Fusion Bionic Spin-off Wins Fraunhofer Founder Award 2024

On February 19, 2025, the Fraunhofer Founder Award, endowed with 50,000 euros, was presented to the spin-off Fusion Bionic GmbH. The spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS impressed with its bio-inspired laser technology, creating a new standard in ultrafast surface processing for a wide range of industrial applications.

Surface technology is a driver of future innovation and crucial to the sustainability of products and processes, the reduction of negative environmental impacts and the pro-motion of resource efficiency. The high-tech start-up Fusion Bionic applies bio-inspired principles such as the lotus effect to technical surfaces using an ultra-fast laser process. The resulting bionic effects are based on extremely fine micro- and nanotextures that significantly improve the performance of surfaces and open up a wide range of innovative approaches in industries such as semiconductor technology, photovoltaics and glass.

Disruption through efficiency and precision

Fusion Bionic’s laser technology integrates seamlessly into existing manufacturing pro-cesses and brings nature-inspired structural designs directly onto surfaces. Surface engineering can make a decisive difference in performance for users: Photovoltaic modules, for example, gain self-cleaning properties, heat exchangers become more energy-efficient and PFAS-free textiles become water-repellent. Costly or environmentally problematic processes such as chemical etching, sandblasting or plasma can increasingly be replaced by Fusion Bionic’s innovative laser technology. As a result, companies can significantly increase their energy efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions and avoid environmentally harmful emissions.

Leading-edge research as an asset on the global market

Fusion Bionic’s solutions are based on direct laser interference patterning (DLIP), a high-speed laser technology up to 100 times faster than established methods. Fusion Bionic offers services spanning application development, technology training and contract manufacturing, as well as hardware solutions based on DLIP technology. In April 2021,Bionic GmbH was spun off from Fraunhofer IWS with a team of researchers led by Dr. Tim Kunze and experts from industry. It was supported by Fraunhofer Venture and Fraunhofer AHEAD in all phases of the founding process.
Just two months after its founding, the start-up was selected for the renowned Heraeus Accelerator program. Fusion Bionic’s customers now include well-known global companies, mainly from the glass and photovoltaic industries, semiconductor and medical technology as well as the automotive industry.
In 2022, Fusion Bionic was awarded the Ray of Hope Prize by the US Biomimicry Institute as one of the best nature-inspired start-ups worldwide. In the same year, it received further recognition in the form of the Saxon Start-up Award and 2nd place in the Innovation Award Laser Technology, jointly organized by AKL Arbeitskreis Lasertechnik e. V. and European Laser Institute ELI e. V.

Technology transfer as a symbiosis of research and progress

“Spin-offs offer the ideal opportunity for building a vibrant ecosystem centered on the research institute, from which start-ups and Fraunhofer will benefit in the long term. We are proud of our Fraunhofer roots and grateful for the support we have received from Fraunhofer IWS. The Founder Award motivates us more than ever to push for-ward with our vision: to work together in setting new standards for innovative surfaces and to develop completely new technological possibilities for companies. We very much look forward to continuing down this path with great energy,”

says Dr. Tim Kunze, CEO and co-founder of Fusion Bionic GmbH.

After the award ceremony, Thomas Doppelberger, Head of Spin-offs and Shareholdings (Fraunhofer Venture), emphasized the close connection between research and commercialization:

“The team of Fusion Bionic has clearly demonstrated how leading-edge research can turn into effective innovations for German and international industry in a short period of time. Merely a few years after its spin-off, Fusion Bionic is already setting new standards in surface technology, demonstrating the immense potential of technology transfer from research.”

“As a driver of innovation, Fraunhofer serves as an ideal catalyst for outstanding tech start-ups in Germany. Founders from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft benefit from strong start-up and financing conditions, which are made possible by the close partnership between HTGF and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft,”

says Dr. Alex von Frankenberg, Managing Director HTGF.

About the Fraunhofer Founder Award
The Fraunhofer Founder Award was created as part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s new spin-off and participation strategy and was awarded for the first time in 2016. It goes to a spin-off with an active, successful market presence that generates direct benefits for society through its products and services. With this award, Fraunhofer Venture and High-Tech Gründerfonds wish to honor outstanding start-up projects and promote spin-offs within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

About Fusion Bionic
Fusion Bionic uses a high-speed laser process to transfer bio-inspired mechanisms from lotus leaves or moth eyes to technical surfaces. The application of biomimetic functions has the potential to significantly increase individual surface performance and enable the next generation of products. Fusion Bionic’s solutions are based on direct laser in-terference patterning (DLIP), a high-speed laser technology up to 100 times faster than established methods. The high-speed functionalization via DLIP allows for the creation of high-performance surfaces with self-cleaning properties, reduced friction in tribological systems, improved adhesion, increased biocompatibility of implants, and more.
www.fusionbionic.com/

About Fraunhofer Venture
Fraunhofer Venture represents the central spin-off and stake management unit of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Through an extensive support program, it provides founders, start-ups, industry and investors with access to the cutting-edge technologies of the 76 Fraunhofer institutes, the Fraunhofer infrastructure and Fraunhofer expertise with over 7,600 patent families. Services provided by Fraunhofer Venture cover every aspect of support and advice — from the initial idea through to the founding of the company, from actively managing Fraunhofer shareholdings and assisting with the search for funding through to the potential sale of the company. www.fraunhoferventure.de

About Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Over 30,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual research budget of €2.9 billion. Fraunhofer generates €2.5 billion of this from contract research.

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds 
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing start-ups in the fields of Deep Tech, Industrial Tech, Climate Tech, Digital Tech, Life Sciences and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports start-ups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can participate significantly in later-stage financing rounds. Across its funds, HTGF has over 2 billion euros under management. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 770 start-ups and achieved almost 200 successful exits.  
Fund investors in the public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital as well as 45 companies and family offices.  
For more information, please visit HTGF.de or follow us on LinkedIn.