Venture Acceleration

Intensive 12-week acceleration for high-tech start-ups in the Early Stage with HIGH-TECH NRW.

We hear you!
With our technological expertise and decades of experience, we can help you precisely, compactly, individually.
  • Intros to experienced mentors and coaches, investors and industry experts
  • Networking with selected industry partners, technology and finance experts
  • Thematic workshops, trainings and learning modules ‘on demand’.
  • You will receive feedback from the organizers in regular online review meetings
  • Peer-to-peer exchange of experience with other startups
  • At the Demo Day you pitch in front of an expert audience from business and science
  • You automatically become part of the HIGH-TECH.NRW Alumni Network / Portfolio

What Deep-Tech Ventures really need …

network & contacts

Network with selected corporates, potential customers, cooperation partners and multipliers to discuss applications and potentials of your solution.

Entrepreneurial experience

Exchange ideas with experienced entrepreneurs, founders and investors on topics such as business development, marketing and sales or financing.

Visibility & Positioning

Find a clear differentiation of your business model with industry experts and make this Unfair Advantage visible compared to existing solutions via our channels.

HIGH-TECH.NRW requires neither a participation fee nor equity from your start-up!

Apply now!

Deadline for application to participate in the program is February 29, 2024. Submit application materials electronically. These must compulsorily include at least one pitch deck or pitch video.

Pitch then.

The best teams will be invited to the Entry Pitch Days at the begin of March. There you present your business concept in front of a jury, which then selects the final participants for the program.

Start together.

Launch of the program with kick-off event on March 14, 2024. You exchange ideas with selected mentors and coaches and make bilateral target agreements for the first steps in the Accelerator program.

12 weeks acceleration.

During the 12-week program, you’ll network with the people who can really help your startup grow. The validation of the business concept, the positioning as well as the investment capability of your company are not only intensively considered, but also promoted by HIGH-TECH.NRW and a broad partner network. Parallel to these activities, you will exchange ideas with the organizers and the other startups in regular (virtual) review meetings and receive important first-hand practical tips from business insiders on topics such as intellectual property, financing and road-to-market strategies in expert workshops.

The Stage is Yours.

On June 06 2024, you will present in front of a broad professional audience of investors, potential customers and multipliers. Finally, a jury will determine the three teams with the most convincing business concepts and the best momentum.

A total of EUR 20,000 in prize money for the best three startups per batch.

We are looking for you if …

  • You are the founder of a hardware-based startup in the high-tech and deep-tech sector
  • You have founded or want to found a company in NRW. Or maybe you are drawn to NRW?
  • You want to scale your company – also internationally
  • You are looking for contacts to industry partners, pilot customers or investors
  • You are active in the fields of # new materials, # nanotechnology, # microsystems, # optical technologies, # quantum technology, # manufacturing and process engineering, # energy and environmental technology, # medical technology and healthcare.

*Application deadline for the first batch. HIGH-TECH.NRW runs for three years with two batches per year. If participation is not possible now, you are also welcome to apply for a future batch. Here you can find the scheduled deadlines:

Batch 1: August 2022| Batch 2: February 2023 | Batch 3: August 2023 | Batch 4: February 2024 | Batch 5: August 2024 | Batch 6: February 2025