Food for
Thought

Subservience, Meekness, Invisibility – an Investor’s Take on Female Founders Working With the Cultural Stereotypes and on Raising Funds in Asia

It’s 2020, and the “old boys’ club” in venture capital should be a thing of the past. Only that it isn’t, especially in Asia. Monthida McCoole, Investor and German Accelerator Mentor, shares her experience on what it’s like to be (at most times) the only woman in the room and raising funds in Asia.

Navigating Uncertain Times – Balancing Your Needs and the Needs of Your Company

The constant exposure and consumption of news during these uncertain times can be draining and scary. Psychotherapist, business & life coach, author, and entrepreneur, Miriam Junge actively shares her tips on how to cope with stress, be mindful and balance your and your company’s needs.

Survival Tips for Your Startup in an Uncertain Economy

Navigating the Repercussions Caused by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Outbreak. Nicolas Keravec, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Internet Holding Group & #GAmentor, shares his experiences and advice to help startups navigate through the current economic uncertainty due to the widespread impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19). Here are his top five risk mitigation strategies for startups around the globe to consider.

Female Founders Worldwide: A Deep-Dive into the Facts & Figures Around #Fempreneurs

Why are we promoting #Fempreneurs? Because there aren’t enough and we feel we all need role models and inspirational stories! Check out our infographic to learn more about the female entrepreneurship landscape in Germany and around the globe.

How a Woman From Stuttgart Built a Global Community For Female Entrepreneurs: Meet Anne Cocquyt, Founder of The GUILD

“The entrepreneurial journey is an exciting journey. It’s a rollercoaster with many ups and downs – be prepared, stay excited, and enjoy the ride.” Anne Cocquyt, serial entrepreneur and German Accelerator mentor, shares what it’s like to work in a male-dominated world and how she founded the GUILD, a global networking platform for female innovators and entrepreneurs.

Top 9 Communities in Singapore for Female Founders and Business Women

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Gender Gap report, it will take 257 years to close the economic participation gap. We had a look at the companies and communities in Singapore that seek to close the gap.

More Talent, Less Gender

A Male Feminist and Executive Search Consultant on Glass Ceilings and Gender Disparities
Harald Fortmann is a digital expert, executive search consultant, entrepreneur, and author who chooses to support and write about female leaders and new work topics. This interview gives us a male perspective on gender bias and concrete tips on how men can support women in business.

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Sophie Chung, MD (Qunomedical) | Democratizing access to high-quality healthcare (Part 2) “The time to start a company has never been better for female founders.” In part 2, Qunomedical founder Sophie Chung talks about managing the challenges of a multicultural team, getting away with 3-4 hours of sleep and what pattern recognition and intuition have to do with fundraising.

Exploring Female Entrepreneurship From a Scientific Perspective

There is lots of research and studies analyzing female entrepreneurship, women in business, and the gender gap in today’s working world. We asked Nadine Chochoiek, Doctoral Candidate & Head of Teaching at Max Planck und LMU EC, about the potential reasons and the scientific perspective on this topic.

Celebrating Women

Strong, innovative, purposeful. The women in our current German Accelerator classes around the globe are on a mission to scale their business internationally. Here’s what they have to say:

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Sophie Chung, MD (Qunomedical) | Democratizing Access to High-Quality Healthcare (Part 1) What happens when an ambitious medical doctor and stem cell researcher quits her job, goes into management consulting and then works for a digital health startup? This #GAcoffeesession tells the founder story of Sophie Chung and her mission: Qunomedical.

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Felix Plog (foodpanda) | Scaling to 40 Markets in Two Years (Part 2) In part two of this #GAcoffeesession interview, foodpanda co-founder and angel investor Felix Plog spills his secrets around fundraising and shares an insider take on the non-profit mentality in the U.S.

Bratwurst Goes Masala Chai – How Next Step Asia Is Opening the Doors to the Indian Market

If you think India is only attractive as a location for an outsourced IT or back office function, think again. Claus Karthe answers 4 questions about Next Step Asia, German Accelerator’s latest launch pad that empowers German startups to enter the fast-growing Indian market.

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Felix Plog (foodpanda) | Scaling to 40 Markets in Two Years (Part 1). “We embarked on a crazy expansion that took us to 40 markets in two years”. In round two of our #GACoffeesessions, foodpanda co-founder Felix Plog talks to German Accelerator about scaling like no tomorrow.

