ImmobilienScout24’s start-up incubator YOU IS NOW introduces its new round. The second round of the accelerator program will include PopUp Berlin, GroupEstate and Sorglosinternet.
After completing the first round in February, the YOU IS NOW Berlin Accelerator Program will now start a second round. PopUp Berlin, GroupEstate and Sorglosinternet will develop their business ideas and will be supported by over 30 internal ImmobilienScout24 mentors and external mentors such as YouTube founder Jawed Karim who will coach the start-ups. In addition, the Founder Institute will offer workshops, seminars and pitch coaching.
Dennis Boehres, co-founder of PopUp Berlin, talked to VentureVillage about the value of the program to his startup: “We’re enthusiastic for this opportunity to accelerate the development of our platform and services and get our service on the next level of functionality, attention and traction.” PopUp Berlin is a community marketplace that connects landlord and commercial property owners to creative businesses who are looking for a popup-store to test, promote or develop their business ideas.
With GroupEstate, Founder Joel Dullroy and his team are building an online tool for the collaborative acquisition of property between friends, couples and flatmates. The tool will offer everything that is required for making a purchase: contract templates, a financial dashboard, a notary and credit finder and an investment management function.
“Personally, I am very happy to be working with ImmobilienScout24 again. They funded and supported my last startup, which unfortunately failed due to problems within the team,” says Dullroy referring to his co-founder who accused the accelerator of purposely letting the startup file for bankruptcy.
With the sorglosbox (“worry-free box”), businesses (airports, restaurants,…) can offer free wifi to their customers without fearing legal issues with providing each user their own IP address. Looking forward to the program, Wolfgang Lauterbach, co-founder and CEO atSorglosinternet told VentureVillage: “We have made our first steps as a startup. With the YIN expertise and mentoring team, we want to ensure to professionalize our processes and work on further ideas while having our first real office space.”
The Accelerator Program
The focus of YOU IS NOW is on internet-based business models which are thematically linked with the Scout24 portals. According to ImmobilienScout24, the in-house incubator and accelerator program is an important component of the online business’s strategy for innovation and growth.
The program, which started in November 2013 with a first round of five teams, provides the startups with a co-working space as well as up to €15,000. While in the beginning €25,000 was given away to startups, YOU IS NOW stated that in the beginning financial support was not as necessary to startups as advice. In order to participate, the startups do not give away any shares.
“The focus of our accelerator program is on business ideas that create added value for the property industry”, states Torsten Oelke, the initiator of YOU IS NOW Berlin. “The start-ups in the second accelerator class have this potential. We are excited to see how they will develop and what sort of synergies with ImmobilienScout24 might possibly develop.”
Key Facts:
- 3-5 Teams (up to 4 members per team)
- 15.000 € funding
- Co-working space in Berlin
- Extensive mentoring from ImmobilienScout24
- External mentors
- Weekly trainings at the Founder Institute Berlin
- 0% equity, no strings attached!
- Three batches every year
- The most successful team will get a ticket to stay with YOU IS NOW as an alumni during the time of the next accelerator batch! That’s another 3 month’s of office space and mentoring for free!
Photo: © Gruenderszene
Original story: © VentureVillage, 05-12-14
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