Turning Basic Research into Startup Success
Nikita Kudakov and Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann are excited about their successful participation in the MAX!mize Bootcamp. (Photo: MPI for Empirical Aesthetics / L. Bittner)
Many ideas born in research have the potential to become successful business models. But very few researchers are also entrepreneurs. The MAX!mize startup program supports scientists at the Max Planck Society in transforming their research into marketable products. It teaches entrepreneurial skills and accompanies the journey from the idea to the startup in three steps:
After a successful application, candidates receive an invitation to the “boot camp”, where the startup idea is examined and finally presented to a jury. If the jury's verdict is positive, the first phase begins, in which the idea is validated and a product strategy is developed. In the subsequent second phase, selected participants receive further targeted support and funding to implement their idea.
Nikita Kudakov, a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and his project partners successfully participated in this year's boot camp at the end of February 2025. The team consisting of seven members from different institutions, including the University of Vienna and the MPIEA, convinced the jury with the concept of their project called ‘Great Gig Group’. At the beginning of March, they received confirmation of their participation in the first phase, along with 50,000 euros in funding.
The core idea of the Great Gig Group is to give advice to vocal musicians and DJs with a focus on their live performances.
“Even extremely talented singers or rappers sometimes find it difficult to connect with their audience on stage. This is where we come in,” says Kudakov, who also performs as a rapper under the stage name Coodiny.
While there are already consulting services available from other providers, the project team’s analysis so far has shown that most competitors focus on general performance coaching or classical musicians, neglecting the challenges and specific needs of rap and DJ artists.
Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann, MPIEA Director and Senior Consultant on the project, explains: “Our program is based on four pillars, including the development of an AI-based app that can be used to analyze live performances in a scientifically sound way. This will allow us to combine the theoretical and practical results of our previous research.”
The program also aims to support artists through coaching on live and online performance, as well as networking events.
In addition to the artists themselves, the Great Gig Group will also target music labels. In the future, the program may be extended to other groups such as presenters, stand-up comedians or politicians. In the coming months, the project team will refine the product strategy—ideally laying the groundwork for phase two.
The project team consists of the following members: Nikita Kudakov (MPIEA), Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann (MPIEA), Christoph Reuter (University of Vienna), Alexander Gretschann, Pavel Metelitsyn, Alex Emmer, and Florian Kirschenhofer.