ACCELERATOR
You have reached the problem solution fit with your B2B startup and now want to scale?
The Founders Foundation Accelerator supports B2B tech startup teams in successfully implementing their business idea in the market.
The teams benefit from the personal support of our strong, international network of entrepreneurs who have raised at least 10 million euros in capital and have been responsible for at least 5 million euros in sales in their careers.
With the Founders Home in the heart of the German Mittelstand, we give the founders access to an extensive network of hidden champions and global market leaders and they receive feedback from top German investors on their business models.
Hint: Applications only in German!
Format
5 months full-time program with fixed starting and ending date
Twice a year
Coworking Space
Individual coaching by mentors with a successful entrepreneurial track record
Workshops & roundtables on the most important topics for the market entry phase
TARGET GROUP
Scalable B2B business idea
Complementary founding team
Problem-Solution-Fit achieved and first (pilot) customers
Relation to the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe
FOCUS
Executive and industry-specific workshops
Customer acquisition and product validation
Building a network
GOAL
Reaching the Product-Market Fit
Preparation of subsequent scaling
Market positioning
Program Contents
The Founders Foundation Accelerator supports you on your way to product-market fit via four thematic blocks. These cover the most important challenges of early-stage startups.
Product
Sales & Marketing
People & Organization
Funding
Additionally, we support you within the program through need and problem-based formats such as Q&A’s, learning and experience sharing, and 1:1 mentoring.
During the program, you will take part in various community events where you can exchange ideas with regional and national customers, talents, investors and supporters. In addition to the Hinterland of Things Conference, these include Founders Talks and events as part of the Corporate Sounding Board. At the end of the program, we invite you to Demo Day, where you pitch your startup to the community and selected investors on the big stage.
In our workshops you will receive input from experts and mentors on specific topics and challenges in the market entry phase: Sales with Jens Hutzschenreuter, Leadership with Dorothea von Wichert-Nick, Financial Planning with Jana Scharfschwerdt and more. In this way, you work continuously on the product-market fit for your company.
The Roundtable is a peer-to-peer learning format where knowledge is shared among each other, with the respective Founders Foundation subject matter experts and our alumni community, e.g. in the quarterly Marketing & Sales Roundtable or at the Accelerator Stammtisch. This offers the opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas on specific topics and to search the community for suitable support on acute challenges of your startup journey. As part of our Slack community, you can always count on the support of 500+ members of the Founders community.
Receive direct and regular feedback from our mentors, both on your progress in general and on specific problems or challenges. Ask dedicated questions and get tips and tricks that will move your startup forward and closer to a successful business. Learn more about our mentors.
Program Benefits
NO EQUITY, NO COSTS
We follow the "people first" approach and do not charge fees or take shares in your company for participating in the Accelerator
Top-Class Mentoring
Individual support through the program manager and coaching by successful entrepreneurs
Fixed workspace
Permanent workplace in our Founders Home with all benefits like the legendary roof terrace
Closed Events
Access to community events and workshop formats through the Education Programs
A STRONG NETWORK
Become part of our unique community. We regularly host events that provide numerous opportunities to network. The Demo Day gives you the chance to present your idea to a high-profile audience of alumni, Fellow Founders, VCs & Business Angels.
Your Supporters
During the program you will be supported by experienced entrepreneurs, corporate representatives, experts and our Founders Foundation team.
At the start of the program, we match you with mentors who will support you on a regular basis. More than 20 mentors with relevant experience from their own startups, successful financing rounds or exits are currently part of our network.
There are many challenges when it comes to convincing corporates of your solution and rolling it out successfully. Our Corporate Sounding Board is staffed with company representatives who will give you honest feedback on your solutions during events and individual mentoring, helping you optimize your product and navigate the purchasing process.
In addition to our mentors and the Corporate Sounding Board, we have a broad network of experts in the various subject areas who share their knowledge with you in the various formats.
The Founders Foundation Team, especially the Education Team and the Program Managers, are always available to answer your questions and guide you through the program. In regular 1:1 exchanges, we are the first point of contact for challenges.
Josef Brunner
CEO
relayr
Dr. Anna Lukasson-Herzig
CEO
nyris
Just Beyer
Product Expert and Angel Investor
Dr. Vivien Dollinger
CEO
ObjectBox
Johannis Hatt
CEO jvh-ventures
und Investor
Robin von Hein
CEO
simplesurance
Ryan Hood
Entrepreneur und Investor
Founder Testimonials
Our Accelerator Program has been an important springboard to success for some founders. This is what our Alumni are saying about their time in the accelerator:
As part of the Accelerator Program, we have received an incredible amount of support from the Founders Foundation, the network and the mentors. We now have over 20 employees and 2 million euros GMV.
