OUR STARTUP ACCELERATOR PROGRAM HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN SCALING STARTUPS

  • Ranked: No. 2 Best Startup Accelerator in Germany

  • Ranked: No. 17 Best Startup Accelerator in Europe

  • Listed as one of the Top 3 Startup Accelerators in Germany

Rankings are based on an independent study of EU-Based Startup Accelerators conducted by Venionaire Capital and an additional independent study led by the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (RFH)

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Why your startup should apply to the SpinLab

Our startup accelerator program based in the thriving city of Leipzig, Germany, which is about one hour outside of Berlin. The city is an awesome place to live, work, and grow, and your startup will truly be taken to the next level if you’re accepted into one of our classes. To summarize some of the key points that will be of interest to founders looking to apply, here’s what you can get excited about:

  • Amazing potential for pilot projects. Strong business relationships and first customers are crucial for helping an early stage startup grow and scale quickly. We can help you land pilot projects with global players such as Porsche, Deutsche Bank, DELL, and AOK.
  • Nothing is taken from your startup. We’re unique in the sense that we take 0 equity, shares, or intellectual property from your startup. Your company stays as much yours when you finish our program, as it was before you ever started with us. Our main goal is to push you to success.
  • True Internationalization. Our accelerator operates in both English and German, as long as your startup can communicate fluently in one of these languages we welcome you to apply! Furthermore, if you want to expand internationally, we have excellent partnerships with international companies and the HHL that can help you plan your internationalization right from the start.
  • The Spinnerei is awesome. We’re housed in a re-invigorated cultural and art industrial hub in Leipzig. The environment here will inspire you to be your best, day in, and day out.

See what our Alumni have to say about our accelerator program

Our milestones

Fundings recieved

51375000

Prizes Won

56

Jobs Created

450

TIMELINE FOR THE NEXT CLASS

Timeline for our 10th Class 
Next Application Deadline:28th of January, 2020
Next Program Start Date May 4th, 2020
Next Program End Date: October 30th, 2020

How to apply to our startup accelerator program

You can apply in either German or English, but business level fluency in at least one of these languages is required to participate in our startup accelerator program.

We need your startup’s pitch deck

First you should upload your current and up-to-date pitch deck as a PDF (10-15 slides) or pitching video (7-10min). Your pitch should include all typical information (What is the problem? What is your solution (product or service)? Who are customers? What is the size of the market? Who are competitors? How do you make money? Who are you (team)? Action plan. Financial planning).

Your startup must submit our official application form on F6S

Applying to our program is easy and straight-forward. Simply submit your application on f6s.com, a popular international startup platform that is used by many leading accelerators worldwide, before the above stated deadline. As a side note, F6S can also be used for various purposes such as recruiting, startup deals, browsing international startups, or finding investors. Once received, the applications will be reviewed by an independent advisory board.

We work directly with the following partners, and can help your startup get connected with them

Don't make having a startup be painful. Our startup accelerator program can help heal you.

What types of startups is our accelerator program looking for?

If you are an excellent team of passionate and entrepreneurial founders with a scalable, technology-based concept, in the later pre-seed, seed, or expansion phase, we want you in our program! Early pre-seed projects will only be chosen in exceptional cases.

We welcome, and have successfully hosted, startups from areas such as:

  • eHealth
  • Internet of things (IoT)
  • Automotive
  • InsurTech
  • Sensors
  • Industry
  • Energy
  • Smart City
  • Block Chain
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Wearable Technology
  • Security

As already mentioned, we will also take startups in areas not listed here. We’re really just looking for great teams who are dedicated to making their ideas and visions come to life!

“We’re supporting this project because the accelerator concept won us over with its combination of business, science and a great location. Here at taskforce we want to participate in the increasing digitization of the economy as well, of course, as demonstrating our management competencies in stimulating cases.”

Lennart KochFounder and CEO, taskforce - Management on Demand AG

“Our experience at SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator has been extremely valuable and crucial to the growth we have experienced with our company. The program helped ease some of the pains of the early stages of founding a company, and really helped us by providing access to a great business network that led to both funding and business opportunities. All of the startups in Germany who are just beginning should absolutely apply for the program.”

Klaus MochalskiCEO, Rhebo

“We have been working closely with Spinlab – The HHL Accelerator for many years now and collaborate in many dimensions to support start-ups in the region and beyond. The amount of opportunities the SpinLab has brought to Leipzig and Saxony in combination with the educational efforts of HHL have created an ecosystem that is unrivaled. All founders who undertake our program are enabled to bring their startup to the next level.”

Prof. Dr. Stephan StubnerDean, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

“SpinLab fosters innovation through new ways of exchanging creativity and entrepreneurship. For me artists and entrepreneurs do have a lot of similarities, since they work independently on creative processes and high uncertainty about the outcomes and customer reaction. Also, both want to make money to continue and improve their businesses! Like in a gallery, the time period in SpinLab is limited to six months. Afterwards these teams can establish businesses that are active all over the world.”

Gerd-Harry LybkeGalery founder and director, EIGEN+ART

“SpinLab is a great experience for every entrepreneur laying the foundation for a successful business. The impact we received helped us grow to seed stage fast. SpinLab assists you to eliminate your weaknesses by not only providing a strong network but hands on support on many topics a young company faces. It is about finding real solutions making your startup succeed.”

Andreas DunschCEO, FlyNex

„Integrating young and innovative startups at SPINNEREI is a real value-added for all parties. SpinLab and the startups raise the awareness of SPINNEREI and the local artists and galleries at another target group. On the other hand, startups can benefit from the creative atmosphere and openness of our facilities here. Together, artists and entrepreneurs can interact and enrich their individual perspectives.”

Tillmann Sauer-MorhardCEO, Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei

“Imagination and finance have often had a fruitful relationship in the history of Leipzig. The arts, creativity and business-sense are not mutually exclusive. So I’m extremely happy that HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and SPINNEREI have found each other and established SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator as a joint venture to strengthen Leipzig’s entrepreneurial spirit. I wish them every success!”

Burkhard JungLord Mayor, City of Leipzig

“We came from Munich to Leipzig and were happy about this young, inexpensive city in which we immediately felt welcome. Through the great support by SpinLab we made rapid progress, built three prototypes and found our third co-founder Martin. The support of our mentor Prof. Kirchgeorg opened up many doors and we got into contact with many potential customers.”

Matthias FreysoldtCo-Founder SENSAPE

“The Spinlab Accelerator is a rare combination of scientific experience and research from renowned HHL with broad industrial know-how transported by experienced mentors as an in depth learning and support offer to founding teams. We have been overwhelmed by the amount of applications growing each season in numbers. Despite the professional standards we and Eric Weber an his team stands for the working environment with all our partners and the teams is attractive, open und also fun. The high amount of firms which are able to raise funds and reach the next level of business is also a result of the great ecosystem. This great opportunity embedded in the famous art scene Spinnerei is the place to be.”

K. Christian VogelCEO/CRO - Entrepreneur - Investor

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