The Vision Lab program promotes ideas from the technology and internet sectors. The support is aimed particularly at talented entrepreneurs who struggle with language barriers, complex bureaucracy, or a lack of access to financing. The initiative also aims to provide impetus for making the startup scene more diverse and strengthening Germany as a center of innovation.
"Half of all unicorns in the US were founded by immigrants or their children. We have not yet sufficiently exploited this potential in Germany,"
says Hendrik Brandis, Co-Founder and Partner of Earlybird.
Vision Lab offers capital, mentoring and workshops
The Vision Lab consists of three components. A fund with a volume of one million euros will serve as the basis for the program. The money comes from Earlybird's partners' own resources and from other supporters. The founding teams will each receive up to 25,000 euros.
In addition, program participants receive coaching from experts from the VC investors and the Vision Lab's partners, including Bain & Company and Google for Startups. A third component, in addition to financial support and mentoring, is knowledge transfer in workshops and seminars. Topics include business models, team building, customer communication, and pitch situations. Networking events allow participants to establish contacts in the Startup-World. Hendrik Brandis says:
“Among the people who left their belongings behind in their home countries and, in some cases, made their way to Europe on foot, are doers who are taking their destiny into their own hands and are also prepared to take risks.”
These are good prerequisites for becoming an entrepreneur, says Brandis.
“With the Vision Lab, we have developed a program that supports people with creative business ideas precisely where they lack access and opportunities due to their background.”
