STARTUP TEENS

What STARTUP TEENS does

STARTUP TEENS is a German non-profit initiative founded in 2015 to provide free entrepreneurship, coding, robotics, and future-skills education to teenagers aged 14-19. It operates under two legal entities headquartered in Hamm, Germany: STARTUP TEENS GmbH (the operating company) and STARTUP TEENS Netzwerk e.V. (the non-profit association). The organization delivers a six-module program consisting of Videos (an on-demand educational library powered by edtech partner simpleclub), Mentoring (a network of more than 1,200 volunteer mentors covering 10 topic fields), Events (offline idea camps and YouTube live sessions), the Challenge (Germany's highest-endowed business plan competition for school students, awarding 7 x EUR 10,000 at the national level plus regional competitions in Bavaria and Westphalia), Talents (a career networking and reverse-mentoring channel) and Prototyping (MVP development support). Gen Talents operates as a wholly-owned social-business subsidiary focused on Gen Z high-potential matching for corporate clients.

The organization is financed entirely through sponsorships and donations from more than 1,000 supporting entrepreneurs and a roster of premium corporate partners including Axel Springer, Tengelmann, Commerzbank, Armira, Lobbe, and Kirchhoff Group, with all programs provided free of charge to participants. Its go-to-market is community-led, targeting students through YouTube (the first European channel combining entrepreneurship and coding for school students), social media, school and teacher networks, and offline events. The GFW Challenge competitions, the 27 Talents Award (run with Gründerszene), and the Role Model Award (since 2020) provide programmatic visibility, while the Impact Partner Network and government co-sponsorships (Bavarian State Ministry, EU) support regional scaling into new geographies such as Sauerland.

Name

STARTUP TEENS

Legal name

STARTUP TEENS GmbH

Website

https://startupteens.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

German non-profit founded in 2015 that delivers free entrepreneurship, coding, and future-skills education to teenagers aged 14-19 through a six-module platform of videos, mentoring, events, competitions, talent matching, and prototyping, funded by corporate sponsors and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship education
• Business plan competition
• Volunteer mentoring program
• Career matching platform
• Non-profit education

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Donations: STARTUP TEENS is a non-profit organization financed entirely through sponsors and donors. All programs are free for students. Revenue is reinvested to enable more young people to develop entrepreneurial capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

STARTUP TEENS is a non-profit organization that provides free entrepreneurship education to German teenagers aged 14–19 through six integrated modules: educational videos, 1:1 mentoring with industry volunteers, in-person and online events, national and regional business plan competitions (Challenge) with €70,000 in annual prize money, a career networking platform (Gen Talents), and prototyping support for idea development. All programs are offered at no cost to students, with operations funded entirely by corporate sponsors and donors.

Product overview

STARTUP TEENS is a non-profit initiative founded in summer 2015 that operates as a multi-module educational platform for entrepreneurship and innovation skills. The core offering consists of six interconnected modules: Videos (educational content powered by simpleclub), Mentoring (1,200+ volunteer mentors), Events/Live (on and offline events), Challenge (national and regional business plan competitions with prize money totaling 70,000 EUR), Talents/Gen Talents (career networking), and Prototyping (MVP development support). All services are free for students aged 14-19. The platform is supplemented by award programs including the Role Model Award and 27 Talents Award.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gen Talents: A social business under the STARTUP TEENS umbrella that connects companies with Gen Z talent through interactive consulting formats.

Products and services

• Nationale Challenge National business plan competition for German students aged 14–19, offering 7 x €10,000 in prize money across seven categories with a grand finale in Berlin. Germany's highest-funded business plan competition for school students.
• Bayern-Challenge Regional business plan competition for students aged 14–19 attending schools in Bavaria, offering prizes totaling €10,000 (€5,000 + €3,000 + €2,000) with a final event in Munich. Co-sponsored with Gründerland Bayern and the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft.
• Westfalen-Challenge Regional business plan competition for students aged 14–19 attending schools in Westphalia, offering prizes totaling €10,000. Supported by Stiftung Westfalen.
• Videos
• Mentoring Free mentorship program connecting students aged 14–19 with more than 1,200 volunteer mentors from Germany's startup scene, SMEs, industry, trade associations, IHKs, and universities, covering 10 topic fields to help develop business ideas.
• Events / Live Offline events (idea camps, in-person meetups with founders and intrapreneurs across Germany) and online livestream sessions on YouTube covering entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and future skills. Free for participants.
• Gen Talents Career networking and high-potential matching platform operating as a second social business under the STARTUP TEENS umbrella. Connects companies with entrepreneurial-minded Gen Z talent for internships, apprenticeships, and dual study positions using the GenZ-Talents methodology. All revenues are reinvested into STARTUP TEENS.
• Prototyping Support service that helps students develop their ideas into minimum viable products (MVPs) by networking them with knowledge transfer partners and investor connections. Free for participating students.
• ZündBox Teaching materials kit (Lehrmittelkoffer) developed as part of the EU-funded Startup Sauerland project to teach entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom.

