HARDTECH INNOVATION

The program takes place in Berlin, at the MotionLab.Berlin Alt-Treptow campus.

• All applicants are expected to register their residence in Berlin and be living there for the duration of the program.
• Applicants’ startups should be in the early-stage/pre-seed phase.
• Applicants should not yet have received any public funding in the area of business start-ups. Recipients of the Berlin Startup Stipendium, EXIST, and GründungsBonus are not eligible for participation.
• Applicants’ companies are either not incorporated prior to the application date for the Hardtech Innovation Accelerator Program or, if already incorporated, have not initiated any economic activity involving the offering of goods or services in a specific market. In addition, the company must relocate its registered office to Berlin in order to participate in the program.
• A company may only be founded during the program with its registered office in Berlin.
• If already established, participants must have majority control and voting rights in their startup.
• Applicants should have unrestricted ownership of the intellectual property of their startup (unrestricted rights to exploit the concept or idea).
• Applicants should be willing to work full-time on and in their startup for seven months. 
• Applicants should not yet have successfully founded a startup.
• Previous freelance start-ups/companies for “odd jobs” are allowed: the freelance work only included subject-specific, specialized activities within the usual framework without the skills to run a company.
• Applicants should not have held any management positions.
• No other permanent employment relationships (full-time, part-time) are permitted for the duration of the program; mini-jobs and self-employed secondary employment on a small scale are permitted.
• Participants may not be enrolled in a degree program for the duration of the program unless they are about to complete their studies. This means that no examinations other than the final thesis (e.g., Bachelor’s thesis) may be outstanding.

The program application period will likely be in March 2025.

Stay tuned for our application phase to go live. 

Our jury, comprised of MotionLab.Berlin experts and advisors, will evaluate the applicants based on:

• Founder-market fit
• Team composition
• Feasibility of technology
• Feasibility of business model approach
• Likelihood to successfully achieve a sustainable and/or social impact

Full commitment, punctuality, and clear communication. But most importantly: Enjoy being an active part of the community at MotionLab.Berlin.

The Hardtech Innovation Accelerator will end with a Demo Day at the end of November 2026, where you can pitch your projects in front of investors, our community, and extended network. At the end of the program, you will join the MotionLab.Berlin alumni network, which allows you to continue benefiting from being part of our ecosystem.

All workshops will be held in English. It is therefore required that you and your team have a sound command of the English language. Proficiency in German is a benefit.

We do not take equity. We invest €2,200 per month per founder in cash and provide valuable in-kind support, which includes access to the MotionLab.Berlin campus, program office, machines, and labs, as well as regular knowledge and support from the MotionLab.Berlin business and hardware coaches, engineers, and mentors.

The Hardtech Innovation Accelerator Program is supported by funds from the European Union (European Social Fund) and the State of Berlin.