Von Mut, Flexibilität, Querdenken und Ratschlägen, die man seinem jungen Ich heute geben würde

“Bei FlixMobility leben wir eine Fehlerkultur. Fehler sind erlaubt, denn aus ihnen ziehen wir immer wieder neue Erkenntnisse.” Wir haben dem Mitgründer und CIO von FlixMobility Daniel Krauss 5 Fragen zu seinen Gründungserfahrungen, Ratschlägen und Zukunftsplänen gestellt.

“Don’t Overestimate the Hype” – Learnings and Challenges of a German Startup in Silicon Valley

German Accelerator alumnus Christian Götz, CEO and Co-Founder of HiveMQ, shares his top 5 learnings and unveils the biggest challenge he faced during his 3-month program in Silicon Valley.

Why Silicon Valley Is Still ‘Worth It’ – 3 Advantages for German Startups That Mark Zuckerberg Doesn’t Mention

“There is an outstanding value of Silicon Valley’s spirit, top-notch network, and access to funding.” Program CEO German Accelerator Silicon Valley, Andreas Hofmann reveals 3 major advantages of Silicon Valley and why they remain unmatched.

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Philippe von Borries (Refinery29) | From German Exchange Student to Media Entrepreneur (Part 2). “I do things that push me out of my comfort zone all the time.” In Part 2, Philippe von Borries shares the advice he would give his 20-year-old self and a sneak peek into what’s next for Refinery29.

5 Winning PR Strategies to Incorporate Now If You Are a Startup

Not sure how to best strategize your PR activities? Startup PR strategist Gloria Chou hosted a PR workshop, where she shared her top five PR tips for startups.

German Accelerator Coffee Sessions

Philippe von Borries (Refinery29) | From German Exchange Student to Media Entrepreneur (Part 1). German Accelerator talked to Philippe von Borries, Co-Founder of Refinery29, about how he and his team built and sold one of the fastest-growing media brands in the U.S.

Southeast Asia Class 2020-1 Brings Many Firsts

Seven German startups are kicking off the start of a new decade with plans to accelerate their expansion into Southeast Asia.

“Drink lots of water and warm up your voice!”

Johanna Joch of Speechagain participated in our New York program and wrapped it up by winning the Best Pitch Award during German Startup Night. Back then, the trained speech therapist spent several hours working with one of our pitch coaches. End of 2019, she became a coach herself and we and picked her brain about her top workshop takeaways.

A Deep-Dive Into Our 2019 Companies – Thank You for an Amazing Year

Have a look at the companies that joined one of our programs in 2019.

Our 24 Days of #GermanAccelerator Advent Have Come to An End – Stay Tuned For Even More Great Startups Joining The #GAfamily in 2020

2019 has almost come to an end and we are happy that we were able to share some of our great #GAalumni companies with you during the 24 days of advent.

Wagawin Finds New Value Proposition During the German Accelerator Program in Southeast Asia

We sat down with CEO and Co-Founder of Wagawin, Nicolas Leonhardt, to talk in more detail about their time during the five-month Southeast Asia program, future plans, and why they applied for a program extension.

The German Accelerator Gift Guide: Ten Startups With Their Perfect Christmas Items to ‘Wow’ Your Friends and Family

The countdown to Christmas is on! To make your holidays less stressful, we have collected a perfect variety of treasures from our German Accelerator portfolio companies that will be loved by your family and friends.

Thirty Years in Silicon Valley: Life’s Biggest Lessons Come from Life’s Biggest Failures

Thirty years ago, Michael Meirer came to the U.S. Our former CEO of German Accelerator Silicon Valley talks about his life, career, and what he has learned on his journey.

7 Tips to Become a Successful Entrepreneur as Told by Marc Filerman

Marc Filerman, CEO of German Accelerator Life Sciences, shares seven tips on what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.

Understanding Asian Business Culture – Chapter 3

Finishing our series on Asian Business Culture by taking a closer look at the last four key differential elements from a German perspective.

6 Erfolgs-Tipps um im Silicon Valley durchzustarten

Hannah Schwär von Business Insider Deutschland fragt drei unserer erfahrenen German Accelerator Mentoren, wie man im Silicon Valley erfolgreich gründet.

