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HPI Venture Builder

The Incubator for Digital Engineers

Attention

Join our industry-agnostic, zero-cost incubator designed for digital engineers and tech entrepreneurs ready to tackle global challenges and build real-impact ventures. Over 13 intense weeks, you’ll receive hands-on mentorship, top-tier resources, and access to an inspiring community - all designed to help you transform your business idea into a venture-capital-ready startup.

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Why join?

A structured path from idea to validated startup.
Expert mentorship, workshops & investor access
No program fees – 100% focused on your growth
Opportunity to secure an initial investment.

This is your chance if you’re ready to build, validate, and scale your tech-driven startup.

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Core Program

General Information

Term(s)

14.04.2025 – 10.07.2025 (program running twice per year)

Time investment

Full-time programm

(4 days a week, on campus experience and online events)

ECTS

No ECTS, but full experience

Module type

Module selection at HPI

Grades

Enrollment deadline

Examination date

Teaching format

Teaching language

English

Registration

Fee

Equity free, no costs

Team budget

2.000,- € (e.g. software licenses and necessary travel)

HPI Founder Scholarship

1.500,- € p.m. for 3 months, only for students (HPI and external), application necessary

Participants

Students/PhD from HPI or other European universities

Teams of 2–5 with a validated idea

Individuals with a validated idea

Individuals wanting to join a team

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Maximum number of Participants

Room (Location)

Key dates

01.02.25 – 09.03.25

Application Period

01.03.25 – 14.03.25

Interview Process (Rolling Admission)

17.03.25

Announcement Participants

31.03.25 – 11.04.25

Informal Events (Virtual Kick-off, Co-Founder Matching, etc.)

14.04.25 – 19.04.25

Kick-off Week

04.05.25

Community Night

28.05.25

Challenger Day (Intermediate Presentation)

10.07.25

HPI Tomorrow Day (Final Presentation)

ongoing

Support and Founder Community Member

Learning and Teaching Methods

Thirteen-week incubation process with a clear structure and enough space for creativity

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Application Form

Details

Description

The HPI Venture Builder is designed for tech-driven minds - students, PhD candidates, and researchers in computer science, engineering, and related fields - who want to turn their expertise into venture-scale startups. Our structured program guides you from a high-potential tech idea to a venture-capital-ready business, ensuring that your startup is built on a validated problem-solution fit, clear customer value, and a scalable business model.

Throughout the program, you'll follow a clear venture-building roadmap that focuses on:

Validation
Refining your idea by deeply understanding customer needs and market dynamics
Product Development
Building a Minimum Viable Product(MVP) with a focus on early traction
Market Fit & Growth
Testing and iterating on your go-to-market strategy
Team & Investment Readiness
Preparing for VC funding with a strong team and compelling investor pitch

‍

We offer customized workshops, hands-on mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, and access to a network of investors. Each week focuses on a key entrepreneurial challenge, helping you refine your startup step by step. The journey includes:

Kick-off Retreat
A deep dive into startup fundamentals with fellow participants in an off-site setting
Challenger Day
Midway investor pitch to test your readiness and refine your business case
Tomorrow Day
The final pitch event where you showcase your venture to VCs and business angels

Application Form

Key learnings

Benefits

■ 01

Gain an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Step out of your comfort zone in a safe and trusting environment
Gain trust and credibility for your idea
Shape your business model
Become part of an inspiring and motivating life-long community

■ 02

Learn Venturing

Workshops and in-depth input session
Understand the ”game of entrepreneurship“ to scale your business
Strengthen yor mindset through user-centric design and pitch trainings
Gain knowledge about financial metrics and due diligence process to get funding

■ 03

Leverage Competitive Advantages Through Resources

Receive educational materials and templates (e.g., employee contracts or pitch decks)
Get access to software and hardware resources
Obtain team budget, get access to the co-working space and technical infrastructure
Only for students: Get the chance to apply for a HPI Founder Scholarship

■ 04

Ecosystem Services

Receive guidance and hands-on feedback from support team and mentors
Join weekly input sessions from industry experts
Get individual support from professionals (consultants, entrepreneurs and investors)
Get access to industry partners and other ecosystem players to test your business idea

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■ 06

■ 07

■ 08

■ 09

■ 10

■ 11

■ 12

Schedule
‍

Preliminary schedule. All lecture topics are subject to change.

