What should you do if you're a startup looking to enter international markets? The best way is to get support. For example, from the UnternehmerTUM international team, which has been supporting startups seeking to internationalize their businesses since 2015. But foreign startups looking to get to know the Munich ecosystem can also find help here. We asked Silvia Dell'Olio, Executive Director of International Affairs, what exactly this looks like.
Please introduce yourselves briefly.
The International Team coordinates the international activities of UnternehmerTUM and is the first point of contact for international inquiries. We are a six-person team with extensive experience in strategic collaborations, international project management, and intercultural communication. Our goal is to establish UnternehmerTUM as a leading hub for startups in Europe.
How exactly do you support startups?
We offer international exchange opportunities for teams from the UnternehmerTUM environment and for international startups, for example, as a contact point in Germany for the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) program. The EYE program allows aspiring founders to spend one to six months working with host companies in other European countries, as well as in Israel, Singapore, and the USA, gaining experience and networking opportunities. They receive financial support from the EU for this. Conversely, established startups can temporarily host a young founder from abroad, thus gaining fresh input and international contacts.
Network and learn from each other
With our Landing Pad network, we offer founders another opportunity to explore international markets. Our startups can use the co-working space of our partners in this global incubator network free of charge for up to four weeks and gain access to the startup ecosystem, investors, the industry network, and thus potential business partners. The same applies to teams that join us from our international cooperation partners: they receive a spot in the UnternehmerTUM open space and are integrated into our entrepreneurial network.
With our international events, such as the International Entrepreneurs' Night, which takes place twice a year with approximately 200 guests, we offer startups the opportunity to network with international teams and learn from each other. Many teams use the event as a networking opportunity to recruit international team members or to exchange ideas with experts from our international partner network.
In addition to the offers of our International Team, we support, as a kind of pilot, teams from abroad in contacting the appropriate programs for the UnternehmerTUM which are particularly relevant for international participants, such as the TechFounders Accelerator, dem XPreneurs Incubator or the Digital Product SchoolAdditionally, we use our international website, newsletter, and UnternehmerTUM social media channels to highlight international opportunities—such as competitions, additional programs, events organized by our partners, or trade fairs. We also offer selected teams the chance to participate in high-profile events, such as the UnternehmerTUM startup delegation trip to the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China.
What do you focus on when working with startups?
Most inquiries from teams with internationalization plans are very specific. This means that the founders have very specific ideas about which country they want to expand into and what contacts and support they need. Therefore, we focus on personal collaboration to provide startups with individual support and the most suitable offers. The next step is important to us, especially the feedback from the founders we have arranged, for example, for trade fair participation or a stay abroad: Was it worthwhile for the startup? What were the learnings? What would they recommend to other teams facing similar internationalization challenges? Only in this way can we improve and further develop our offerings.
Another key aspect for us is networking and long-term engagement with founders. It's always nice to see, for example, when a former New Entrepreneur in the EYE program becomes a host entrepreneur themselves after a few years and welcomes founders from abroad. Or when we can present the founder of a now established, internationally operating startup as a keynote speaker and thus as a role model at our Entrepreneurs' Night.
“To be successful, a startup must…”
...think about internationalization early on. Even startups that initially want to gain a foothold in the domestic market should have an international perspective in the medium to long term – especially in light of digitalization.
Trend of the Year: Landing Pad
What is the biggest mistake a startup can make?
Thinking outside the box too late or never at all puts startups at risk of having their growth stalled.
The trend of the year is…!
The Landing Pad: Many of our partners see this as a great opportunity for their startups to explore international markets and therefore join our hub network. This increases the attractiveness for our founders.
What characteristics make the Munich startup scene so special?
The diversity, the cooperation between the actors, especially the access to industrial companies on site and the increasing internationalization that we experience at our events.
Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
The International Team of the UnternehmerTUM can be reached via the central email address i@unternehmertum.de All information about our activities can be found on https://i.unternehmertum.de/.
For those interested in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program, Katharina Kratzer (katharina.kratzer@unternehmertum.de) the contact person.
Interested parties for the Landing Pad contact Marisa Schneider (marisa.schneider@unternehmertum.de).