We went from 0 to 100 in the Accelerator, were able to win our first customers, prepare for fundraising and simply benefit enormously from this network.
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.
Through the mentoring and coaching in the Accelerator program, we were able to successfully close our funding round.
With the expertise and feedback of the mentors, we were able to put enough horsepower on the road to win 8 customers for our product. In addition, with the Founders Foundation network and startup expertise, we were able to bring our product to market in a very short time and build our team in a complementary way.
The Accelerator really pushed us in terms of our network and mentors. We were able to avoid many mistakes that we would otherwise have made thanks to the very good coaching.
The close exchange with the other teams and mentors was particularly valuable for us. The Founders Foundation network remains a boost for our fundraising.
Why join the Founders Accelerator? Because their awesome team will bring you up to speed and support you with everything you need. From validating your idea, to an awesome network with
partners and investors.
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.
Alumni Startups
In our Accelerator program we have helped build several successful startups and transform visionary business cases into scalable companies. Among those are:
Get Really Started with Your Startup!
Together with your team you want to advance your scalable B2B tech startup?
Get ready for market entry and apply for a place in our Accelerator!
FAQs
The Founders Foundation Accelerator is open to complementary, ambitious founding teams that have achieved a problem-solution fit with their scalable B2B tech business idea. Ideally, the teams already have their own developer on board as a team member and are preferably connected to the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region. Quite often, the teams already have their first customers, so-called beta testers.
The Accelerator is a five-month full-time program for founding teams that takes place twice a year. During the five months, the teams receive holistic support on an individual basis, take part in targeted workshops and weekly meetings, and work together with the other Accelerator teams in the Founders Home.
The Accelerator Batch ends with a Demo Day, where the teams pitch their work to potential investors and network partners.
Participants receive individual support from the program manager and coaching from successful entrepreneurs from our exclusive mentor network such as Johannis Hatt, Josef Brunner and Anna Lukasson-Herzig.
In addition, regular workshops and coaching sessions are held by experts with in-depth knowledge of topics such as B2B sales processes, OKR and financing. In addition, participants receive access to our network of hidden champions and global market leaders as well as top investors from the German startup scene, as well as 24/7 access to the Founders Home with all its benefits.
Fill out the application form (approx. 20 min.). If your application has aroused our interest, you will receive an invitation for a (video) interview so that we can get to know you even better. The applicants with the best program fit will be invited to pitch in front of our jury at our Founders Home. As soon as we have made our decision, you will be informed.
The goal of the Accelerator Program is to achieve product-market fit and thus prepare for subsequent scaling of the product. The teams place their product in the existing market.
No. Participation in the program is free of charge – no equity, no cost!
Every team that convinces us receives a full scholarship with all benefits. Because: the comprehensive training of aspiring founding talents is our top priority.
The Startup Journey
During the lab, you will develop your business idea as a founding team into a first product, the MVP, and deepen your validation. You become experts for the problem, the solution and the potential market. This is how you achieve the problem-solution-fit.
You will be individually coached by program managers and mentors and enjoy all the networking benefits of our Founders Home. Once a quarter, you will face new startup teams at Challenger Day, pitching your progress and receiving feedback from mentors and other founders.
During the 5-month full-time Accelerator, you'll get down to business: you'll acquire your first customers, build your product, iterate on previous assumptions and findings, and at the end of the day you'll be financially ready with a solid product-market fit on stage at Demo Day. There you present yourself and your business case to the German VC scene and are accepted into our alumni network.
Progress of your startup journey:
This Is What Qualifies You for the Program
YOU SUCCESSFULY REACHED THE PROBLEM-SOLUTION FIT WITH YOUR B2B TECH IDEA
YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR OWN DEVELOPER(S) IN THE TEAM AND MAYBE FIRST BETA-TESTERS
PREFERABLY, YOU ARE FROM OSTWESTFALEN-LIPPE
NOT THE RIGHT PLACE?
This area does not reflect your stage of growth? Find the right solution for you and your company here:
ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENTS
You want to use your talent to full capacity and build a B2B tech startup from the ground up? Grow your entrepreneurial talents and develop visionary business ideas.
Leaders & Executives
You want to advance to a C-Level position and hone your managerial skills? Take one of our training courses and become a decision maker of tomorrow.
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.
Related Topics
Our Content Hub features some insightful articles. Feel free to check them out!
No posts found!