Kickstart by meeting selected (corporate) partners fitted to your business model.
Startup Welcome Package
The Startup Welcome Package is a dynamic fellowship program designed to introduce and immerse international startups into the thriving innovation ecosystem of the Stuttgart Region, Germany. This unique initiative combines both online and on-site sessions to provide an all-encompassing experience for entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in this vibrant tech hub.
How it works: online + on-site program
Online Phase: Market Discovery & Validation
6 weeks: 2 hours working session + 1 hour input session per week
The six weeks online part of the program enables international startups to understand the region's business climate, investment opportunities, and innovation trends from the comfort of their own workspace. You gain valuable insights into the Stuttgart Region's entrepreneurial ecosystem to validate, if it is the right market for your business. On top you have the opportunity to reach out to local experts, industry leaders, and local support networks, fostering a valuable network for the following on-site program and their future success.
On-site Phase: Market Access
10 intense days in the Stuttgart Region
Qualified startups embark on an on-site session, where they can experience the vibrant startup scene of the Stuttgart Region firsthand. During these days you connect with local resources, visit innovation hubs and network with potential collaborators or investors during events or individual meetings. In addition to the professional insights, the program also offers a unique chance to explore the life and leisure opportunities the Stuttgart Region has to offer: swabian cuisine and wine, a vibrant city with a rich cultural scene surrounded by picturesque landscapes.
Startup Welcome Package Batches 2024
Batch #5
Online Session | 23th April 2024 for 6 weeks | 1,5 hours scheduled peer sessions per week + 1,5 hours working session at your own pace
On-Site Program | 9th July - 18th July 2024
Batch #6
Online Session | 24th September 2024 for 6 weeks | 1,5 hours scheduled peer sessions per week + 1,5 hours working session at your own pace
On-Site Program | 3rd December - 12th December 2024
Your startup should operate in one of the following areas:
- IndTech, Smart Industry & Services
- Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Systems
- GreenTech & Energy
- Automotive, Transportation & Logistics
- Sustainable Building & Construction Engineering
The fellowship provided by the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) and Pioniergeist GmbH covers flight, housing and coaching costs, enabling one person per startup to get first-hand insights into the business opportunities in the Stuttgart Region.
The compact and guided program allows you to make the most of your time on-site:
Introductions to Corporates
Guidance and Individual Mentorings
Expert Insights
Community & Workplace
Cultural Experience
„Understanding how to incorporate a company and solve all visa issues in Germany was very important. At the same time, the B2B sales topic that we had helped me a lot to validate our process and improve our tools.“
Startup Welcome Package Partners
All of us want to bring more talent to the region. For many different reasons. But mostly because we love the Stuttgart Region and want to assist more companies in their growth here.
The Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS) is the central point of contact for investors and companies in the city of Stuttgart and the five surrounding districts. WRS makes the qualities of the business location known, supports companies in settling in the region and promotes the development of the site with numerous projects and offers.
Pioniergeist orchestrates an innovation ecosystem consisting of startups, corporates, universities and investors to revive the pioneering spirit in the heart of Europe, in Baden-Württemberg. Their startup hub STEYG is a place for encounters of this ecosystem. A nucleus of authentic startup culture. For example, founders, students, businesses and investors meet here to learn with and from each other.
Baden-Württemberg international works towards securing and enhancing Baden-Württemberg’s position as a location for business and science in the long term. We do this by attracting businesses to the region as well as through collaboration and talent recruitment.