Incubation

At Zukunft.Gründen we accompany your in your success as close partners. Our incubation programs expert mentors will support to bring that idea to life in a sustainable way through tailored coaching programs. 

You will meet your mentors through biweekly calls and/or in person meetings (depending on the program) and on the side we will offer some capacity building programs to help you design sustainable and regenerative innovations and business models, impact plan, go to market strategy and launch plan. Thanks to our wide network of experts in Germany and at international level we will also support you getting advice on legal forms to start your business with, how to set up powerful marketing campaigns and we will connect you with the right partners and potential customers to validate your product and/or service.

Such capacity building programs and expert sessions may be organized monthly or weekly depending on the structure of the specific program.

In some cases we do offer some financial support to set up your startup idea. Check out the specific programs for this! 

We firmly believe that everyone can be an entrepreneur and that good ideas can become great with the right support. We will open programs for a wide variety of people. 

Our Zukunft.Gründer*innen program is sponsored by the Yunus&You Foundation and it focuses on young social business entrepreneurs, in particular Social Entrepreneurs or aspiring ones aged 18-35 based in Germany or interested in launching their social business in Germany.

Just fill in the form that you will find on the landing page ofeach program and share more about your social business or startup idea with us!It is highly appreciated if you can already share a pitch deck or websitepage. 

Financial support offered depends on the kind of program and on the partners involved. 

Thanks to some government funds, some of our programs offer an initial support to set up your idea that ranges from a monthly"Stipendium" ( a basic salary for the founding team) to some initial funds to launch your idea ( between €5k-€25k. 

Currently the only programs offering financial support are the ones carried out within our HfWU Startup Campus, check them out! 

Our Venture Studio may also decide to invest in your ideas if it carries a great potential for impact, scalability and profitability. Feel free to share your ideas with us at this link.

Applications for the Zukunft.Gründer*innen program are open until the 24th of January. In the meantime you can register to our newsletter to stay up to date here.

Usually, our incubation programs last between 6 and 9 months. 

For the Zukunft. Gründer*innen program - the mentoring program will start on 3rd of February 2025 and will end around the 30^th of May 2025 (4 months). 

Usually we take one month to evaluate applications and provide feedback.

We will evaluate how your startup will be aligned to the programs objective and values. The following criteria are taken into account when evaluating applicants:

Social & Environmental Impact

• Relevance of the Problem: does the business address a clear and pressing social or environmental issue?
• Scale of Impact: What is the potential for widespread positive impact (local, national, global)?
• Measureability: can the impact be tracked and measured effectively over time?
• Target Population: how well does the idea serve its intended beneficiaries or stakeholders?

Innovation

• Uniqueness: Is the solution innovative and distinctive?
• Problem-Solution Fit: Does the startup provide a solution that directly affect a problem in a new or effective way?
• Use of Technology: How effectively is technology leveraged, if at all, to enhance the solution?

Business Model & Sustainability:

• Financial Viability: Is there a clear path to financial sustainability? Are revenue streams realistic?
• Scalability: Can the business grow without a proportional increase in costs and is the idea scalable to different regions and markets?
• Cost efficiency: does the startup operate efficiently, ensuring that maximum value is delivered relative to costs?

Market Potential:

• Market Need: Is there a clear demand for the product or service? Is the market large enough to support growth?
• Competitive Landscape: How does the startup differentiate itself from competitors?
• Customer Acquisition: What is the strategy for acquiring customers or beneficiaries? Is it feasible?

Team & Execution Capability

• Team Expertise: Does the team have the relevant skills, experience and networks to execute the idea successfully?
• Commitment: How dedicated is the team to the mission and the growth of the business?
• Execution plan: is there a clear roadmap to achieve short term and long term goals?

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