold” research from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, unused agricultural straw (20–30% in Germany) and lignin from pulp production are compressed into masonry blocks – workable with conventional craft techniques.

The high density allows for load-bearing masonry construction across multiple stories. Combined with its thermal conductivity, this creates monolithic walls that combine structure and insulation without additional layers.

Resource efficiency

Uses the by-products straw and lignin – without competing with farmland or food production.

Circularity

Fully biodegradable; at end of life it can be shredded and returned to the soil (forming humus).

Substitution

Replaces energy-intensive mineral products such as fired clay or concrete.

Load-bearing capacity

Laboratory studies confirm suitability for up to three stories (compressive/shear strength, dimensional stability, building physics).

Strawbrick on the GROUNDBREAKERS Podcast
Award Ceremony / StrawBrick
January 15, 2026 / Challenge

StrawBrick wins the European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge

The project from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar wins the Europe-wide competition for nature-based innovations in construction.

Read Article >
Demonstrator in Stuttgart

Still in 2026, GROUNDBREAKERS and StrawBrick will build a demonstrator for IBA'27

Visualisierung des StrawBrick-Demonstrators im HFT-Innenhof Stuttgart
Where?

HFT Stuttgart Courtyard

In the courtyard of HFT Stuttgart (University of Applied Sciences), centrally located between Schellingstraße and Breitscheidstraße – an experimental field for special structures.

When?

October 2026

Construction is expected to take place in October 2026, with subsequent documentation for IBA'27.

What?

Showing what's possible!

In great company alongside experimental buildings in circular timber construction and innovative rammed earth, StrawBrick adds a fitting take on the material theme.

Wanted

We're looking for strong partners who want to be part of this project

For this year's implementation, we're looking for concrete support – from construction machinery and materials to tools. And most importantly: partners who bring their expertise and become a visible part of a groundbreaking project.

Got the right resources, want to donate materials, or want your company to be a visible part of the demonstrator? Get in touch.

  • Construction Machinery & Site Equipment
  • Materials (Mortar, Timber, Fittings)
  • Tools & Equipment Rental
  • Logistics & Transport
  • Skilled Trades On-Site
Hannah Pinell
Hannah Pinell
Head of Challenge
Get in Touch >
Gallery

Impressions – from the award ceremony to production

Prämierung der European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge 2024
StrawBrick-Ausstellung – Materialproben auf der Prämierungsfeier
StrawBrick-Demonstrator auf der Prämierungsfeier
StrawBrick – Ziegelwand aus gepressten Strohbausteinen
StrawBrick – Rohstoff ISO-STROH Einblasdämmung aus Weizenstroh
StrawBrick – Pressmaschine STENHØJ in der Produktion
Funded by
Stuttgarter Klima-Innovationsfonds The Nature Conservancy
GROUNDBREAKERS Podcast

The Innovation Podcast for the Construction and Real Estate Industry

The podcast for everyone who wants to help shape the future of the construction and real estate industry – with perspectives, technologies, and minds driving change forward.

Latest Episodes

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Events

Nice to meet you

Where startups, companies and investors come together – on stages, panels and pitches across the country.

22.09.26
Pitch

Symposium Zukunft Bauen 2026

“Ins Handeln kommen”: five startups from our network pitch at the WRS and IBA'27 symposium on the EU Buildings Directive in non-residential construction – featuring Onsite Solutions, Celekohr, bimeto, energieleser and melt.

Citizen Long, Stuttgart
24.09.26
Co-Host

Green Tech Capital Forum

As co-host, we're running the Construction Tech Stage – our own session, hosted by us. We'll announce which startups from our network are joining soon.

Freiburg / Host: Smart Green
25.09.26
Industry Conference

Innovationstag „Bauen der Zukunft“ – Hamburg

Industry conference on sustainable and digital solutions in construction, featuring input from practice, research and politics.

Gleishalle Oberhafen, Hamburg
05–07.10.26
Pitch & Panel

EXPO Real

Six startups from our network pitch at the WRS booth – energieleser, bimeto, azekura, Onsite Solutions, flinq and vreed. In the panel “We are just getting started”, we discuss how innovation programs are transforming the real estate industry.

