You can always send us a mail to hello@kiez.ai. We are always happy to help.

The dates of application and the link to apply are always displayed on the website. You can find all info here.

We have a two-step application. First you fill out the online form. After the deadline we internally check them and decide on the most promising. These will be invited to our high-class jury where they will pitch online for 10min, and the jury has the chance to ask questions. After all the pitches the jury will decide on the teams who will form the next batch.

Being part of the Accelerator batch is equity-free and 100% free of charge.

You need to be an incorporated AI-based startup. If you are coming from Berlin that is great. If you are coming from anywhere else but Berlin, no problem as long as you come to the Merantix AI Campus Berlin a minimum of twice a week and to the events and workshops that are not online.

The funding is primarily aimed at women who are still at the beginning of their start-up story and want to familiarize themselves with the topics of start-up and professional independence at an early stage. Discuss with the start-up network that supports you whether the qualification measures offered offer added value for you as a founder and whether the university/research institution still has free capacity to include you in its EXIST-Women application. You must not have founded a corporation yet.

Women with a connection to the university can receive funding, e.g. current or former employees, members of an existing start-up team supported by the start-up network and interested women who want to become members of a university start-up team.

No, this is not required.

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Yes, as long as you have completed at least 50% of your studies or already have a bachelor's degree at the start of the funding.

No, women interested in starting a business without a specific business idea or with a non-technical idea are also supported. During the funding period, an innovation approach can also be developed to increase the viability of the business idea. In the long term, the business ideas should be geared towards later commercial activity.

Yes, after completing Phase 1 of the EXIST Transfer of Research, you can apply directly for Phase 2 of the GO-Bio next program. To do so, submit a project outline by the respective deadlines on March 15 or September 15 of each year.

Yes, a direct entry into Phase 2 of the GO-Bio Next program is possible if certain conditions are met:

• Founding Date: The startup was established no more than three years ago as a spin-off from a university or research institution.
• Usage Rights: The startup holds the rights for the commercial utilization of the R&D approach.
• Equity Contribution: The required equity contribution for the planned research activities can be provided by the startup.
• Location: At the time of funding disbursement, the startup must have a business location or branch in Germany.

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Yes, the initial draft (Projektskizze) for the first phase can be written in English. The formal application (Antrag), which is submitted after the the first selection step based on the initial draft, must be written in German, whereby the detailed description of the work plan (Vorhabenbeschreibung) and the read deck may be written in English.

Yes, external startup teams can apply for funding at Berlin's universities, even without having studied there. The key requirement is a connection to the university, such as collaborating with university academics. Science & Startups assists in finding suitable mentors within the university and supports the application process.

The startup team cannot submit the application independently. The application must be submitted by a university on behalf of the startup team, in collaboration with a startup network (Science & Startups). Additionally, a mentor from the university must accompany and support the project.

The team members must have at least a Master's or diploma degree. Educational qualifications acquired outside Germany must be recognized in Germany.

Up to four full-time positions can be funded as part of the EXIST Transfer of Research (Phase I): three positions for research assistants and one position for a business administration assistant.

No, in order to be able to apply for the EXIST Transfer of Research program, a corporation such as a UG, GmbH or AG must not yet have been founded. The program is aimed exclusively at projects that are still in the pre-foundation phase.

Yes, but only 3 people could receive a scholarship.

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No, since this is pre-startup funding, you are not allowed to have founded a business or generated any sales before the scholarship begins. However, this is possible during the funding period.

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We support EXIST applications from start-up projects that already have an initial prototype and a (provisional) team of at least two founders.

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The application process currently takes about 4-5 months.

Applications can be submitted at any time; the scholarship always starts on the 1st of each month.

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That is one of the main goals of the scholarship. As mentioned before, we do not take any equity.

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We will share our application form as soon as possible. Feel free to schedule an inidividual consultation in the meantime to gauge whether the scholarship is the right fit for you!

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Yes

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No. A team of 2 upto 4 are supported under this program.

