Application
APPLICATIONS FOR BATCH #14 WILL OPEN IN FEBRUARY 2021
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Key Dates for Batch #14 are:
Key Dates
Application period Batch #14:
February 08 – March 20, 2021
Pre-discussions with potential candidates:
April 19 – May 14, 2021
Final Pitch events:
Until end of May 2021
Communication of decision to applicants:
Early June 2021
Kick-off summer batch 2021:
Mid July 2021

Don’t miss our next application phase
Why should you apply? Our Program Highlights:

Intensive Coaching and Mentoring
By seasoned serial entrepreneurs, tech experts, business angels, venture capitalists and experienced industry professionals

Access to Corporate Partners
such as ALDI Nord & SÜD, Festo, Knorr-Bremse and Miele and many other corporate partners.

Free office Space and Support
We provide office space in the heart of Munich where our team is working hard to support you on all matters of your business.

Access to our High-Tech Workshop
In our 1500m2 high-tech workshop “maker space” you have access to more than 100 machines and can build your prototypes.

To pitch at our final event, the Demo Day
attended by 250+ VCs, business angels, corporate representatives, successful founders and press members.
What kind of startups are we looking for?
Target Geographics
Globally, with focus on Europe, Russia, Israel
Target/Focus Topics
Please check out our Corporate Partners and their search fields below
Industry Focus
All industries as long as there is a fit with the search fields
Target/Startup Stages
Seed, Series A
Exceptional Team
driven, curious, and humble founders with a big vision!
Batch #13 Corporate Partners & Search Fields

As one of the best-known and most popular retailers, ALDI has been providing millions of people with everyday essentials for generations. In southern and western Germany, ALDI SÜD employs around 43,400 employees. The ALDI SÜD Group is represented by 30 independent regional companies, which oversee operations in around 1,890 stores.
The ALDI Nord Group is represented by a total of 32 regions in northern, eastern, and western Germany. In Germany, more than 35,000 employees are employed by ALDI Nord. Customers can shop for fresh products in over 2,200 stores.
Find out more about ALDI Nord (www.aldi-nord.de) and ALDI SÜD (www.aldi-sued.de).
For batch#13 ALDI is looking for startups in the following fields:

Sustainable Packaging
Innovative solutions, materials & design

Sustainable Food & Non-Food Products
Reusable, recyclable, ecological, plastic-free products; FoodTech

Sustainable Farming
Solutions increasing the sustainability of agriculture and food production

Future of Retail
Innovative in-store concepts for fresh produces; insights to customer needs and behaviour

Festo SE & Co. KG is a worldwide leader in automation and a world market leader in technical training and development. Regarding automation, Festo offers products, systems and services surrounding pneumatic and electrical control and drive technology – whether in the factory or process automation sector.
Festo Didactic equips technical training institutes and offers training and consultancy to processing industrial companies. Festo was founded in 1899 and has more than 20,000 employees around the globe with a company presence in 61 countries and after-sales services in 176 countries to serve its 300,000 customers. In 2017, Festo reported a revenue of €3.1Bn.
Find out more about the company: www.festo.com
For batch#13 Festo is looking for startups in the following fields:

Sensor Technologies
Sensors technologies for the measurement of media parameters and/or media composition

Autonomous Robotics
Advanced robotics solutions, pick and place, simulation and training

Knorr-Bremse is the global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other safety-critical rail and commercial vehicle subsystems. (Link to company overview and product portfolio) Knorr-Bremse delivers braking, entrance, control and auxiliary power supply systems, HVAC and driver assistance systems for rail vehicles, as well as braking, steering, powertrain and transmission control solutions, and driver assistance systems for commercial vehicles.
Approximately 29,000 employees at over 100 sites in more than 30 countries use their competence and motivation to satisfy customers worldwide with products and services. In 2017, Knorr-Bremse’s two divisions together generated revenues of EUR 6.2 billion (IFRS).
Find out more about the company: www.knorr-bremse.com
For batch#13 Knorr-Bremse is looking for startups in the following fields:

Trusted Data Sharing
Trusted data exchange; data sovereignty

Inspection of Complex Assemblies
Automatic quality inspection, failure detection and analysis

Cataloging & Metadata for Analytics
Management of metadata, data cataloging and big data analytics

Product Security Testing
Cybersecurity testing, simulation and training; cyber-risk management

E-Mobility & Electrification
Systems and components for commercial vehicles

Miele & Cie. KG is the world's leading supplier of premium home appliances for kitchen, laundry and floor care. In addition, Miele Professional offers laundry care, cleaning, disinfection and sterilization solutions for commercial and medical applications. All product offerings are complemented by services - from customer service and cooperation to a wide range of innovation fields in the areas of product/services, market access/customer contact and creation of the value chain.
During the business year 2017/2018, which ended on 30 June 2018, the company achieved a sales volume of €4.1 billion. At present, Miele is represented in 47 countries by company-owned sales organisations and in about 50 additional countries via importers. Miele has been an independent family-owned company since its establishment in 1899.
Find out more about the company: www.miele.com
For batch#13 Miele is looking for startups in the following fields:

Knowledge Management
Knowledge modeling, processing and representation

IoT-based Customer Service
Predictive maintenance, sensor solutions and remote service

Room Care & Robotics
Robotic cleaning; innovative hygiene solutions

Relaxation & Sleep
Innovative solutions for sleep quality and health at home

Circularity of Devices
Solutions and technologies enabling circularity for household appliances

Following the increasing importance of innovative startups tackling climate change, in the upcoming batch TechFounders supports startups developing disruptive solutions in the area of climate tech, which are impacting industries like energy-, transportation-, construction-, building-, production- or agriculture/forestry.
Therefore, we are giving away additional wildcards for our exclusive program. You will receive all of our usual benefits: intensive coaching and mentoring, access to potential partners within our vast network, free office space and support, access to our high-tech workshop, a spot to pitch at our Demo Day, and many more.
We are looking for startups in the following fields:

Carbon Capture & Offset

Emission Reduction

Energy Storage Systems

Circularity of Products

Renewable Energies