Technische Universität München
A new biotech hub for Munich
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH
NEWS RELEASE
A new biotech hub for Munich
Where science powers start-ups: Launching BioLabs|TUM
• TUM Venture Labs cooperate with BioLabs and Lilly
• 1,800 square meters of coworking lab space
• Aiming at accelerating therapy development
BioLabs, TUM Venture Labs, and Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) today launched BioLabs|TUM, a new biotechnology innovation hub in central Munich. The initiative aims to empower early-stage biotech start-ups by providing access to state-of-the-art lab infrastructure, expert mentoring, and global industry networks.
Located in a refurbished 1,800-square-meter facility, BioLabs|TUM will offer fully equipped laboratories and office space for 15–20 start-ups. The hub is designed to accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies by connecting scientific talent with venture capital and pharmaceutical expertise.
“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration with TUM Venture Labs and Lilly to launch BioLabs|TUM in Munich—marking a major milestone in expanding our innovation ecosystem in Germany,” said Johannes Fruehauf, MD, PhD, Founder & CEO of BioLabs. “With world-class science, top academic institutions, and rising investor interest, Munich is the ideal launchpad for the next generation of biotech entrepreneurs.”
The collaboration brings together BioLabs’ proven coworking lab model, TUM Venture Labs’ academic innovation engine, and Lilly’s global R&D and venture capital reach. Start-ups selected for the program will benefit from tailored programming, strategic guidance, and access to Lilly’s scientific experts.
“World-class infrastructure”
“This partnership strengthens our mission to translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact,” said Dr. Philipp Gerbert, CEO of TUM Venture Labs. “BioLabs|TUM adds world-class infrastructure and global connectivity to our vibrant startup ecosystem. The initiative reflects our shared commitment to translating scientific excellence into entrepreneurial success.”
“BioLabs|TUM is an exciting and unique collaboration, which supercharges our collective experience of catalyzing scientific innovation and empowering emerging biotech companies to navigate the complexities of therapeutic discovery and development,” said Julie Gilmore, Ph.D., Vice President and Global Head, Lilly Gateway Labs. “Lilly’s investment in BioLabs |TUM, through our Catalyze360 model, enables us to partner on our shared passion for creating bold scientific breakthroughs. Munich's robust scientific community and strong academic institutions make it an ideal location for fostering early-stage innovation and helping to accelerate the development of innovative therapies that can make a meaningful difference for patients in Germany and around the world.
The new BioLabs|TUM is anticipated to open in early 2026.
Further information:
BioLabs is a network of shared laboratory facilities located in key geographies within well-established as well as more nascent biotech innovation clusters in the US, Japan, France and Germany. BioLabs offers a unique environment of coworking spaces that pair fully equipped and supported laboratories with furnished office space, and active community-building. BioLabs provides entrepreneurs with unparalleled access to capital through its affiliated venture fund Mission BioCapital and numerous industry partnerships. These fertile, supportive ecosystems allow young companies to shift their focus from lab buildout and operations to experimentation and innovation so that they can quickly reach their scientific potential and achieve business success. The BioLabs network of coworking lab facilities now comprises 17 sites, with additional sites under development. Munich will be the third lab location for BioLabs in Germany after Heidelberg and Berlin.
This collaboration is part of the Lilly Catalyze360 model, which is a comprehensive approach to empower early-stage biotech start-ups across all therapeutic areas by providing access to funding as well as world-class lab space and/or drug development talent and resources through its three pillars: Lilly Ventures, Lilly Gateway Labs, and Lilly ExploR&D.
The innovation ecosystem centered around TUM is regarded as one of the most successful deeptech hubs in Europe. Its particular strengths are its strong, diverse network and particularly specific support. In initiatives and co-labs, start-ups work on innovations with established companies, experts, investors and administration. The TUM Venture Labs offer direct access to cutting-edge research, technical infrastructure and market expertise in twelve fields of technology. Most recently, more than 100 companies were founded at TUM in one year and more than 1,100 start-up teams were supported by UnternehmerTUM and the Venture Labs. UnternehmerTUM, which invests with its own venture capital fund, has twice been voted Europe's best start-up hub by the Financial Times.
TUM Corporate Communications Center contact:
Ulrich Meyer
Press spokesperson
+49 89 289 22778
presse@tum.de
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of the world’s leading universities in terms of research, teaching and innovation, with around 700 professorships, 53,000 students and 12,000 staff. TUM’s range of subjects includes engineering, natural and life sciences, medicine, computer sciences, mathematics, economics and social sciences. As an entrepreneurial university, TUM envisages itself as a global hub of knowledge exchange, open to society. Every year, more than 70 start-ups are founded at TUM, which acts as a key player in Munich’s high-tech ecosystem. The university is represented around the world by its TUM Asia campus in Singapore along with offices in Beijing, Brussels, Mumbai, San Francisco and São Paulo. Nobel Prize laureates and inventors such as Rudolf Diesel, Carl von Linde and Rudolf Mößbauer have conducted research at TUM, which was awarded the title of University of Excellence in 2006, 2012 and 2019. International rankings regularly cite TUM as the best university in the European Union.
BioLabs is a network of shared laboratory facilities located in key geographies within well-established as well as more nascent biotech innovation clusters in the US, Japan, France and Germany. BioLabs offers a unique environment of coworking spaces that pair fully equipped and supported laboratories with furnished office space, and active community-building. BioLabs provides entrepreneurs with unparalleled access to capital through its affiliated venture fund Mission BioCapital and numerous industry partnerships. These fertile, supportive ecosystems allow young companies to shift their focus from lab buildout and operations to experimentation and innovation so that they can quickly reach their scientific potential and achieve business success. The BioLabs network of coworking lab facilities now comprises 17 sites, with additional sites under development. Munich will be the third lab location for BioLabs in Germany after Heidelberg and Berlin. Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. Lilly has been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today its medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, its scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world’s most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer’s disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, Lilly is motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable.