DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator

DEEP Ecosystems supports and creates ecosystem projects and initiatives in collaboration with different project partners. It intends to enrich ecosystems, connect ecosystem builders, and create collaboration projects that raise funds, e.g. via grants or sponsoring, to enable their execution.

We will collaborate with the participants of the DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator program on the development of a specific project proposed and led by the participant.

DEEP will actively foster the development of the project by providing:

• A 6-week online acceleration program for ecosystem projects taking the project from idea to execution
• Weekly knowledge sessions covering relevant concepts for ecosystem building from conceptualization, partnership and fundraising strategies
• Group and individual mentoring sessions by international experts
• Peer exchange opportunities involving other ecosystem builders with similar projects
• Partnering events and tools to identify organizations and stakeholders useful to the development of the envisioned project
• Fundraising strategy support tools, including lists of international opportunities, as well as mentoring for proposal writing
• Visibility support by listing the project on digital channels and among DEEP’s portfolio list on our website
• Hosting of an in-person Demo Day at a major international conference to pitch your project to potential investors and partners

After the end of the 6-week program, DEEP will continuously support the project’s success by providing access to a community of ecosystem builders, organizing networking, and facilitating fundraising opportunities for the course of 2 years.

The combined value of DEEP’s contribution to the process is valued at 60,000 € (in-kind, not a cash contribution), which is seen as an upfront investment in the project.

We sign a participation agreement with successful applicants before they are admitted.

This includes a success fee sharing of 15% of the total funding sum before taxes covering all funds or investments that are raised for the project within 2 years. The success fee can be waived if the participating organizations agree to 40,000 € (excl. VAT) waiver fee.

You can review the draft participation agreement here.

We are open to collaborations with institutional partners and sponsoring organizations. They may sponsor a part of the regular program to allow select projects to participate at reduced or no costs, or partner with us to implement a stand-alone, dedicated edition. If you are interested to find out more about partnering opportunities, please contact us.

The basic definition of a business ecosystem is best described by J. Moore (1993): “In a business ecosystem, companies co-evolve capabilities around a new innovation: they work cooperatively and competitively to support new products, satisfy customer needs, and eventually incorporate the next round of innovations.” [Moore, James F.: Predators and Prey: A New Ecology of Competition. In: Harvard Business Review, May–June 1993]

Ecosystems are the most powerful and sustainable way of solving social and environmental problems by creating an environment where different stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, venture capitalists, and business developers work together in a complex system to advance a shared vision of innovation. As ecosystem builders, it is on us to shape a joint vision and to make these systems function.

Click here for some inspiring examples of ambitious ecosystem initiatives.

• Managers of startup programs, accelerators, or incubators.
• Economic Development agencies, investors, innovation scouts, and startup relations managers.
• Entrepreneurial non-profits and community builders.
• Founders looking to re-invest in their ecosystems.

There are no upfront costs for participants. We sign a participation agreement with a 15% success fee over two years, which is how we finance the accelerator. You can read the draft agreement here.

We sign a participation agreement with 15% revenue sharing for the project-relevant revenue generated within the first 2 years of the project.

This is only referring to the revenue you raise for the specific project you bring into the accelerator (not: "all company revenue") and within the 2-year contract duration (not affecting fundraising activities you may have started before our collaboration).

You can read the draft agreement here.

You can complete the 6-week accelerator program in part-time.

There will be 5 weekly group training sessions of 2-3 hours each.

In addition, there will be 1-2 hours per week individual mentoring and coaching sessions.

Each week, participants must invest additional time to complete individual assignments (1-2 hours per week) and then present in front of the group.

After the six-weeks acceleration program, we will continue to accompany and support the alumni for at least two years as members of the DEEP Ecosystems community.

The six-week accelerator program will take place online.

The participants will pitch their projects at the Demo Day event during our next in-person DEEP Ecosystems Conference.

The intensive 6-week accelerator program will take place on 11/09/2023 to 20/10/2023.

After these 6 weeks, we will work together for two years to help you grow your ecosystem initiative.

All modules, workshops, and learning materials are in English.

Your own offerings can be in the commonly used language of your ecosystem.