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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.

Accelerator Application

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.

Community Events

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.

Workshops

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.

Roundtable

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.

1:1 Mentoring

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.

Mentors Network

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.

Corporate Sounding Board

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.

Experts

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.

Founders Foundation Team

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

Vivien Dollinger

Dr. Vivien Dollinger

CEO
ObjectBox

Johannis Hatt

CEO jvh-ventures
und Investor

Robin von Hein

CEO
simplesurance

Ryan Hood

Entrepreneur und Investor

Alle Mentor:innen kennenlernen

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.

Lasse Dumstrei
Lasse DumstreiCo-Founder @ Betriebsmittelhelden

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.

Albert Gorlick
Albert GorlickCo-Founder @ Synctive

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.

Torsten Bendlin
Torsten BendlinFounder & CEO Valuedesk

Through the mentoring and coaching in the Accelerator program, we were able to successfully close our funding round.

Monja Meier
Monja MeierCo-Founder @ Easi Control

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.

inngo Testimonial
Lena FrommerFounder & CEO innnow

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.

Saasmetrix Testimonial
Marcel BanmannFounder & CEO Saasmetrix

The close exchange with the other teams and mentors was particularly valuable for us. The Founders Foundation network remains a boost for our fundraising.

Widgetbook Testimonial
Lucas JosefiakFounder & CEO Widgetbook

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.

Renee Tünnermann
Renee TünnermannCBDO @ margin

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.

Victoria Erdbrügger
Victoria ErdbrüggerCo-Founder Circuly
Previous
Next

Alumni Startups

In our Accelerator program we have helped build several successful startups and transform visionary business cases into scalable companies. Among those are:

Valuedesk
edyoucated
Semalytix
zahnarzthelden_logo_weiß
Betriebsmittelhelden
Easi Control
Synctive
echometer
Recommendy
Evermood
Unchained Robotics
margin
Veed
FoodTracks
swarms logo light bg
entori
khador_logo_weiß
Uptous_Logo_weiß
1sales_Logo_weiss
sentibar_logo_weiss_
coindex_logo_weiß
imogent logo-weiß
smafo logo-weiß
ecomda-logo-weiß-cmyk
Flocess_Logo_
E08 jonnygit_logo_on_black (1)
easimo Logo
CodeShield_weiß
microsynetics_caera_Logo_weiß
B1nary white
Applysia Logo
Alumni Startups

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!

Apply for the Accelerator
Accelerator Waitlist

FAQs

Which teams will make it into the Accelerator?

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.

How is the program structured?

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.

What are the benefits of the Founders Foundation Accelerator?

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.

What does the application process look like?

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.

What is the goal of the Accelerator program?

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.

Is there a fee for participating in the Accelerator Program?

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.

Any Questions?

Our Program Manager Elias is happy to answer your questions.

Get in touch
Elias Weike

The Startup Journey

Startup-Journey2022_29-01-23
After the 10-week Startup School, you've found a co-founder team that complements your strengths. You've validated your business idea with real customer interviews and gained a deep understanding of the problem you're trying to solve.

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:

More about the 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.

Talents click here

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.

Your future career

You Have Questions?
Talk to us!

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

Contact us

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