The Eindhoven University of Technology will expand its collaboration with HighTechXL. That was announced during XL Day this afternoon. In 2018, 20 TU/e start-ups and spin-offs will participate in the accelerator program.
The TU/e has grown rapidly in recent years, as has the number of start-ups and spin-offs produced by the university. Bert-Jan Woertman, commercial director of the TU/e campus, is therefore pleased with the collaboration: “We are doing well in selecting start-ups and laying the foundation for a company. But bringing a start-up into the world and scaling it up is difficult. That is why we will work more closely with HighTechXL. Together we form an excellent combination to bring talent to the market.” Steef Blok, the director of the Innovation Lab at the TU/e adds: “Start-ups are more than technology alone, commercialism is also very important. We must recognize that others can do something better than us. We focus on the content of technology and specialize in the start-up phase, but HighTechXL is simply better at the commercial level.”
It is important for starting companies to have a good network around them. According to Woertman, this collaboration can offer this network: “Students increasingly often see that it is possible to start their own business. We now also have the network to support these companies. We want more start-ups to grow better and faster.”
The number of start-ups and spin-offs produced by the TU/e is growing fast. Ten spin-offs and thirty start-ups are added every year. Together with HighTechXL, the university will select the best companies to participate in the accelerator program. The aim is to have twenty companies in the programme by 2018.
For the TU/e, this is more than just a good name, the spin-offs that come from the university use technology that has been developed there.”We, therefore, have a large share in these companies. HighTechXL can therefore also help us to increase shareholder value,” says Blok.
