Are you a young founder looking to make an impact in emerging and developing markets towards a sustainable future? The Westerwelle Foundation’s Young Founders Programme (YFP) might just be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. This six-month fellowship offers targeted support to scale your venture and develop your leadership abilities. Here’s what the programme has to offer:
Kick-Off Event: A two-day digital kick-off event will take place at the beginning of March 2024.
Remote Programme: From March–August, the Young Founders will receive six months of support including a personal mentor, monthly peer learning sessions, monthly expert workshops and networking opportunities with corporates and investors.
Berlin Conference: The ten best-performing Young Founders will be invited to a five-day conference in Berlin in June 2025. During this conference, the founders will have the opportunity to pitch in front of investors, participate in workshops, join networking events and get insights into the German start-up scene.
But that’s not all – the YFP also offers an array of benefits to help you grow your business and connect with an international community. These include:
Mentoring: A unique experience with a successful entrepreneur or investor, who becomes your sparring partner.
Peer Learning: Exchanges with other successful young founders of the cohort to share knowledge and support each other.
Expert Sessions: In-depth sessions on relevant topics with high-class experts.
International Community: Access to new business opportunities by being connected to programme alumni, partners and other members of the Westerwelle Foundation network.
Berlin Conference: Exposure to the Berlin Startup Ecosystem through a fully funded 5-day conference together with the other founders for the top 10 participants.
To be eligible for the programme, you must be a citizen or resident of a developing or emerging country, have recently (in the last five years) started a for-profit company focused on developing or emerging markets, possess a scalable business model that has generated revenue or secured a first round of external funding, possess a disruptive quality that can increase the quality, impact or inclusiveness of the industry, possess a good working knowledge of English, and be available to attend the digital kick-off conference and participate in programme activities for the six months.
If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, submit your application by February 11, 2024. The selection process includes interviews with shortlisted candidates from February 19 to March 8, with notification of all applicants on March 11. Don’t miss out on this chance to take your venture to the next level with the Westerwelle Foundation’s Young Founders Programme.
