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Born2Grow (B2G) will, at a point in the future, be involved in supra-regional investments in innovative and high-yield technology and growth companies. It plans to make 5-7 new investments a year, with no restrictions in place. Its focus lies with companies in the following domains: life sciences, clean tech, artificial intelligence & machine learning, IoT, hardware & robotics, and software. “We want to build Born2Grow into a brand with pan-European relevance”, the managing director Thomas R. Villinger has promised, adding: “A branch office in Heilbronn is by no means a requirement any more for a B2G investment. However, the team of course supports existing and future portfolio companies in setting up their own branches.” This is how the Israeli IT company Inspekto has already managed to settle itself comfortably in the future park; while the Munich actuator start-up MetisMotion and the company PL BioScience from Aachen could also be doing the same imminently.

ZFHN – Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn will in the future be focussing, comprehensively, on networking activities and investments in the region. “Just as its name promises, with Zukunftsfonds we intend to ensure further growth of the regional network in Heilbronn, intensify collaboration with medium-size companies in the region and further additional joint projects with the university incubator “Campus Founders” based in Heilbronn”, Villinger has explained. Alongside additional investments in startups recognised in the Campus Founders incubator programme, this also includes the common alignment of the innovative entrepreneurship conference “Slush‘D” in Heilbronn in September.

“With the new alignment of our funds and the varied activities in the field of entrepreneurship training, I find that the Heilbronn region is optimally equipped for the future”, says Villinger. The educational campus includes not only Heilbronn University, the Baden-Württemberg Dual University and the branch office of the Munich Technical University (TUM) but also several high-class educational institutions. The Fraunhofer research and innovation centre for cognitive service systems (KODIS) and the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute are two highly innovative research societies complementing the academic landscape and the innovation network in the Neckar.

Companies based domestically or abroad that are willing to settle are also supported in their search for commercial space, and staff, as well as with formalities, by Move2Grow. Villinger: “We regard the current crisis as an opportinity to ensure even better positioning of our activities and our already strong location.”