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Philipp Sinn did some research and quickly discovered that he wasn’t the first to have this idea. But he was the first to come up with a way to implement it that was as robust as possible, using a floating point absorber and linear generator. He wrote several patents, paid for them privately, but didn’t really get anywhere. So he decided to do his doctorate at TUM and continue tinkering with his idea, alongside his consulting job. “The opportunities at TUM are excellent. If you have good ideas and are hard-working, this is the right place to be, because you can develop in any direction,” says Philipp Sinn today.

From UnternehmerTUM to millions in funding

During his doctoral studies, he gave a lecture on his dissertation topic and came into contact with Dr. Lothar Stein, initiator of the Munich Business Plan Competition, who recommended the UnternehmerTUM start-up center to him. Through UnternehmerTUM’s start-up consulting services, Philipp Sinn received his first funding, and later millions in support from EXIST Research Transfer, an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. SINN Power was able to get started, and Philipp Sinn put as much time as possible into his company. “When you’re self-employed, you simply have to work hard; that’s the only secret to long-term success,” he says.

Markus Söder approved: “An awesome story”

Since then, the TUM Alumnus has stood on a raft with Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder, advised former Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck as part of the SME Advisory Council, and built PV systems for golf clubs, sewage treatment plants, schools, and town halls, either floating, as conveyor belts, or on roofs. “My goal is to maximize local energy supply economically,” he says.

In October 2025, SINN Power opened the world’s first vertically floating PV system in Gilching, and even Markus Söder came to visit: 2,600 vertical solar modules floating on a quarry pond, storm-resistant, environmentally friendly, and smart. Due to its orientation, the system mainly produces electricity in the morning and afternoon, i.e., at times when there is usually too little energy available in the grid.

“It’s just an awesome story,” said Söder, “absolute self-fulfillment,” says Philipp Sinn. Three years have passed since the initial idea, and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. At one point, all the cables on the construction site were run over, but little by little, the first prototypes were launched in various ponds, and row after row of modules appeared in the quarry pond. By October, everything was in place, or rather, floating in place. Philipp Sinn still remembers looking down from the hill at the finished power plant. “It worked out well,” he thought to himself. “I always wanted to create a long-term improvement for the environment and people.”

Mentoring at TUM: Part of a sustainable strategy for Philipp Sinn

For Philipp Sinn, this also includes educating young people. For several years, he has been involved as a mentor for TUM students, giving tips on self-employment and encouraging them to believe in themselves: “No one else will bring you happiness; you have to take that into your own hands, but you can do it,” he says.

He remains in close contact with TUM, because research and development never stops when it comes to sustainability. Students from various departments—mechanical and electrical engineering—regularly come to his company for internships or write their theses at SINN Power. “I am surrounded by talented engineers, and we enjoy bringing innovation to the world” – from the Greek Mediterranean to Bavarian quarry lakes.