Understanding Asian Business Culture – Chapter 2

Taking a closer look at the first four key differential elements of Asian business culture from a German perspective.

From Expanding Your Business To Expanding Yourself

At the beginning of October, twelve young companies arrived from Germany in the United States to start their expansion journey with the help of German Accelerator. What have they been up to during their first few weeks in the program?

Understanding Asian Business Culture – Chapter 1

We’ve compiled some helpful tips to learn more about Asian (business) culture from a German perspective that will also benefit your communication skills at home. The tips are split into three academy articles.

Go Far, Grow Fast – Wie deutsche Startups erfolgreich expandieren

Startups gibt es viele. Die Zahl der Neugründungen in Deutschland lag, je nach Definition, 2017 bei 60.000. Die meisten Startups planen, auch international zu expandieren – und das nicht nur innerhalb der EU (95%), sondern auch darüber hinaus. Mit knapp 39% ist Nordamerika hier das am häufigsten genannte Ziel, gefolgt von Asien mit ca. 25%2.

Top Three Tips to Scaling a Startup in Southeast Asia

Get some helpful tips if you are planning to scale in Southeast Asia.

Exploring new business opportunities in Asia – where should German startups start?

CEO of German Accelerator Southeast Asia, Claus Karthe shares his personal insights on how Next Step Asia supports German startups with the right starting point in their Asia expansion.

Von der Strandhütte in den Coworking-Space: Der German Accelerator schickt elf neue Startups ins Silicon Valley und nach New York

Das hat das Auswahlkomitee des German Accelerator seit der Gründung des Programms in 2012 noch nicht erlebt: In der finalen Runde dürfen die Unternehmer ihre Startups per Videochat dem internationalen Team präsentieren, und diesmal meldet sich einer der Gründer aus einer Strandhütte in Costa Rica.

Nachgefragt beim German Accelerator

Munich Startup spricht mit unserem CEO über das German Accelerator Programm und dessen Rolle am High-Tech-Standort München.

Black Cats: The New Startup Animal in Southeast Asia

By now, we all know what a startup Unicorn is, thanks to the digital revolution of the last decade

Reactive Robotics showcases robotic assistance system to German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Our portfolio company, Reactive Robotics, recently presented their innovative very early mobilization robotic assistance system VEMO to German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.

Introducing JumpStart – German Accelerator’s Latest Program in Silicon Valley

German Accelerator launches its new one-month, Silicon Valley-based program JumpStart. By expanding its portfolio, German Accelerator now takes German early-stage founders on a journey to one of the world’s startup hotspots and the epicenter of digital innovation: Silicon Valley.

Bastian Lossen from Werthstein About German Accelerator Southeast Asia

Werthstein was part of German Accelerator Southeast Asia’s inaugural class in Spring 2018. The company operates a digital wealth management platform. Bastian Lossen talks about his overall experience with the immersive five-month German Accelerator program in Singapore.

Our First German Accelerator Webinar

With German Accelerator, you have the opportunity to push your startup internationally. In order to summarize the most important aspects a company has to consider when entering the U.S. market, our Company Scout Nicolas Hantzschorganized our first Webinar together with Matthew Listro.

Für Gründer Top 50 – Two German Accelerator Companies

The “Für Gründer” magazine ranked our alumni companies COMPREDICT GmbH and Toposens as one of the top 50 Startups of 2018. We also want to congratulate Celonis and Hydrogenious Technologies. They are part of the former Top 50 startup ranking.

The Hundert – Nine German Accelerator Companies

The Hundert, a startup print magazine, rewarded the best 100 German startups. We are proud that nine of our alumni made the cut. Congrats to i2x, KINEXON, Mesaic, Mitte water, Opinary, Replex, Silexica, SMACC, and Stoyo!

Gründerszene Wachstums-Ranking – Three German Accelerator Companies

We are proud of our alumni VirtualQ, VMRay, camunda, and uberall, who made it into “Gründerszene”’s top 50 growing German startups. It’s always a great joy to hear about our alumni’s continued success – it means everyone gave their best and it’s paying off.

German Accelerator Success Story: Startup Guide

Startup Guide, the lonely planet for entrepreneurs, is a series of city-focused entrepreneurial guides on the local startup ecosystem. Each book is packed with useful information and tips, exciting founder stories and insightful interviews with local experts.

