# German Accelerator

> German Accelerator helps German startups and scale-ups test and enter international markets through tailored mentoring, local introductions, workshops, and market immersion. Operated by Start2 Group and financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, it takes no equity. Kickstart and Market Access are free; Market Discovery charges €500 per startup per program, with travel and accommodation paid by participants.

- **Founded:** 2011
- **Headquarters:** Munich, Germany
- **Founders:** Dirk Kanngiesser (Co-founder), Dietmar Harhoff (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Kickstart - Scaling & Growth, Market Discovery, Market Access, Life Sciences support, AI Competence Center
- **Notable:** Homepage reports 1,600+ supported companies and 1,300+ mentors as of research on 2026-10-08., Homepage reports more than US$17 billion raised by participants; this is alumni funding, not capital supplied by German Accelerator., Programs now span five continents.

## Products & services

- **Kickstart - Scaling & Growth** — Free early growth preparation: Global Mindset Activation (one day), Scaling Clarity (three days), and Global Expansion Strategy (three days). Some Germany-based teams not yet incorporated can qualify under specified exceptions.
- **Market Discovery** — Typically five to seven weeks of virtual preparation with up to one week in-market, customer and partner introductions, and a go/no-go roadmap. €500 per startup per edition, covering up to three participants.
- **Market Access** — Three to six months of customized mentoring and execution support for market entry. No participation fee or equity taken.
- **Life Sciences support** — Sector-specific support, including U.S. Market Access and discovery editions in the U.S., UK, and South Africa.
- **AI Competence Center** — AI-focused expertise introduced to help startups develop and internationalize AI businesses.

## Achievements

- Homepage reports 1,600+ supported companies and 1,300+ mentors as of research on 2026-10-08.
- Homepage reports more than US$17 billion raised by participants; this is alumni funding, not capital supplied by German Accelerator.
- Programs now span five continents.
- Listed alumni include Celonis, Signavio, Staffbase, Raisin, and Forto.

## Latest updates

- **2026-11** — Scheduled: France Market Discovery Future Industries runs November 2 to December 18, with Paris immersion November 30 to December 4.
- **2026-11** — Scheduled: free Kickstart Defense & Dual-Use edition in Munich, November 3-5; published application deadline October 11.
- **—** — Official timeline records expansion into Europe, with UK life-sciences and France industrial discovery offerings.
- **—** — Official timeline records program expansion into South Africa.

## Links

- Website: https://www.germanaccelerator.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/german-accelerator/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GAccelerator
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@german-accelerator
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAccelerator.Tech/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/german-accelerator
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08