GUIDE: HOW TO START A STARTUP IN POTSDAM

by Thomas Samer, Ambassador, First Momentum Ventures

We at First Momentum Ventures, deeply believe in the superpower of young founders and therefore support innovative student cities all around Germany. Next on our list is Potsdam! So if you and your startup are the next big thing on the entrepreneurial landscape, let us know and we are supporting your next steps with EUR 20K. Apply here!

WHY POTSDAM?

You might know Potsdam as a beautiful city with many cultural highlights located near Berlin. But Potsdam is more than that!

Potsdam is a thriving student city. About 25,000 students are studying at the University of Potsdam, the Film University Konrad Wolf, the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and the XU Exponential University, among others.

Potsdam is a science location. No other city in Germany has more scientists per inhabitant than Potsdam. 10,000 of the 170,000 inhabitants work in Potsdam’s more than 20 scientific institutions. Renowned scientific institutes such as the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research as well as institutions of the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, the Leibniz Association and the Helmholtz Association are based in Potsdam.

Potsdam is a city with a high quality of life. It is surrounded by lakes and parkland. And most importantly, Potsdam belongs to the ten most sun-kissed cities in Germany.

Potsdam attracts innovative minds. Among others, the SAP Innovation Center, the Volkswagen Group Future Center as well as the HPI School of Design Thinking are based in Potsdam. The so-called Think Campus is currently being built in the northern part of the city. 5000 digital jobs will be created there. On the RAW site next to the central station, a digital center is to be built which follows the example of the Station F in Paris.

WHAT ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN POTSDAM?

With its ambitious students, existing scientific know-how, high quality of life and innovation spirit, Potsdam fulfils important criteria for providing founders with an ideal breeding ground for developing startups. In the past, however, there was one frequently repeated reason preventing founders from starting their ventures in Potsdam: The lack of working space for startups. But this problem seems to be vanishing into thin air as co-working spaces have been sprouting up recently.

The following guide “How to start a startup in Potsdam” is designed to give you a first overview of the Potsdam startup ecosystem and to provide you with starting points that may help you starting your venture in Potsdam.

This article is consciously focused on what Potsdam has to offer. Keep in mind that the German startup capital Berlin with its endless opportunities is just a stone’s throw away. Of course, the startups of Potsdam benefit from these.

CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS AND ACADEMIC CHAIRS

The University of Potsdam was awarded third place in the Gründungsradar ranking of 2018 for its support for founders.

• Potsdam Transfer of the University of Potsdam offers members of the University of Potsdam a so-called accelerator program, which includes a three-day workshop called Startrampe as well as individual, free coaching by startup consultants during the business model development and implementation phase. In addition, Potsdam Transfer organizes events and workshops for founders as well as a co-working space called Shared Startup Space.
• The founder office ZETUP of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, the Startup Center of the Film University Babelsberg as well as the School of Entrepreneurship of the Hasso Plattner Institute offer advisory services, workshops and office spaces for members of the respective institutions. The HPI School of Entrepreneurship also organizes the yearly HPI business plan competition for students of the Hasso Plattner Institute and manages the HPI seed fund which invests in startups with an HPI background.
• The University of Potsdam (Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle) as well as the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (Prof. Dr. Enrico Sass) have academic chairs dedicated to Entrepreneurship. Relevant courses are offered for interested students.

FURTHER ORGANIZATIONS

• The MediaTech Hub Potsdam was selected in 2017 as one of twelve digital hubs in Germany and is the only one with a focus on MediaTech. The MediaTech Hub Accelerator supports founding teams with a free 6 month program designed jointly with APX. The program includes office space, office hours with experts, access to a regional network of companies from the media and digital economy and access to relevant national and international events, among further benefits. The MediaTech Hub Lab offers a space for innovation and the realisation of ideas for MediaTech startups in the Potsdam-Babelsberg media city. Startups can apply to move in there for a period of 12 months.
• The Startup Academy offers weekly workshops and events for scientists and future entrepreneurs at Potsdam Science Park Golm.
• The Business Plan Competition Berlin Brandenburg supports founders in drawing up a business concept. The competition takes place every year and comprises offers such as seminars, workshops, networking events and advisory services.
• Brandenburg Invest offers advisory services for founders, especially for founders founding a company as an non-German university graduate and for founders founding a university spin-off.
• The Gründungswerkstatt Enterprise offers advisory services and workshops for young founders up to the age of 30.

