TUM IDEAward Award Ceremony & Event

Qmunicate provides the hardware interface that physically connects quantum processors, enabling scalable and distributed quantum computing.
Today’s quantum computers are limited in size — each can host only a limited number of qubits, making it impossible to tackle real-world challenges. We’re changing that. Qmunicate links multiple quantum processing units into one unified system, much like how classical supercomputers combine many processors for greater power. Our platform delivers the full hardware and infrastructure needed to connect QPUs — especially those based on neutral atoms and trapped ions — paving the way for truly scalable quantum computing.
Our technology also enables long-distance quantum networking, laying the foundation for a global quantum internet. With this, we aim to become a key provider of quantum network infrastructure, bridging the worlds of computing and secure telecommunications and positioning Qmunicate at the forefront of the emerging quantum technology industry.

At AccelionTech, we envision the factories of the future. Manufacturing that thinks, adapts, and outperforms.
We are building the intelligence that makes complex manufacturing explainable and truly self-optimizing.
Our technology enables production systems to understand their own behaviour, react to changes, and continuously improve over time. What begins in battery manufacturing will redefine how high-value products are made across industries. Powered by AccelionTech, the factories of today and tomorrow will be smarter, faster, and more sustainable.
Our mission: to make manufacturing globally competitive through learning systems that evolves with the challenges of tomorrow.

Air pollution from chemical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries poses serious risks to human health and the environment. Many of these airborne toxins are unavoidable because they are used in essential industrial processes. Traditional filters only capture pollutants but do not break them down and their performance is easily affected by environmental changes, risking leakage. Proper filter disposal requires energy-intensive treatment, can produce harmful byproducts, and increases the carbon footprint.

Our solution closes this gap: a biohybrid filter that both captures and fully degrades toxins, transforming invisible pollutants into visible impact. It aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 12, and 13, providing a sustainable way to tackle industrial air pollution. Our technology protects people and the environment while reducing costs for companies by eliminating hazardous waste disposal, preventing fines, and safeguarding workers and equipment. It is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure, allowing industries to safely continue using essential chemicals and processes. Beyond cleaner air, our innovation supports green jobs, sustainable infrastructure, healthier cities, and stronger ecosystems — helping make clean air the standard, not a luxury.

ARPOSO Biotech develops edible, biodegradable coatings made from agricultural side-streams to extend the shelf life of fresh produce and reduce plastic waste. The transparent, tasteless layer slows ripening and spoilage by regulating oxygen and moisture exchange, keeping products fresh up to 3 times longer. Unlike conventional plastic or wax coatings, ARPOSO Biotech’s technology is fully plant-based, water-soluble, and compliant with clean-label standards. It represents a breakthrough in green chemistry and circular bioeconomy, transforming agricultural residues into high-performance biopolymers through sustainable, low-emission processes. Easily applied by dipping or spraying, without the need for new infrastructure, the coating reduces food waste by up to 30% while replacing millions of tons of single-use plastics each year. With strong scientific foundations and proven industry interest, ARPOSO Biotech bridges cutting-edge research and sustainable entrepreneurship to make food preservation cleaner, safer, and truly circular.

Every year, more than 120,000 people in Germany suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospitals, and only 10% of them survive. Immediate resuscitation by laypeople would significantly improve the chances of survival, but intervention fails due to a lack of routine, a lack of training opportunities, and, above all, fear in such a highly emotional and stressful situation.

Reavo is changing the way people learn this life-saving skill by bringing CPR training into public spaces in a playful way: at an interactive station, chest compressions are simulated on a pressure-sensitive pad, supplemented by an LED system for depth and rhythm feedback and a playful screen interface. The training sessions take only a few minutes and can be completed spontaneously during waiting times – for example, at train stations, airports, universities, or events.

What initially seems like a game leads to a decisive “aha” moment: the trained movement gives you the ability to save lives. Such a low-threshold approach reduces inhibitions about providing timely assistance. Reavo strengthens confidence in one's own abilities and anchors them as a routine in a sustainable way – long before an emergency occurs. At the same time, the playful setting strengthens self-efficacy, creating a positive experience that makes it easier to recall what has been learned. The aim of Reavo is to raise collective awareness of responsibility and empower people to save lives in an emergency.

NEW ERA FOOD utilizes an innovative, self-developed deep-tech technology that increases the protein content of a natural mushroom fruiting body while simultaneously creating a fibrous structure with a full umami flavor. This technology was developed by the food technologist Sarah Schlingloff as part of the TUM IGL competition and forms the foundation for a new generation of high-quality, natural, and nutrient-rich meat alternatives.

