EXIST Business Start-up Grant

One-year funding for technology and knowledge-based start-up projects. Support for founders from universities and non-university research institutions who want to turn their start-up idea into a business plan.

  Funding phase
Goal One-year funding for technology- and knowledge-based start-up projects and support for the preparation of a business plan
What will be supported? Innovative, technology-oriented start-up projects and services based on scientific findings
Who will be supported? University graduates, scientists and former research assistants (up to 5 years after graduation);
Students (at least half of their studies must have been completed at the time of application);
Start-up teams up to a maximum of three persons;
One of the team members can also be funded with a qualified vocational training as a technical employee - in this case, the graduation of a team member can be longer than five years ago.
How is funding provided? Duration: 12 months
Employee positions
Material expenses up to 10,000 Euros (for teams max. 30,000 Euros)
Start-up-related coaching up to 5,000 Euros

 

More information about EXIST

For more information please contact Lisa Stoll (lisa.stoll@hs-esslingen.de).

EXIST Transfer to Research

The funding is a two-stage follow-up funding of highly innovative start-up projects over a period of up to 36 months. Support is provided for outstanding research-based start-up projects that involve complex and high-risk development work.
 

  Funding phase 1 Funding phase 2
Goal Carrying out development work to prove technological feasibility;
Development of prototypes, preparation of the business plan and establishment of the company.		 Further development work until market maturity and start of business operations;
Creation of conditions for external follow-up financing
What will be supported? Pre-foundation research projects/teams;
Technically demanding start-up projects with long development times;
Development work to prove technological feasibility, development of prototypes, preparation of the business plan and founding of the company.		 Development work of the projects started in funding phase 1;
Requirements for external follow-up funding
Who will be supported? Research teams at universities and non-university research institutions (max. three scientists and technical assistants) and one person with business management expertise.

Small corporations
How is funding provided? Duration: 18 months
Employee positions
Material expenses up to max. 250,000 Euros		 Duration: 18 months
Employee positions
Material expenses up to max. 180,000 Euros

 

 More information about EXIST

For more information please contact Lisa Stoll (lisa.stoll@hs-esslingen.de).

Junge Innovatoren

Support program for the targeted preparation of start-ups involving products, processes or services based on inventions by start-ups, software developed by them or their technological know-how.

  Funding phase
Goal Targeted preparation of founding a startup
What is being funded? Preparation for the establishment of companies with a research focus
Who will be supported? Research assistants (employment at the university must not have been interrupted for more than one year);
PhD students (at the earliest from submission of the dissertation);
Founding teams up to a maximum of three persons
How is funding provided? Duration: max. 24 months
Employee positions
Material expenses

 

More information about Junge Innovatoren

For more information please contact Lisa Stoll (lisa.stoll[at]hs-esslingen.de)

EXIST-Women

You have a start-up idea and don't know yet how to implement it? And at the same time, you want to be part of a great network and learn from the experiences of other founders?

Then apply for the EXIST-Women scholarship and become a Female Founder!

  Funding phase
Goal You will receive financial support (a 3-month scholarship of up to €3,000/month and a one-time €2,000 sum for materials) and be part of a 12-month network where you will have exclusive access to coaching, workshops and a great community of female founders, coaches and experts. During this period, you can validate your idea and take the next steps in the start-up process.
What will besupported? Innovative start-up projects and services - these can also be non-knowledge or technology-based.
Who will be supported?

Female students (Bachelor's degree or more than half of the course work completed).

Female research assistants/employees

Alumnae (graduation can be more than 5 years ago)

Women with vocational training and relation to the university

Women who have previously received start-up funding from the federal or state governments (e.g. EXIST or Junge Innovatoren) are excluded from the funding.
How is funding provided?

Duration: 12 months (scholarship max. 3 months)
One-time sum for material costs in the amount of € 2,000 (can be used for material resources, travel expenses or further coaching)

 

The application for EXIST-Women is no longer possible.

For more information please contact Lisa Stoll (lisa.stoll@hs-esslingen.de).

KickStart Scholarship

 With the KickStart scholarship, we support individuals or teams at Esslingen University  who want to develop a prototype for a particularly innovative research or start-up idea.

  Funding phase
Goal Support for the testing of particularly innovative research or start-up ideas (e.g. in the form of a prototype)
What will be supported? An innovative research and start-up idea (e.g. prototype).
A prototype can be a functional and highly simplified model of the planned product, component or process. The financial assistance may be used to further develop and test the idea and prototype.
Who will be supported? Students
Research assistants
Professors
How is funding provided? Duration: max. 6 months
Support services up to 7,500 Euros
Priority access to the MakerSpacES!
 

For more information, see our infosheet:

Infosheet KickStart scholarship

 

You want to apply right away? Then fill out the application form (1 form per team member) and send it directly with the subject "KickStart scholarship" to us (gruendes[at]hs-esslingen.de)!
Application KickStart scholarship

For more information please contact Thomas Möst (thomas.moest[at]hs-esslingen.de).

Research proposals

You can develop your project further with research proposals. The requirements and services are based on the respective funding guidelines and are handled administratively and in terms of content by the faculties/research institutions.

GründES! helps you to find suitable internal and external cooperation partners. In cooperation with the faculties/research institutions, we support you in the foundation-relevant aspects of your research proposal.

For more information please contact us (gruendes[at]hs-esslingen.de).

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Interested? Apply now! for the summersemester 2025

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