Impossible

What iF Hamburg becomes one of the leading deeptech entrepreneurship ecosystems in Europe by 2035?

Vision

Impossible Founders turns scientific breakthroughs into ventures with real-world impact — by building Europe’s leading deep tech entrepreneurship ecosystem for science-based startups. Rooted in Hamburg’s innovation landscape, we’re creating a new model for scientific venture creation: entrepreneurial, co-funded, and deeply connected to universities and research institutions.

We empower researchers to become founders.

Ideas to become companies

Science to drive systems change.

Mission

We train the entrepreneurial talents of the future - and back scientists solving the world’s toughest problems in materials, AI, energy, mobility, and beyond. We provide the structure, ressources, and momentum to turn deep tech into scalable ventures. And we stay with them - from first spark to global scale.

Undiscovered

Approach & Ambition

From port to innovation platform:

Hamburg, where science launches.

New Materials
& Green Technologies

Sustainable production.
Circular solutions.
The future of making.

Artificial Intelligence &
Quantum Technologies

Real-world impact across mobility, industry, and climate.

These domains are deeply interconnected, and full of venture potential. And we’re just getting started

Undoable

Approach & Ambition

How the impossible becomes possible.

Impossible

A journey from spark to scale designed for scientific ventures.

Awareness

Science meets entrepreneurship - the journey begins.

120 courses.
5,000 students.
1,500 scientists.

Pre-Incubation

Raw ideas become venture potential.

15-20 programs.
250 students.
150 scientists.

Incubation

Deep tech startups take form — with focus, structure, and support.

4 incubators.
60 founding teams
50% from outside Hamburg.

Acceleration

From science to scale - fast, focused, and investor-ready.

2 accelerators
30 startups accelerated per year.

Innovation Programs

Corporate collaboration as a growth engine.

400 innovation projects per year

Possible ambition

+170

Start-ups

+€1.8B

in investments

+3,000

new jobs

400

innovation partner projects per year

Figures by year 10

Homebase

Hamburg

Science doesn’t just happen here. It accelerates.

150,000+

Students in science, tech & research

50+

Universities and research institutions

1,000+

Researchers shaping Hamburg’s innovation network

€1B+

Invested in science & innovation every year

€150B GDP

DESY

Visit the global leader in practical accelerations.

TUHH: Technische Universität Hamburg

Get to know the intellectual core of Hamburg

Science City Bahrenfeld & Tech City Harburg

Check out Hamburg’s Deep Tech launchpad.

PIER PLUS

Visit Hamburg’s front line for collaborative research and tech.

UHH

Know Europe’s AI engine, rooted in Hamburg

+ more partners

Leading alliances across Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz & more

Unreached

Milestone

Momentum is building.

08/2023

Start first working group

04/2024

First application submitted

07/2024

Start concept phase

April 2025

Final concept submitted

Q2 2025 Jury decision

Q3 2025 Hiring team

Q4 2025 Start programs

Q1 2026 fully up and running

People behind the Impossible.

Team

As the current core project team we already work in close collaboration combining science/ academia and entrepreneurship skills never seen before in Hamburg.