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
Industry &
Regional Collaboration Program
At AI Natives, we don’t just build startups — we build connections between tomorrow’s AI-native founders and the forward-thinking organizations that will shape the region. Our Industry & Regional Collaboration Program facilitates meaningful pilot projects between early-stage founders and regional partners in industry, research, and public institutions.
Through curated “Problem Labs”, founders are invited to propose AI-native solutions to real-world challenges faced by companies, civic organizations, and municipalities. These labs are hands-on workshops where teams test, prototype, and iterate solutions in collaboration with domain experts, creating immediate value while exploring the frontiers of what AI can achieve.
Key features of the program:
Pilot Projects: Startups work directly with regional actors to co-develop AI-first solutions that address tangible business or societal problems.
Problem Labs: Small, focused workshops where founders present AI-native approaches, receive feedback, and co-create prototypes with industry partners.
Talent & Knowledge Exchange: Regional companies gain early exposure to cutting-edge AI capabilities, while founders understand sector-specific challenges and constraints.
Regional Impact: Strengthens the innovation ecosystem in Leipzig and Saxony, retains high-tech talent locally, and positions the region as a hub for responsible, future-ready AI ventures.
By bridging early-stage AI innovation with established regional players, we turn foresight into action — creating solutions that are both visionary and grounded in real-world applicability.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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: