Quantum Business Bootcamp

From 1 to 3 December 2025, more than 60 prospective founders and entrepreneurs gathered at the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef (PBH) for the three-day workshop “Quantum Business Bootcamp: From Quantum Networks to Your Own Business” to explore the many facets of company formation in the field of Quantum Technologies. The event was organized by QR.N and provided participants with a comprehensive overview of key entrepreneurship topics, as well as in-depth insights into challenges, obstacles, and success factors on the path toward establishing their own company.

Following a joint lunch, the bootcamp was opened by Prof. Dr. Christoph Becher (Universität des Saarlandes), spokesperson of the collaborative project Quantenrepeater.Net (QR.N), with a general introductory session. Dr. Mara Schuler-Bermann (Triathlon Transfer GmbH) set the stage for the technical presentations with her talk on the successful transfer of research results into start-ups, providing important initial impulses. This was followed by a structured overview of the most important legal do’s and don’ts of company formation presented by Tilmann Lahann (Tax & Legal Digital). Despite the legal focus, he succeeded in conveying the topic in a clear and practical manner, prompting numerous questions from participants that continued into the subsequent coffee break. In a further presentation, Lahann addressed issues related to intellectual property, including patents, utility models, and trademarks. During the joint dinner, participants had ample opportunity for networking, exchange, and in-depth discussions over beer and wine.

The second day of the workshop focused on the theme “From Business Models to Personal Founding Experiences.” The morning began with an impulse talk by Dr. Johannes Koeth (nanoplus Nanosystems and Technologies GmbH) on the development of viable business models in the deep-tech sector. This was followed by a presentation by Florian Sägebrecht (TU Dresden), who highlighted the importance of personal aptitude and soft skills for successful entrepreneurship. In a hands-on, practice-oriented session led by him, participants were able to further refine their own ideas, develop them under professional guidance, and present them to the plenary. This session vividly demonstrated the high level of engagement and technical depth of the participants, many of whom had already worked intensively on their own start-up projects in advance. Many participants were particularly eager to hear from experienced start-ups in the field of Quantum Technologies. In this context, Dr. Jonathan Noé (Qlibri GmbH), Dr. Christian Zimmermann (neQxt GmbH), and later Oliver de Vries (Quantum Optics Jena GmbH) as well as Imran Khan (KEEQuant GmbH) shared their personal experiences in building their own companies in Germany. Participants made extensive use of the opportunity to ask questions and engage in in-depth discussions.

The third day was dedicated to another key aspect of company formation: funding and financing. Dr. Linus Krieg (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) provided a structured overview of the current funding landscape in the field of Quantum Technologies. Subsequently, Dr. Beatrice Andres (VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH) presented the StartUpSecure initiative of the Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR), which specifically targets prospective founders and start-ups in the field of cybersecurity. A deeper insight into the investor perspective was offered by Martin Sommerfeldt (MS Beteiligungs- und Vermögensverwaltungs-GmbH), who not only outlined the investor view on science-based spin-offs but also explained the mutual benefits of such collaborations. The event concluded with final remarks and a short survey conducted by Dr. Andreas Pfenning (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg).

Overall, the bootcamp provided an ideal platform for networking, clarifying open questions, and gaining first-hand insights. Participants particularly valued the stimulating discussions and the intensive exchange with experts, which may prove beneficial in further developing their ideas. We hope to welcome the next successful start-ups from the field of Quantum Technologies in the near future.

Photos: Impressions of the Quantum Business Bootcamp.