Stephanie Pfeil-Coenen

From Lab to Market

The core message of this session was that German research can move from lab results to marketable products faster when scientific impact is treated as the goal and entrepreneurship, team matching, and ecosystem support are used as the route. The moderator framed the problem as a persistent gap: groundbreaking research in Germany often remains between “a great idea” and “an invoice.” Stephanie Pfeil-Coenen’s company, Phaeosynt, was presented as the practical counterexample: a biotech spin-off from Hannover producing diagnostic antibodies in algae instead of animals or animal cell culture, with a product already available in drugstores. Stephanie explained that antibodies are central to diagnostic tests such as COVID and pregnancy tests, because they make the visible test lines possible. Phaeosynt’s specific contribution is a new production system using algae, which enabled the team to develop what she called the world’s first vegan pregnancy test by replacing animal components with plant-based proteins while keeping the same function and accuracy. The product is listed in major drugstores in Germany and Austria, including DM and BIPA, and the team is preparing market entries in the UK and France. The moderator highlighted this as a rare case of research becoming a certified product on shelves in record time. The discussion then turned to what makes spin-offs attractive and possible for researchers. Judit Klein argued that the starting point should be the “why”: researchers want to create impact, and entrepreneurship can amplify that impact by reaching wider audiences and tackling major challenges. Nora Hesse described Lower Saxony’s entrepreneurship audit at universities as one lever for cultural change, aiming for every student and PhD student to learn something about entrepreneurship, whether or not they ultimately become founders. She emphasized that many researchers want to remain researchers, making it important to match them with business-oriented people who can build and manage a company. Stephanie’s founding story illustrated that point directly: Phaeosynt has three founders, two scientists and Stephanie on the commercial and fundraising side. She met her co-founders through the university’s founding service, then spent a long time learning how to bridge scientific and business working styles. Scientists wanted to analyze every scenario, while the business side needed pragmatic decisions and forward motion. Accelerators helped the team become more honest, goal-focused, and faster in decision-making. Judit then described ZOLLHOF’s work with research teams in pre-incubation, stressing that technology alone is not a business model; teams must identify who pays, who uses the solution, and which stakeholders influence decisions. Nora closed by outlining Lower Saxony’s continued policy and platform work, including a renewed Higher Education Act, entrepreneurship education strategy, and the InnoMatch platform with a matching function for startups, partners, and investors.