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Week 1

Day 1

14.04.2025

Offsite Event
Kickoff & Team Building

Week 2

Day 2

22.04.2025

Problem, Solution & Hypothesis

Week 3

Day 3

28.04.2025

Customers, Market & Competition

Week 4

Day 4

05.05.2025

Marketing, Sales & Pricing

Week 5

Day 5

12.05.2025

Product Building & Management

Week 6

Day 6

19.05.2025

Pitch Training & Challenger Day

Week 7

Day 7

26.05.2025

Tech Due Diligence & Retro

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Week 8

Day 8

02.06.2025

Finance-Workshop

Week 9

Day 9

10.06.2025

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Fundraising & Investment Terms

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Week 10

Day 10

16.06.2025

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Go-To-Market Strategy

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Week 11

Day 11

23.06.2025

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Tax & Legal

Week 12

Day 12

30.06.2025

Pitch Preparation

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Week 13

Day 13

07.07.2025

Demo Day

Week 14

Day 14

Week 15

Day 15

Week 16

Day 16

Week 17

Day 17

Week 18

Day 18

Week 19

Day 19

Week 20

Day 20

Week 1

Day 1

Week 2

Day 2

Week 3

Day 3

Week 4

Day 4

Week 5

Day 5

Week 6

Day 6

Week 7

Day 7

Week 8

Day 8

Week 9

Day 9

Week 10

Day 10

Week 11

Day 11

Week 12

Day 12

Week 13

Day 13

Week 14

Day 14

Week 15

Day 15

Week 16

Day 16

Week 17

Day 17

Week 18

Day 18

Week 19

Day 19

Week 20

Day 20

Tagrgets

Our Goals

Student Development
to empower outstanding tech talents to become successful entrepreneurs
Purposeful Growth
to ensure fast and sustainable scaling of breakthrough business models supported by a strong investment community
Impact Entrepreneurship
to balance financial, social and environmental factors to promote collective prosperity and individual wellbeing

Examination

Why our incubation program

Unique funding opportunity

HPI Venture Builder - The Incubator for Digital Engineers offers participants through the HPI Seed and further investors the unique opportunity to obtain initial funding in an uncomplicated manner during the pre-seed phase to reach essential milestones on the way to further funding rounds.

Strong brand

HPI is one of the leading institutes for IT in Germany. We have a strong brand and are trusted by many tech entrepreneurs. We have gained credibility over the years, and our existing network of experts makes us a "Go-to Partner" for developing new startups and enables further collaborations with companies, universities, and venture capitalists.

Outstanding community

We already have a strong founders’ community, an existing entrepreneurship club with 80+ members, and a diverse portfolio of successful startups working in our co-working spaces. The exciting combination between the entrepreneurial university ecosystem and investment opportunities connects well-educated talents, provides an infrastructure for an innovative environment, and makes financial resources available. This vibrant community further ensures valuable networking opportunities and a supportive ecosystem for your startup journey.

Application Form

Your Lecturers and Program Managers

Further Questions?
Don't hesitate to contact us!

Robin Scharf

Program Manager

Dina Mertens

Program Manager

Services

Additional Services

Co-Founder Matching
‍You are a perfect candidate or team for our program, but you are looking for further co-founders? No problem! After screening all applications, we will have informal events where you can meet potential co-founders before the program starts
Investment on the “HPI Tomorrow Day”
‍HPI Seed will be the leading investor during “HPI Tomorrow Day.” They are one of the few funds investing in such early-stage startups. If your team is ready, the HPI Seed will commit to investing 50.000€ in a pre-seed round, providing crucial funding to kickstart your venture. Throughout the program, there will also be opportunities to connect with other leading Business Angels and VCs for further investments.
Funding Opportunities
‍Not ready for investment but need money to continue working on the idea after the program? We will guide you toward follow-up scholarships and programs you can apply for. We understand that securing additional funding is vital for your startup's sustained growth and development.

FAQ

Frequently
asked questions

Requirements

Program Structure

Data Rights

Literature

Registration

Application

Apply via our application form from the start of the application period.

Application Form

HPI Venture Builder

General Information

Description

Key learnings

Benefits

Schedule‍

Our Goals

Examination

Why our incubation program

Further Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us!

Additional Services

Frequently asked questions

Literature

Application

Schedule
‍

Further Questions?
Don't hesitate to contact us!

Frequently
asked questions