Deep Tech will change the way we live! Will you be part of the journey?
🔎 Our research in a nutshell
Our research project investigates the defining characteristics of deep tech and quantum tech startups. At its core is the question of which success factors help startups overcome the “valley of death” between early R&D and successful commercialization (Colombo, 2021; Gruber et al., 2024).
The aim is to derive evidence-based levers for founders, investors, and policymakers.
Our analyses draw on and visualize datasets covering over 5,000 validated startups and 11,500 founders, using Dealroom, PitchBook, Crunchbase, and LinkedIn as primary data sources.
What do we know?
Deep tech and quantum tech startups commercialize disruptive solutions grounded in the latest science and frontier technologies; they are rare, hard to imitate, and address fundamental societal challenges. They often combine extremely complex software with novel, complex hardware components (Romme et al., 2023; Siegel & Krishnan, 2020). The transition from R&D to commercialization, the “valley of death”, is particularly risky.
Who founds deep tech and quantum tech startups?
Founders typically have advanced domain education (e.g., STEM master’s/PhD) and relevant experience in industry or prior startups. Team human capital, education and work experience, acts as a central de-risking mechanism in early phases (Ko & McKelvie, 2018; Colombo, 2021).
What we will reveal
- How are Deep Tech/Quantum Tech startups characterized?
- Who founds Deep Tech/Quantum Tech startups?
- Which teams successfully raise funding?
Additionally, our community offers opportunities to connect: engage with founders, investors, and researchers; share hands-on financing experiences; and discuss evidence-based pathways to accelerate the translation of deep tech and quantum tech innovation into practice.
📄 Current state of our research
Author | Title | Status |
Jannik Nolden, Theresa Treffers, Isabell Welpe | Overcoming the valley of death: Which founder human capital factors secure funding for Deep Tech startups? | To be presented at Babson 2026 & to be submitted to ET&P |
Jannik Nolden, Theresa Treffers, Isabell Welpe | Deep Tech founders: united by similarities or powered by differences? | To be presented at Babson 2026 & submitted to JBVI |
Philipp Sonnenschein, Theresa Treffers, Isabell Welpe | From Qubits to Startups: An Analysis of Global Quantum Technology Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | To be presented at ECIS 2026 & submitted to JBVI |
Philipp Sonnenschein, Theresa Treffers, Isabell Welpe | The More the Better? The Effects of Entrepreneurial Support Organization Participation and Hopping on Quantum Technology Ventures | To be presented at Babson 2026 & submitted to ET&P |
Philipp Sonnenschein, Theresa Treffers, Isabell Welpe | Mapping the future of the quantum technology workforce using text mining | To be submitted to ICIS |
Further information
Project partnersContact & TeamConferences
To connect academia to industry, we are continuously organizing events with selected partners.
On 3. March 2026, we will be hosting the Future of Computing | Quantum Connect 2026 conference at the Vorhoelzer Forum. More information to follow soon!
Our partners