Sustainabilty, Health-Care, Technology

• A 360 degree incubation support with advisory, workshops and masterclasses
• An office desk at the Science and Startup partner organizations
• Access to the top startup events in Germany and Europe
• A strong alumni network
• Access to labs, workshops

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2200 Euro per month inclusive of taxation and insurance.

It is initially offered for 6 months with a provision of extension for another 6 months.

• You have a scalable and a differentiating idea proposition in the fields of either sustainability, health care and technology.
• You must have a residence registered in the city of Berlin.
• You have a co-founder or teammate who is with you in the start-up journey.

Any interested founder along with another co-founder/team-mate with research backed idea in the field of sustainability, health care and technology with a valid residence in Berlin can apply.

It is a 6 month fellowship supported by the Berlin Senate* for early stage startups to take their prospects from ideation to viable business model with a possibility of a further 6 months of extension.

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No.

Usually about 1 to 2 months from receipt of the procurement plan.

Yes, this is possible, up to 3 team members in total.

It usually takes about 3-4 weeks (except in the case of holidays, when it might be longer)

No, Bridge-to-Market is for very early-stage projects only, which are well before registration of a business.

This pre-funding program aims to help with the validation of ideas in terms of market and technology. If the evaluation of the business idea is positive, further support by the teams of the incubators is possible. This encompasses help with the application for further funding such as EXIST startup grant.

No, you can apply for Bridge-to-Market throughout the year. However, there are only three times of the year when we accept teams in the program.

The official language is German, hence it is useful to have an intermediate knowledge of German, but most of the program can also be conducted in English language.

Yes, this is possible. Whilst a maximum of three team members are supported by Bridge-to-Market financially, this does not limit the number of founders.

Bridge-to-Market can also fund one-person projects

Up to three people can be funded by the program.

No, this is not possible.

Yes, this is possible on a part-time basis under specific conditions and upon discussion with the K.I.E.Z. team.

This can be accepted in exceptional cases. It would be advisable to have at least one university graduate in the team.

Yes. However, it is recommended to apply in the last semester of your degree program, also with regard to the mandatory participation in Bridge-to-Market (at least 50 % attendance required).

The scholarship is not an employment contract, therefore income tax, social security contributions, etc. must be deducted from the scholarship. This must be done by the founders. It is recommended to consult with a tax advisor as early as possible.

Participants will receive administrative and financial support from K.I.E.Z. as well as the use of facilities and office space by one of the incubation centers. It is possible to apply for up to 10,000 EUR of material resources and services, that will be made available during the program following funding regulations by K.I.E.Z. Founders will also receive a monthly scholarship. The amount of the respective scholarships depends on experience and educational level:  

• PhD students & graduates with three or more years of professional experience receive 3,000 euros gross per month  
• Graduates with less than three years of professional experience receive 2,500 euros gross per month  
• Technical employees receive 2,000 euros gross per month  
• Students can apply for 1,000 euros gross per month  

In addition, comparable to EXIST, child bonus supplements of up to 150 EUR per month and child are granted.

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Unfortunately, not.

Yes.

Yes, participation in the program is at least part-time and attendance to a minimum number of workshops is mandatory.

No, this is not foreseen.

Six months.

This funding program addresses anyone with (or close to) an academic degree who has an idea to develop an artificial intelligence-related product or business. However, being a pre-incubation program, Bridge-to-Market is ideal for those who wish to further develop their idea in terms of market and/or technology validation (e.g. possible Bridge-to-Market activities include conducting market research, identifying the initial target group, obtaining proof of concept).

No, this is not necessary. However, preference will be given to projects where there is a clear transfer from research to the market.

Yes.

The Pre-Incubator program Bridge-to-Market aims to develop the entrepreneurial and technical skills of teams who simply have an idea to start an artificial intelligence company. No specific business plan/model or MVP is required to apply for Bridge-to-Market. During the six-month pre-incubation phase, you will also receive financial support to develop your project.  

The incubator programs are offered by Science & Startups. Usually, teams applying for an incubator program have a clear idea of their business model and how they want to develop their product. The aim of such an incubation program is to incorporate the startup after the end of the program.

