Venture Acceleration
Intensive 12-week accelerator program for early-stage high-tech startups with HIGH-TECH.NRW
We get it!
With our technological expertise and decades of experience, we can help you—with solutions that are tailored, streamlined, and personalized.
- Introductions to experienced mentors, coaches, investors, and industry experts
- Networking with selected industry partners, technology experts, and financial experts
- Thematic workshops, training sessions, and learning modules—on demand
- You’ll receive feedback from the organizers during regular review meetings
- Peer-to-peer exchange of experiences with other startups
- On Demo Day, you’ll pitch to an expert audience from the worlds of business, academia, and politics
- You’ll automatically become part of the HIGH-TECH.NRW alumni network
What deep-tech ventures really need…
Networking & Contacts
Connect with select corporations, potential customers, collaboration partners, and influencers to discuss the applications and potential of your solution.
Entrepreneurial Experience
Have in-depth discussions with experienced entrepreneurs, founders, and investors on topics such as business development, marketing, sales, and financing.
Visibility & Positioning
Work with industry experts to clearly differentiate your business model and showcase your unique strengths compared to existing solutions through our channels.
HIGH-TECH.NRW does not require your startup to pay a participation fee or give up equity!
The program’s schedule…
Apply now!
Submit your application materials electronically. They must include at least one pitch deck or one pitch video. The application deadlines vary by batch: February 1 for the spring batch and August 1 for the fall batch.
Then pitch.
After the deadline, the process continues right away: The best teams will be invited to entry pitches and interviews as soon as possible—within two weeks at the latest. There, you’ll present your business concept before the final participants are selected.
Let’s get started together.
At the start of the program—during the first week of March (spring) or the first week of September (fall)—you’ll meet selected mentors and coaches at the onboarding and kick-off event and work together to set goals for your first steps in the accelerator.
Accelerate in 12 weeks.
During the 12-week program, you’ll be connected with the people who can truly help your startup move forward. Your business concept, positioning, and investment readiness will be specifically strengthened by HIGH-TECH.NRW and a strong network of partners. Alongside these activities, you’ll exchange ideas with the organizers and other startups during regular review meetings and gain first-hand, practical advice from business insiders in expert workshops on topics such as intellectual property, financing, and go-to-market strategies.
The Stage is Yours.
After 12 weeks, you’ll present your polished pitch to a broad audience of industry experts, including investors, potential customers, and influencers. A jury will then select the three teams with the most compelling business concepts and the strongest momentum.
A total of 20,000 EUR in prize money for the top three startups in each batch.
We’re looking for you if…
- You are the founder of a hardware-based startup in the high-tech and deep-tech sectors.
- You have founded your company in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) or plan to do so. Or perhaps you’re considering moving to NRW?
- You want to scale your business (internationally).
- You’re looking for connections with industry partners, pilot customers, or investors.
- You are actively involved in the fields of new materials, nanotechnology, microsystems, optical technologies, quantum technology, manufacturing and process engineering, energy and environmental technology, medical technology and healthcare, or defense and dual-use technologies.
