LEW and THA_funkenwerk Support Startup Ideas in Bavarian Swabia

THA_funkenwerk supports students and startup teams from the initial idea all the way to launching a business. LEW contributes its experience as a regional energy company and helps turn ideas into solutions that make a difference for the region.

“Good ideas need people who believe in them and partners who support them in taking the next steps. That is precisely where we see our role. Together with THA_funkenwerk, we want to strengthen startup initiatives in Bavarian Swabia and help ensure that innovations from our region gain visibility and find their way into practice,” says LEW Board Member Dr. Dietrich Gemmel. 

“At THA_funkenwerk, we guide startup teams in developing their ideas into viable projects. With LEW, we’re gaining a partner that brings practical expertise, regional commitment, and valuable perspectives for the further development of our teams,” says Prof. Dr. Christoph Buck, Director of THA_funkenwerk. 

The competition is open to students, researchers, and startup teams from the Bavarian-Swabian University Network. LEW is participating with a special category for solutions related to energy, digitalization, and infrastructure. The team that wins the LEW Special Prize will receive personalized feedback and coaching tailored to their idea from LEW experts.

“The great innovations of tomorrow often begin with the small sparks of today. To turn these into a true fireworks display for the future, we need bright minds, courageous founders, and strong partners who work together. That’s exactly what’s happening here in Bavarian Swabia: When universities, startups, and the business community join forces, creative ideas turn into tangible value, and technical know-how becomes economic clout. With THA_funkenwerk and LEW, we bring together entrepreneurial spirit and practical experience—so that flashes of inspiration become real companies of the future. “Because one thing is clear: The future isn’t invented on the drawing board, but is shaped by people who have the courage to turn their ideas into reality,” says Dr. Fabian Mehring.

The partnership between THA_funkenwerk and LEW is part of a broader goal: to permanently strengthen innovation, startup activity, and entrepreneurship in Bavarian Swabia. To this end, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences is working together with companies, startups, and other partners to build a robust innovation and startup ecosystem in the region. Initiatives such as MittelstandMacher are fostering new connections between academia and industry. The collaboration with LEW builds on this and creates additional points of contact between startup teams and real-world business practice. This gives innovative ideas a better chance of making their way from the university into the regional economy.