Many innovative research ideas fail not because of a lack of quality, but at the transition from research to application. This is precisely where ProValid comes in: a funding program that helps researchers overcome the notorious “valley of death” - the phase in which results are promising but still too intangible for investors. ProValid bridges this gap and accelerates the path of innovations toward market readiness.
The program was developed by Humboldt-Innovation GmbH in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Energy, Economics and Public Enterprises, as well as the IBB Business Team. What began as a successful pilot project has since become a state-level funding scheme. HI Managing Director Volker Hofmann sums it up succinctly: ProValid specifically addresses the funding gap between basic and applied research: quickly, unbureaucratically, and tailored to the needs of the scientific community.
The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by a pilot project led by HU professor Christoph Arenz. His team developed a novel diagnostic method for the rare genetic disease ASMD. “ProValid has moved us forward significantly,” says Arenz, “because applied research of this kind is otherwise rarely funded.” Similar successes have been achieved by projects such as a rapid mastitis test or a therapeutic approach for Long Covid that are concrete examples of the enormous breadth of research at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
What ProValid offers: up to €140,000 per project for feasibility studies, prototypes, market and patent research, and business model development. The aim is to validate research, achieve market readiness, and pave the way for investments, spin-offs, or patents. In doing so, ProValid directly contributes to the Open Humboldt mission: connecting science, business, and society.
Apply now: Researchers can submit their project proposals until 15 February 2026.