WECONOMY AS A KICK-START FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Turning the best startups into successful companies: At WECONOMY, founders win what money can't buy. The contest brings founders together with experts and executives up to the board level of the German economy.
Since 2007, we have been selecting the most innovative startups in Germany: CureVac, FOND of, komoot, Kinexon, inveox and many other strong teams have convinced our jury over the last 15 years. Which startups will be next?
THE INITIATORS OF WECONOMY
THE INITIATORS OF WECONOMY
OUR PATH FOR YOUR FUTURE
02 May – 03 July
Application phase
2023 SEPT
28.09. – Jury session with the top 20 startups. Take the chance and convince the jury of you and your business model. The winners will be announced on the same day.
WECONOMY Workshop Market
2023 NOV
2024 JAN
WECONOMY Workshop Distribution
WECONOMY Workshop Growth
2024 MAR
2024 MAY
WECONOMY closing event with the top managers
Apply now:
SUCCESS STORIES
152 success stories in 15 years! Allow yourself to be inspired and find ideas for your company - for a stronger business location in Germany!
komoot GmbH, Berlin
Ordinary navigation solutions guide the user from A to B. However, they neglect the experience along the way.
Markus Hallermann wanted to change this: The technology developed by komoot GmbH lets outdoor athletes plan their tours from any location. The user simply enters into his cell phone what he wants to experience on the road and gets an individual route suggestion calculated for his respective location.
CureVac GmbH, Tübingen
CureVac - fighting cancer with messenger RNA - CureVac is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering cancer immunotherapy using modified messenger RNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) under the brand name RNActive®. Founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Tübingen University, CureVac's team focuses on cancer therapy using RNA.
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Who can apply for the WECONOMY start-up initiative?We are looking for innovative, technology-oriented start-ups that are not older than 5 years, its headquarters in Germany and have at least one woman in the founding team (Female Focus 2021/22).
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How can we apply?Innovative, technology-oriented start-ups can apply from May 1st to July 5th via our button on this page.
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What documents do we need for the application?We look forward to your executive summary (maximum 2 pages) and your pitch deck with the following content: Problem and Solution Market and competition USP Technology Business model and financial planning Milestones and Achievements Outlook Team You are welcome to send us further documents and, if necessary, a video link.
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Can we apply again?You have already applied - but it wasn't (yet) enough to win? No problem – a lot can happen in a year! Convince us of your further development and that you are now one of the winners.
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According to which criteria is the selection made?The jury evaluates the following criteria: Market: Target groups, scalability (further markets), risk and competition analysis, marketing and sales Product / Service: Customer benefit (proven in pilot projects), USP, technology, degree of innovation, competitive advantages, possible applications, implementation perspective and future prospects Business model: Customers, go-to-market strategy, scalability, profitability, company success to date, revenue Team: Skills, founding and business experience, heterogeneity, coherence of the team composition Finance: Financial planning, economic attractiveness, capital requirements and financing Motivation for applying to WECONOMY: Expectations, fit with WECONOMY / sponsors, potential benefit from WECONOMY Personal impression / presentation to the WECONOMY jury: Presentation of product / services, personality and appearance of the founder, persuasiveness and passion for the start-up / idea, structure and content of the Presentation, answering the questions
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Who selects the winners?Our jury chooses the winners together.
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Who initiated the WECONOMY founding initiative?The organizer of WECONOMY is the Wissensfabrik – Unterteunternehmen für Deutschland e.V. in cooperation with UnternehmerTUM and Handelsblatt.< /p>
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Who supports WECONOMY?Each year, well-known member companies support the Knowledge Factory. A list of these companies is here.
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Why do companies support the initiative?The partners benefit from the close exchange with the start-ups. You will learn first-hand about relevant trends and technologies. In contact with the founders, they receive new, creative impulses that stimulate changes in the company.
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How does WECONOMY protect our business idea?To protect the founders, all participants sign a non-disclosure agreement before the talks. The WECONOMY winners are reported in the media. The products or services are named. The start-ups decide on the level of detail.
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What added value does WECONOMY bring us?You get access to the top-class WECONOMY network for one year as well as support and know-how from top managers, coaches, experts and mentors in implementing your business idea. You get to know other founders and become part of the network. The placement of investors and customers is not an explicit focus of the program.
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What costs does WECONOMY bear?Jury session: Travel expenses for one person will be reimbursed up to an amount of 200 euros. WECONOMY prelude and WECONOMY days: Travel expenses for two people will be reimbursed up to an amount of 200 euros per event. Costs for accommodation and meals will be covered. Personal meetings with mentor or coach: Travel expenses are to be borne by yourself.
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I have questions about the content, technical problems with the upload, ... Who can help me?Please send us an email to unternehmertum@wissensfabrik.de.