German Entrepreneurship is expanding its program portfolio to include an accelerator specifically for corporate startups. The new Corporate Startup Accelerator accompanies supports and advises teams from various companies from initial idea through market maturity to international scaling. The first season starts in May 2023.
Many companies have employees with ideas for new products, services, or even business models . However, these companies often lack the appropriate structures – or simply the experience – to validate these ideas in a targeted manner and to support the “startup” teams in the process.
The Corporate Startup Accelerator by German Entrepreneurship now offers a solution to this problem: The program supports teams in companies working on a concrete idea (also known as corporate startups) in validation and acceleration. The new accelerator is based on German Entrepreneurship’s 15 years of experience with more than 200 corporate startups. Teams from companies in all sectors – from SMEs to global corporations – can participate.
„The founding idea of German Entrepreneurship has always been to promote innovation and startups in particular. I am very proud that we can now offer an even broader portfolio. The new Accelerator closes the gap between our startup programs and our corporate support programs.“
Coaches, methods, exchange
Core elements of the program include regular on-site input at the companies from experienced business coaches and mentors as well as continuous exchange with startup teams from other companies. Likewise, the program also incorporates the latest innovation methods and access to German Entrepreneurship’s global ecosystem to ensure the teams’ success.
The main advantage for larger companies is that they enable their corporate startup to quickly implement its idea and benefit from the resulting insights. Regardless of how much experience a company has with intrapreneurship, the program provides the methods and structures needed for a corporate startup to thrive.
Fast results: A prototype in three months
The Corporate Startup Accelerator program consists of five modules, starting with Incubate. In this module, teams develop a validated prototype within three months. The program also includes a rapidly available prototyping budget.
The subsequent modules – Accelerate, Kickstart, Discovery, and Access – cover further stages, going as far as international scaling. The support within the modules is individually tailored to the respective team and its idea.
„With our Corporate Startup Accelerator, we accompany teams on the entire journey from the initial idea to global scaling. Broken down into five modules, we pick up the corporate startups where they are in terms of maturity and where we can support them in the best possible way with our global network.“
Start of the first season in May 2023
The first season of the Corporate Startup Accelerator begins in May 2023. Until then, interested companies are encouraged to learn more about the program and how to participate in personal meetings.
All services and benefits of the new Corporate Startup Accelerator at a glance: