Team
The team of the Max Planck Foundation’s Start-up Initiative combines several years of start-up and industry experience as well as know-how in the field of start-up support from academia. With our passion for innovation and its transfer in the Max Planck Society, we combine our competencies and skills to pave the way for your spin-off!
Team Mentoring
He is responsible for ensuring that qualified start-up projects emerge from the Max Planck Institutes.
He has start-up experience and degrees in business administration, media studies and entrepreneurship.
Mark is responsible for evaluating and developing the mentoring offers and, together with his team, ensures the qualitative development of the start-up projects.
Mark Möbius has been with the Max Planck Foundation since 2020.
He is responsible for ensuring that qualified start-up projects emerge from the Max Planck Institutes.
He has start-up experience and degrees in business administration, media studies and entrepreneurship.
Mark is responsible for evaluating and developing the mentoring offers and, together with his team, ensures the qualitative development of the start-up projects.
He is responsible for the entrepreneurial development of his scientific teams.
He studied mechanical and industrial engineering and founded two companies himself.
As a mentor, Andreas provides methodological support to scientists from idea generation to successful start-up in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
Andreas Reiser has been working in the Max Planck Foundation’s Start-up Initiative since 2022.
He is responsible for the entrepreneurial development of his scientific teams.
He studied mechanical and industrial engineering and founded two companies himself.
As a mentor, Andreas provides methodological support to scientists from idea generation to successful start-up in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
She holds a degree in business administration and has worked in Germany, Mexico, Scandinavia and the USA as well as being the former CFO and co-founder of a sustainable start-up.
As a mentor, Angela supports scientists methodologically from idea generation to successful start-up in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
Angela Grimmer has been supporting the MPF Start-up Initiative since 2023.
She holds a degree in business administration and has worked in Germany, Mexico, Scandinavia and the USA as well as being the former CFO and co-founder of a sustainable start-up.
As a mentor, Angela supports scientists methodologically from idea generation to successful start-up in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
He accompanies scientists on their way to a successful DeepTech start-up.
He studied chemistry and spent several years as CEO of a DeepTech start-up he founded himself.
As a mentor, Martin supports scientists methodologically from idea generation to successful founding in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
Martin Reiber has been a start-up mentor for the Max Planck Foundation since 2023.
He accompanies scientists on their way to a successful DeepTech start-up.
He studied chemistry and spent several years as CEO of a DeepTech start-up he founded himself.
As a mentor, Martin supports scientists methodologically from idea generation to successful founding in order to translate scientific findings into innovative business models.
As a passionate researcher and serial entrepreneur with international experience, she brings first-hand insight to support founders throughout their start-up journey.
With a biochemistry background, 20+ years in science and industry, and training in IP, tech transfer, and innovation management, Diksha offers proactive, versatile mentoring to accelerate start-up development and implementation.
Diksha Dani has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2025.
As a passionate researcher and serial entrepreneur with international experience, she brings first-hand insight to support founders throughout their start-up journey.
With a biochemistry background, 20+ years in science and industry, and training in IP, tech transfer, and innovation management, Diksha offers proactive, versatile mentoring to accelerate start-up development and implementation.
She is responsible for the marketing activities and organization of the Start-up Initiative's various events.
She studied Communication Science and Intercultural Business Communication at the FSU Jena and Intercultural Communication and Competence at the TU Chemnitz.
Isabel Gorzitze has been working as an external employee for the Max Planck Foundation since 2024.
She is responsible for the marketing activities and organization of the Start-up Initiative’s various events.
She studied Communication Science and Intercultural Business Communication at the FSU Jena and Intercultural Communication and Competence at the TU Chemnitz.
She supports and organises the variety of events of the Start-up Initiative.
Janine completed a training and further education programme to become a retail sales specialist. She has several years of professional experience as a manager and trainer in retail and as an assistant in a medium-sized company.
Janine Bogott has been working as a project assistant at the Max Planck Foundation since 2025.
She supports and organises the variety of events of the Start-up Initiative.
Janine completed a training and further education programme to become a retail sales specialist. She has several years of professional experience as a manager and trainer in retail and as an assistant in a medium-sized company.
He is a trained IT specialist and studied international business and management studies. His training took him to France, the Netherlands and Hungary, among other places.
After working for a successful start-up, he then built up his own VC-financed tech start-up and later worked as a start-up coach, where he led an incubator program for science-related start-ups.
Rafael Schwierz
Regional Scout for North Rhine-Westphalia
+49-(0)-151 1948 9893
rs@maxplanckfoundation.org
Rafael Schwierz has been working as a regional scout for North Rhine-Westphalia at the Max Planck Foundation since 2025.
He is a trained IT specialist and studied international business and management studies. His training took him to France, the Netherlands and Hungary, among other places.
After working for a successful start-up, he then built up his own VC-financed tech start-up and later worked as a start-up coach, where he led an incubator program for science-related start-ups.
Team Scouting
She is an economist, trained project manager (IAPM) and key account manager (Steinbeis).
Since 2018, she has been scouting and advising start-up projects & start-ups in the areas of business development, funding acquisition as well as sales and network development.
As Lead of Science & Scouting, she is the first point of contact for all early-stage offers from the Start-up Journey and is responsible for the acquisition of new start-up projects.
Isabel Schulze has been working for the Max Planck Foundation since 2021.
She is an economist, trained project manager (IAPM) and key account manager (Steinbeis).
Since 2018, she has been scouting and advising start-up projects & start-ups in the areas of business development, funding acquisition as well as sales and network development.
As Head of Science & Scouting, she is the first point of contact for all early-stage offers from the Start-up Journey and is responsible for the acquisition of new start-up projects.
He is a trained IT specialist and studied international business and management studies. His training took him to France, the Netherlands and Hungary, among other places.
After working for a successful start-up, he then built up his own VC-financed tech start-up and later worked as a start-up coach, where he led an incubator program for science-related start-ups.
Rafael Schwierz
Regional Scout for North Rhine-Westphalia
+49-(0)-151 1948 9893
rs@maxplanckfoundation.org
Rafael Schwierz has been working as a regional scout for North Rhine-Westphalia at the Max Planck Foundation since 2025.
He is a trained IT specialist and studied international business and management studies. His training took him to France, the Netherlands and Hungary, among other places.
After working for a successful start-up, he then built up his own VC-financed tech start-up and later worked as a start-up coach, where he led an incubator program for science-related start-ups.
She is responsible for the marketing activities and organization of the Start-up Initiative's various events.
She studied Communication Science and Intercultural Business Communication at the FSU Jena and Intercultural Communication and Competence at the TU Chemnitz.
Isabel Gorzitze has been working as an external employee for the Max Planck Foundation since 2024.
She is responsible for the marketing activities and organization of the Start-up Initiative’s various events.
She studied Communication Science and Intercultural Business Communication at the FSU Jena and Intercultural Communication and Competence at the TU Chemnitz.
She supports and organises the variety of events of the Start-up Initiative.
Janine completed a training and further education programme to become a retail sales specialist. She has several years of professional experience as a manager and trainer in retail and as an assistant in a medium-sized company.
Janine Bogott has been working as a project assistant at the Max Planck Foundation since 2025.
She supports and organises the variety of events of the Start-up Initiative.
Janine completed a training and further education programme to become a retail sales specialist. She has several years of professional experience as a manager and trainer in retail and as an assistant in a medium-sized company.