The BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, together with UnternehmerTUM, has launched the new accelerator program Respond. The program aims to support founders who develop sustainable solutions to global challenges through innovative technologies and entrepreneurial approaches. The application period runs until March 1, 2020, and the program launch is scheduled for June 22.
Startups can provide answers to the societal, ecological, and socially relevant challenges of our time. And now they can also receive special support. The new accelerator program Respond, initiated by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt with the support of UnternehmerTUM, will help startups with impact to scale their businesses starting in summer 2020.
The Respond program runs for five months. During the program's four on-site phases, founders participate in workshops in Munich on impact-oriented business, marketing, sales, financing, and responsible corporate governance.
Refining the business model
Participants will benefit from exchange and collaboration, both among themselves and with the global networks of the BMW Foundation and UnternehmerTUM. They will also receive free access to coworking spaces at UnternehmerTUM's offices in Munich for the five months.
The accelerator program is designed to help founders better assess the strengths and weaknesses of their business models and plan the medium- and long-term goals of their entrepreneurial development.
Application period runs until 1 March
The Application period for Respond runs until 1 March 2020. In selecting the first round, special focus is placed on founders whose business models contribute to one of the following three sustainable Development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda afford:
- Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible leadership as the key to a more sustainable economic and financial system
Dr.-Ing. Heba Aguib, Chief Executive Respond, says about the new accelerator program:
"By empowering impact-oriented founders to scale their innovative solutions and technologies, the BMW Foundation aims to contribute to a systemic transformation toward a sustainable economic and financial system. Responsible leadership, i.e., the responsible actions of leaders, is the key lever for this. With programs like Respond, we identify, activate, and support leaders who drive this change."
Answers to global questions
Miki Yokoyama, COO for Respond, adds:
"We believe that startups have the innovative power, creativity, and energy to make a decisive contribution to solutions to global challenges such as the climate crisis and social injustice. With Respond, we support founders who are embarking on a journey to provide answers to global issues."
