EdTech Next - Founders Foundation

Empowering EdTech Entrepreneurs

Shape the future of education with us and learn how to build an innovative EdTech startup. Find suitable co-founders and successfully bring your EdTech business idea to market.

Pre-register now to be kept up to date on the launch of the first EdTech Next Startup program.

Funded by:

EdTech Next startup programs

Are you passionate about harnessing the transformative power of technology to rethink education and have a keen sense of trends and entrepreneurship?
You want to use your talent and build an EdTech startup? We can help you do that!

Over the past 6 years, we have made a name for ourselves as pioneers in Germany in building early-stage startups. Our focus so far has been on B2B. We are now catapulting this expertise into the EdTech industry and cranking up a real mindset shift in German education.

We rely on our proven Founders Foundation Education Model, a concept for future-proof and efficient learning that systematically maps the startup lifecycle from the idea to the maturation process to the financing phase in modular and seamless programs.

We help you nurture your entrepreneurial talent and develop visionary business ideas – for a new era in education.

Stay up to date on our EdTech Next Startup programs and sign up for our waitlist:

For talents like you

TALENT DEVELOPMENT

In an interactive learning environment, we bring theory and practice together and provide you with relevant start-up knowledge as well as EdTech know-how.

CO-FOUNDER MATCHING

We bring you together with other top talents so that you can count on a powerful founding team.

TOP MENTORS

Renowned founders and leading experts act as mentors and share their experience with you.

EXPERT WORKSHOPS

You will receive valuable insights and tips for the implementation of your ideas in personal, application-oriented sessions.

COMMUNITY POWER

You get access to our international network of highly qualified experts, business angels, VCs and founders as well as to our new Slack community.

EdTech Next Academy

For future founders who want to change the education market.

EdTech Next Incubator

For EdTech startup teams who want to develop their idea further

The education market as a growth market

The potential for technological developments such as software solutions or tools and also services that support learning or teaching is huge. Although the market for education technology (EdTech) is developing dynamically internationally, Germany has some catching up to do.

Innovative solutions, new business models and products can therefore start in the public education sector, the school system, as well as the private sector. The private sector in particular makes the education market an attractive growth market: companies are in the process of digital transformation and need appropriately trained employees.

School

In 2017, hardly any schools treated digital transformation as a strategic topic – only 8% of principals assigned it strategic importance. Immediately before the Corona pandemic, which inevitably caused a wave of digital transformation in schools, 42% of teachers had expressed a need for additional training “on digital transformation topics.
(Study Digital Transformation in the School System, 2021)

Training

In many small companies in particular, digital transformation is not yet a strategic issue in dual vocational training. Many companies are calling for better preparation of trainees by general education schools in terms of digital transformation. Many companies also criticize the lack of suitable training measures for vocational school teachers and company trainers.
(IW Report 40/2020 Vocational Qualification and Digital Transformation)

Further training

Due to the shortage of skilled workers, more and more companies find themselves in the “war for talent” – the current labor market has developed into an employee market. “Reskilling” and “upskilling” are therefore essential for companies to continuously train employees. And German employees are placing more and more value on company support: almost 75% would like their superiors to provide more support for continuing education and training.
(Study by the Infas Institute for Applied Social Science on behalf of the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit,” 2018)

University

Although universities themselves are the source of many innovatively active talents, there is also a need to catch up here in practice in terms of digital transformation, for example in administration. At 55.9%, only slightly more than half of German universities have partially or fully implemented IT systems for resource management.
(On the state of digital transformation at universities in Germany in research, teaching and administration, 2019)

Founder Testimonials

Our Education formats are fertile soil for successful founders. This is what our alumni teams are saying about the programs:

Thanks to the Founders Foundation Accelerator, we at Valuedesk were able extend our business network. Many experts helped us to progress by daring us to do better.

The Founders Lab is the perfect place to make your idea more specific and get it “out of the garage” onto the street with perfect timing. I have already given a home to two startups in the Lab. I can only advise any founder to join because your work will be put to the test every day anew. That way, it will improve bit by bit.

As part of the Founders Foundation Accelerator Program, we had access to top-class mentors which were themselves founders and could gave as their take from a VC perspective. The mentors' support really helped us in preparing our first round of financing at the end of the accelerator.

From day one, the Founders Foundations has helped by providing the right knowledge, the right tools, and the right network to quickly validate our ideas and gain customers and investors. I could not have imagined better support.

Wir haben als Teil des Accelerator Programms unglaublich viel Unterstützung von der Founders Foundation, dem Netzwerk und den Mentoren bekommen. Wir haben mittlerweile über 20 Mitarbeiter und 2Mio Euro GMV.

Wir sind im Accelerator von 0 auf 100 durchgestartet, konnten die ersten Kunden gewinnen, uns für das Fundraising vorbereiten und einfach riesig von diesem Netzwerk profitieren.

Durch das Mentoring und Coaching im Accelerator Programm konnten wir unsere Finanzierungsrunde erfolgreich abschließen.

Thanks to the Founders Foundation Accelerator, we at Valuedesk were able extend our business network. Many experts helped us to progress by daring us to do better.

Top-Class Mentors

Profit from the extensive expert knowledge of our mentors, lectureres, and speakers – all of whom will actively help you on your entrepreneurial journey.

Jan Brinckmann

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy
ESADE Barcelona

Laura Tönnies

CEO
corrux

Josef Brunner

CEO
relayr

Kristina Walcker-Mayer

CEO
Nuri

Jana Görs

CEO
Zephram

Get to Know Our Network of Experienced Entrepreneurs Who Mentor Our Teams According to the Degree of Maturity of Their Business Ideas

Just Beyer

Product Expert and Angel Investor

Do you have a question?

Our Lead EdTech Next Nik Riesmeier will be happy to answer any open questions you may have about the EdTech Next programs.

Learn more about our EdTech Startup Programs

Are you ready to work on innovative business ideas and find your perfect co-founder? Then take the first step and put yourself on the waiting list for our EdTech Next Startup programs!

E-Learning for the Entrepreneurs of the Future

You want to have access to the basic information that you need for your personal startup journey at any time and as often as you need? The free version of our e-learning course offers exclusive content provided first-hand by 20 founders and VCs from the German startup and tech scene and by our very own Founders Foundation experts. Start your very own startup journey with us!

You Have Questions?
Talk to us!

We are happy to answer your questions about our programs, our mission and the events we are hosting.

YOUR MONTHLY SHOT OF FOUNDER SPIRIT

Stay up to date with our newsletter – get all the exciting news on startups and events that are worth your time. We also supply everything you need to know about launching your own company.