Baden-Württemberg – this region stands for technology, tradition and excellent research. Thus, it is the perfect breeding ground for disruption and innovation in life sciences. That’s why we now teamed up with partners from Heidelberg and Mannheim to create the Life Science Accelerator Baden-Württemberg. We help startups through the whole process from needs identification to the actual foundation.

Tübingen + Heidelberg + Mannheim = Life Science Accelerator BW

 

What is the goal of the Accelerator?

The Life Science Accelerator BW focuses on biotechnology, pharmacy and medical technology. We support projects in the field of science and technology and accompany them through the whole process from needs identification to the actual foundation of a startup. As scientific spin-offs are often both risky and tedious, our aim is to accelerate and simplify certain processes significantly. However, with our program, we intend to strengthen Baden Württemberg’s entire startup scene.

Who is part of the Accelerator?

The Life Science Accelerator Baden-Württemberg was created through the joint commitment of the City of Mannheim’s economic and structural support, the MAFINEX Gründerverbund eV, the non-profit Medical Innovations Foundation (Stiftung für Medizininnovationen) in Tübingen, the Heidelberg Startup Partners e.V. and the Technologiepark Heidelberg GmbH. The cooperation of the founding associations and research facilities strengthens the world of startups in Baden-Württemberg. Further, it should also increase the attractiveness of the participating cities as startup locations.

How does the Accelerator work?

The Life Science Accelerator Baden-Württemberg consists of three modular units. Each unit is based on the preceding one but each of them can be attended separately as well.

The Life Science Accelerator BW consists of three modular units

Medical-Innovations-Explorer_Logo
MedTech-Startup-School_Logo
Startup-Booster_Logo

1. first modular unit

The first modular unit, the Medical Innovations Explorer,  is all about needs identification. It includes a Health Design Workshop and Open MedTech Innovation Days in Tübingen and Heidelberg. Moreover, the Stiftung für Medizininnovationen organizes an idea competition to support projects in the field of medicine and healthcare.

The goal of the Open MedTech Innovation Day is to identify clinical needs, search for solutions and develop business models for these solutions.

Participants of the Health Design Workshop identify challenges and develop solutions for real problems in the healthcare industry. Most of all, the workshop helps to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Furthermore, participants gain competencies in structured problem finding methodologies and in finding creative solutions.

The outcomes of the Health Design Workshop can be submitted to the idea competition of the Stiftung für Medizininnovationen. However, the idea competition is open to everyone. The foundation evaluates the submissions and supports the most promising by handing them over to its affiliated company, the Medical Innovations Incubator GmbH. The Medical Innovations Incubator GmbH is a “company builder”that supports medtech startups. It provides scientific and clinical partners, mentors, expert business knowledge, working space, pre-seed funding and the participation in a 100-day innovation training – the MedTech Startup School.

2. second modular unit

This is when we get to the second modular unit: us. The MedTech Startup School particularly supports the projects of the Medical Innovations Incubator GmbH. In addition, it also facilitates other medtech ideas created by students and scientists. Medical doctors, scientists, mentors and industry partners guide the participants of the MedTech Startup School. Hence, they help to turn innovative ideas into valid business models. The intense innovation training by the MedTech Startup School takes place once a year from July to October in Tübingen. After 100 days of incubation the participants present their projects to the public on Demo Day and are then ready for acceleration.

3. third modular unit

The acceleration happens during the third modular unit: The Startup Booster. This program is led by our partners in Heidelberg and Mannheim. They help startup teams in the pre-seed or seed phase to further accelerate and optimize their business or business model. The team provides experts from industry and research. In addition, it helps the participants to find suitable partners, to develop sustainable business plans and to present them to investors. Among other things, the accelerator program includes accompanying seminars to further develop skills in business modelling and management as well as in pitch-training.

 

The Life Science Accelerator Baden-Württemberg is supported by the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Housing Development of Baden-Württemberg through the European Social Fund (ESF) and the state of Baden-Württemberg.