Quantifiable outcome

• Germany ranks 36th of 54 nations in entrepreneurial education in schools per the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Axel SpringercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner supporting STARTUP TEENS' mission to foster youth entrepreneurship in Germany.
• TengelmanncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner supporting STARTUP TEENS. Named as one of the founding/anchor partners.
• CommerzbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner providing financial and strategic support to STARTUP TEENS programs.
• ArmiracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner of STARTUP TEENS, contributing to the organization's funding and strategic direction.
• LobbecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner supporting STARTUP TEENS initiatives, including the Westfalen Challenge.
• Kirchhoff GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium partner of STARTUP TEENS.
• Flix SE (FlixBus)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner providing free transportation (FlixBus and FlixTrain) for Challenge finalists to Berlin for the national final.
• Philipp Lahm HoldingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner; Philipp Lahm is featured prominently as a supporter of the '1,000 Entrepreneurs for STARTUP TEENS' initiative.
• Kienbaum ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner providing consulting expertise to STARTUP TEENS.
• Feldhoff & Cie.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner of STARTUP TEENS.
• GWFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting STARTUP TEENS.
• Philipp LahmflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerProminent supporter featured in the '1,000 Entrepreneurs for STARTUP TEENS' initiative. Former German national football captain and entrepreneur.
• Verena PausderflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup founder, bestselling author, and board member for Digital Education for All, featured as a key supporter in the 1,000 Entrepreneurs initiative.
• simpleclub GmbHflagshipTechnology or IntegrationProvides educational video content for the platform. simpleclub is the educational tech company powering STARTUP TEENS' video library. Founders Alex Giesecke and Nico Schork are shareholders of STARTUP TEENS.
• Stiftung WestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporter of the Westphalia Challenge, contributing to regional entrepreneurship education in Westphalia.
• Gen TalentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond social business under the STARTUP TEENS umbrella, operating as a career matching platform that places high-potential Gen Z talent with companies. All revenues are reinvested into STARTUP TEENS.
• 1,000 Entrepreneurs NetworkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs supporting STARTUP TEENS, including high-profile figures such as Philipp Lahm, Verena Pausder, Daniel Krauss (FlixBus), Florian Heinemann (Project A), and many others. Each entrepreneur contributes to mentoring and program support.
• Gründerland BayerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Bayern Challenge, supporting entrepreneurial education in Bavaria.
• Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Landesentwicklung und EnergiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBavarian State Ministry supporting the Bayern Challenge as a key partner.
• Impact Partner NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of regional impact partners including AREAL DIGITAL, Augsburg Gründer!, Bryck Startup Alliance, Code University of Applied Sciences, Founders Foundation, Munich Startup, ZOLLHOF, and many others across Germany, promoting regional entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Stifterverband: German non-profit association representing foundations and corporate donors in education, science, and innovation; comparable as a sector-relevant funder/ecosystem actor influencing the same funding and policy environment.
• simpleclub: German ed-tech platform powering STARTUP TEENS' video library; comparable as a youth-focused, video-based digital learning provider, though with a broader STEM/K-12 curriculum scope.

Regional players

• Teach First Deutschland: German non-profit placing top graduates into under-resourced schools; comparable as a high-profile German education non-profit working to close opportunity gaps for young people through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Bundeswettbewerb Wirtschaft (Federal Economics Competition): Germany-wide economics competition for students; comparable as a national-level, business-education competition and recognition platform for German secondary school students.
• Bayerische Startup Szene / Gründerland Bayern: Bavarian state-backed initiative promoting entrepreneurship; directly comparable as a regional partner backing STARTUP TEENS' Bayern-Challenge and addressing the same regional entrepreneurship gap.

Direct peers

• NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship): International non-profit teaching entrepreneurship to young people from low-income communities, with active German operations; comparable in target audience (teenagers) and methodology (mentor-led, business plan competition-based).
• Enactus Germany: Student-led social entrepreneurship organisation active in German universities and increasingly in schools; shares STARTUP TEENS' mission of building entrepreneurial mindset in young people via project-based and competition formats.
• Jugend gründet: Germany-wide student business plan competition run by the Carl Bertelsmann Prize foundation; closely comparable in target audience, competition format, and prize-based engagement model.
• Junior Achievement (JA) Germany: Global non-profit running school-based entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work-readiness programs; directly comparable to STARTUP TEENS as a youth entrepreneurship education provider targeting the same 14-19 German student demographic.

Broad incumbents

• EXIST (BMWK Founder Programme): German federal ministry programme supporting startups at universities; comparable as a national German public initiative targeting the same eventual outcome (entrepreneurship) though focused on older university students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/startupteens
• Facebookfacebook.com/startupteens
• Instagraminstagram.com/startup_teens
• Xx.com/startupteens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-teens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STARTUP TEENS