Ensuring success with sustainable, lightweight materials

“We have a lot going on right now,” says Dr. Andreas Koch of Fibryx GmbH. The pre-production development of a pop-up roof for a caravan manufacturer is nearly complete: “We hope to begin series production in the fourth quarter.” Founded in July 2025, the company also collaborates with corporate clients to develop lightweight components for commercial vehicles, buses, and cranes. An engineer joined the team in May as the first full-time employee, with additional hires planned.

Conventional lightweight components used in automotive manufacturing are made of glass-fiber-reinforced plastics, which are difficult or impossible to recycle. The production process generates a lot of dust, which can cause skin and respiratory irritation. Fibryx produces materials with similar mechanical properties using natural fibers, and the manufacturing process is also less harmful to human health. Matthias Engelfried and Klaus Heudorfer developed the innovative manufacturing process – which improves the rapid and energy-efficient incorporation of bio-based plastics into flax fiber textiles – at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB). Koch joined the startup project in 2025, which at the time was still known by its working title, BEHtec. “I was drawn to the opportunity to help shape a startup and lead it to success,” says the business graduate. “What matters to me is that our products not only contribute to environmental protection and occupational safety, but also to strengthening industry in Germany and Europe.” After all, the entire value chain – from flax cultivation to the final product – is entirely European.

At every stage on the path to market readiness, the founders received intensive support from TTI, the University of Stuttgart Technology Transfer Initiative. “We continue to benefit from TTI’s experience and extensive network; for example, our coach advises us on communicating with investors,” said Koch. Fibryx is currently in the first funding round of the “Start-up BW Pre-Seed” program, which is run by the state-owned L-Bank and co-financed by private investors. TTI also supported the founders in 2023 with their successful application for funding through the exist research transfer program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Social Fund. “Our coach also lets us know about competitions. These are great opportunities to network with major companies, policymakers, and other startups.” In 2025, Fibryx won the “Bioeconomy Ideas Competition” organized by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Agriculture.

The facility space on the Vaihingen campus, where prototypes have been developed and tested since 2024, has now become too small for Fibryx. The founders were looking for a factory space covering several hundred square meters - and found what they were looking for in Neuhausen auf den Fildern, near Stuttgart. “We definitely wanted to stay in the Stuttgart area,” says Koch. “Not only are many of our customers and partners based here, but the region is also home to a wealth of expertise.” Thanks to Stuttgart’s strong plastics and supplier industry, the company can also recruit the skilled production workers that Fibryx will soon need.

Fibryx GmbH, founded by Matthias Engelfried, Klaus Heudorfer, and Dr. Andreas Koch, is on a growth trajectory: Since the startup was founded in the summer of 2025, the development of sustainable lightweight components for the automotive industry in collaboration with corporate clients has progressed to the point where the first product – a caravan roof – is set to enter mass production soon. Another milestone was the first round of funding under L-Bank’s “Start-up BW Pre-Seed” support program. The TTI at the University of Stuttgart has been supporting the entrepreneurs with advice and practical assistance for about three years and will also be acting as an investor in the future.

Start-up Stories
Our "Start-up stories" series presents further success stories about founders from the University of Stuttgart solving social challenges through their start-ups.