Build a Great Startup in 2024 with the FI Germany Startup Accelerator

The Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Germany program!

If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Germany's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Germany Founder Institute today.

Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs at the earliest stages grow quickly, know what to do next, and make connections with the largest community of startup advisors.

It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network, a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.

To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events in Germany, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs, many will be virtual, but a few also physical in Berlin:

Germany Events:

Meet the FI Alumni Scaling Startups in Europe: 7:00pm, Aug 04, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/375578

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/371604
Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 7:00pm, Jul 02, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/373201
Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 7:00pm, Jul 03, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/375294
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 7:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/370334
Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 7:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/373332
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Sonam Velani: 7:00pm, Jul 14, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/374420
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 7:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/373468
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 7:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/373589
Best Practices on Building Innovation Hubs for Universities & Colleges: 7:00pm, Jul 24, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/375934
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 7:00pm, Aug 11, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/374576
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Aug 18, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/374778
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 7:00pm, Aug 25, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/375444
How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 7:00pm, Sep 17, 2025 (Europe/Berlin): https://FI.co/e/373964

See all upcoming events

The Germany program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Amanda Fornal (Director, Startup Advisor, Women in STEM advocate), Dirk Lehmann (Innovation Advisor & Pitch Coach, Dirk Lehmann & Partners), Ferdinand Muehlhaeuser (Lead Director Germany), Kai Malkwitz (Serial Entrepreneur, sustainability evangelist and Impact Director), Rikke Klitskov (CMO, Founder Institute), Mohammad Tavangar (Director, Partner Management), Eva Dimitrova (Director, Community Management), Nathan Evans (Director, Startup Advisor) and Sara Maki (Director, Startup Advisor).

We are very happy to have Unicorn Workspaces at our side as our FI Berlin location partner, being a core supporter for the Berlin startup scene, providing invaluable event spaces, coworking opportunities, and startup offices of all sizes.

In addition, a selection of more than 50 mentors out of our 800+ Germany mentor network will be actively participating as mentors in the program and you will be able to tap into our entire Berlin and worldwide mentor network as a graduate of the program. Please find an overview of our German mentor network below!

* Amy Louise Shelver * Antony Tikhonov * Chris Payne * Daan Loening * Dirk Lehmann * Eleftheria (Ella) Egel * Fabian Kofler * Gilles Toussaint * Heiko Rauch * Jonathan Eade * Jonathan Liemann * José Francisco Fernandez Serna * Juergen Funke * Kai Malkwitz * Karen Kargar * Klaus Kammermeier * Kyrill Zlobenko * Malte Weiss * Mario Steinbuch * Michal Bania * Moritz Spangenberg * Mynia Deeg * Nicola Filzmoser * Nikhil Madan * Regine Harr * Robert Sünderhauf * Sören Eversmeier * Thomas Hartmann * Tobias Tschötsch * Vlad Panait