Under the brand JUSTAKE, NEW ERA FOOD is launching clean-label meat alternatives that stand out for their taste, juiciness, and authentic texture. The currently developed mushroom steak offers a rich umami flavor and a meat-like appearance, including a nutrient profile with a corresponding protein content. The mushroom steak can be prepared in just a few minutes in a pan or on the grill and is aimed at the gastronomy sector, food retailers, and health-conscious consumers.

The complementary founding team, consisting of two food technologists, an economist, and a serial entrepreneur, combines scientific expertise, business experience, and entrepreneurial vision. Together, NEW ERA FOOD aims to fundamentally transform the meat alternatives market — with the goal of replacing half of global meat consumption with sustainable, mushroom-based alternatives by 2045.

Limited access, harsh weather, and unstable communication often hinder rescue teams from carrying out normal rescue missions during structural fires and large-scale forest disasters. These factors delay the response times and reduce the likelihood of locating survivors quickly. To overcome these problems, Munitics is developing µ1, a wheel-legged robot built for flexible adaptability and collaboration.  µ1 can be split into smaller, self-sufficient units that can move in confined or dangerous locations, then reassemble when coordinated operation is required. Moreover, µ1 features a central bay for modular payloads, integrating interchangeable components including thermal and gas sensors, 3D mapping systems, and medical supply modules. µ1 runs a vision language model for semantic and scene understanding and autonomous decision making, supporting human robot collaboration. When operating individually, the units conduct localized exploration, hazard assessment, and data collection. When deployed as a fleet, they share information through mesh networking, coordinate search patterns, and extend coverage across complex terrains more efficiently than a single robot could. Based in Munich, the project is led by Dr. Zewen Yang at the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI), with a multidisciplinary team of PhD candidates and master’s students from TUM.

Teleweave revolutionizes surgical education by offering a scalable, modular training ecosystem that bridges the gap between simulation and real-world robotics. Our platform provides clinics and training centers with affordable robotic simulators and real training systems that can be tailored to their needs — from entry-level virtual setups to full robotic suites. Doctors and trainees can acquire essential surgical skills on a system that replicates the look, feel, and interaction of actual operating room robots, with realistic haptic feedback and AI-driven skill assessment.
The platform’s compatibility with different robotic interfaces ensures that skills learned on Teleweave directly transfer to commercial surgical systems. By continuously collecting and anonymizing performance data, Teleweave builds the foundation for large-scale surgical AI models that will shape the future of autonomous surgery. Our mission is to make world-class surgical training accessible globally — independent of hospital budgets — while driving the next generation of data-driven medical robotics.

Airgonomics.ai addresses one of the most pressing challenges in manufacturing and logistics: work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). With an ageing workforce and a growing shortage of skilled labour, companies need effective ways to safeguard health and sustain productivity. Our AI-powered software continuously analyses ergonomic risks at workplaces using cameras—without wearables, sensors, or interruptions to daily operations. Video data are processed locally and deleted immediately; only anonymised motion data remain, ensuring full GDPR compliance. Based on these analyses, Airgonomics.ai provides clear, actionable recommendations to reduce physical strain—ranging from workstation adjustments to targeted stretching and strengthening routines. The solution transforms ergonomics from a reactive assessment into a proactive, data-driven process. By doing so, Airgonomics.ai enables companies to reduce absenteeism, extend the working life of their employees, and strengthen productivity through smarter prevention.

The least-developed part of the electromagnetic spectrum isn’t only at the extremes; it lies in the terahertz “gap” between microwave and infrared, where neither electronic nor optical approaches have delivered broadband, high-quality, tunable power—until now. Spun out of the Belkin Group at the Walter Schottky Institute, FIRsense delivers a compact, tunable continuous-wave source spanning 1–12 THz, already validated in two external prototypes—one operating at ISMO (CNRS) Paris across 5–11 THz, and another headed to Leeds for gas-line spectroscopy. While our first projects focus on enabling multi-species gas spectroscopy for R&D, we expect clear advantages over established in-situ gas-line analyzers, especially in hot, wet, and dusty streams. The same instrument enables non-destructive fingerprinting as well as layer and thickness inspection in polymers, coatings, and pharmaceutical solids—within minutes. This capability is directly relevant to semiconductor manufacturing (process gases, epi/etch exhausts, materials metrology), healthcare and pharma (solid-state forms, coatings, moisture), and broader markets such as aerospace, energy, and security, where fast, non-destructive quality control is critical. Looking ahead, we will support 6G and beyond with coherent, broadly tunable, MHz-modulatable THz signals for channel sounding, device testing, and over-the-air (OTA) calibration.