We empower the strongest high-tech start-ups in the pre-seed and seed stage on their way from MVP to market entry.

Good news! Applications for Batch #17 are now open.

Are you ready to scale your start-up with us?

Apply now for Batch #17!

Turbocharge your start-up with the team’s entrepreneurial expertise and huge network.

We help you validate your business model, win your first customers and secure your first investment.

Groundbreaking solutions in all technology fields are welcome!

We are keen to work with the best start-ups in the in the pre-seed and seed stage with a strong high-tech focus. We are looking forward to seeing creative and groundbreaking solutions in all technology fields.

Application phase: December 10, 2024 - January 20, 2025

Program: March 3, 2025 - June 4, 2025

Apply now for Batch #17 Join our Q&A session

FAST-TRACK VALIDATION & MARKET ENTRY

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

TOP-NOTCH MENTORSHIP & COACHING

Access to +250 experienced mentors, industry experts and successful alumni founders
Matched personal companion supporting your journey
Individual mentorship during and after the XPRENEURS program

ACCESS TO HIGH-PROFILE INVESTORS & CORPORATE PARTNERS

+150 powerful VCs, Family Offices & Business Angels
Established Corporate Partners for potential partnerships, pilot projects and even early customer acquisition opportunities
Accelerate growth and build valuable relationships early on

ACCESS TO DEEP DOMAIN EXPERTISE

Emphazising start-ups in the in the pre-seed and seed stage with a strong high-tech focus
Access to hands-on workshops and educational resources tailored to industry specific focus
Tailored expert and peer learning sessions

... and all that is equity free!

Unlike many other accelerators and incubators we offer our support without taking equity, allowing founders to retain full ownership and control of their companies.

Emphasizing cutting-edge technologies

We are keen to work with the most outstanding start-ups in the in the pre-seed and seed stage with a strong high-tech focus. Specific technologies of interest see below. 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.

Domain expertise and cross-field support

Aerospace

AgTech / FoodTech

AI / Quantum

BioTech / Clean Energy

FinTech

HealthTech

Legal Tech

Mobility

Robotics

Sustainability / Impact

UrbanTech

Not in there

You can still apply :)

Within our program, we provide start-ups with comprehensive support, equipping them with the essential tools, valuable insights, and the agility required to unlock their full potential. By fostering an environment that encourages innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking, we significantly enhance their chances of achieving early success. Moreover, our support goes beyond immediate milestones, focusing on building a solid foundation for long-term sustainability, growth, and continued impact in the market.

We provide support in collaboration with domain experts in different areas, such as:

Legal Tech in coperation with the Legal Tech Colab
Science Spin-offs in cooperstion with TUM Venture Labs
Clean Tech supported by Vector Stiftung
Corporate Ventures

This deep dive is designed to help entrepreneurial scientists in their transition from lab to market. It is 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.

Our Clean Tech deep dive powered by Vector Stiftung aims at supporting entrepreneurial scientists whose start-up project addresses challenges in the environmental sector and enhances sustainability in any of our focus areas, e.g. in the domains of Construction/Built Environment, Clean Energy, Food and Agriculture or Materials.

With our Legal Tech deep dive we support start-ups that use cutting edge technology to revolutionize the legal profession together with the Legal Tech Colab.

With this deep dive we provide specialized support for teams within your company. The goal is to empower these teams to build and implement innovative solutions, fostering growth and forward-thinking development. By enhancing their skills and strategies, we help drive transformative ideas that create lasting value for your organization.

Need more answers? We've got you covered!

If you have open questions or need more details, our FAQ section is packed with helpful answers to the most common questions. But if you don’t find what you’re looking for, don’t worry - we're here to help! Reach out to us directly via contact@xpreneurs.io and we'll make sure you get the answers you need.

Or check out our Q&A video session with Venture Consultant Leo Martínez who answered all your questions concerning our incubation program. Plus, get insights from Lisa Liu, Co-Founder and CEO of Qkera (Batch #15), as she shares a start-up’s perspective on the benefits of the XPRENEURS experience.

Founders’ insights. Discover what founders say about our program

We pride ourselves on fostering a close connection with our alumni start-ups, creating a vibrant community that extends beyond the program's duration. Our alumni remain engaged through networking events, mentorship opportunities, and collaborative projects, ensuring that they continue to benefit from shared experiences and insights.

Co-Founder & CPO

We are extremely grateful for the broad support and the opportunities from the UnternehmerTUM network. The XPRENEURS team has always been very proactive in helping the start-ups in their particular stages and the active exchange with mentors, companies, and other start-ups have facilitated great synergies.

