Skip to main content.
Blog
Spin-offs at 4YFN26 reached a combined value of $1.3 billion
From breakthrough AI models to climate resilience technologies, university and research spin-offs are increasingly shaping the future of innovation. The latest 4YFN26 Spin-offs Data Capsule, in partnership with Dealroom, highlights a clear trend: spin-offs are growing faster, attracting more capital, and playing a more prominent role than ever before.
A Global Market on the Rise
The spin-off ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented growth. According to Dealroom.co, venture capital investment into spin-off companies worldwide is on track to reach $75 billion in 2026.
Deeptech is one of the main drivers of this acceleration, as it attracts elevated interest from investors and corporation looking for defensible sources of breakthrough innovations.
AI Is Powering the Next Generation of Spin-offs
AI-enabled companies now account for a projected 53% of all spin-off venture capital funding in 2026, compared with just 5% in earlier years.
This shift reflects a broader reality across the innovation ecosystem: some of the most impactful AI breakthroughs are emerging directly from universities, laboratories, and research centres.
The Spin-off Presence at 4YFN26
The University and Spin-offs hub at 4YFN is the central meeting point for universities, research institutes, spin-off and academic entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Shining a spotlight on science-based innovation, 4YFN26 welcomed 87 spin-off exhibitors, including 25 AI-powered spin-offs, showcasing innovations spanning deeptech, sustainability, advanced computing, and other high-growth sectors. Together, these companies have raised $468 million across 362 funding rounds.
While the majority are early-stage companies, established in the past 5 years, we also come across global spin-off success stories like Akamai. The cybersecurity and cloud computing company, founded as an MIT spin-off back in 1998, is now valued at over $21B.
For 4YFN, this reinforces the event's role as a platform where cutting-edge research meets investors, corporates, and ecosystem leaders looking for the next generation of breakthrough companies.
A Growing Community of Investors
The data capsule highlights a diverse mix of public and private investors actively supporting the 4YFN26 spin-off cohort. The European Innovation Council (EIC) led the ranking, followed by a mix of research organizations and VCs like the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Innovacom, Axon Partners and Starquest capital.
Download the capsule to meet the Top 10 investors backing spin-offs at 4YFN26
From AI research to hands-on flood prevention
One company that perfectly embodies the potential of university spin-offs is Floodwaive, the winner of the 4YFN26 Spin-off Pitch Battle.
Founded in 2023 as a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, Floodwaive is developing an AI-powered flood forecasting and risk management platform.
Its success story reflects a broader trend: some of the world's most promising startups are being born inside research institutions and rapidly finding commercial applications.
Why This Matters for the Future
As scientific research becomes increasingly interdisciplinary and AI accelerates the commercialization of new discoveries, the gap between the laboratory and the marketplace continues to shrink. The result is a new generation of startups capable of tackling complex challenges while creating significant economic value.
At 4YFN27 the University and Spin-off conference track will be dedicated to Transforming Science into Strategic Power; a conversation exploring how AI is accelerating scientific discovery and transforming the spin-off landscape, and how shift impacts infrastructures and industries.