XPRENEURS is a program for high-tech start-ups on their way from MVP to market entry. We support you to validate your business model, find first customers and secure your first investment.

Get notified for the next application phase
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Our main focus

We are keen to work with start-ups in the in the pre-seed and seed stage with a strong high-tech focus. Specific technologies of interest see in the following. However, if you are working on a technology-based business that is not included in this list, don't hesitate to apply! We are looking forward to seeing creative and groundbreaking solutions in all technology fields.

Our program is completely free and we do not take any equity!

Get notified for the application phase of Batch #15

Applications for the XPRENEURS program are currently closed. Batch #14 is running from September 5 until December 5. Get notified for our next application phase here and be part of XPRENEURS Batch #15.

Aerospace

AgTech / FoodTech

AI / Quantum

BioTech / Clean Energy

FinTech

HealthTech

Legal Tech

Mobility

Robotics

Sustainability / Impact

UrbanTech

Not in there

You can still apply :)

Why XPRENEURS

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.

  • Intense review and development of your business model

  • Weekly 1:1 sessions with the XPRENEURS program team

  • Ongoing exchanges with other founders participating in the program

NETWORK.

  • Matched personal companion supporting your journey

  • Individual mentorship during and after the XPRENEURS program

  • Access to our industry partners and VCs

LEARN.

  • Bi-weekly founder insights provided by experienced entrepreneurs

  • Insights on Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Team etc.

  • Learn by doing approach

PITCH.

  • Intensive pitch and presentation training

  • Making your business understandable for anyone – easy as 123

  • Getting you prepared for the Demo Day where you will meet with potential customers and investors

Within our XPRENEURS Incubation program, we run several specialized tracks.

XPRENEURS offers new tracks that are specifically targeted at different groups and provide more support. Find out if one of our tracks within our program is more suitable for you.

Generative AI for the Built Environment Track & AI for Sustainability powered by Nemetschek

Our Generative AI for the Built Environment Track and AI for sustainability powered by Nemetschek and supported by BEFIVE and TechFounders boosts outstanding early-stage start-ups in the biggest industry ecosystem on earth: the built world.

In the coming years, the built environment sector will undergo the most fundamental transformation of its existence. This offers innovative start-ups immense potential to become a driver of the change process. Building bridges between the “old” and “new” players is therefore a key success factor.

This track is focused on nurturing innovative start-ups in the Built Environment domain that are leveraging AI or generative AI technologies. We are looking for MVP-ready start-ups based in Europe that have stepped up to revolutionize this industry. Our program offers a unique opportunity for selected start-ups to receive mentorship, access to a wide network of industry experts, funding opportunities, and tailored support to accelerate their growth and market impact.

We believe that start-ups at the MVP level have demonstrated the potential of their innovative solutions and are ready to scale. If you are passionate about sustainability in the built environment and are developing AI or generative AI technologies, we invite you to apply to XPRENEURS Built Environment Track and join our program. Together, we can drive the transformation of the industry towards a more exciting and sustainable future.

Our entry requirements

We specifically encourage start-ups working on the following potential emerging technologies:

  • AI for Sustainable Architecture: Optimized energy-efficient building design using generative AI algorithms. AI-powered optimization of renewable energy integration in building design. Generative AI solutions for optimizing sustainable material selection and usage. AI-driven design tools for creating bioclimatic architecture and passive design strategies.

  • AI for Smart Construction: AI-based algorithms for optimizing construction processes and reducing waste. Generative AI solutions for optimizing construction material usage and reducing environmental impact. AI-driven robotics and automation for sustainable construction practices. AI-powered scheduling and resource allocation to minimize construction-related carbon emissions. Circular Economy Solutions: Startups developing AI-powered systems that enable the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of building materials to reduce waste and promote a circular economy. Sustainable Materials Innovation: Startups leveraging AI-driven platforms for research and development of sustainable building materials with improved performance and reduced environmental impact.

  • AI for Building Automation: AI-powered optimization of building systems for energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Generative AI algorithms for real-time adaptive control of building operations. AI-driven predictive maintenance for minimizing energy waste and optimizing system performance. AI-based occupant behavior analysis and optimization for energy conservation.

  • AI for Intelligent Maintenance: AI-powered predictive maintenance solutions for reducing equipment downtime and energy waste. Generative AI algorithms for optimizing maintenance schedules and resource utilization. AI-driven anomaly detection for early identification of equipment faults and inefficiencies. AI-based optimization of facility management practices for sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

  • AI for Digital Twins: AI-driven digital twin platforms for real-time monitoring and optimization of energy usage. Generative AI solutions for simulating and optimizing building performance in digital twin environments. AI-powered analytics for identifying energy-saving opportunities and optimizing occupant comfort. AI-based predictive modeling for optimizing operational efficiency and reducing carbon footprint.

  • Pre-seed or seed stage teams located in Europe

Why join the Built Environment Track powered by Nemetschek

BENEFITS OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TRACK POWERED BY NEMETSCHEK

  • Powerful incubation services to the start-ups by XPRENEURS

  • Excellent access to relevant industry experts, mentors, potential customers and investors will be insured by BEFIVE(UnternehmerTUM's Built Environment Initiative, which works with well known established companies along the entire value chain)

  • Exchange of experiences with like-minded build environment start-ups

Any questions about our Built Environment Track powered by Nemetschek?
Leave Leo a message

Leo Martinez

Dr. Leonardo Martínez

Venture Consultant

XLab Track

Our XLab Track is designed to help entrepreneurial scientists in their transition from lab to market

XLab is a track within our XPRENEURS incubation program exclusively targeted at scientists across universities and research organizations willing to commercialize high-tech, complete their team and accelerate this process to take the leap towards entrepreneurship. XLab offers more flexibility through virtual modules, lower intensity than the main XPRENEURS track but for a longer period of time (5 months instead of 3).

