Nicolas Hantzsch
Jul 28, 2017 · 6 min read

Hi, my name is Nico. I am an ambassador and company scout for the German Accelerator Tech.

German Accelerator is a free (no fees or equity) acceleration program designed specifically to support German startups quickly evaluate U.S. market opportunities and enter the American market. It provides startups with extensive, hands-on mentoring from some of the tech industries most experienced entrepreneurs, and office space at its locations in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and New York City.

Recent testimonials of program participants

Sebastian Schulze — CEO FitAnalytics (Q1/2017)
The amount of concentration it takes to become even slightly successful in today’s technology market can result in a very myopic focus. We all constantly struggle to stay close to our core competencies. That can be good, but it can also be very limiting.

The GA helped us achieve the short-term small wins we needed, while simultaneously challenging us to think bigger for the long run. The program enabled us to realize that we weren’t just a company that built great technology to solve a small set of divisional problems. They helped us realize that we were actually a data-driven customer intelligence platform that could address a wide variety of critical business issues for really big companies.

My experience at the GA reminds me of this famous Bob Proctor quote: “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” That’s what the GA did for Fit Analytics and me.

Percy Stocker — COO Ubimax (Q3/2017)

The German Accelerator pushed us out of our comfort zone. We’ve had a lot of success with European customers, but we found out that messages that might work in Germany, for example, don’t necessarily resonate with US companies.

The GA mentors forced us to adopt a customer-centric approach and bigger vision that is better aligned with US customers’ interests. They took a hands-on approach to help us reshape our positioning and identify and emphasize the competitive advantages that matter in this market.

Ultimately, what’s impressed me most, however, is the relationships I’ve established with the GA mentors and other startups affiliated with the program. I didn’t expect to develop this type of network so fast in the US. These are connections that will help us succeed in the US.

Daniel Raschke — CEO Picalike (Q2/2017)

The German Accelerator was a truly eye-opening experience that went far beyond entering the US market. The GA’s expert mentors constructively challenged our plans and helped us re-evaluate our strategy. They worked with us to sharpen our value propositions and improve our ability to execute.

After three tough, but rewarding months, we finished the program as a better, more focused company. And I left the GA as far better entrepreneur with the confidence and training to address the type of obstacles I face on a daily basis running an early-stage, fast-growing startup looking to expand into the US market.

Thomas Hohenacker — CEO Cleverciti (Q3/2017)
If you want to launch and market your products in the US, you need to understand how this country works. There is no better way to learn how clients and investors think in the US than the GA program. The network of the coaches and mentors is excellent and we got a great variety of new business connections that will accelerate our growth here. If you want to pitch to US Investors, this the the best training ground one can image.

Before coming, we calculated the value of the GA program — mentoring, accelerating our entry into the US market, office space, access to customers, partners, and investors — at between $250k and $500k. Since the program is free — no fees and no equity — it was an absolute no-brainer to participate. Now that we’re here, we know we made the right decision.

Felix Ewald — CEO DyeMansion (Q3/2017)
I’ve never learned so much so fast in my entire entrepreneurial career. I’m not going to lie, The German Accelerator isn’t easy. The mentors challenge us every day to confront obstacles to growth and identify the best ways to address those barriers.

We arrived in the US with assumptions based on our success in Europe. The mentors didn’t tell us we were wrong. Instead. they provided the training and framework to develop a customer-centric approach that is helping us evaluate our strategy and identify product/market fit in the US. This is stuff that we will be able to use the rest of our careers.

Without the GA, we would have wasted months chasing a market that is significantly different than the European market and that needs a completely different approach.

German Start-up Ecosystem

I have been gathering a lot of knowledge about the German start-up ecosystem over the last couple of months. The following will be an ever-growing list of stuff that I find relevant. Enjoy!

Accelerator & Incubators of relevance in Germany

Axel Springer Plug & Play Accelerator

FinLeap

German Tech Entrepreneurship Center (GTEC)

HitFox

hub:raum

MAKERS

Project A Ventures

Rheingau Ventures

Techstars

Berlin:agile accelerator

Metro Accelerator

Venture Stars

Microsoft Accelerator

Berlin Hardware Accelerator

Berlin Startup Academy

Climate-KIC Berlin

European Pioneers Accelerator

P7S1 Accelerator

Startupbootcamp (Energy)

Startupbootcamp (Health)

You Is Now (defunct)

