Whether you're pre-founding, seeking funding, searching for investors, or in the midst of the scale-up process: In the Backstage Club, the Munich Startup Festival 2025 offers targeted workshops with experts and funding agencies. And startups share their learnings.
We'll kick things off with the TK, which will demonstrate how startups achieve their goals and scaleups grow in a structured way. There's an active break between the two sessions to refresh your focus.
Workshops 2025: Overview of funding, capital, and programs
A highlight: the workshop on startup financing. Founders learn how to secure funding, grants, and capital – supported by experts from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and successful startups from Munich and Bavaria. Programs such as Flügge, Start? Grant!, BayTOU or the Bavarian Business Plan Competitions – here founders learn what is worthwhile and when.
Directly afterwards, Munich Business, the economic development agency of the City of Munich, presents three funding programs: the Munich Impact Incubator, the innovation competition and the Crowdfunding support. The subsequent Q&A session with the program managers and startups such as Muniqo Performant provides practical insights.
Live podcasts, panels & challenges
Attendees can also expect a live podcast, while Businettes hosts the panel "Scale Smart: Bootstrapped vs. VC" – moderated by founder Claire Siegert, featuring honest insights from other female founders who have deliberately pursued different financing paths. Scale Up, meanwhile, encourages participants to think bigger about their business in a 45-minute workshop – including a live challenge and a Growth Canvas crash course.
Cooperation with corporates
Siemens shares valuable practical experience in the workshop "5 things startups should know about partnering with corporates." These insights come directly from Danijel Grabovac, Lead Startup and External Innovation Strategy at Siemens.
Registration for the workshops and discussions on the club stage backstage is not necessary; on-site registration is first-come, first-served.
More information about the further program and Tickets for the festival is here!
