PRESS STATEMENT
- The application phase for the Startup School for founders interested in B2B technology has started; Deadline is the 10th April 2021.
- During a free, online 10-week program, talented individuals are divided into teams which develop their own business models
- Regional talents can apply to advance the next generation of founders
- Established startup experts share international startup knowhow and support the participants on their road to launching a B2B Tech company. Among the speakers is Dr. Jan Brinckmann from the ESADE Business School Barcelona which has been rated in the Top 10 of startup education programs by the Financial Times, and Kristina Walcker-Mayer, lead product development for Mobilbank and startup unicorn N26.
Bielefeld, 31st March 2021 – Once again, the Founders Foundations opens the Startup School for people interested in becoming founders. The School’s purpose is to foster the spirit of pioneering new ideas and business models. Successful companies such as Valuedesk, Zahnarzt-Helden and, most recently, Lemon Markets have emerged from the free 10-week program. The winner of the last batch of teams, Lemon Markets, have gained investors among well-known VC funds such as Creandum and System One. This year, the program is once again going to be held online. The program is going to promote the startup ideas of regional talents from the B2B technology sector.
So far, more than 350 participants have joined the Startup School. 60% of those are still active in the startup scene, two years after their participation. Many of those are successful in positioning their startups on the market, receiving their first round of financing, and/or qualifying themselves for advanced Founders Foundation programs such as the Accelerator.
The program aims at bringing together ambitious talents so that they can develop their B2B technology ideas further and create scalable business models. The program consists of three building blocks which impart knowledge successful team creation, product development, and financing. In addition, the instructors provide the participants with lots of advice on sales processes.
Teams which have graduated from Founders Foundation programs are attractive candidates for investors but also for Mittelstand companies. Co-Founder und CFO Dominik Gross elaborates: “Germany doesn’t have Google or Apple, but it has the Mittelstand. One the one hand, we train our founders to become the next generation of technologically-versed Mittelstand companies, the new Oetker, Miele, or Goldbeck etc. On the other hand, we utilize the strengths of exactly these well-established companies as potential customers for the new generation of entrepreneurs. This creates a win-win-situation for both parties.
International industry experts such as Dr. Jan Brinckmann from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona and Georg Volwahsen (Bloobirds) share their international top-level startup expertise in workshops. Many well-known founders or alumni such as Vanessa Böckstiegel (easimo) and Torsten Bendlin (Valuedesk) act as special guests and mentors for the next generation of founders and tell their stories about their startup journies.
Co-Founder and CEO Sebastian Borek states: “The Startup School is the perfect access point to make an idea into a business model, and to meet people with the same mindset. This is a network that’s defined by curiosity, the drive to accomplish, and creativity. Many people start their founder training in the Startup School but their journeys can go much much further.“
Press Contact: Anna-Luisa Korte, Director Brand & Content, Fon: 0160 99244635, anna@foundersfoundation.de