Our entry requirements

  • A clear problem - solution fit addressing a relatively well sized market (e.g.: our epigenetic analysis software can identify nutritional deficiencies related to aging, thus helping young adult population change diets to lower their aging rate)

  • Team of minimum 2 people with complementary skills

  • Ideally close to a minimum viable product that has received feedback from first potential customers (depending on the technology field, un-tested prototypes will not fit, for example)

Why XLab

BENEFITS OF THE XLAB TRACK

  • Flexible integration of program with other obligations

  • Demand-based support for the gradual transition from science to business (e.g for IP & strategy, customers & funding)

  • Exchange with other entrepreneurial scientists across research organizations

  • Focus on matchmaking: mentors, investors, co-founders & talent pools

GOALS

  • Making venturing programs more accessible and relevant for scientists

  • Exchanging experiences and using synergies to create more spin-off success stories

  • Building strong & diverse teams that combine tech and business expertise and are embedded in a powerful ecosystem

Any questions about our XLab Track?
Leave Barbara a message

Barbara Mehner

Dr. Barbara Mehner

Managing Partner

Profile on Linkedin

Q&A session Batch #14
recording and slides

Have a look into our Q&A to learn more about our program.

You can find the slides here.

Recording

XPRENEURS Incubator
example curriculum

Start ups
WeekEventsCurriculum
Week 1

SPRINT 1

Offsite & Kick-off

Calibration Sessions
Week 2

1st Stand-up

Investor Readiness
Week 3

Poker Night

Business Modelling
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6

SPRINT 2

XCONNECT Mentors & Alumni

Pitch Training & Revision
Week 7

2nd Stand-up

Legal Topics for Fundraising
Week 8

Angels Den

IP Strategy
Week 9Hiring & Team Building
Week 10
Week 11

SPRINT 3

XCONNECT Investors & Business Angels

Marketing & Branding Strategy
Week 12

XCHANGE

B2B Sales Strategies
Week 13

Business Angels Stammtisch

Product Development (Alumni Insights)
Week 14Personal Development (Resilience for Founders)
Week 15

Demo Day / XHIBITION

Week 16

Batch Closing

FAQ

How to apply

  • Applications for the XPRENEURS program are currently closed. Batch #14 is running from September 5 until December 5. Get notified for our next application phase here and be part of XPRENEURS Batch #15.

  • First, we check if your application fulfills the minimum selection criteria for the XPRENEURS program. Then we will rate the different aspects of your application (e.g. product/service, team, or business model). The best 40-45 start-ups will be invited to pitch in front of the team. Finally, we will select 20-30 start-ups to participate in our program.

  • We generally accept start-ups from a wide range of fields. As minimum criteria, we require that your business model is based on a technological innovation, and that you already have a committed founder team with at least one full-time founder (no single founder). You do not need to have an incorporated company yet, but with a strong intent to fund a company. The field of our interest is mostly in the B2B market but on occasion, we also take in teams in the B2C/B2G market if its a strong team.

  • We ask you for some information on the basic cornerstones of your business (e.g. your team, product/service, business model, market). In addition, we also ask you to submit a short informal video introducing your team (max. 2 minutes). Please also upload your up-to-date pitch deck (max. 15 slides).

  • Application phase for Batch #15 starts on December 5, 2023 and ends on January 22, 2024.

  • Selection pitches will take place end of July 2023. We will send out acceptance and rejection messages by end of July at the latest.

About the program

  • To really get all the benefits out of XPRENEURS, it’s required that all of your founder team members commit full-time to your start-up project during the 3-months period of the program. You should be willing and able to engage meaningfully with us in coaching, mentoring and workshop formats throughout the program duration. We know you’re busy building your start-up, so don’t worry - our program is intense, but customized to focus on what you need at the moment to be successful!

  • At XPRENEURS Incubator, your start-up benefits from coachings, workshops, 1:1 sessions with your mentor, our huge network of investor and industry contacts, free office space, access to perks valued >$380K such as Microsoft Services, AWS Credits, Google Cloud, Stripe, MixPanel and Hubspot and the resources of the UnternehmerTUM community in general! All of this is free of charge for you! We also take no equity. Read more about the benefits of our incubation program and learn what our alumni start-ups say here.

  • See our example curriculum above.

  • The program duration is 3 months from Kickoff to our XHIBITION Demo Day. Batch #14 will run from September 5, 2023 - December 5, 2023.

    Application phase for Batch #15 starts on December 5, 2023 and ends on January 22, 2024.

  • Yes, all teams get access to free office space in the co-working area of the brand new Munich Urban Colab (or Garching if you prefer).

  • Many of our start-ups find an investor through our contacts and our Demo Day event. There is also the opportunity to get UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators Prototyping Grants in a total amount of €1,000 to €5,000 per grant. However, XPRENEURS does not give out grants or invest in start-ups.

Any questions about our program?
Leave Michaela a message

Michaela Reimann

Michaela Reimann

Team & Event Manager

Profile on Linkedin