Name: Techfounders
Price range: $

Pilot Project Opportunities with our Corporate Partners

We are currently looking globally for start-ups for a Pilot Project with automation industry leader Festo.

This sponsored pilot project fostered by TechFounders is your chance to work hand-in-hand with Festo and shape the way industries approach automation, training, and immersive experiences.

Alongside the pilot project, you'll be part of the TechFounders accelerator program with access to coaching and mentoring by industry experts and various occasions to meet relevant investors and industry representatives.

Learn about a Pilot Project Opportunity with Festo

What's in it for YOU

Proof of Concept

Collaborate with one of our corporate partners on a pilot projects to further develop your product or service. See the open pilot project opportunities above

Equity-free funding

We offer a project budget of €25,000, without taking any equity or charges in return, for start-ups selected for a pilot project

Individual Coaching & Mentoring

Receive tailored coaching by seasoned serial entrepreneurs, tech experts, venture capitalists and experienced industry professionals

Pitch Spot at Ultimate Demo Day

Pitch your company at UnternehmerTUM's Ultimate Demo Day in front of investors and industry representatives

No Relevant Pilot Project Opportunities Right Now for You? Apply as a Wildcard

TechFounders aspires to support technological development globally to ensure not just workplaces and sustainable economic growth, but more importantly a liveable planet for future generations. Therefore, we reserve additional wildcard spots for our exclusive program.

We are here to back start-ups crafting revolutionary solutions in our Focus Fields - but we encourage you to apply even if your pioneering innovation falls outside these categories.

Wildcard spots include all of our usual benefits, such as:

intensive coaching and mentoring
access to potential partners within our vast network & a spot to pitch at the Ultimate Demo Day by UnternehmerTUM
free office space and support & access to our high-tech workshop

Our applications to participate in the TechFounders program as a Wildcard will open next time in end-April, 2024.

Focus Fields

Net-Zero

Join us in turning the crisis into action

Focus Field: Net-Zero

Industry 4.0

Revolutionizing the industrial world

Focus Field: Industry 4.0

Healthcare

Powering the future of healthcare

Focus Field: Healthcare

Cybersecurity

Shielding your company from tomorrow's threats

Focus Field: FinTech & Cybersecurity

If you are looking for strong partners to grow and scale your impact, this is the place to be. The TechFounders program with its great team, experienced mentors, and inspiring founders has propelled our business tremendously. Together with our project partners at ALDI Nord & ALDI SÜD, we have the unique opportunity to make sustainability affordable and our innovative plant-based tuna available to everyone.

We are engaged in several UnternehmerTUM initiatives and have highly benefited from each. TechFounders greatly supported us in professionalizing our business, expanding our network, and finding investors. Since entering the program, we have closed two financing rounds, won numerous awards, and been voted Germany's 'Start-up of the Year 2017' and made it onto the Forbes list of the '100 most promising startups 2018'.

Through the TechFounders program and the collaboration project, we gained valuable input to improve our product market fit and business model. The broad network of UnternehmerTUM and TechFounders were an incredible help to find first customers. Recently, we closed our Series B round with $33m to expand our product portfolio development and accelerate our international market expansion. It all starts with a dream - Join TechFounders to make your dream a reality!

The collaboration project with a big corporate partner such as Knorr-Bremse was a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and further develop our solution. In addition, TechFounders' outstanding coaches and mentors gave us valuable guidance to improve our business model and get our company on the right track!

The TechFounders program and pilot project with ALDI Nord & ALDI SÜD gave us a lot of valuable experience that helped us to further develop our company and to keep on with our mission – to strive towards a world without single-use plastics. Since the program, the “Spoonies” have spread all across Europe, and we have closed a six-figure funding round!

The TechFounders program helped our solution enter the market and win global leaders in manufacturing as customers. The Ultimate DemoDay was a powerful platform to launch our fundraising and brought a lot of attention towards 36ZERO Vision (previously: FotoNow), allowing us to obtain new leads and reach out to investors directly. In the course of the program, we have benefited a lot from the leadership of the TechFounders team and experienced advisors.

Current & Previous Corporate Partners

Program Timeline

The Ultimate DemoDay was a powerful platform to launch our fundraising and brought a lot of attention towards 36ZERO Vision, allowing us to obtain new leads and reach out to investors directly.

Florian Ziesche, Co-founder & CEO, 36ZERO Vision (previously: FotoNow)

July
July
Kick-off
Understanding your customer
Remote
During the first part of the program, the start-ups will focus strongly on customer development and kick-off their pilot projects with their corporate partners. The first group and 1:1 coaching sessions will focus on the dos and don’ts of scaling their business and dive into Key Account Management, Pricing, Growth Hacking, and more. Teams will also start their pitch training and get introduced to the TechFounders ecosystem incl. program mentors and alumni.
August
August
Network, HR & Culture
You're only as good as the people around you
Munich
This sprint is all about networking, culture and HR guidance. The sessions will cover Employer Branding, Tech Recruiting, Culture Sessions, Leadership Strategies and Legal topics. The sprint highlights include the UnternehmerTUM Corporates & Investors Casino Night, an excellent networking event for meeting with investors and corporate representatives, among other chances to mingle with current and past program participants.
October
October
Finance & Fundraising
It's time for the money talk
Remote
We will dive into all financing-related roadblocks the start-ups might encounter, from Tax and Termsheet-related issues to VC and alternative financing options and sources. The teams get to meet more investors from the TechFounders ecosystem and have a get-together with experienced CTOs to discuss their current challenges.
November
November
Ultimate Demo Day
Showtime!
Munich
The final phase of our program includes individual coaching sessions on the topics most relevant for the start-ups and putting all the pitch training into action on UnternehmerTUM's Ultimate Demo Day, where the start-ups have the opportunity to present their companies in front of a high-quality audience consisting of investors, business angels, and corporate representatives.
Ultimate Demo Day

Our support doesn’t end on Demo Day

After our program, we and our alumni network continue to help founders and support their journey for the life of their company.

Check out the news about our start-ups' success after the program

News & Stories