Audi Denkwerkstatt and Techstars search for and support startups for Audi’s ecosystem

Through “Vorsprung 2030” Audi has offered a transparent technique for the electrical and digital transformation of the corporate. It contains constructing a digital ecosystem within the context of electrical and automated driving. This encompasses the charging expertise for electrical vehicles, holistic mobility ideas, connecting customers with one another in addition to digital providers each inside and exterior the car. The aim is to enhance customers’ mobility experiences. Accordingly, concepts that promote Audi’s new strategic business areas and that supply extra costumer worth will probably be given precedence within the new “Founder Innovation Lab”. Another aim of this system is to attach contributors with a wide range of Audi departments for potential entry to sources and mutual information switch.

Startups and founders who want to dedicate their entrepreneurial expertise to the search for promising options within the fields of digitalization and mobility can apply for two packages. Those who want to know extra can discover the small print on the appliance and choice course of for the pre-accelerator program beginning August 1, 2022, in addition to for the accelerator program beginning September 26, 2022, on Techstars’ website. The program consists of two three-month phases, that construct on one another: the pre-accelerator program, which is focused at particular person founders, and the accelerator program, which is tailor-made to early-stage startups. In the pre-accelerator part, Audi Denkwerkstatt and Techstars collectively support the contributors in growing a promising thought and increase an appropriate crew. This program additionally entails a collection of grasp courses, mentorships, and pitch teaching for the founders who will acquire entry to a world community of entrepreneurs, buyers and mentors by becoming a member of. The contributors will probably be related to one another, to allow them to assemble their perfect groups of founders.

Successful graduates of the pre-accelerator program, who’ve handed the ultimate pitch of this part, are eligible to take part within the three-month accelerator part. Established early-stage startups can skip the pre-accelerator program and apply straight for the accelerator program, with out the necessity to full the pre-accelerator beforehand. Successful completion of the accelerator program gives the prospect of long-term collaboration with Audi. In order to ensure they concentrate on the event of their business concepts, the person contributors and startup groups obtain monetary support. The accelerator program offers startups entry to an enormous world community of mentors, buyers, founders, and companions. The first month of this system is devoted to assessing product-market-fit. It contains intensive hands-on coaching with mentors to assist founders refine their merchandise right into a strong proof-of-concept. This is adopted by the execution stage within the second month. The ultimate part is targeted on serving to startups refine their monetary business fashions with extra methods round fundraising.

Diversity is a key element of this system as to advertise the best potential potential for innovation. The whole program is due to this fact geared toward founders and startup groups of all nationalities with completely different ability units in addition to these from all skilled and educational backgrounds. When evaluating founders for this system, technical experience, and an impressive entrepreneurial spirit in addition to a excessive degree of intrinsic motivation and creativity all play an equal position. Assertiveness and crew spirit are additionally required. Being a melting pot for the European startup group, Berlin gives optimum circumstances for the implementation of this system.

“Audi Denkwerkstatt is driving innovation for digital business models at Audi. Our goal is to develop customer-focused innovations quickly, efficiently, and then get them ready for the market. Having Techstars on our side as a strong partner, we’re opening ourselves up to an outside innovator community and to even more exciting business ideas. At the same time, we’re optimizing the interface between our corporation and the startup community,” says Tim Miksche, Head of Audi Denkwerkstatt.

Martin Schilling, Managing Director of Techstars Berlin Accelerator, highlights: “Shorter and shorter product and innovation cycles and new digital lines of business – all of these are influencing the current transformation of the automotive industry. Together with Audi Denkwerkstatt, Techstars will support ambitious founders and ensure that the speed of innovation increases. We are looking forward to creating new opportunities for founders through Techstars’ proven model that combines capital, programs and connections.”

Audi Denkwerkstatt can look again on six years of expertise within the startup ecosystem

Since its founding in 2016, Audi Denkwerkstatt has already acquired the award “Best Innovation Lab in Germany” (awarded within the joint examine “Corporations on the heels of startups” by Infront Consulting and the journal Capital, 2019 and 2020) – twice. The expertise gained by this very profitable intrapreneurship program types the inspiration of the brand new strategic realignment. A results of this continuous development: Under the open-innovation strategy, the intention is for collaboration with exterior founders and startups to be intensified sooner or later. This attracts on the innovation potential on the interface between Audi and the startup ecosystem.

About Techstars
Techstars’ worldwide community helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars started with three easy concepts—entrepreneurs create a greater future for everybody, collaboration drives innovation, and nice concepts can come from wherever. Now Techstars is on a mission to allow each individual on the planet to contribute to and profit from the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to working accelerator packages and enterprise capital funds, Techstars does this by connecting startups, buyers, companies, and cities to assist construct thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in additional than 3,000 firms with a mixed market cap of greater than $140 Billion.

Please be aware: The software interval for the pre-accelerator program opens on August 1, 2022, and the appliance interval for the accelerator program begins on September 26, 2022. Anyone can apply on Techstars’ web site starting then.