10 Startup Programs in Germany
ClimAccelerator
The ClimAccelerator is a global program that helps startups advance the potential of their climate solutions by providing access to innovation, seed funding and scaling. The goal is to discover and promote new ways of carbon reduction. The ClimAccelerator program offers different thematic and location-based programs that support startups individually. Within the programs, professional resources, knowledge and a network are available for the startup to successfully launch and scale the solution. In addition, the startups receive customized coaching, mentoring, and peer-to-peer learning. They can also benefit from financial support, a global network of industry, education and research partners, access to various investment opportunities such as the ClimAccelerator marketplace and several more benefits. In doing so, the program offers support at different stages of maturity and could therefore also help your company move forward if you want to create a climate-positive new normal with your business.
ProVeg Incubator
The ProVeg Incubator program is the world’s leading incubator for plant-based and cultured food startups. The goal of this program is to shape the future of food and reduce the consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040. This will be done by supporting the companies that develop alternatives to animal products, ingredients and services. Within a 3-month program, startups will receive, among other things, one-on-one, personalized mentoring, help marketing their idea, industry and investor contacts, and access to coworking and event space. They can also expect up to €200,000 in funding for research and development, product development, and travel and relocation expenses. ProVeg Incubator was founded in 2018 and has already supported more than 45 startups worldwide focused on animal-free products and food tech.
Sozialinnovator Hessen
Sozialinnovator Hessen is a funding program that was established in 2020. This program is funded by the Hessian Ministry of Economics and is operated by the Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany (SEND). The funding program is aimed at people who want to establish a social enterprise in Hesse or to advance their already established foundation. One goal of this program is to support the willingness to start up within the social entrepreneurship community. Participants receive start-up and expert advice, have access to coworking spaces, can take part in further training for start-up advisors or attend various workshops and different events to network. In addition, the program offers comprehensive legal, financial and marketing support. Care is taken to ensure that the individual needs of your idea are supported and promoted in depth.
Music WorX Accelerator
Music WorX Accelerator is the first publicly funded program focused on startups in the music and technology sector. This includes, for example, technological innovations such as direct-to-fan services, new licensing models, blockchain-based business models or music data analysis tools. The aim of the program is to promote viable business concepts to lead the music industry into the digital future. In doing so, the program supports companies in the early stages of idea generation. The funded companies, along with up to three other teams, receive three months of financial support, individually tailored training, coaching, workshop offerings, networking, and access to flexible coworking space. In addition, the founders receive networking opportunities, close contacts from Music WorX to labels, publishers, media and international events.
European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Bavaria
The European Space Agency Business Incubation Centra Bavaria (ESA BIC Bavaria) consists of three locations and is part of a Europe-wide network of ESA business incubation centers. The goal of the program is to integrate space technology into the economy. Support is provided to startups using space-based technologies with the goal of creating sustainable innovations. The companies receive business and marketing support, mentoring, an office, direct access to space technology and infrastructure, technical facilities, expert advice and financial support. Financial support includes €50,000, which startups receive in cash and split between product development and operating costs. In addition, it is possible for startups to take out a loan of €50,000. The program was founded in 2009 and has since supported more than 180 startups in their idea development.
EIT Health Medtech Bootcamp
Do you have an innovative idea in the field of medical technology and healthcare? Then the EIT Health Medtech Bootcamp is exactly the right program for you and your idea. This program is one of the largest health initiatives in the world and offers intensive support to ten participants per round for five weeks. Among other things, the startups receive support by being provided with various tools and networking with contacts. In addition, help is provided to identify the best strategic market. In addition, the program helps provide an overview of medical device law and clinical validation. Finally, the five-week program ends with an innovation pitch night, for which the teams are intensively prepared.
Start4Chem at Worldfactory
Start4Chem at Worldfactory promotes founders from the university. The aim is to support researchers from the chemical sector and define results for their research and development and make them usable for the market. All researchers from the fields of chemistry, biochemistry or with a further chemistry connection (service) are addressed. The program offers support to participants, for example in the form of mentoring programs, networking at events, start-up advice, funding and a maker space. Another highlight is the “Female Academic Entrepreneurs” program, in which female founders in particular are challenged and encouraged. The program has already received an award as one of six startup centers in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
startport
startport is an innovation-oriented program for logistics startups. The goal of the startport program is to find ambitious logistics solutions to change the industry sustainably and to advance the effective use of new technologies. In the process, participants are brought together with established companies, receive workshops and take part in investor conferences, partner days and other events. The goal is to connect teams with potential partners, customers and investors.
GO! Start-Up Zentrum
Since spring 2018, the GO! Start-Up Zentrum Oldenburg has been supporting startups in the fields of digitalization, energy, health, sustainability and artificial intelligence. The program offers startups the opportunity to participate in a 6-month program 2 times a year (in March and in September). In the process, the teams are supported with intensive coaching. In addition, participants receive 24/7 access to coworking space, weekly workshops on various topics, such as business model development or finance, and access to modern office infrastructure. In addition to these supports, the teams receive coaching offers and know-how through collaboration with experts from a wide range of fields. Furthermore, the startups benefit from the targeted exchange with various startups and experienced entrepreneurs, access to the network of companies, associations and universities and the GO! community.
In addition to the program, the GO! Start-UP Center offers support with the NBank start-up scholarship. This is the Lower Saxony start-up scholarship and is aimed at individual founders or start-up teams of up to three people. This scholarship provides financial freedom for eight months. The amount of funding is €2,000 per month and €1,000 for students.
APX
The APX program invests in early-stage startups with the support of Axel Springer and Porsche. The aim of Springer and Porsche is to become long-term partners of the startups. Support is given to founding teams that build startups with digital business models. In doing so, APX is looking for diverse teams that want to lead, execute and win. Specifically, the founding teams will receive financial support in the form of venture development with a focus on a six-week venture development sprint to improve your potential for follow-on funding. In addition, startups can expect support in the areas of B2B customer discovery and sales, digital marketing, and mental health. In addition, founding teams gain access to the APX team and resources, where access to extensive online and offline resources, the APX network, mentors, and campus is ensured. Founded in 2018, the program.
Summary
There are many different startup programs that focus on a wide variety of areas. The programs offer specialized funding opportunities for the respective industry or target group. In addition, most programs have a fixed funding period of a few weeks to several months. This is also reflected in the internal offerings, as each program offers startups different focus areas that are individually tailored to them. The financial support ranges from a few to several thousand euros.
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