SPACES

• Unicorn Potsdam Haus am Platz opened in the historic center of Potsdam in July this year. It offers 200 workplaces and is the first Unicorn Workspace outside Berlin.
• Last year, the Potsdam based co-working space operator Mietwerk opened its second co-working space opposite the main station, Mietwerk 2, with 50 workplaces. Mietwerk I, opened in 2016, offers 16 workplaces and is located near the city center.
• The XU Exponential University, which started operations this year, offers a co-working space called XU@Studio Five in Potsdam Babelsberg.
• The Berlin based co-working space operator Sankt Oberholz will open a co-working space with an associated cafe in an old post office in Potsdam Babelsberg in 2020.
• The Potsdam Science Park Golm also offers a Startup Space. The space is primarily intended for startups in the fields of biology, physics and chemistry.
• There are even more opportunities to enjoy the atmosphere of working with like-minded co-workers: alteFEINbaeckerei, Businesscenter Potsdam, raumdock, TechCode Brandenburg Innovation Center.

EVENTS

Let us now have a look at some of the most important networking opportunities for founders in Potsdam. Since the events may vary over time, we only provide a small overview. The Gründerforum Potsdam provides an overview of current events which is updated frequently.

• The Start-up Story Night is a regular event organized by Potsdam Transfer. The event starts with a speed-pitching session where startups present themselves, followed by a keynote speech and a get-together.
• The Startup Meetup Potsdam is a monthly event organized by the MediaTech Hub Accelerator where founders can pitch their business ideas.
• The Potsdam Entrepreneurship Experience Lab PEELx is a four-day startup and innovation workshop taking place in summer.
• Start-up Days is a two-day event taking place once a year. It is organized by the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and the Max Planck Society. The event offers excellent opportunities to network with people from non-university research who are interested in founding a company.
• Once per year the Start-up Bootcamp takes place at the Hasso Plattner Institute. Students from different disciplines come together to work for three days on turning a business idea into a viable business model.
• The founders’ breakfast Thank God It’s Monday, which is also organized by Potsdam Transfer, takes place once a month at the Griebnitzsee Campus of the University of Potsdam.
• Once per year, the all-day GründerTag event initiated by the Gründerforum of the city of Potsdam attracts 300 people interested in starting a venture. Several times per year the “little brother” event of the GründerTag, the GründerTreff, takes place. The event offers an input lecture on a startup topic as well as networking opportunities.

FINANCING

• First Momentum Ventures — That’s us! While reading this article you already stumbled upon us. We are a young innovative fund, with a special passion for young startups. Our main goal is to provide young inspiring startups with a first pre-seed investment. Recently, we lowered barriers for early tech-founders once again, providing unbureaucratic initial checks of EUR 20K. Our four founders (Andreas Fischer, Sebastian Böhmer, Karl Lorey and Benedikt Stolz) are always happy to get to know you and your ideas, but you can also contact our Potsdam ambassador Thomas Samer anytime! We are really looking forward to hearing from you!
• Brandenburg Capital is a VC, supporting dynamic startups and high-growth companies with venture capital and know-how on behalf of the Ministry of Economics and Energy of the State of Brandenburg.
• The Brandenburgian Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family supports startups with innovative business ideas through the ILB’s program Gründung innovativ. Grants may differ between 25,000 and 100,000 euros.
• Hasso Plattner Ventures invests in fast-growing and information technology-driven companies with revenues exceeding 2m euros per year.
• Looking for an investment, you may also consider the various Business Angels located in Potsdam. Some of them are organized in the investor network Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg.

CONCLUSION

The startup ecosystem of Potsdam offers the first basis to start a company of your own. Especially as a young founder or student this is the best time in your life to be brave and try out something new, something unfamiliar and thrilling. Whether you intend to simply learn about entrepreneurship or dedicate a few years to building the next unicorn, just don’t forget to have fun on this journey! Allow yourself to try something, to fail and to try it again. But you will be surrounded by the best support team you could ever wish for: Peers as passionate and brilliant as you are.

So, are you up for the challenge?

Note: Did we miss some important players of the ecosystem in Potsdam? If so, please let us know!

As a pre-seed investor, we help your startup to gain its first momentum by backing you with a first investment as well as world-class mentoring, a strong community, and the required know-how. Read more at firstmomentum.vc, stay up-to-date with our newsletter or get in touch through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.