EXIST Startup Grant
Supports founders from universities and research institutions in the initial stages to transform their startup ideas into successful businesses.
For Berlins Startup Teams
With the Berliner Startup Stipendium, Science & Startups supports founders planning to implement their innovative, knowledge-driven, science- and/or technology-based business ideas in a team and develop solutions for the pressing challenges of our time within the following clusters
- Sustainability x Society – Improving the Way We Live Together
- Healthcare x Prevention – Responding to Today’s Health Challenges
- Technologies x Resources – Transforming Tech for a Green Tomorrow
To foster exchange and strengthen the innovative power of our startups in these clusters, we bundle access to specific expertise, know-how, technology supported by enriching event formats and a strong alumni network.
- You have an idea that’s a fit?
- Your research aligns with one of the clusters ́ focus areas?
- Your idea makes the world a better place when turned into a product or service?
Science & Startups will help you along your journey!
The Accelerator for AI Startups
The K.I.E.Z. Accelerator has been designed to support science-based AI startups that have completed their pre-seed phase. The company must already be incorporated and in the process towards market launch, production, and sales set-up.
Starting from providing you office space at the Merantix AI Campus Berlin, we are also offering CEO mentoring, cloud credits, expert workshops, connections, and intros to investors. But that’s not all. We focus on your individual growth. If you need help with your marketing, sales, finance or team management, we are there to support. There is almost nothing that we cannot do.
Female Founder Support
With EXIST-Women by Science & Startups, a total of 30 women* interested in or inclined towards founding businesses have the opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with business creation and self-employment. The program is aimed at graduates, scientists, students, and women* with professional qualifications who want to found businesses either solo or in teams.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) has launched this new funding program to increase the proportion of female founders. The EXIST Women pilot project aims to support women* in developing business ideas to achieve greater diversity in startups and increase the quota of female founders.
This is a 10-month mentoring program that includes coaching, mentoring, qualification, and networking, along with individual support from mentors, a peer-learning program and material resources worth €2,000 per person, and a three-month scholarship of €2,500 for graduates (plus €150 for each child).
The program is divided into 3 phases:
- Training and workshops, mentor matching, scholarship
- Business modelling, mentoring, mindset training
- Possible follow-up financing, individual coaching, mentoring
Additionally: Accompanying events and activities, workspace in our incubators, a peer-learning program with other participants, as well as individual coaching and intensive startup consulting in the incubator.
The program starts on 03/01/2025 and runs until 11/30/2025. Scholarship payments are made for 3 months, and the material resources allowance is paid as a one-time payment. Compliance with the funding conditions is required (see below).
This is a project of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to significantly increase the current quota of female founders.
Applications are CURRENTLY possible until 01/31/2025
Application process:
- 20-minute consultation with one of our startup consultants. Book an appointment!
- Receipt of application form from startup consultant and submission by 01/31/2025 at the latest
- 5-10 minute pitch and Q&A (02/10-12/2025)
- Acceptance into the scholarship program (02/14/2025)
Conditions for receiving a scholarship are:
- You have no income or work maximum 20 hours/week: This condition only applies to receiving the three-month scholarship.
- Simultaneous funding through a scholarship with the startup grant from the employment agency is not possible.
- You have not previously completed an EXIST Startup Scholarship, Berlin Startup Scholarship, or similar startup funding programs.
- You have not founded a company at the time of application.
The scholarship amount depends on your qualification level and is distributed as follows:
- Students (minimum bachelor's degree or 50% of studies completed): €1,000
- Women* with completed vocational training: €2,000
- Graduates with university degree: €2,500
- Women* with doctorate: €3,000
Please also check all other funding conditions on the funding provider's website:
We look forward to your application!
Starting a business from science
Promotion of research-based high-tech startups
EXIST Transfer of Research is a funding program initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The program aims to support outstanding research-oriented startup projects that have demonstrated a proof of principle (e.g., a functional laboratory demonstrator) and require further high-risk and cost-intensive development to bring their innovations to market readiness.
Program Objectives
- Technology Transfer: Facilitate the transformation of innovative research results into commercially viable products and services.
- Startup Support: Provide comprehensive assistance to research teams in establishing successful businesses based on their scientific findings.
- Economic Growth: Foster innovation and entrepreneurship to contribute to economic development and competitiveness in Germany.
Program Structure
EXIST Transfer of Research is structured into two sequential funding phases:
Phase I: Technical and Business Development
- Objective: Advance research results with startup potential by developing prototypes and preparing for business formation.
- Duration: Up to 36 months.
- Funding:
- Non-repayable grants covering personnel expenses for up to 4 full-time positions.
- Up to €250,000 for material resources, including equipment, consumables, and external services.
- Activities:
- Develop market-ready prototypes or demonstrators.
- Address technical questions related to product and process implementation.
- Formulate a comprehensive business plan.
- Prepare for company formation, including market analysis and strategy development.
Phase II: Business Launch and Market Entry
- Objective: Continue development work, initiate business operations, and prepare for external financing.
- Duration: Up to 18 months.
- Funding:
- Non-repayable grants covering project-related costs.
- Up to €180,000 for project expenses, but at most 75% of the project-specific costs.
- Activities:
- Finalize product development and refine technology.
