Mönchengladbach, June 1, 2023
Living and working rent-free, testing the young business models with renowned partners from business and science, and being provided with experienced mentors: With scholarships of one year each, the city of Mönchengladbach wants to attract startups from the fields of textile technology, cyber security and aviation to the Lower Rhine. Suitable startup teams can now apply for the program, which is unique in Germany.
Under the surname "Startup.Starterkit.MG", the three winning teams will be able to work side by side for twelve months with partners from research, development and established entrepreneurship on the market maturity of their product or service. The Hochschule Niederrhein's cyber management campus and the consulting firm SureSecure are partners for the cyber security scholarship, the Aachen University of Applied Sciences' faculty of aerospace engineering and companies from MG Innovation Airport are partners for the aviation scholarship, and the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and companies from the Rhineland Textile and Clothing Industry Association are partners for the textile scholarship.V. Rent-free living in startup shared flats, free jobs and a range of other attractive benefits from partners such as the local municipal savings bank and a well-known sports club round off the scholarships.
The program is designed to give startups a customized development boost where they are not yet a number among many, while enriching the local innovative startup scene with exogenous potential. "Textile technology, cyber security and aviation are three promising growth sectors for us when it comes to further developing Mönchengladbach as a business location in the direction of a knowledge economy," says Lord Mayor Felix Heinrichs. "So it is only logical to use the instrument of scholarships to also align the startup strategy in this direction."
These are made possible by financial support from the city of Mönchengladbach, by the intensive cooperation and collaboration of WFMG (business development), EWMG (development company), MGMG (marketing company), Mönchengladbach Airport, Stadtsparkasse Mönchengladbach, Gladbacher Hockey- und Tennisclub (GHTC), the digitalization and startup initiative nextMG e.V., as well as by the willingness of partners from industry-related educational institutions and local companies to act as sparring partners for the startups.
Requirements for the application for preferably two- to three-member startup teams are a meaningful pitch deck (max. 10 pages), a completed or imminent startup (within the next three months), and the willingness to move to Mönchengladbach for the duration of the funded year. If a completed business plan is available, it can also be submitted. Both local and regional as well as national or international startups are eligible.
In the field of aviation, innovative business models are sought that relate to drone technology, design research and development of future means of air transport, alternative propulsion systems or other innovative fields. In the field of cyber security, the focus may be on IT monitoring, risk management, data protection, data security or protection against cyber attacks. In the field of textile technology, innovations in the areas of new materials, technical/smart textiles, supply chains/logistics, circular economy/recycling, textile engineering or digital markets/business models are preferred.
The application phase is now open and runs until July 15, 2023. Applications should be sent to startupmg(at)wfmg.de, keyword "Startup Scholarship". Those who make it into the respective final selection will be invited to the jury meeting in Mönchengladbach in the summer. There they will have to convince the jury in a pitch format and secure the Startup.Starterkit.MG. The funded year for the three winning startups will begin no earlier than August 1, 2023 (Aviation) or October 1, 2023 (Textile Technology and Cyber-Security). The legal process is excluded. All information also at www.startupmg.de.
Contact for editorial offices:
i.A. Jan Schnettler | schnettler(at)wfmg.de | Tel. 02161 82379-885
With kind regards
WFMG - Business Development Mönchengladbach GmbH
