MPF Start-up Initiative

Founders Lab

The Start-up Journey of the MAXpreneurs Initiative consists of the phases: Science, Ideation, Pre-Founding and Start-up & Scale-up. After Start-up School, the Founders Lab helps you take your idea further and work out what really matters for your next steps.

Do you want to understand where your idea stands today and what to expect on the way towards founding a company?
Are you wondering what a successful start-up team should look like and what role you could take on within it?
Do you want more clarity on who your customers could be, how you can generate revenue from your idea, and what to focus on over the next few months?

Then the MPF Founders Lab is the next step for you.

Day 1: Where are you now – and what comes next?

We show you different paths scientific ideas can take on the way towards a successful company. We look at technical development stages, important milestones, and the requirements for your team, financing, and funding.
You apply these examples to your own idea and develop a clearer picture of which steps lie ahead, what you will need to take them, and what kind of support may be useful at different stages.

Day 2: What role suits you – and who do you need alongside you?

The second day is about you and your future team. You look at your strengths, experience, motivation, and goals and compare them with what will be needed to take your idea to the next step.
If you are currently working on your idea alone, we help you work out what a potential co-founder should bring to the table, both professionally and personally. If you are already working with a team, you will clarify shared goals, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making. We will also discuss what the CEO role involves and when it can make sense to divide responsibilities differently or bring in external experience.

Day 3: How can your idea become a viable business model?

We help you answer three central questions: Who is your offer relevant for? What exactly do you want to offer? And how can it generate revenue?
We also look at how potential customers solve the problem today and which important assumptions you still need to test. You then decide which steps to prioritize over the next six months and work on a pitch that helps you communicate your idea and what you need clearly in important conversations.

Individual Online Follow-up

A few weeks after the workshops, you will present your revised pitch in an individual online session. We will not only give you feedback on your pitch, but also discuss where we see your particular strengths, which areas need more development, and where you should focus your next steps.

MPF Founders Lab – Program Overview

Day 1: 14:00-18:00 (in person) – Current Stage, Next Milestones, Funding and Financing
Day 2: 09:00-16:30 (in person) – Your role, skills, co-Founder and team
Day 2: from 19:00 (in person) – Start-up Dinner-together with the Start-up School participants
Day 3: 09:00-16:30 (in person) – Business Model, planning the next six months and pitch
At least 2 weeks later: approx. 30 min. (online) – Pitch presentation, personal feedback and next steps

Dates

04-06 November 2026, MPI for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart

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