Application for the Adlershof Startup Lab

Participating founders receive financial support. The monthly grant of €2,500 gross is paid out in the middle of each month. Participating founders take part in start-up-related workshops, which are mandatory. In addition, ASL offers various networking events where you can exchange ideas with other start-up teams. Participating founders will be provided with a workspace in our innovation and start-up centre in Berlin Adlershof and will have free access to our high-tech makerspace. You will also gain access to our network, which consists of industry, science and research, politics and the press. 

WISTA Management GmbH operates Germany's largest technology and business location – the Adlershof Science and Technology Park in south-east Berlin, with more than 1,300 companies and 18 scientific research institutions. To date, our ASL programme has supported 45 teams with a total of 108 founders.

The Berlin Startup Scholarship is an early-stage funding programme. The main aim is for founders to acquire fundamental skills in setting up a business so that they can further develop their start-up ideas and bring them to market maturity. You should already have a concrete start-up idea, a prototype or a prototype-like process. And you should be able to describe your start-up idea in a short business concept (see application).

Our focus is on funding start-up projects that develop sustainable and innovative technological solutions for key challenges of today’s societies. Topic areas: 

• Key digital technologies, including AI, deep tech, cyber security, quantum technology and applications, and gaming technologies
• Mobility, including aerospace
• Environmental sustainability and technologies, including clean tech, circular economy, energy transition, climate change, green tech, and lightweight construction
• Smart city – solutions for future social challenges, solutions for improving quality of life

A prototype or comparable stage of development should be available. The business model and start-up are geared towards sustainable economic success and envisage the commercialisation of the business idea.

The Berlin Startup Scholarship stipulates that the main registered address of participating founders must be in Berlin for the entire duration of the programme. If it is possible for you to move to Berlin before the programme begins, you are eligible for funding and may apply.

Yes. It is important that your main registered address is in Berlin. And you need a valid residence permit for the entire duration of the programme, which permits employment and the founding of a company. If you have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will help you resolve any issues.

It depends. If you have founded a company but are not yet economically active on the market, you are in principle eligible for funding. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Berlin Startup Scholarship is a full-time scholarship. This means that the founders work full-time (160 hours per month) on their start-up idea and participate in the programme's workshops and events. Full-time employment or studying full-time parallel to the ASL programme is not permitted. If you are in your last semester or about to complete a degree, it may be possible to receive funding.

Our ASL programme takes place in Berlin Adlershof. The founding teams are given a workplace in our innovation and start-up centre and can use our high-tech makerspace (also in Berlin Adlershof) free of charge. Workshops, networking events, consulting and coaching also take place physically here in Berlin Adlershof.

The workshops and networking events will most likely be held in English. However, depending on the group, support, mentoring and coaching by our ASL team, our mentors and external experts and coaches may be held in both German and English.

No. The ASL programme is part of the Berlin Startup Scholarship and is financed with funding from the European Union (European Social Fund) and the State of Berlin. Neither you nor your founding team are obliged to give up any company shares.

The grant/scholarship you receive is pre-tax. The scholarship contract is not an employment contract. Founders must pay for income tax, social security contributions, health insurance, etc. using the scholarship. Our recommendation: Contact your local tax office (Finanzamt) at an early stage and talk to them about your income tax situation.

To apply, we need your business concept. This should include the following points: product description, description of the founding team, market analysis, marketing plan, financial plan, company/organisation. (Please note: No AI-generated business concepts. AI-generated business concepts must be labelled as such!)

In addition, the CVs of the founders, a milestone plan, information about the start-up and a personal declaration (see Downloads).

Find more details under “Your application”

The business concept can be submitted in German or English.

You can apply until 7 April 2026, 11:59 p.m. Please send your complete application documents (see ‘Apply...’) to asl(at)wista.de.

After a successful internal pre-selection process, we will invite you to pitch your idea to our start-up advisory board (expected to take place in early May 2026). Our start-up advisory board will decide which start-up teams will be accepted into the programme. You will receive final confirmation or rejection no later than one week after that.

Teams that are accepted will start with onboarding on 1 June 2026.

Over the next 12 months, you will work on implementing your business idea, take part in various workshops and networking events, and receive individual advice and coaching.

The programme ends on 31 May 2027.