Funding & Financing
Which programs are right for you?
No money, no startup? Not necessarily! We’ll show you which grants, funding schemes, and financing options are available for your startup – from EXIST to regional support programs.
The right funding program for every stage of your journey
1. IDEA & VALIDATION (Pre-Seed / Early Stage)
You feel the spark of entrepreneurship – but where do you start?
At this stage, it’s all about exploration: What does it actually mean to be a founder? Which problems excite you? Do you already have an idea – or not yet? This is where you begin to develop your entrepreneurial mindset.
Questions to help you reflect:
- Do you often have ideas but don’t know which one is viable?
- Do you keep seeing a problem and think, “Someone should solve this”?
- Are you wondering whether starting a business is right for you?
- Would you like to connect with like-minded people?
Goals:
- Discover your interest in entrepreneurship & reflect on your motivations
- Gain first inspiration & build your network
- Develop initial ideas
- Find suitable support and funding programmes
Formats & offers:
- Founder Talks
- Design Thinking Sessions
- Personal Development Workshops
- Ideation Toolbox
- EXIST-Women (BMWK)
- Startup Port Lounge
- Startup2Go
- Women Founders Breakfast
- Startup Café
- Startup Camp
- Hamburg Innovation Summit (HHIS)
- Female Entrepreneurship Week
- YES
- VIP+
2. BUSINESS MODEL & TEAM (Seed / Deep Tech)
Your idea becomes a startup project
You have a concrete idea – or you’re well on your way. Now it’s about validation, team building, understanding the market, gathering feedback from your target group, developing prototypes, and creating your first business case. This is where things become hands-on and move into concrete implementation.
Questions to help you reflect:
- Are you looking for co-founders with complementary skills?
- Are you working on an initial prototype or MVP?
- Are you wondering whether your idea will work in the market?
- Are you motivated to further develop your idea in a focused way?
Goals:
- Validate your idea
- Develop your business model
- Find suitable funding and support programmes
- Build a tested MVP and achieve product–market fit
Formats & offers:
- MVP Programs
- Prototyping Toolbox
- Business Model Toolbox
- Customer Development Toolbox (target group interviews)
- Meet & Match
- Network Building
- Legal & IP Advisory Experts
- EXIST Startup Grant
- Coaching Formats
- EXIST Transfer of Research
- InnoImpact - IFB Innovationsstarter
- InnoFounder - IFB Innovationsstarter
- Meet4Insights
- Co-Founders Connect
- Startup Camp
- Pitch Coaching
- Startup Roast
- Co-Founders Connect
3. GROWTH & SCALING (Post-Seed / Early Growth)
From idea to startup – and far beyond
Now it’s time to found your startup – and scale it. You further develop your business model, pitch to stakeholders, build a strong team, enter new markets and reach new customers, and expand your product portfolio. This is where the real journey begins.
Questions to help you reflect:
- Do you have an MVP and first users?
- Do you already have ideas for further developing your product?
- Do you want to grow your team or enter new markets?
Goals:
- Market launch & growth
- Product & process optimisation
- Team & organisational development
Formats & offers:
- InnoRampUp (IFB Hamburg)
- InnoFinTech (IFB Hamburg)
- Investor Pitch Trainings
- Go-to-Market Workshops
- Team Building Formats
- Accelerator Programs
- Additional Startup Factory Offers
- Founder Table
- Female Entrepreneurship Week
- Startup Port Lounge
- Brown Bag Lunch
- Entrepreneurship Lunch
We’re happy to help you find the right funding opportunities. Reach out to us – we’ll support you with your application!