Munich / Hall B1 & Hall A3, Messe München
15.10.26
Construction Session

Green AI Day

In our breakout session “AI and the Construction Industry,” Thomas Üsländer (Fraunhofer IOSB) and Dr. Jarosch (BTZ Stuttgart) join startups from our network to discuss potential and project ideas.

Metropol Kino, Stuttgart
27.10.26
Online Pitch

Hi Tech! Speed Dating (online)

Live pitches from curated ConTech startups from around the world – short pitches, direct questions, fully online in one hour. The Hi Tech! Batch is initiated by the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) and run by GROUNDBREAKERS.

Online / 16:00–17:00
05.11.26
Summit

GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2026

Rising startups, leading companies and investors come together to discuss new technologies and shape the future of the industry – our big industry event of the year.

13.11.26
Industry Conference

Innovationstag „Bauen der Zukunft“ – Berlin

Industry conference on sustainable and digital solutions in construction, featuring input from practice, research and politics.

Futurium, Berlin
18–19.11.26
Startup Area

Klimafestival für die Bauwende

Together with BDBau, we're running the entire Startup Area and co-hosting three panels – two days full of ideas to rethink forward-looking planning and building.

STATION Berlin / Luckenwalder Str. 4–6 / 10963 Berlin
26.11.26
Pitch & Networking

Groundbreaking Future

Beton, Bits and Bold Ideas: at the GROUNDBREAKERS x aed x DGNB pitch and networking evening at the DGNB Living Showroom, international startups from the current Hi Tech! Batch present their freshest ConTech innovations.

The Hi Tech! Batch is initiated by the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) and run by GROUNDBREAKERS.
30.11.26
Pitch & Networking

Hi Tech! Match

At Das Gutbrod in Stuttgart, curated ConTech startups from the current Hi Tech! Batch introduce themselves in short pitches. Afterwards, there's time for conversations with the international startups and other companies from the region over snacks and drinks. The Hi Tech! Batch is initiated by the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) and run by GROUNDBREAKERS.

Das Gutbrod, Friedrichstraße 10, 70174 Stuttgart / 16:30–20:00
Early-bird tickets only until 15.09.2026

GROUNDBREAKERS
Summit 2026
05.11.26

The one day when the whole ecosystem comes together – new technologies, real connections, the future of construction.

Thursday, 05.11.2026 / 13:00–19:00 / Halle 93, Zeppelinstr. 6, 70193 Stuttgart

The Summit

One day. The whole ecosystem.

We focus on what creates the greatest value: the exchange between the people in the room. This is where pilot projects and real partnerships emerge – built around the industry's two fields of the future: digitalization and sustainability.

The GROUNDBREAKERS Summit is aimed at innovation drivers in the construction industry: CEOs from construction and real estate, corporate innovators, sustainability officers, investors and founders.

Fitting the theme of building in existing structures, the Summit takes place in a unique location, a former transformer station – Halle 93 – right in the heart of Stuttgart.

Register now and help lay the foundation for a sustainable future in the construction industry. Take the first step toward change!

Program

Here's what we have planned

Settle in first: grab a drink and get inspired by other guests.

Listen to the success stories, hear about pilot projects, and find out what's coming next.

Look forward to a high-caliber talk. Speakers will be announced shortly.

Over the past few months, we've combed through Germany's startup landscape for the most promising teams. At the Summit, we're bringing eight of them onto the big stage!

Wander through the startup booths and strike up conversations with interesting guests.

This year's winning team receives the GROUNDBREAKERS Award. We'll wind down the evening with great food and good conversation.

We'll present exciting startups from our International Batch.

Tickets

Get your ticket now!

Take advantage of the early-bird discount until 15.09 and save 30% on your ticket

Groundbreaking Ticket

for CEOs, corporate innovators, VCs, sustainability and transformation officers, and executives in the construction and building industry.

Get your ticket >

Startup Ticket

For startups and talent in the construction and real estate industry.

Get your ticket >
Recap

That was the Summit 2025

Still have questions?

Get in touch

Have questions about the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2026? Write to us – we're happy to help.

Get in touch >
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Postal address

GROUNDBREAKERS GmbH
Friedrichstr. 13
70174 Stuttgart

Office address

Breitscheidstraße 2
Room 2.98
70174 Stuttgart