My overview
Villum Foundation, Innovation Fund Denmark and Denmark’s eight universities join forces to put more research into play in society.
How do we ensure that more of Denmark’s best research finds its way into society in the form of new solutions, jobs and companies?
That is the focal point of Spin‑outs Denmark, which is now entering a new five‑year phase with up to DKK 90 million in total funding from Villum Foundation and Innovation Fund Denmark, plus a further approx. DKK 25 million from a consortium of Denmark’s eight universities.
From research to new companies
The initiative was launched in 2021 as a nationwide collaboration between the Danish universities and Villum Foundation, with the aim of giving researchers better opportunities to turn their knowledge into research‑based companies. The results have been striking. Of the 55 researchers funded in total, 20 have taken the next step and established companies that have already attracted investment and additional research funding.
Now the effort is set to be scaled up further.
– Spin‑outs Denmark was created to support early‑career researchers who combine a clear idea rooted in excellent research with the courage to take on company formation and the commercialisation of their research results. With the new funding, we can build on the experience gained in the first years and strengthen our efforts to develop the next generation of research‑based entrepreneurs, says Søren E. Frandsen, chairman of the steering committee behind Spin‑outs Denmark.
Greater scale and stronger collaboration
In the new phase, up to 82 grants will be awarded to researchers at Danish universities. At the same time, Innovation Fund Denmark joins the collaboration and contributes experience in early commercialisation through its Innoexplorer programme.
– Through the collaboration, we strengthen the link between strong research and direct societal impact. The interplay with Spin‑outs Denmark gives more people the opportunity to develop the entrepreneurial skills that can be crucial to taking their research further. The goal is to increase the impact of the fund’s investments and help ensure that more research‑based companies create value in society, says Innovation Fund Denmark CEO Cecilie Brøkner.
According to Villum Foundation, the broad collaboration is crucial:
– The programme has shown how much can be achieved when universities work closely together on research‑based innovation. Together with Innovation Fund Denmark and the universities, we are now strengthening the overall effort to put more basic research into play for the benefit of society. It is not only about more funding, but also greater coherence in the innovation system, says Thomas Bjørnholm, Director of Research at Villum Foundation.
The new phase will also focus on creating a more diverse innovation environment, with the aim of increasing the number of female research‑based entrepreneurs. This will include a targeted focus on the barriers in the processes where ideas are pitched, assessed and funded.
Spin‑outs Denmark continues as a collaboration between all eight Danish universities.
Facts
- 2021-2026: 55 one‑year postdoc grants have been awarded to researchers from Denmark’s eight universities
- 20 of the funded researchers have established companies based on their research, which together have attracted approx. DKK 180 million in funding and investments for the further development of their companies
- In 2025, Spin‑outs Denmark received the ASTP European Impact of the Year Award
- With new funding of up to DKK 90 million – including DKK 42 million from Villum Foundation, up to DKK 46 million from Innovation Fund Denmark and approx. DKK 25 million from the universities – the initiative is being scaled up by around 50%.