Interview with Adrian Thoma, Managing Director of NXTGN
© NXTGN
At the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and industry, NXTGN is shaping the future of deeptech innovation in Europe. Based in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg, the innovation platform supports breakthrough founders and helps established companies stay ahead. Recently named one of Germany’s official Startup Factories, NXTGN is set to scale its impact with bold goals and major backing. In this interview, Managing Director Adrian Thoma discusses NXTGN’s unique approach to innovation, offers insights into the differences in technology transfer between Germany and the U.S., and highlights the strategic advantages of Baden-Württemberg as a hub for technology-driven entrepreneurship.
Can you tell us about NXTGN’s mission and how it positions itself in the innovation and technology landscape?
At NXTGN, our mission is to build the next generation of hidden champions – in Germany called „Mittelstand“ – by connecting science, industry and the startup-ecosystem on our innovation platform. Based in Baden-Württemberg, one of Europe’s strongest industrial regions, we have two main offerings: on the one hand we are a deep-tech incubator & accelerator focusing on science-based startups transition from lab to market. We help aspirating founders and teams in getting access to customers, money and everything else they need to become successful scale-ups. On the other hand we integrate established companies like Festo, Schwarz Digits or LBBW by offering innovation and transformation services and help them finde the right talent, technology or business model to tackle their innovation challenges. This position is unique in our region.
You were recently selected by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as one of the official Startup Factories. What does this designation mean for NXTGN, and how will it shape your future initiatives?
Being selected as one of Germany’s ten official Startup Factories by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is both a milestone and a mandate for us. Over the next five years, this initiative brings up to €10 million in federal funding, matched by €20 million private capital to scale our efforts.
Our goal is ambitious: by 2030, we aim to create over 500 deeptech spin-offs, enable 10,000 new jobs, and mobilize over €1 billion in venture capital. This recognition validates our unique model and gives us the platform to create international visibility for Baden-Württemberg as a deeptech innovation hub. It’s a game changer for how research and entrepreneurship can be systematically scaled in Europe.
From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities for innovation-driven companies in Germany today – particularly in the context of transatlantic collaboration?
There are still significant gaps in technology transfer – especially in translating academic breakthroughs into scalable, venture-ready companies. Too often we invest in world class research without bringing the results into commercialization and therefore providing value and wealth for the society. Another challenge ist that many small and medium-sized companies in Germany are not yet prepared for the pace and scale required in global deeptech markets, particularly when it comes to funding and international go-to-market strategies. If we look at the opportunities, transatlantic collaboration offers start-ups access to mature venture ecosystems, early adopters, and industrial partners in North America – while the U.S. also benefits from Europe’s engineering excellence and scientific depth. As a Startup Factory, NXTGN is ideally positioned to foster bilateral tech exchange, with accelerator programs, joint research alliances, and cross-border startup-industry matchmaking.
How does NXTGN support the transfer of knowledge and innovation between research and industry? What role do universities and academic partners play?
NXTGN is the coordinating platform for a strong regional alliance of top-tier universities, including KIT, the University of Stuttgart, University of Heidelberg, University of Ulm and Stuttgart media university. Together with private partners such as venture funds and corporates, we run entrepreneurship programs like to engage students and researchers in their startup journey, we provide access to markets and industry networks, connecting deeptech founders directly with „Mittelstand“-companies and offer knowledge-sharing formats for entrepreneurship educators to professionalize startup support at the university level.
What trends in emerging technologies are you personally most excited about right now?
I’m particularly excited about two areas: Artificial Intelligence for industrial applications, especially AI-powered automation, robotics, and predictive maintenance and Climate and sustainability tech, including carbon capture, circular economy innovations, and green materials. These are not only exciting frontiers technologically – they are also mission-critical for societal transformation and industrial competitiveness. NXTGN will continue to build ecosystems around these trends by supporting the scientists, founders, and partners who are shaping them.