The number of DTU start-ups increased yet again in 2015, when a total of 54 new companies were launched. Students were responsible for most of them this time.
In 2015, the number of new start-ups at DTU broke the record from the previous year—again. A total of 54 new companies were launched, which is three more than in 2014. Students were responsible for 31 of these new enterprises, while employees accounted for the remaining 23. In 2014, there were 21 ‘student start-ups’ and 30 ‘employee start-ups’.
Marianne Thellersen, Director for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Senior Vice President, is pleasantly surprised that the figures for the year are so high once more:
“I think that one of the reasons for the record number of start-ups is that DTU is surfing on a societal wave where it’s hip to be an entrepreneur. The current trend is evidenced by TV programmes such as ‘Dragons’ Den’, where hopeful entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to present their business ideas to a panel of potential investors. Moreover, increasing emphasis is being placed on innovation in high schools and even earlier in the education system. I think this is helping to motivate young people,” she says.
Students overtaking employees
Marianne Thellersen notes in particular that in 2015, students overtook employees with regard to the number of start-ups. The student entrepreneurs are from 14 different study programmes, bringing with them a healthy portion of inventiveness.
One of the new companies is Siren IVS, where students have developed a stocking with built-in sensors to help alleviate the problem of foot sores among diabetics. Meanwhile, the students from the company Trusted Sport IVS have come up with an app for evaluating and sharing keep-fit runs in Denmark, and the team of students behind Relibond have invented a special technology for joining high voltage cables.
Entrepreneurs’ dinner
“I think that the large number of student start-ups is due to the elevated focus on innovation at DTU. We devote a lot of attention to innovation in our teaching and support the innovation environment with entrepreneur associations such as DTU Skylab, where students from different academic areas can meet and mingle freely,” says Marianne Thellersen.
“In addition, we make available mentors, attorneys and auditors to help students get started on their new companies. One of the most recent initiatives is an entrepreneurs’ dinner, where we invite the people behind start-ups and spin-outs from 2012–15 and celebrate entrepreneurs, recognizing the important and valuable contribution they’ve made to the University.”
Current trends in the employee start-ups include medico-technology in areas including diagnosis and immunotherapy, big data, and the Internet-of things, where more and more products are being made ‘smart’ or more ‘intelligent’ through their being fitted with small computers and biosensors that can be linked up via the Internet.
And of course, there are always exceptions to the rule: one of the DTU employee start-ups is a coffee laboratory.