German Accelerator Success Story: AMBOSS

AMBOSS empowers healthcare professionals around the world to perform to the highest evidence-based medical standards. The company’s knowledge engine is built on the latest medical research and cutting-edge technology. A group of young physicians launched AMBOSS in 2012 as a one-stop medical education platform that promotes best-in-class outcomes.

German Accelerator Success Story: N26

With a full European banking license, state-of-the-art technology, and no branch network, N26 is redesigning banking for the 21st century. N26 is launching its banking app in the U.S. in 2019.

German Accelerator Success Story: RE’FLEKT

At RE’FLEKT, 60 augmented and virtual reality experts from 20 nations develop the leading content platforms for enterprises.

Why Southeast Asia Should Be in Your Expansion Plans

A curated list of articles on why Southeast Asia should be your next destination for international expansion.

Starting a Business in Singapore: How Should You Do It?

A few practical consideration points and an incorporation guide for Singapore.

German Accelerator Success Story: Scopis

Scopis is a medical device company that was founded in July 2010 out of Charité and Fraunhofer in Berlin. The company designs surgical navigation systems that use augmented reality (AR) technology, where real-world imaging data from the surgical environment is enhanced by integrating computer-generated imaging data.

German Accelerator Success Story: Movilizer

Founded in 2006 and based in Mannheim, Germany, Movilizer empowers enterprises to connect and orchestrate their field operations. In March 2016, Movilizer was acquired by American Fortune 100 industrial giant Honeywell.

German Accelerator Success Story: iNDTact

iNDTact’s precision sensor systems in the IoT field saw traction in the Singapore market in under 5 months. Despite the longer sales cycle for B2B businesses, iNDTact secured key clients and partners in Singapore in the areas of smart buildings and railways.

German Accelerator Success Story: Protembis

Protembis is an Aachen, Germany based medical device startup. It develops a novel catheter-based filter device for use during cardiac interventions. The device is designed to minimize the risk of stroke and other neurological injuries during these interventions – particularly during catheter-based heart valve implantations.

The Best Visa Options for German Entrepreneurs in the U.S.

For foreign nationals seeking to live and work in the United States, obtaining a visa is one of the most challenging barriers to overcome for a successful entry into the country. Generally speaking, there are limited visa options for German entrepreneurs.

The Basics of U.S. Business Taxes

Before starting your international expansion in the U.S., it is crucial to have a basic understanding of your businesses’ U.S. tax obligations. Your tax compliance requirements will depend on the type of entity you form. This is the essential first step when planning operations in the U.S.

Getting Around in New York City

New York City is no stranger to visitors. There are multiple ways to get around in the greater New York City area, and plenty of resources available to ensure that commuters know what to expect. We have briefly detailed some of the most popular and convenient ways to get around in the world’s fastest-growing tech hotspot.

Engineer like a German but Pitch like an American

“If you want to make it in the States, you need to have an inspiring vision. Germans are just too honest, too realistic, too modest. When we tell Americans about our big vision, most likely they will tell us that it is not big enough.”

The Basics of Transfer Pricing and the IRS

Transfer pricing has become a key area of focus for tax authorities around the world.  Maintaining appropriate documentation to support a company’s transfer pricing policies mitigates the risk of a potential tax adjustment during a transfer pricing audit and eliminates the risk of potentially substantial penalties.

Everything You Need to Know About Startup Boards

Every company has a board of directors – but few founders and entrepreneurs give the matter of board composition much thought. This piece is aimed at U.S.-based startups who are, or are intending to incorporate, as C-Corp companies.

Traveling to the U.S. as a Temporary Worker – The 101 on ESTA and Visas

When planning to come to the U.S., a foreign national will have to either register online for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) in order to travel to the U.S. under the visa waiver program (without a visa) or apply for a visa. This article will give an overview of the necessary steps to either register for ESTA or obtain a non-immigrant work visa.

PlagScan CEO Markus Goldbach on How His Passion for Fairness Changed His Career

PlagScan is a Cologne-based plagiarism detection service for academic institutions and businesses. The company participated in German Accelerator as part of the Class of Fall 2014 in Silicon Valley. In this interview CEO and co-founder Markus Goldbach, who was trained as a neuroscientist, recounts Plagscan’s founding story and how what started as a hobby turned into a fast-growing technology company.

