Innokite at MXT Groningen 2026: From foundations to accelerations

MXT Groningen is an annual innovation and entrepreneurship conference that brings together founders, researchers, students, and ecosystem partners from across the Northern Netherlands. The 2026 edition was a meaningful moment of reflection and progress for founders and innovators across the region.

For Innokite, MXT marked an important milestone: celebrating one year since we first presented Innokite at the MXT conference in 2025!  

In this article we want to reflect on MXT Groningen 2026, focusing on the Launch Game by Founded: researcher edition event and its relevance for the early-stage entrepreneurial researchers. It also shares what one year of building Innokite has taught us about learning, iteration, and founder communities.

How MXT Groningen creates impact

MXT Groningen continues to be a place where innovation, entrepreneurship, and community come together. It’s not only about showcasing ideas, but about creating space for founders to test assumptions, connect with others, and learn from experience.

MXT (Move Forward with Tech) is an annual cross-tech conference held during ESNS in Groningen. It brings together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and tech enthusiasts to explore how technology can drive real progress.

By connecting people across sectors and industries, MXT:

• creates space for collaboration, innovation, and fresh ideas
• helps turn technological change into sustainable opportunities, and
• fosters progress by moving society forward with tech.

The Launch Game at MXT: What’s it all about

The Launch Game is a fast-paced startup simulation at MXT Groningen. It helps participants practice decision-making, prioritization, and collaboration under time pressure.

During MXT Groningen 2026, Innokite took part in the Launch Game: Researcher edition, organized by Founded. The session reflected real-world startup dynamics, including:

• limited information,
• competing priorities, and
• the need to act before everything feels “ready.”

The focus was on turning research knowledge into real-world impact through hands-on learning, practical examples, and honest stories from experienced founders.

From academic research to entrepreneurship: Key insights

Participants also heard from three researchers who are actively building companies and creating societal impact through their work:

• Giovanni Maglia - Portal Biotech, transforming proteomics through single-molecule detection
• Hedderik van Rijn - MemoryLab, e-learning providers
• Romana Schirhagl - QT Sense, medical equipment manufactory

They shared their journeys from academic research to entrepreneurship, focusing on:

• identifying real-world problems,
• defining target groups, and
• navigating the space between academia and society.

After the talks, participants worked in small teams to explore how research can be translated into meaningful applications. With guidance from experts in innovation, intellectual property, funding, and valorization, teams tested ideas and experienced the realities of building a startup from research.

Why the Launch Game matters for researchers

The Launch Game highlighted a few key takeaways:

• Thinking clearly under pressure and prioritizing what matters most
• Collaborating effectively within short timeframes
• Making informed decisions and adapting quickly

Being surrounded by ambitious founders underscored the strength of the local startup ecosystem and the value of learning together. Insights from founders and ecosystem builders reinforced a core lesson: early progress isn’t about perfect plans, but about learning fast, testing assumptions, and adjusting course.

One year after launching Innokite at MXT: What changed for Innokite

One year after launching Innokite at MXT 2025, we’ve learned that growth is rarely linear. What makes the difference is consistency, openness to feedback, and the willingness to keep iterating.

MXT Groningen 2026 marked exactly one year since our launch. It pushed us to clearly define our vision and invite feedback early on. It also served as both a checkpoint and a reminder: there’s always more to learn.

Since last year, Innokite has evolved through iteration, testing, and continuous learning. We’re still early in the journey, but further along than we were. And that’s worth celebrating.

What’s next for Innokite after MXT 2026

Innokite launched with a clear goal: to build a community-led, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship programme built around founders’ real needs. Year one was about building the foundation. Year two is about acceleration.

So far, more than 100 participants have joined our incubation, bursts, courses, and events. From new startup ideas and community events to strong partnerships, year one made a real impact.

As our manager Richard Rushby summed it up: “Programmes don’t build ecosystems, people do.”

6 key focus areas for the next phase:

• InnoLaunch: a guided mini-burst at the start of Incubation
• New Acceleration Bursts: Health / MedTech and Licensing-first
• More connected theme workshops (e.g. early go-to-market)
•  Founder-led AMAs, including international perspectives
• Expanded co-founder support with Founded.in
• A pilot platform linking students & Innokite startup internships

Year two is all about acceleration. Together!

Want to be part of a dynamic community of impact-driven founders and researchers? Join our incubator!