Michael Baum, Founder and former CEO of Splunk, and Andreas Loy, Founder and former CEO of KONUX, team up to support the next generation of innovators with $100K in funding, an immersive experience, and mentoring from founders of $B+ companies.
The Yope Foundation, formerly Founder.org, unveils its new mission and opens applications for its 2025 program at www.yope.org/apply. Yope’s mission is to support young innovators in building ventures that ignite positive global change. What sets the organization apart is its commitment to technology and the well-being of the people behind it. By fostering deep technological advancements aligned with a greater sense of purpose and responsibility for people and the planet, Yope is reshaping the future of innovation and entrepreneurship.
“We’re creating better futures by empowering the next generation of innovators who are thinking beyond profit — encouraging new, conscious leaders who want to leverage radical technologies for lasting change,” said Michael Baum, Co-founder & CEO of Yope. Baum was previously the Founder & CEO of Big Data pioneer Splunk SPLK, acquired by Cisco Systems CSCO) earlier this year for $28B.
The story of Yope’s mission comes full circle with Andreas Loy, Yope’s Co-founder and Chief Consciousness Officer, who was one of its first beneficiaries. At 23, he founded KONUX, a deep tech venture from the TUM Technische Universität München that uses AI to revolutionize rail transportation by collecting and analyzing multi-sensor data to automate predictive maintenance, improving safety and on-time performance.
Now rejoining Michael as a co-founder, Andreas leads the development of Yope’s new Superpowers accelerator program. “I’m honored to give back by helping create a holistic program for the next generation of innovators,” said Loy. The one-year program delivers money, an immersive experience for personal and business growth, and mentoring by serial entrepreneurs who genuinely care. “But that’s just the start; we also provide tools and strategies for balancing the demands of entrepreneurship with personal well-being, ensuring founders build successful impact companies and develop resilience as conscious leaders,” Loy added.
Since its inception in 2013, Yope has helped more than 500 founders, many of whom have created transformative technologies in healthcare, energy, and the environment. Yope’s university partnerships span leading institutions across Europe and the United States, including KTH, MIT, Oxford University, Stanford University, and TUM. These collaborations have generated over 125 ventures, creating positive global change.
Helmut Schönenberger, CEO of UnternehmerTUM, praised Yope's approach. "Michael and Andreas are two of the most dynamic entrepreneurs I know. Their focus on growing the next generation of conscious innovators is a rare opportunity for young founders to work alongside those who have been there and done it. It’s extraordinary to witness their dedication.”
Several companies that began their journey with Yope have become significant industry players. Eko Health, started at UC Berkeley and led by Connor Landgraf, is a leader in AI- powered stethoscopes transforming cardiovascular diagnostics. ICEYE, founded at Aalto University in Helsinki, provides real-time monitoring of natural disasters through its global network of SAR satellites. RapidSOS, began at Harvard and has modernized the 911 system by allowing emergency responders to access critical medical and contact data directly from Android and Apple smartphones. These companies have grown from university startups into global scaleups, demonstrating the power of Yope’s support.
"Yope provided the guidance and network we needed to scale and realize our vision to transform how heart problems are detected and managed,” said Connor Landgraf, CEO of Eko Health. “It’s much more than 12 months at Yope; it’s a relationship. You continue to learn, grow, and get mentored by the same people who supported you from the start. The Yope team were our first believers and deeply understand the lifecycle of building a company — from the challenges to the triumphs.”
Yope empowers the next generation of innovators to build ventures that ignite positive global change with breakthrough technologies and envisions a world where conscious innovation is the standard, elevating lives and improving the health of our planet. What sets Yope apart is the commitment to both technology and the well-being of the people behind it. In partnership with universities, promising startups are identified and supported with $100K in funding, a year-long Superpowers accelerator program, and mentoring from founders of billion-dollar companies. Since 2013, Yope has graduated 500+ alumni and launched 125 ventures that have raised over $2.5B to drive positive change. Apply for the 2025 program at www.yope.org/apply.
Hans-Juergen Croissant
Spokesperson
press@yope.org
