The Tangible Tomorrow 2026 journey is officially underway.
What happens when visionary researchers, ambitious startup founders, and Deutsche Telekom experts come together in one room?
On October 8, selected startups, researchers, and technology professionals gathered in Berlin for the official kick-off of the Tangible Tomorrow Program 2026, hubraum’s incubation initiative connecting university spin-offs with Deutsche Telekom experts to explore and validate breakthrough deep-tech innovations. The program focuses on areas such as autonomous networks, future connectivity, AI-native telecom systems, robotics, and next-generation computing.
From the very beginning, the atmosphere reflected what Tangible Tomorrow is all about: curiosity, technical excellence, collaboration, and a shared ambition to turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
The day started with welcomes from the program team, a keynote from the Head of T-Labs, and an inspiring look at the first Tangible Tomorrow success story. It was then time for the startup cohort to take the stage and pitch their technologies to an audience of industry experts, researchers, and innovation leaders.
After the pitches, participants moved into intensive deep-dive workshops where startup teams and Deutsche Telekom professionals worked side by side to define collaboration goals, identify use cases, establish milestones, and create roadmaps for the months ahead. By the end of the day, every team had developed an initial plan for cooperation and a shared vision of what they aim to achieve before Demo Day in February 2027.
Meet the Tangible Tomorrow 2026 Cohort
This year’s cohort brings together 11 university spin-offs and academic startups from across Europe, each working on technologies that could help shape the future of connectivity and digital infrastructure.
Collaboration at the Core
One of the defining characteristics of Tangible Tomorrow is its collaborative approach. Throughout the program, startups work directly with Deutsche Telekom professionals, researchers, and domain experts who provide technical guidance, industry perspectives, and access to valuable knowledge and infrastructure.
This creates an environment where breakthrough research can be challenged, validated, and accelerated through real-world collaboration, helping translate promising ideas into prototypes, proof-of-concepts, and future innovations.
What Comes Next?
With the kick-off complete, the development phase officially begins.
Over the coming months, startup teams and Deutsche Telekom experts will collaborate on technology validation, use-case development, proofs-of-concept, and pilot opportunities. The journey will culminate at the Tangible Tomorrow Demo Day in Berlin in February, 2027, where teams will present the outcomes of their work and showcase the technologies they have developed together.
The kick-off demonstrated the power of bringing together academic excellence, entrepreneurial ambition, and industry expertise. We are excited to follow the progress of this year’s cohort and look forward to seeing the ideas, technologies, and collaborations that emerge in the months ahead.