About us
Cube 5 accompanies and supports founders and startups in the fields of IT security and future communication systems (6G) at every stage of development.
Cube 5 is based at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security and the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr-Universität and is located in the university’s own Worldfactory Start-up Center (WSC). The focus of Cube 5 is on supporting spin-offs from research with prospects for success in the B2B sector.
From the idea to business model development and company establishment: Cube 5 supports young entrepreneurs with startup expertise, suitable offers and sustainable programs in every phase. A highly developed local and international ecosystem of companies and institutions in the fields of IT security and future communication systems provides the ideal breeding ground for innovative business ideas and young companies.
The Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security and Cube 5 can look back on a long tradition of founding companies: Over 20 successful companies have been founded in 20 years of the institute’s history. Cybersecurity startup champions such as ESCRYPT, Edgeless Systems, VMRay oder PHYSEC prove that Bochum and the entire Ruhr metropolitan region have developed into one of the most important hubs for the German and European IT security startup scene in recent years.
Cube 5 is part of the StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect funding programs of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
StartUpSecure
As one of four locations in Germany, Cube 5 supports highly innovative start-up projects and start-ups from the scientific context of IT security nationwide in the “StartUpSecure” funding program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Specially developed formats – e.g. the “inCUBE” incubator for early-stage startup teams – expand the portfolio.
As one of four locations in Germany, Cube 5 supports highly innovative entrepreneurial projects and startups from the scientific context of IT security nationwide in the StartUpSecure funding program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). On December 1, 2017, Cube 5 was launched alongside the Darmstadt (StartUpSecure ATHENE), Saarbrücken (CISPA) and Karlsruhe (KASTEL) locations as a start-up incubator in the field of IT security under the StartUpSecure initiative. Cube 5 was officially launched on May 9, 2018 on the premises of ESCRYPT, one of the first spin-offs at the HGI. The first funding was provided in the context of the research framework program „Selbstbestimmt und sicher in der digitalen Welt 2015-2020“. Cube 5 will be funded with 1.5 million euros until 2024. This second, three-year funding phase is also intended to establish and consolidate Cube 5 as a permanent institution beyond 2024.
StartUpConnect
With the StartUpConnect funding measure, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been supporting startups in the field of modern and future communication technologies since November 2023. The funding measure is embedded in the research program on communication systems “Souverän. Digital. Vernetzt.” and the BMBF’s overarching flagship initiative “Hyperconnectivity”.
Cube 5 is therefore part of the “6GEMCubator” research incubator, one of four projects across Germany aimed at transferring innovative communication technologies such as 6G mobile technologies into applications.