K.I.E.Z. also offers the opportunity to apply to the K.I.E.Z. Accelerator program twice a year. The program takes six months and supports young AI companies during the scaling of their business. The Accelerator offers a variety of services to startups. The offer is divided into two main categories from which startups can choose specific offers: Growth Hacks and Growth Foundation. At the end of the Accelerator program, there is a demo day where venture capitalists and other partners can watch the startups' pitches.

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Bridge-to-Market (B2M) is a six-months pre-incubation funding program that focuses primarily on product and market validation and on evaluating the technical feasibility of AI models and data.

• In funding phase II, a non-repayable grant of up to 180,000 euros, but no more than 75 percent of the specific costs of the project, can be awarded.
• As a prerequisite for funding, the company must provide its own funds and, if necessary, equity capital in a ratio of 1:3 (up to 60,000 euros). Funding phase II should generally not exceed a period of 18 months.
• For more information, see Application for funding phase II.

• Applicants are small technology-oriented companies with a share capital of at least €25,000 that were founded during funding phase I, with the key know-how holders from funding phase I contributing their knowledge and labor to the new company and being represented by at least one person in the management.
• Significantly more than 50% of the shares must be owned by the founders working in the company.

• The funding is intended for further development work, measures to start business activities in the newly founded technology company and the creation of the conditions for external company financing.

• EXIST research transfer can finance personnel expenses/costs for a maximum of four staff positions as well as material expenses/costs. Material expenses/costs include, for example, everyday items, consumables, capital goods, intellectual property rights, market research as well as the awarding of contracts and coaching measures. Student assistants can also be financed. The expenses/costs for student assistants and material expenses/costs are generally eligible for funding up to a total of €250,000.
• Projects by the research institutions of the FhG, HGF, Max Planck Society and Leibniz Association, which are jointly funded by the federal and state governments, can receive up to 90% funding, and by universities and other research institutions up to 100%. The funding period is generally up to 18 months. For highly innovative and demonstrably particularly time-consuming development projects, a funding period of up to 36 months can be granted with the express consent of the expert jury.
• In addition, the "Start-up Team" seminar, which has proven successful in the EXIST Start-up Grant program, is also held for EXIST research transfer projects.
• Further information is available under Application for Funding Phase I.

• Research teams at universities and non-university research institutions (maximum three scientists and technical assistants) and one person with business management skills will be funded.

• The aim of the first funding phase of EXIST research transfer is to carry out development work to demonstrate technical feasibility, develop prototypes, draw up the business plan and finally establish the company.

• The application can be submitted at any time.

• Universities
• Non-university research institutions

• Yes, but it cannot have already been started at the start of the funding period.

• The university or research institute
  • is integrated into a founders' network.
  • provides the founder with a mentor and a workplace and guarantees free use of the infrastructure.
  • administers funding
• The Founder
  • receives coaching services from the founders' network.
  • attends a one-day seminar on "Founder Personality"
  • presents initial results of the business plan after five months.
  • submits the business plan after ten months.
  • pays taxes and social security contributions independently.

• Securing personal livelihood through a scholarship:
  • Founders with a doctorate 3,000 euros/month
  • Graduates with a university degree 2,500 euros/month
  • Technical employee 2,000 euros/month
  • Students 1,000 euros/month
  • Child allowance: 150 euros/month per child
• Material expenses:
  • up to 10,000 euros for individual start-ups (max. 30,000 euros for teams)
• Coaching:
  • 5,000 euros
• The maximum funding period is one year.

• Innovative technology-oriented start-up projects.
• Innovative knowledge-based services based on scientific findings.

• Scientists from public, non-profit
  • non-university research institutions
  • Universities
• University graduates and former academic staff (up to five years after graduation or leaving).
• Students who have completed at least half of their studies at the time of application, whereby the majority of the team must not consist of students.
• Start-up teams of up to three people.
• One of the up to three team members can also be funded if they have a state-recognized vocational training as a technical employee. Alternatively, a team member can graduate more than five years ago.