- Start marketing and sales activities.
- Secure external funding from investors or financial institutions.
- Expand business operations and enter the market.
Criteria for eligibility for funding:
- Applicants: research teams from German universities and research institutions who wish to establish a startup.
- Prerequisites:
- Proof of the fundamental viability of the project.
- The development work is high-risk and cost-intensive.
- Commitment to commercialize the research results by founding a startup.
Application process with the support of Science & Startups:
- Preparation of a detailed project proposal outlining the technological innovation, development plan and business strategy.
- Applications for funding phase I are submitted by one of Berlin's leading universities
Application Deadlines and Start Dates
- Phase I Applications:
- Deadlines: March 31, August 31, and November 30 each year.
- Earliest Start Date: Approximately 6 months after application submission.
- Phase II Applications:
- Should be submitted 6 months before the end of Phase I or within 6 months after its completion.
Supporting high-potential life sciences startups from research to market
GO-Bio Next is a funding initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to support promising, research-oriented start-up projects in the field of life sciences. The programme is aimed at high-risk, cost-intensive projects with proven “proof of principle” and high commercialization potential, which are brought to market maturity through structured funding.
Program Objectives
- Technology Transfer: Enable the development of cutting-edge research in the life sciences into marketable products and services.
- Startup Support: Provide robust support to research teams aiming to launch sustainable businesses based on scientific innovation.
- Economic Growth: Promote scientific breakthroughs that contribute to economic growth, innovation, and Germany's global competitiveness.
Program Structure
GO-Bio Next is structured into two sequential funding phases:
Phase I: Technical and Business Development
- Objective: Advance research results with startup potential by developing prototypes and preparing for business formation.
- Duration: More than 30 months.
- Funding:
- Non-repayable grants covering personnel expenses for more than 4 full-time positions.
- Up to €2.500,000 for material resources, including equipment, consumables, and external services.
- Activities:
- Develop functional prototypes or demonstrators.
- Address technical and regulatory requirements for commercialization.
- Create a comprehensive business plan and prepare for company formation.
Phase II: Business Launch and Market Entry
- Objective: Support further development, business operations, and market entry.
- Duration: Up to 36 months.
- Funding:
- Non-repayable grants covering project-related costs.
- Private co-financing is required to secure this phase of funding.
- Activities:
- Finalize product development and refine technology.
- Start marketing and sales activities.
- Secure external funding from investors or financial institutions.
- Expand business operations and enter the market.
Criteria for eligibility for funding:
- Applicants: research teams from German universities and research institutions who wish to establish a startup.
- Prerequisites:
- Proof of the fundamental viability of the project.
- The project addresses a major need in life sciences and requires public funding due to high risk and technological immaturity.
- Commitment to commercialize the research results by founding a startup.
Application process with the support of Science & Startups:
- Preparation of a detailed project proposal outlining the technological innovation, development plan and business strategy.
- Applications for funding phase I are submitted by one of Berlin's leading universities
Application Deadlines and Start Dates
- Application Deadlines: March 15 and September 15.
- Earliest Start Date: 10 months after application.
Validation of AI-based ideas
FAQ regarding
Here you'll find frequently asked questions regarding the program.
EXIST Startup Grant
- Scientists from public, non-profit
- non-university research institutions
- Universities
- University graduates and former academic staff (up to five years after graduation or leaving).
- Students who have completed at least half of their studies at the time of application, whereby the majority of the team must not consist of students.
- Start-up teams of up to three people.
- One of the up to three team members can also be funded if they have a state-recognized vocational training as a technical employee. Alternatively, a team member can graduate more than five years ago.
Applications can be submitted at any time; the scholarship always starts on the 1st of each month.
- Innovative technology-oriented start-up projects.
- Innovative knowledge-based services based on scientific findings.
The application process currently takes about 4-5 months.
- Securing personal livelihood through a scholarship:
- Founders with a doctorate 3,000 euros/month
- Graduates with a university degree 2,500 euros/month
- Technical employee 2,000 euros/month
- Students 1,000 euros/month
- Child allowance: 150 euros/month per child
- Material expenses:
- up to 10,000 euros for individual start-ups (max. 30,000 euros for teams)
- Coaching:
- 5,000 euros
- The maximum funding period is one year.
We support EXIST applications from start-up projects that already have an initial prototype and a (provisional) team of at least two founders.
- The university or research institute
- is integrated into a founders' network.
- provides the founder with a mentor and a workplace and guarantees free use of the infrastructure.
- administers funding
- The Founder
- receives coaching services from the founders' network.
- attends a one-day seminar on "Founder Personality"
- presents initial results of the business plan after five months.
- submits the business plan after ten months.
- pays taxes and social security contributions independently.
No, since this is pre-startup funding, you are not allowed to have founded a business or generated any sales before the scholarship begins. However, this is possible during the funding period.
- Yes, but it cannot have already been started at the start of the funding period.
Yes, but only 3 people could receive a scholarship.
- Universities
- Non-university research institutions
- The application can be submitted at any time.
Yes, external startup teams can apply for funding at Berlin's universities, even without having studied there. The key requirement is a connection to the university, such as collaborating with university academics. Science & Startups assists in finding suitable mentors within the university and supports the application process.