How to Talk to Your American Audience: Selling People Your Business in the U.S. Versus in Germany

Understanding your audience is critical when perfecting your sales approach. When you start selling your product in a new market, it also means you’ll have to adapt your sales strategy to an entirely new audience.

How to Obtain a U.S. Office and Business Address

Establishing a U.S. office is a crucial initial step when expanding your business to the U.S. This is because an American business address is needed for many tasks that require documentation. Having a U.S. office address is a good way to show that your company is on the ground and committed.

Recruiting for Startup Jobs – Where to Post Vacancies

In the U.S., finding someone to fill a vacancy is easy, but finding the right person to fill a vacancy is hard. Having a strong team can determine the success or failure of a company. The most common way to find talent is to post open positions on online job boards.

ProGlove Finds Their Fit in NYC

The Munich-based startup, ProGlove, develops smart gloves that enable manufacturing and logistics staff to work faster, safer, and easier. Last January they joined German Accelerator New York Class of Spring 2018. Munich Startup reached out to German Accelerator and sat down with founder and COO Jonas Girardet to get an update on how things have fared for ProGlove in the U.S. market.

Robotics Startup Franka Emika Is Silicon Valley-Bound

Franka Emika entered the German Accelerator program in Silicon Valley. Munich Startup interviewed founder and CEO Philipp Zimmermann on his expectations about the program, the company’s first steps in the U.S., and the biggest challenges they are facing as a robotics business.

Creating a B2B SEO Strategy for Startups That Drives Leads

Roughly 8 years ago, B2B marketing changed at its core. What was handled by eager salespeople got replaced by the Internet? In the enterprise segment, Salespeople are still necessary to close deals. But nowadays, customers have become very allergic to cold outreach and would rather do research by themselves.

European Challenger Bank N26 Moving Swiftly to Launch Its Mobile App in the U.S.

As one of Europe’s fastest growing retail banks, N26 already has more than 850,000 customers across 17 European markets. Nicolas Kopp, U.S. CEO of N26, recently sat down with Samer Hamadeh, CEO of on-demand mobile wellness startup Zeel and German Accelerator mentor, to talk about plans for introducing N26 to the U.S. market

How to Survive Your First Week in Singapore

Afraid of getting lost in Singapore? Here are some survival tips for first-time travellers to the little red dot in Southeast Asia.

German Accelerator Success Story: Celonis

Celonis, a spin-off from the Technical University Munich, was founded in 2011 and joined German Accelerator Silicon Valley in 2013. The signs that Celonis would stand out among other startups were there right from the start: Profitable from its very beginning and in 2011, it was ranked as Germany’s fastest-growing technology company in 2015.

German Accelerator Success Story: labfolder

Labfolder offers a well-designed productivity and collaboration platform for research teams, supporting scientists in their quest to make groundbreaking discoveries. The software as a service makes it easier to record, retrieve, share, discuss, and validate research data as a team, helping researchers save time and to make analysis more effective.

German Accelerator Success Story: ProGlove

By developing industrial wearables and analysis tools, ProGlove connects the human workforce with the Industry 4.0. The Munich-based company was founded in December 2014 by Thomas Kirchner, Jonas Girardet, Paul Günther, Manuel Bönisch and Alexander Grots after winning the Intel “Make it Wearable” Challenge in Silicon Valley.

Ada to partner with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Oct 10, 2018

Ada will partner with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study how their symptom-checking tool could support healthcare workers in rural parts of the world.

Celonis Scores $50M Series B on $1B Valuation

June 19, 2018

Celonis, a New York City enterprise startup, created a sophisticated software solution to help solve this problem, and today it announced a $50 million Series B investment from Accel and 83North on a $1 billion valuation.

ProGlove Prepares for New York City

In October 2017, the Munich-based Startup, ProGlove was selected to participate in German Accelerator New York program. Munich Startup interviewed the founders.

Hiring Interns in the U.S. as a German Company

Hiring interns is a great way to ease a startup’s workload while giving a young talent the chance to experience an exciting work environment. However, the onboarding can become challenging for German companies in the U.S. if they are not yet incorporated.

Getting Around in Silicon Valley and San Francisco

This article helps understand whether to take a car, carpool, shared car, Uber, Lyft, Bart, or public transportation in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.