German Entrepreneurship launches new funding program for start-ups

Since 2008, German Entrepreneurship has made it its mission to support entrepreneurs of all sizes. Now the company wants to support start-ups in the early stages with a new program.

As part of a new support program from German Entrepreneurship, young companies are to learn from the "master" of the start-up world: Master Accelerator is the name of the new program from the company that has already made other start-ups big. Nine of the ten largest German unicorn start-ups are alumni of German Entrepreneurship's programs: Celonis, Flixbus, Foodora, Sharecare, N26, Raisin, Signavio, Auto1 and Trade Republic. The Master Accelerator program will include coaching sessions with at least some of these champions.

Until now, the LMU Entrepreneurship Center in Munich has focused on supporting start-ups in their early stages. This program is now coming to an end. However, support for young companies will continue with the heads of the team.

The new program will focus on individual start-ups and their requirements. Applications for the start in January 2022 are already open. The program will last six months and will start twice a year in future.

Experts, investors and alumni of the German Entrepreneurship Programs will help the founders to develop "their own entrepreneurial personality", explain the initiators. The primary aim is to build up their own network. "Start-ups should learn from the best," says Andy Goldstein, founder of German Entrepreneurship. "We are delighted that the founders are sharing their knowledge to help the next generation succeed. They need a solid foundation in order to grow sustainably. We can guarantee this stability through know-how, many years of experience and our strong network."

Other founders are also promoting the new program. Jochen Engert is co-founder of Flixbus, an alumni company of German Entrepreneurship. He looks back with gratitude on the time of the funding: "The opportunity to work in the Munich office as a young start-up during our first program with German Entrepreneurship helped us to develop from a team with a concept into a real company." The new program will also offer the opportunity to work on site in Munich.

After completing the Master Accelerator, participants will have the opportunity to take advantage of other programs from the German Entrepreneurship portfolio. Events such as the "Co-Founder Match" or the "Cashwalk" are intended to strengthen connections with co-founders and investors. There are also programs designed to help with international expansion.