These are the new funding programs for start-ups

Attention start-ups from North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria: NRW Bank and Rhein-Kreis-Neuss are expanding their start-up funding. There are also two new funding programs in the Munich region.

The new year begins with some new funding for start-ups. We have picked out a few:

"NRW Bank Start-up and Growth": funding also available for part-time founders

Start-ups can apply for loans of up to ten million euros for a term of five to twenty years under NRW Bank's new "Start-up and Growth" funding program. Part-time founders can also take advantage of NRW Bank's offer. North Rhine-Westphalian companies that have been on the market for more than five years can also use the financing to expand into other federal states or abroad.

In the new development program, NRW Bank is combining the "Start-up Loan" and "SME Loan" loans that expired at the end of 2021. "We are expanding the financing options for both young and established companies in our state so that they can realize their ideas," says NRW Bank Managing Board member Gabriela Pantring. "We are creating additional investment incentives, particularly through the particularly favorable interest rates for start-ups and young companies that have been active on the market for less than five years." Further information can be found here.

Accelerate_rkn aims to accelerate start-ups in the Rhine district of Neuss

The Rhein-Kreis-Neuss accelerator supports start-ups for five months with services worth up to 25,000 euros. This includes kick-off days, workstations in the co-working space, workshops with experts and help with the development of a prototype. Follow-up funding is then possible via grants or venture capital.

The program was launched in the summer of last year. Four start-ups recently received their first funding decisions from accelerate_rkn. According to information from NGZ the inclusion platform UniqueUnited, the baby fashion online flea market Loribox, the stock analysis start-up Kurskontrolle and the software start-up Shader. Anyone wishing to apply for the accelerator program will have to be patient: The next funding round is expected to start on June 01, 2022, until which time start-ups can submit their pitch decks.

AI+MUNICH and Robo.Innovate aim to make Munich a pioneer for artificial intelligence and deep tech

Two new funding programs, AI+Munich and Robo.Innovate, are being launched in the greater Munich area this year. The Federal Ministry of Economics has provided 5.9 million euros to further develop the AI sector in Munich. The AI+Munich project aims to bring together AI start-ups to form an alliance, develop start-up ideas and transfer knowledge from universities to industry. Individual AI start-ups are also to be supported.

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs wants to establish a deep-tech incubator for intelligent robotics with around 1.5 million euros. Robo.Innovate will provide teams in the pre-start-up phase with access to infrastructure. Among other things, they will be able to access a development laboratory for robot apps. Technological courses, training and offers in the field of entrepreneurship and financing are also on the agenda.

"Munich is developing into a European hotspot for start-ups. In some areas, such as insurtech, the state capital is already among the world leaders. We also want to occupy these positions in AI and intelligent robotics. The federal government and the Free State of Bavaria are therefore creating additional opportunities to develop and implement corresponding business models," says Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger.