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Würzburg's ZOHO Factory: A new startup hub for Franconia is taking off!
The University of Würzburg wins the EXIST lighthouse competition and strengthens the Franconian startup hub with the ZOHO Factory.
Würzburg's ZOHO Factory: A new startup hub for Franconia is taking off!
The University of Würzburg has achieved a significant victory in the “EXIST Lighthouse Competition Startup Factories” competition run by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). As the University of Würzburg reports, it was announced during an event in Berlin on July 10, 2025 that the ZOHO Factory in Nuremberg was the only project from Bavaria to be among the award winners. In this context, Franconia is to be established as a leading start-up hub.
The ZOHO Factory, which sees itself as an expansion stage of the ZOLLHOF, the start-up hub of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), is not only financially supported by over 20 entrepreneurs and investors from the region, but also by strategic partners such as Siemens Energy, Sparkasse Erlangen and Fraunhofer IISB. This solidarity and support signal the will to strengthen the start-up culture throughout the region.
Promotion and expansion
Construction of the ZOHO Factory will begin this year. The initiative will receive 20 million euros in private capital and will be supported with up to ten million euros in federal funding over a period of five years State government of Bavaria reported. This financial support is crucial to promote and realize innovative concepts in the area of deep tech engagement.
What is particularly noteworthy is that so-called “factory labs” are being set up at four universities in northern Bavaria. This concerns the FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, the University of Bayreuth and the Coburg University of Applied Sciences. Initiatives are also planned at seven European universities, in cities such as Paris and Madrid, which should further increase the location's international networking and visibility.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder and Science Minister Markus Blume congratulated those involved and underlined the role of the project for the region and the entire federal state. Blume also highlighted support for founders and the development of deep tech innovations. The ZOHO Factory itself has already been ranked by the Financial Times as one of the leading start-up hubs in Europe and is in fourth place in Germany.
Impact on the startup ecosystem
The innovative environment created by projects like ZOHO Factory is part of a broader trend in the German startup ecosystem that has grown in recent years. Loud Startup Nation Germany There are numerous areas for further development, especially in the areas of start-ups, investments and exits. The analysis of the status and potential of the German startup ecosystem shows that positive development is also comparable internationally.
The vision of creating one of the best start-up hubs in Europe by 2030 shows the long-term ambition of the ZOHO Factory. The establishment of workshops at the Hubland Campus of the University of Würzburg is intended to help students and employees to concretely implement their ideas. This not only promotes the region's innovative strength, but also creates fertile ground for future technologies and companies.