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Your day-to-day
Skilled labor shortages, rising quality requirements, and cost pressure increase the urgency to act: every single day.
Let's move upwards and beyond.
From complex industry challenges to validated opportunities: we connect strategy, deep tech and the right innovators to turn ambitious ideas into measurable progress.
Launch with usInnovation Services · For Established Companies
Solve your concrete innovation challenges: with Europe's leading deep tech startups
From complex industry challenges to validated opportunities: we connect strategy, deep tech and the right innovators to turn ambitious ideas into measurable progress.
Part of the German federal Startup Factories initiative · A joint initiative of RWTH Aachen, Gateway Hochschulen Cologne, HHU Düsseldorf & Start2
The challenge
The pressure is growing: and so is the gap
How do new technologies actually make it into your company? That's exactly where Gateway Factory comes in: with a structured way into the deep tech ecosystem and a clear path from challenge to result.
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The gap
Time, resources, and the right network are missing: so technological potential stays untapped.
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The way in
Gateway Factory opens access to precisely matched tech solutions: through structured, proven formats.
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The result
Concrete pilot projects with leading deep tech startups: tailored to your individual challenges.
How it works
From challenge to pilot: one structured journey
We start with your business, not with technology. Every engagement follows a proven path from understanding your priorities to a fact based partnering decision.
1
Challenge deep dive
Together with your team, we take a close look at the innovation challenges your company is facing and identify the ones with the highest priority right now. From these, we select one or two challenges and scope a focused scouting project around them.
2
Technology scouting
We systematically identify startups working on your challenge: from the Gateway Factory region (Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf) and across all of Europe. Candidates pass through defined stage gates: from a broad long list to a qualified short list of teams worth your attention, evaluated against your specific requirements.
2 to 3 weeks
3
Innovation project
Building on the scouting results, we set up a joint project to evaluate and pilot the most promising solutions in your real-world context. Gateway Factory runs the complete program management: from requirement specifications and legal frameworks through evaluation and selection: moving your team and the startups through every stage.
3 to 6 months
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Fact-based decision
At the end, you hold hard data and validated results: which solutions work, which teams deliver, and where a long-term partnership makes business sense. You decide on facts: not on pitch decks.
Innovation Services
Ready to turn your challenge into a validated pilot?
Talk to our team about your challenge: we'll outline the right format, a realistic timeline, and your concrete next step.
Start the conversation
Deep dive · Technology Scouting
Systematic identification of relevant technologies & partners
Four phases, each with a concrete deliverable: from understanding your needs to a final report you can act on.
1 · Needs analysis
- Interviews with your leadership and experts
- Review of existing strategy, technology & organization documents
- Research on industry trends
- Joint workshop
2 · Insight
- A concise document summarizing your focus topics
- Usable for internal strategy communication or as a briefing for third parties
3 · Scouting
- Active search for research institutes and startups in your focus areas
- Final report describing potential partners per topic
- Indication of Gateway Factory's relationship to each candidate
4 · Support
- Optional pilot project support
- Access to founder teams
- Moderated project scoping
- Standard industry and startup agreements
- Final evaluation
Our scouting engine finds the right startups
Step 1
Long list
Broad market research across Germany and Europe for startups with a potential thematic fit.
Step 2
Short list
First evaluation and selection based on strategic relevance for your specific challenges.
Step 3
Prio list
Selection of the top teams for direct outreach and conversations.
The engine combines tech-based screening across multiple data sources with our partner and university networks: including leading VCs, innovation hubs, and platforms across the European deep tech ecosystem.
