From San Francisco to New Delhi: The global network for innovation

Q. Zahar Barth-Manzoori and Arthur Rapp, the US and India both boast dynamic start-up ecosystems. When you compare the two countries, what have they got in common, and what are the differences?

Zahar Barth-Manzoori: What both countries have in common is that their innovation ecosystems would be nowhere near as dynamic if they didn’t have powerful scientific foundations. In the Bay Area and in India, many new companies emerge out of outstanding research. The two countries are also focusing their work on very similar areas that will be critical to our futures, such as AI, climate tech, health and med tech, mobility and digital infrastructure. The biggest difference is in the logic of the two ecosystems. Venture capital and deep-tech spin-offs have a huge presence in the Bay Area. There’s more capital moving around here than on any other continent, and radical new technologies play a key role, often emerging from tech companies and top universities.

Arthur Rapp: By contrast, India is a huge and highly heterogenous country. It’s also a market where price is a major factor, where solutions need to work across many different contexts, in different languages, in a range of income brackets and through widely varying infrastructure. The result is that innovation takes on a different focus, where alongside high tech there’s also an emphasis on affordable accessible technologies that make a social impact in areas such as climate protection, improving healthcare, opening up access to education and fighting poverty. That’s one of the reasons why the Indian government is providing targeted funding for start-ups.

Q. Your work includes connecting German start-ups with the innovation ecosystems in your respective countries, and initiating a learning process. How well is that going?

Aadishree Jamkhedkar: To start with, we should say we’re not here to help established start-ups get a foothold in the market in the conventional sense. Above all, we work with teams based in science and academia in an early phase of the start-up process. We facilitate networks and programmes for co-creation, joint technology development and technology transfer. We also support teams who are looking for co-founders. In formats such as Innovators Connect – Tandem we bring together 30 German and Indian researchers and founder teams every year. Through the programme we provide intensive mentoring, opportunity for collaborative product development and tailored matchmaking with co-founders, incubators and deep-tech investors.

Zahar Barth-Manzoori: It’s similar for us in that we don’t act as incubators, either. We help participants gain access to the US market and find partners. It was a deliberate choice to focus our programmes on the initial stages, so we work with early-stage teams and researchers who are only just starting to think like entrepreneurs. Here in San Francisco, for example, we offer the GUILD Women in Entrepreneurship programme. Every year, we organise an online entrepreneurship academy to assist 100 women from the German science system and then bring ten finalists to San Francisco.

Q. How do women benefit from taking part?

Zahar Barth-Manzoori: It’s just one example, but one founder from the most recent series said it was the first time that she had really represented her firm as its CEO, and that she no longer concealed herself behind her role as a scientist. Even if we only contributed one percent of that, it’s a success. In future, we want to bring together the alumni of DWIH programmes for a gathering in Germany. Teaching intercultural competences is another very important part of our job. Many people underestimate the cultural differences between Germany and the US. What we’re trying to do is to share our experience and recommend ways to establish more contacts.

Q. Aadishree Jamkhedkar, how would you say participants benefit from your programmes at DWIH New Delhi?

Aadishree Jamkhedkar: The participants get in-depth insights into India’s research, innovation and start-up ecosystem. They also get an opportunity to network with stakeholders from innovation, industry and academia, which helps them access international expertise at an early stage. Networks are also being established in India and Germany, as more than 15 transfer centres and incubators from both countries are actively involved in the programme. This programme has inspired many researchers to found their own start-ups.

Q. Do you also work with partners within the DWIH network?

Aadishree Jamkhedkar: The DWIH network is essential. Depending on the context, we refer interested persons to other DWIH locations. One example of how we collaborate is from 2023, when DWIH New Delhi was closely involved in India’s G20 Presidency, which included co-chairing the International Alliances of the G20 Startup Engagement Group. Then in 2024, Brazil took over the G20 Presidency, so naturally we shared our experiences and contacts with our colleagues at DWIH São Paulo. One story that I find particularly impressive is that of the young Indian scientist Dr Komali Valishetti, who completed her PhD in Germany and participated in the Innovators Connect – Tandem programme in India – her home country. From that, the GUILD Women in Entrepreneurship programme helped her take the idea she had developed in India over to San Francisco, where her successes included wins in start-up competitions. Since then, she has been awarded two founder scholarships from the German EXIST programme and has co-founded a successful start-up in Berlin.

Q. What can young researchers learn in the countries and regions where you are based?

Arthur Rapp: Above all, programme participants from Germany learn to think on a different scale. The market here is huge, diverse and highly competitive. German participants also get to experience an ecosystem that is highly dynamic and very open to taking risks. In India, there are over 200,000 registered start-ups, and in 2025 alone, over 44,000 start-ups were registered – more than in any previous year. In turn, Indian teams profit from the methodical approach to work and structure from Germany. This blend of speed, scalability and systematic preparation is a key learning benefit. All this is supplemented by intercultural training, in which participants learn how to be realistic in their expectations and build sustainable partnerships.

Zahar Barth-Manzoori: At the heart of it all is an entrepreneurial mindset in which you understand who you are developing for, what the benefits of your idea are and how to communicate those benefits clearly. The people who come here to learn how to communicate complex research clearly in three minutes benefit hugely in terms of their self-confidence in their professional lives. Many researchers come to us with more than one idea, and we help them focus their efforts. Mentoring plays an important role in our programmes, and we take great care to find the perfect partner. The more specific you are when matchmaking, the more helpful it is.

Q. Looking three to five years ahead, how do you think the start-up landscape is going to change, and what role will your Centres have to play in that?

Zahar Barth-Manzoori: Our work is becoming increasingly strategic, extending well beyond the task of building networks. Our role is no longer just to build bridges in the conventional sense. We need to be seeking out which stakeholders we can bring together in the right constellations. As for the future of the start-up scene, internationality and diversity are its lifeblood – almost half of all start-ups are founded by young people from other countries. However, both aspects are under pressure. The Bay Area has always been a place for people who think differently and challenge the status quo. That’s not going to change. However, the changing political landscape is certainly having an impact on start-ups.

Arthur Rapp: Over the next few years, India will see continued growth in its economic and geopolitical significance, as demonstrated by the free trade agreement signed recently between India and the EU. Another recent example of this growing importance is India hosting the AI Summit late February – the first country outside Europe to do so. These are clear signs of how the country is increasingly valued as a global driver of innovation. At DWIH New Delhi, we will closely observe these developments and support them wherever we can. Looking at Indian start-ups, we have observed an increasing trend towards co-creation and technology transfer. Ultimately, it is about networking and sharing knowledge as widely as possible – and hopefully wonderful things will emerge from it.

This interview is part of the Annual Report 2025 of the global network of DWIHs. Access the full report here.