10 November 2025

The seventh round of the Thuringian Regional Innovation Programme (TRIP) kicked off at the traditional Bandhaus Erfurt - and two start-ups from the university incubator hike at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences are taking part. A total of eleven innovative teams from all over Thuringia were accepted into the renowned accelerator programme at the „Start Your TRIP“ kick-off event. The Nordhausen start-up teams anfang. and EStyle were able to successfully assert themselves from over 40 applications - a strong signal for the innovative strength of Nordhausen as a university location.

Digital innovation from Nordhausen: anfang. and EStyle

The startup anfang. is developing a digital grief counsellor that supports people in times of parting and helps relatives to deal with loss and grief in a new, sensitive way.

The EStyle team, on the other hand, is digitising style advice and thus creating a resource-saving, personalised approach to fashion and aesthetics.

TRIP - springboard for Thuringian innovations

The TRIP programme initiated by the STIFT - Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia accompanies start-ups on their way to market maturity in a four-month accelerator. Participants benefit from intensive coaching, workshops, budget support, valuable network access and targeted preparation for financing rounds. The Final TRIP phase follows for particularly promising business models - a further three months focussing on growth, scaling and VC investments. The highlight of the programme is the Pitch Day, on which all start-ups present their visions to investors and the innovation community.

Strongly represented throughout Thuringia

In addition to the two Nordhausen teams, start-ups from Erfurt, Jena, Ilmenau, Pößneck, Stadtroda and Großlöbichau were selected for TRIP Batch #7 - including:

• GRAUCH vacuum measurement technology (Stadtroda)
• AMX - Active Medical Xcellence GmbH (Jena)
• Pikes GmbH (Großlöbichau)
• ThüringerKaffeeWald (Pößneck)
• Quantitative cyber security risk assessment (Ilmenau)
• OhMyV GmbH (Erfurt)
• Sustaina-X (Erfurt)
• iACT (Jena)
• PlayInsight Studios GmbH (Jena)

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences as a start-up incubator

„The fact that two of our teams have made it into the TRIP programme is a great success and proof of the quality of start-up support at our university,“ emphasises Professor Dr Lutz Göcke, Head of the hike Incubator. With the hike - University Incubator Nordhausen, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences offers comprehensive support to those interested in founding a company - from idea development and prototyping to market validation and beyond.

Together towards investment readiness

With anfang. and EStyle, two strong Nordhausen teams are now starting their TRIP journey.

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and the hike team would like to congratulate the winners and wish them every success on their journey to investment readiness.

hike Demoday on 19 November 2025 at the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences

Would you like to experience the startup teams from Nordhausen live? The demo day will take place on 19 November 2025 together with the 4th IHK Start-up and Succession Forum at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences. The startup ideas will be presented in 5-minute pitch presentations and then awarded prizes. Afterwards, there will be the opportunity to exchange ideas with the teams in a relaxed atmosphere and to test the first prototypes.

Registrations are possible until 16 November 2025 at the following website:

https://www.hike-startups.de/demo-day-2025