We are looking for the next generation of entrepreneurs who are ready to leverage the long-term opportunities of emerging technologies and the disruptive edge of an AI-native future.
Become part of the class of 2026!
Class of 2026
Founder Colloquium
— The Core of the AI Natives Program
At the heart of the AI Natives incubator sits human-to-human collaboration — a space where founders learn not just from experts but from each other.
The weekly 2-hour intensive Founder Colloquium is the anchor of the Class of 2026 and the engine that drives every startup forward.
In this guided session, all founders come together to:
exchange insights from their week’s progress, failures, and experiments
test assumptions in a supportive but intellectually sharp environment
identify blind spots and hidden opportunities
pressure-test business models against emerging AI capabilities
refine their strategic direction using real-time foresight input
Every colloquium blends structured reflection with open dialogue, enabling founders to benefit from the diverse perspectives of the entire cohort.
Where one team struggles with user needs, another may have solved a similar challenge. Where one startup is exploring a new AI model, others immediately gain the insight.
This collective intelligence — amplified by AI tools and guided iteration — accelerates learning far beyond what any founder could achieve alone.
It is not about pitch decks, KPIs, or polished narratives.
It is about thinking differently, adapting quickly, and building companies that make sense in a world shaped by rapid AI transformation.
The result?
A cohort of founders who grow together, move faster, and make fewer mistakes — supported by a learning environment built specifically for the pace and uncertainty of AI-native innovation.
Our program:
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Class of 2026
At the heart of our program sits human-to-human collaboration.
In the weekly 2-hour intensive colloquium hosted by the incubator the class of 2026 focuses on the exchange of insights, testing assumptions, and future proofing each business model through guided iteration.
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![A digital artwork of a red lotus flower with a small globe at its center, surrounded by circuitry patterns, with clouds in the background.]()
Foresight Sessions
Intensive Zukunftswerkstädte facilitated for each founder team every 4 weeks in the ideation phase using tools from foresight, design thinking and future science.
Helps the founders clarify long-term problem solving, market trajectories, and AI-native positioning.
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![A digital artwork combining a human brain with electronic circuitry forming a tree, with leaves and clouds in the background, framed with ornamental details.]()
One-on-one Mentoring
The incubator also offers on-demand mentorship sessions for technical, organizational, or strategic challenges.
Option to bring in external experts (AI engineers, designers, patent lawyer, investors) for topic specific advice.
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![A digital illustration of a humanoid robot with a landscape of green fields, a tree, and mountains in the background. The robot's profile contains a fractal-like patterned brain inside a rectangular frame. The sky is filled with stylized clouds and swirling patterns, with a surreal and futuristic art style.]()
Coworking
Shared workspace (“AI Basecamp”) equipped with internet, meeting zones, and prototyping resources in the heart of Plagwitz, Leipzig.
Daily check-ins and light-touch coaching for administrative, organizational, or team challenges.
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![Surreal digital artwork of two large metallic humanoid faces with mechanical features, one in blue and the other in red, combining with green leaves on one face. The background features a bright blue sky, flying birds, and a fantasy cityscape with tall spires.]()
Demo Day 2026
Formal pitch event co-hosted by the incubators main funding partner to conclude the yearly program.
Enables direct access to capital and visibility to accelerate the next steps towards the future for the graduates of the class of 2026.
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![A surreal digital artwork of a human profile with a face in white, integrating mechanical and organic elements. The brain area is filled with large green leaves and small golden details, with a bright blue sky and clouds in the background.]()
Industry Collaboration
We help facilitate pilot projects between founders and future-forwards regional actors and industry.
Organize small “problem labs” where founders propose AI-native solutions to public or industrial challenges.
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![A stylized digital illustration of a tree with lush green foliage and detailed bark. The tree contains a human brain with leaves and mechanical circuitry inside, set against a sky with clouds over a body of water, framed by an ornate red and gold border.]()
School Incubator
The incubator is building a talent-pipeline for future founders by offering an after-school AI incubator program at Ostwald Gymnasium starting 2026/27.
Students are enabled to explore original ideas in small teams and approach real-world challenges through AI-natives solutions.
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![A large red leaf with green veins floating in front of a digital circuit background, surrounded by green foliage, within an ornate gold and turquoise framed border.]()
AI Fridays
Weekly open-door gatherings where anyone can drop in to explore what’s emerging in AI.
Including public events like resident speakers, hackathons, community dinners, and thematic workshops that bring together people from across disciplines to highlight new ideas and unexpected collisions.
Become AI Native
Sign in to our online leaning tracks to start becoming AI-native today: