Partnering with HENSOLDT for Security and Defense

Taufkirchen, 13 March 2025

Sensor specialist HENSOLDT and TUM Venture Labs, a joint initiative of the Technical University of Munich and UnternehmerTUM, have signed a partnership agreement.

HENSOLDT will become an industrial partner of TUM Venture Labs, with a special focus on the field of internal and external security. The aim of the co-operation is to intensify the exchange between industry and research and to create joint potential for future investments in promising start-ups.

As innovation incubators, the TUM Venture Labs promote technology-based spin-offs. We support budding entrepreneurs in putting promising research results and ideas into practice and provide an ecosystem with the necessary development environment. There are a total of 12 venture labs, each with its own domain focus. With this cooperation, the TUM Venture Labs are strengthening their security and defence stream, which is coordinated by the Aerospace Lab and is driving forward the planned establishment of a European DefTech Hub.

The partnership reaffirms HENSOLDT's commitment to building bridges between science and industry. As an industrial partner, HENSOLDT will provide the founders and entrepreneurs supported by the Venture Labs with valuable insights into the requirements and processes in industry. The regular exchange in committees and working groups will open up new perspectives for both partners, create synergies and pave the way for future joint projects and investments in start-ups.
The defence industry is undergoing profound change due to new security policy realities and changing military requirements. The cooperation with TUM Venture Labs is a further step for HENSOLDT to expand its innovative strength in new, fast-growing areas such as software-defined defence.

At the same time, the cooperation between HENSOLDT, one of the leading companies in the European defence electronics market, and TUM Venture Labs is a strong signal for Munich as a technology location. This is characterised by an excellent ecosystem for tech start-ups and is increasingly becoming a central hub for technological progress and European sovereignty in the defence sector. HENSOLDT will play a key role in supporting TUM's ambition to create a European Defence Tech Hub. 

‘Our innovative strength does not come from going it alone. By integrating ourselves into a powerful network of research institutions and initiatives, we enable a dialogue about exciting future technologies and innovative ideas. At the same time, we are networking with a large number of founders with whom we will explore potential for future collaborations - including increased investment in their start-ups,’ says Christian Schmidt, Chief Strategy Officer at HENSOLDT.

'As the leading European DeepTech Entrepreneurship Hub, TUM Venture Labs and our Munich partners are crucial for defence-relevant innovations in space, autonomous systems and SW/AI,’ explains Dr. Philipp Gerbert, CEO of TUM Venture Labs.

‘Hensoldt is an invaluable new partner at our side.’

‘In view of the current geopolitical developments, we must increasingly train our start-ups in what it means to serve security and defence markets with their products,’ adds Dr. Florian Dötzer, who heads the activities of our Aerospace Lab.