The Incubator program is designed for early-stage founders, offering confidence and clarity through essential startup education and mentorship. This powerful 5-month program aims to transform ideas from concepts into thriving realities by leveraging extensive experience and expertise. Participants will learn to refine concepts, validate business ideas, gain crucial market insights, and develop a clear roadmap to guide their startup journey. The program also provides an opportunity to join a vibrant community of over 200 startups, fostering valuable connections and learning from experienced founders.
Program Overview
• Target Group: Early-stage startups (pre-funding or idea stage) with an extensive problem understanding.
• Setup: Learn to validate ideas, unlock market potential, and craft a first MVP through a variety of workshops, access to a mentor pool, regular coaching, and peer-to-peer learning.
• Goal: To serve as a launchpad for startups, helping them navigate uncertainties and become accelerator-ready within a vibrant ecosystem.
• Duration: A full-time, 5-month program in Heilbronn.
• Batch 5 Schedule: May 7th - September 30th, 2026.
Program Highlights & Benefits
• Workshops: 15 workshops with experts at Campus Founders on-site in Heilbronn.
• Coaching: Dedicated coaching sessions for your team with experienced coaches.
• Peer Sessions: More than 10 peer-to-peer working sessions.
• De-risking Guidance: Support to de-risk business ideas.
• Immersive Learning: Two full days each week in Heilbronn for learning and progress alongside your batch and the startup community.
• Full-Time Focus: An opportunity to work full-time on your startup with your team.
• Safe Environment: A supportive and collaborative space that fosters experimentation and rapid iteration of concepts with valuable feedback.
• Dynamic Community: Connect with a network of talented individuals, passionate entrepreneurs, corporations, experienced mentors, and investors.
• Follow-Up Programs: Access to follow-up programs aimed at fostering continued growth and development after the Incubator concludes.
• Workspace Access: Unrestricted access to the GRAVITY state-of-the-art working space to boost creativity and productivity.
Founder Scholarship
A Founder Scholarship is available to support founders early in their journey by helping cover living costs. It is designed for promising individuals and ideas and can be granted for up to 12 months, contingent on active participation in programs and achieving jointly defined milestones. Accepted program participants will be automatically invited to a scholarship interview. The application for the scholarship is a separate process.
Application Details
• Current Batch: Batch #5
• Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
• Meet & Greet Session #2: March 4, 2026
• Meet & Greet Session #3: March 16, 2026
Program Process & Timeline
• Application Process Step 1: Submit your application via the online form.
• Application Process Step 2: The application is evaluated after successful submission.
• Application Process Step 3: You will receive a final decision regarding your participation.
• Program Process - Build: Take concrete steps to move your idea forward through experimenting, prototyping, and developing your solution.
• Program Process - Learn: Actively engage in workshops and peer-to-peer working sessions to learn how to validate your idea.
• Program Process - Iterate: Refine your idea based on feedback from mentors and pivot if necessary in a safe space.
• Timeline: A 5-month incubation journey starting with a Kick-Off on May 7th, 2026, covering topics such as market opportunity, customer research, business planning, pitch decks, market entry strategy, sales, financial planning, and funding opportunities, culminating in the Finals.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Cost: Participation in the program is free of charge.
• Team Requirement: Teams are preferred, but solo founders can apply. Assistance is provided in finding co-founders, though a match is not guaranteed.
• Startup Stage: The program is for aspiring founders and early-stage startups with a well-understood problem and some initial validation work.
• Program Language: The main program language is English, with individual coaching available in German.
• Time Commitment: There are two mandatory full-time presence days in Heilbronn each week. The overall time investment is flexible and managed by each team.
• Physical Presence: While residence in Heilbronn is not required, active participation on-site during mandatory presence days is crucial, as remote participation is not available for these sessions.
• Startup Idea Fit: The program is industry-agnostic and supports passionate founders with strong ideas across all sectors.
• Workspace: Participants are encouraged to work at the Campus Founders space (Campus Lab), which serves as a hub for innovation and collaboration.
• EXIST Grant Support: The program offers support in applying for the EXIST German government grant through its network of authorized academic partners.
• Investor Access: Participants gain access to a strong network of founders, experts, midsized companies, and investors.
This is more than just an incubator; it's a launchpad designed to propel entrepreneurs to new heights. By providing a structured path from concept to reality, the program equips founders with the tools, community, and strategic direction necessary for success.