In the world of academia and science, ideas are born every day. They are the foundation for creating something new and shaping the world of tomorrow. The only question is:
How does an idea become a marketable product or service? How will the transfer of research results into practice succeed? How do people from academia and science become entrepreneurs?
The answer to all these questions is the WORLDFACTORY Transfer and Start-up Center (WSC). It is the central hub at Ruhr-Universität Bochum for all issues concerning start-ups and transfer. With its services, the WORLDFACTORY taps creative potential and prepares individual paths to entrepreneurship for clever minds.
![[Translate to English:] Logo Exzellenz Start-upCenter](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/6/csm_content-2_319ab49153.png "[Translate to English:] Exzellenz Start-up Center")
Young. Creative. Self-employed?
Why should you set up your own business?
Do you find the start-up scene somehow exciting, but don’t have a precise idea of start-ups, business plans & Co.? At the WORLDFACTORY, you have the opportunity to explore the world of start-ups without any strings attached. Check it out and find out if the path to self-employment could also be your path.
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| Start-up foundations | Start-up consultancy |
| Mentoring | Funding |
| Female Academic Entrepreneurs | Makerspace |
Unleash your potential
Get your idea on track
Every start-up begins with an innovation: an exciting insight, an invention, an idea for a product or a service. The WORLDFACTORY supports you in transforming your innovation into a business model. We provide individual advice on all questions of founding and financing. Unleash your potential and start your own business!
| WORLDFACTORY International | Team-Spaces & Co-Working | |
| Start-Up consultancy | Incubators | |
| Mentoring | Makerspace | |
| Funding | Patents |
Get in and get started
Kick-starting your start-up
You already know exactly where you want to go. What you need now is space for research and testing, expert feedback and financial support? The WORLDFACTORY offers you Incubators with expertise and infrastructure to develop your start-up. We help you to get the right funding so that your idea conquers the world.
Networks for transfer
Doing business with ideas
Success is based on experience and creativity – and innovation requires a sound foundation. At the WORLDFACTORY, young business models meet interested partners to transfer ideas into practice. Companies benefit from impulses from current research and from customised services. This is how proven concepts can be optimised and new markets opened up.
start-up projects
So far, WORLDFACTORY has accompanied more than 678 start-up projects. The founding ideas come from different departments and subject areas.
per year
In over 248 events per year, we provide you with exciting insights into all aspects of entrepreneurship and start-ups.
start-ups
More than 26 teams have successfully founded their company in 2023.
Feedback unserer Gründer*innen
“Significant improvement of the product”
“With the WORLDFACTORY’s assistance, we were able to expand our network in and around Bochum in a very short time. Thanks to experienced coaches, we took a huge step forward in our development and significantly improved our product in all respects. It was great fun to work with the WORLDFACTORY and we are immensely grateful for their support!”
Constantin Soffner (Co-Founder and CTO at Who Moves)
“Paving the way to self-employment”
“For us, the WORLDFACTORY was the first step towards entrepreneurship and the starting point of our start-up. As employees, we didn’t know anything about university spin-offs. In that early start-up phase, the WORLDFACTORY always had an open ear for a wide range of questions and was there to help us in word and deed – be it about the planned business model, organisational processes, funding applications or simply by sharing experiences and networking. The WORLDFACTORY was an essential partner for us, especially during the application process and during the project period of the university spin-off. The WORLDFACTORY definitely paved our way to self-employment and was a key partner in our decision to become entrepreneurs.”
Christian Els (Co-Founder and CEO at Sentin)
“A well-connected hub”
“Assisted by the WORLDFACTORY, we learn those things that we can’t bring to the table ourselves. Its unique feature is that it employs highly experienced people who know exactly what is important when setting up a business. They ask the right questions and broaden our own perspective. They are also available and ready to help at any time. Truly a well-connected hub.”
Maria Schnober (Co-Founder and CFO at House of Plasma)
“Pleasant, comprehensible and optimistic advice”
“I am very grateful to the WORLDFACTORY, as they guided me through the process of setting up a business by providing pleasant, comprehensible and optimistic advice. The team pointed out solutions and possibilities that I hadn’t thought of that quickly or that I simply didn’t know about. For me, the WORLDFACTORY is a wonderful contact point for all start-up questions: the network is huge, and everyone is willing to offer true and authentic support. I have felt very comfortable with the services offered.”
Jennifer Carmen Kubistin (Founder of Movimientos Auténticos – Jennifer Carmen Kubistin e.V.)
“Constructive criticism for the business plan”
“The WORLDFACTORY was the first port of call for us, where we received advice tailored to our start-up, professional feedback and many useful tips for our business idea. We had many questions at the time, which we were able to discuss with the qualified team in individual consultancy sessions. When drawing up our business plan, Mr Kohut-Piechulek guided us with constructive criticism and provided many suggestions for improvement. We also received expert advice on choosing the best legal form, on integrating our company into a network and on suitable marketing strategies. We would like to thank him very much for his support as we embarked on our entrepreneurial future.”
Sandra & Anastasia (Founders of LangIsland School)
“Figuring out strengths and weaknesses”
“When setting up a company, you are constantly confronted with new challenges and a whole lot of different issues. Fortunately, the WORLDFACTORY coaching team was at our side and guided us through the start-up process in a structured way. Working out the start-up idea together was the key to figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of our project and planning our start-up accordingly. Through the WORLDFACTORY network, we also had the chance to take part in professional coaching for a pitch at the NRW-Gründerstipendium, where we impressed the jury with our start-up idea.”
Alex Ruppert (Co-Founder of JungleLeaves)