Gyri Reiersen – Co-Founder of tanso // Batch #10

Co-Founder & COO

UnternehmerTUM was a valuable experience for us at Proxima Fusion. The XPRENEURS program has provided us with the necessary resources and connections at the right time, and helped us to accelerate our growth and success.

Dr. Lennart Bock – Co-Founder of Proxima Fusion // Batch #13

Co-Founder & CEO

XPRENEURS provided us with a strong network of entrepreneurs and mentors who played an essential role in building our company, often at crucial moments.

Veronika Riederle – Founder, Demodesk // Batch #2

Co-Founder & CEO

The ecosystem helped TWAICE to become market-ready and develop a scalable business model and offered great guidance and network. Throughout the program at XPRENEURS we met successful startup founders and gained insights into legal, sales and business development topics required to build TWAICE.

Dr. Stephan Rohr – Co-Founder of TWAICE // Batch #2

High-profile investor network

Our extensive network of 150+ Venture Capital Partners, Family Offices and Business Angels plays a crucial role in pushing our start-ups forward. With over 60% of our start-ups securing funding, they have collectively raised more than €1.9 billion in venture capital.

World-class mentor network

We connect you with a network of 250+ world-class mentors dedicated to helping our start-ups thrive. Our mentors are accomplished entrepreneurs and industry experts who have built and scaled successful ventures themselves. Their hands-on experience, deep market insights, and extensive networks offer invaluable guidance and inspiration. Whether you're refining your business model, strategizing for growth, or tackling complex challenges, our mentors provide personalized support to empower your journey.

Katrin Mohr

Digital Interim Executive & Advisor, Business & Team Coach

Johannes Knubben

Head of Sustainability, HiPP

Dorothea Wenzel

Independent Board Member, former Executive (Fresenius)

Stephan Masyuta-Hesslich

Entrepreneur, Company Builder, SaaS Revenue Leader

Cornelia Kunze

Founder & Chief Advisor, i-sekai

Dr. Andreas Gocke

Managing Director & Senior Partner Boston Consulting Group

XPRENEURS Incubator
example curriculum

Week	Events	Curriculum
Week 1	Offsite & Kick-off	Calibration Sessions
Week 2	Stand-up Breakfast	Investor Readiness & Negotiation
Week 3	Poker Night	Business Modelling
Week 4		B2B Sales
Week 5		High-Performance Culture
Week 6	XCONNECT Mentors & Alumni	Pitch Training & Revision
Week 7	Stand-up Breakfast	Legal Topics for Fundraising
Week 8	Afterwork Dinner	IP Strategy
Week 9		Hiring & Team Building
Week 10
Week 11	XCONNECT Investors & Business Angels	Marketing & Branding Strategy
Week 12	Stand-up Breakfast	B2B Sales Strategies
Week 13	Business Angels Stammtisch	Product Development (Alumni Insights)
Week 14		Personal Development (Resilience for Founders)
Week 15	Demo Day
Week 16	Batch Closing

We are constantly striving to increase diversity in our teams

45%

international teams

39%

teams with female founders

This is how we support female founders

Women in Germany found start-ups less frequently and often get stuck in the first stages of founding. This is something we want to change. With the UnternehmerTUM Female Founders Office Hours initiative, we at XPRENEURS support female founders through these early stages:

With the help of high-quality feedback and
mentoring from top level experts in various areas.

We are supported in this mission by strong partners such as UVC and Women Start-up who offer office hours alongside XPRENEURS. Are you a female founder and need support?

Book your session now

We encourage diversity

FAQ

How to apply

How do we apply to the XPRENEURS program?
Applications are open! Apply now here.
How does the selection process work?
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.
What are the eligibility criteria for start-ups to participate in the XPRENEURS 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.
What materials do we need for the application to XPRENEURS?
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).
When will the application phase for XPRENEURS Batch #17 start?
The application phase for Batch #17 runs from December 10, 2024 until January 20, 2025. The program will take place from March 3, 2025 until June 4, 2025.
Apply now!
When will we know if our start-up is selected for XPRENEURS Batch #17?
Selection pitches will take place mid February 2025. We will send out acceptance and rejection messages by end February 2025.

About the program

Is it possible to participate in the program part-time?
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!
What are the benefits of the XPRENEURS program?
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.
What topics and events does the XPRENEURS program cover?
See our example curriculum above.
What's the timeline for the XPRENEURS program?
The program duration is 3 months from Kickoff to our Ultimate Demo Day. The program starts twice per year, in March and in September.
Will our start-up get free office space?
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).
Will we get funding as part of the XPRENEURS Incubator program?
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.
When will the application phase for XPRENEURS Batch #17 start?
The application phase for Batch #17 runs from December 10, 2024 until January 20, 2025. The program will take place from March 3, 2025 until June 4, 2025.
Apply now!