W1 Forward InsurTech

AcceleratorSpinLab

SEED & SERIES A Investors of relevance in Germany

b-to-v Ventures

BlueYard

CapitalCapnamic Ventures

Cavalry Ventures

Cherry Ventures

Creathor Venture

e.ventures

Earlybird

Fly Ventures

German Startups Group

Holtzbrinck Ventures

High Tech Gründerfonds

Mangrove Capital Partners

Northzone

Partech Ventures

Paua Ventures

Asgard Capital

Point Nine Capital

Redstone Digital

SevenVentures

Target Partners

UVC Partners

Berliner Volksbank Ventures

Building10

DB1 Ventures

Digital Health Ventures

Digital Leaders Ventures

Jochen Schweizer Ventures

Join Capital

Litterock

Motu Ventures

Saarbruecker21

Seed & Speed

Think.Health

Vito Ventures

Coparion

Robert Bosch Venture Capital

Allianz X

Check24 Ventures

MIG Fonds

OHB Venture Capital

Government initiatives

EXIST is a support programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). This programme aims at improving the entrepreneurial environment at universities and research institutes. It also aims at increasing the number and success of technology and knowledge based business start-ups

Business Plan Competitions in Germany — (pretty complete, not all of them make sense!)

5-Euro-Business

AC² — der gründungswettbewerb

Belladonna Gründerinnenpreis

Berliner Unternehmerin des Jahres

Bio-Gründer Wettbewerb

BPW Schwaben

BPW Bayern

Businessplan Wettbewerb Medizinwirtschaft

Businessplan-Wettbewerb Berlin-Brandenburg

BPW Nordbayern

Businessplanwettbewerb Sachsen-Anhalt

CyberChampions Award

CyberOne

Designpreis Brandenburg

Designwettbewerb Trusted Fairtrade Clothing

Detecon Mobile Award

Deutscher eLearning-Innovations- und Nachwuchs-Award

D-ELINA

Deutscher Gründerpreis

Deutscher Unternehmer Preis

DGFP Personalmanagement

Bachelor Preis

DMMA OnlineStar

DPRG Junior Award

Dr. Rudolf-Eberle-Preis — Innovationspreis des Landes Baden-Württemberg

eco Internet Awards

enable2start

Entrepreneur des Jahres

ETHICS IN BUSINESS

European Satellite Navigation Competition

Forum KIEDRICH Gründermarkt

Frankfurter Gründerpreis

futureSAX

GENERATION D. Ideen für Deutschland. Gemeinsam Anpacken

GreenIT Best Practice Award

Großer Preis des Mittelstandes

Gründercampus Niedersachsen

GründerChampions

GründerCup Kiel Region

Gründerpreis Bremerhaven

Gründerpreis Thüringen

Gründerwettbewerb — IKT innovativ

Gründungswettbewerb start2grow

Hamburger INNOTECH-Preis

Herausforderung Unternehmertum

Hessen-Champions

Hochschul-Gründer-Preis

HR Innovationswettbewerb

IDEE-Förderpreis

ideenReich BPW

Ideenwettbewerb “Idee 2011”

Ideenwettbewerb Gesundheitswirtschaft Schleswig-Holstein

IHK Forschungs- und Innovationspreis

IHK-Gründerpreis Mittelfranken

INDUSTRIEPREIS

Initiativpreis DIHK Aus- und Weiterbildung

Innovationspreis Berlin-Brandenburg

Innovationspreis der deutschen Wirtschaft

Innovationspreis Münsterland

Innovationspreis Region Aachen

Innovationspreis Thüringen

Innovationspreis Weiterbildung Region Stuttgart

INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT

Innovators’ Pitch

IQ Innovationspreis Mitteldeutschland

IT Future Fond

Jugend gründet

Kultur- und Kreativpiloten Deutschland

Landespreis für junge Unternehmer

Lausitzer Existenzgründer Wettbewerb

MediaAwardMicro

Mountains start & more

Mittelstandspreis für soziale Verantwortung in Baden-Württemberg

Mittelstandsprogramm

Münchener Business Plan Wettbewerb

netSTART-Award

NUK-Businessplan-Wettbewerb

Open Source Business Award

Pioniergeist: Ihr Konzept — unser Gründerpreis

Play the Market

Plug & Work, der Gründungs- und Ansiedlungswettbewerb für Zukunftsbranchen

Prix Veuve Clicquot für die Unternehmerin des Jahrespromotion

Nordhessenruhr@ventureScience4Life Venture Cup

Senkrechtstarter — der Gründungswettbewerb

SprungbrettSTART-AWARD

Starthilfe-Onlinestartsocial — Hilfe für Helfer

StartUp-Impuls — Der Wettbewerb für Ihre Gründungsidee

Test your Ideas!

Thüringer Elevator PitchVR-Innovations

Preis Mittelstand

WECONOMY

WirtschaftsWoche-Gründerwettbewerb

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade