The Asia Market Discovery program is designed for German startups seeking to find their best-fit market in Asia and define their next steps for international growth. This virtual program provides expert-led workshops, dedicated mentoring, and valuable founder insights to help companies navigate the complexities of the diverse Asian market. Participants will develop a clear rationale for why Asia fits their expansion strategy, utilize a structured framework to compare and shortlist relevant markets, and gain a practical understanding of the fundamentals required for setting up and operating in the region.
Program Details
• Location: Asia (Remote)
• Program Dates: July 20 - August 14, 2026
• Application Deadline: July 3, 2026
• Format: Virtual Program
• Cost: €500 per Startup
Program Benefits
• Save time and money: Participants reduce trial-and-error across multiple markets.
• Accelerate growth: A clear market direction is reached faster.
• Build connections and partnerships: Learn from founders who have already expanded into Asia.
• Navigate complexity: Gain clarity on regional setup and cultural realities early in the process.
Key Deliverables
• Asia market shortlist
• Personalized market entry roadmap
• Asia setup fundamentals overview, including legal, tax, and regulatory basics
• Asia business culture and communication readiness baseline
• Market opportunity and entry-barrier insights from deep dives across China, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, and South Korea
Program Experience
• Expert-Led Guidance: Participants work through strategic expansion rationale, market selection, and market entry fundamentals.
• Country Deep Dives: Specific insights into five major Asian markets are provided to pressure-test the chosen direction.
• Cultural Readiness: A practical baseline for navigating communication, work norms, and business behaviors across Asia is established.
• Founder and Peer Learning: Participants learn directly from founders who have already expanded into Asia.
Core Program Modules
• Market Strategy and Prioritization: Understand the strategic rationale for Asia, use a structured framework to compare markets, and build a region-specific research and prioritization plan.
• Market Entry Fundamentals: Get an overview of legal, tax, and regulatory fundamentals across Asia to make market entry logistics more predictable and manageable.
• Culture and Ways of Doing Business: Learn how business behaviors, communication styles, and work norms differ across Asian countries, with an emphasis on Southeast Asia.
• Market-Specific Insights: Explore opportunities, customer expectations, and entry barriers across five key Asian markets—China, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, and South Korea—to refine the regional strategy.
• Founder Learning and Real-World Perspective: Hear real stories and lessons learned from founders who have expanded into Asia to inform your own approach.
Eligibility Criteria
• Your company must be incorporated in Germany with one of the following legal forms: UG; AG; GmbH; GmbH & Co. KG. We also consider GbRs on a case-by-case basis.
• Qualify as a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) based on the EU definition of a SME.
• Be under the limit of the official EU De-minimis aid regulation.
Application Process
• Step 1: Submit Your Application: Submit your pitch deck along with answers to key questions about your business, including your vision, market-fit, and current growth stage.
• Step 2: Selection Process: The program team will carefully evaluate your application, reviewing all provided materials. If your startup is selected and meets the eligibility criteria, you will be notified of the next steps.
• Step 3: Program Participation: Join the program and work hands-on via workshops, mentor sessions, and founder fireside chats to validate assumptions and define concrete next steps for market entry.
• Step 4: Know What to Do Next: With clear feedback on your market readiness and concrete next steps from the program, you’ll know exactly how to move forward with your expansion.
This initiative is part of German Accelerator, a program financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and run by Start2 Group. It is a central component of Germany's startup strategy, designed to empower high-potential German startups and scale-ups to thrive on a global scale by connecting them to international ecosystems, mentorship, and the knowledge needed to overcome growth barriers.