m3 Masterclass Demo Ay brings saxony's university start-ups together in Dresden

Under the motto "Show. Test. Connect.", the second Demo Day of the m3 Masterclass took place in Dresden on January 22, 2025. This time, the event was organized by the team of the Startup Unit of TUD|excite, which is active in the dresden|exists network. Over 60 participants gathered in the PAB at HTW Dresden to showcase innovations, think ahead about business models and make contacts that will have an impact far beyond the day itself. The perfect setting for a day full of ideas, pitches, exchange and genuine start-up energy.

Three networks. Three regions. One common goal.

The m3 Masterclass is a 12-month early-stage incubator for funded start-up projects from the Saxon university and research environment. In the joint program, dresden|exists, SAXEED and the Leipzig start-up network(SMILE and Startbahn 13) combine their strengths to promote young start-ups in a targeted manner.

The common goal: to prepare founders for their first round of financing in a practical way - and to enable sustainable growth.

Batch 2: First pitch, real feedback

For the teams from Batch 2, the Demo Day was the start of the m3 Masterclass and a real milestone: for the first time, they presented their business models to a jury as part of the Masterclass and directly gathered valuable feedback from the network.

Seven new teams have officially started the program - from Chemnitz, Leipzig, Freiberg and two teams from Dresden: Leaftronics (TU Dresden) and PLURALS (HTW Dresden).

Batch 1: Progress, prototypes and strong performances

The teams from Batch 1, which have been part of the Masterclass for around four months, showed how their ideas have developed in a demo session at their own stands. Among other things, they presented prototypes that were discussed and refined together with experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Particularly pleasing from TU Dresden's point of view: the two Dresden teams SimFacture and Novanix impressed with strong presentations and visible development steps.

Thanks to everyone who made this possible

A big thank you goes to the sponsors and supporters of the Demo Day who made the event possible and supported the teams with their expertise and feedback: Ostsächsische Sparkasse (SIB), swp Software Systems, exciteLAB and Die Techniker.

We would also like to thank all the feedback providers who shared their experiences and gave the teams valuable ideas for the next steps.

What's next for the teams?

The new teams will now start an intensive 12-month support program within the m3 Masterclass:

• Founders Roadmap: seminars, workshops and coaching on business model, team, taxes, market entry and sales

• Exchange of experience & feedback: regular reviews within the batches

• Networking & Demo Days: exchange, visibility and new contacts

• Investors Day: direct contact with investors and opportunities for follow-up financing

Conclusion

The m3 Masterclass Demo Day showed just how dynamic the Saxon startup ecosystem is: strong ideas, committed teams and a network that really works. As the Startup Unit of TUD | excite, Unit STARTUP, we are delighted to create this space together with our partners in the dresden|exists network and throughout Saxony - for bold startups, smart innovations and sustainable knowledge transfer.

More information about the m3 Masterclass:

Dr. Katja Ziesche
TUD|excite, Startup Manager IT