JUGEND GRÜNDET
JUGEND GRÜNDET is Germany's longest-running, BMBF-funded student entrepreneurship competition, operated by SIE gGmbH from Pforzheim. It offers free business-plan and business-simulation cycles to secondary-school students and trainees nationwide, with KMK endorsement and Porsche AG as main sponsor.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersPforzheim, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What JUGEND GRÜNDET does
JUGEND GRÜNDET is a German nationwide student entrepreneurship competition and educational platform operated by SIE - Steinbeis Innovation Education gGmbH, headquartered in Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 2003 and funded entirely by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), the program invites secondary-school students and vocational trainees to develop written business plans in an autumn-winter cycle and then operate virtual companies in a business simulation game (Planspiel) from February onward. Top teams advance through regional Pitch Events to a national Bundesfinale hosted by main sponsor Porsche AG at its Stuttgart training center. The platform is recommended by the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK), enabling schools to recognize participation as a 'besondere Lernleistung' (special academic achievement).
The technical stack is a TYPO3-hosted web platform comprising an online business plan editor, a simulation game engine, a knowledge quiz module, real-time team rankings, the Business Academy knowledge portal, an exclusive Lehrerzimmer portal for registered teachers, and an alumni mentoring module. Webinars run on alfaview and self-hosted Big Blue Button to keep data residency German. The core go-to-market motion is product-led and community-led: students self-register via jugend-gruendet.de, while state-level Landesbeauftragte, five regional IHK partnerships, and returning teachers drive top-of-funnel demand at near-zero acquisition cost.
The economic model is grant-funded rather than commercial. BMBF covers platform operations, the ~12-person team, events, and materials; corporate sponsors (Porsche AG as Hauptsponsor, plus Volkswagen, McKinsey, CK Holding, ALTANA, and pikepartners) contribute in-kind prize packages, event hosting, and jury participation that reduce the cost base but are not revenue. Participation is free for all students and teachers. In the 2025/2026 cycle — the 23rd edition and a record — the platform processed 6,519 student participants and 1,461 business plans, with 10 finalist teams reaching the Bundesfinale.
JUGEND GRÜNDET firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JUGEND GRÜNDET
- Legal name
- SIE - Steinbeis Innovation Education gGmbH
- Website
- https://jugend-gruendet.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- JUGEND GRÜNDET is Germany's longest-running, BMBF-funded student entrepreneurship competition, operated by SIE gGmbH from Pforzheim. It offers free business-plan and business-simulation cycles to secondary-school students and trainees nationwide, with KMK endorsement and Porsche AG as main sponsor.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JUGEND GRÜNDET industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entrepreneurship Education
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where JUGEND GRÜNDET is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pforzheim
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
JUGEND GRÜNDET business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public funding (BMBF): JUGEND GRÜNDET is 100% publicly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) since 2003. The funding covers platform operations, staff, events, prizes, and outreach. No commercial revenue is generated from participant fees.
- Sponsor contributions (in-kind and prize donations): Corporate sponsors (Porsche AG as main sponsor, along with VW, McKinsey, CK Holding, ALTANA, pikepartners, and others) contribute prize packages, host events, and provide organizational support. These are non-monetary contributions that reduce the program's cost base rather than generating revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free participation for all students and trainees |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
JUGEND GRÜNDET product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JUGEND GRÜNDET operates an online annual student competition and learning platform where German students (school and vocational trainees) develop and submit business plans and then operate virtual companies through a business simulation game. The platform is complemented by an educational knowledge portal (Business Academy), an alumni mentoring program, and a teacher resource portal (Lehrerzimmer). All participation is free of charge and the program is fully funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Product overview
JUGEND GRÜNDET is a unified educational platform and student competition focused on entrepreneurship education. The core offering is the annual online competition where students develop business plans and run virtual companies through two sequential phases. The platform is structured as a single integrated system with complementary modules: the Business Academy for foundational knowledge, Alumni Mentoring for peer support, the Lehrerzimmer portal for teacher resources, and Webseminare for live guidance. The platform also facilitates regional Pitch Events and culminates in an annual national Bundesfinale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Business Academy: Educational platform providing startup knowledge including legal forms, team building, marketing strategies, and social entrepreneurship tips.
- Lehrerzimmer
- Alumni Mentoring
Products and services
- JUGEND GRÜNDET Wettbewerb (Competition Platform) The main online competition platform where German students develop and submit business plans and then run virtual companies through a business simulation game, culminating in regional Pitch Events and a national Bundesfinale hosted by Porsche AG in Stuttgart.
- Business Academy
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,519 students participated in the 2025/2026 competition year, submitting 1,461 business plans
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use JUGEND GRÜNDET
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
JUGEND GRÜNDET technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
JUGEND GRÜNDET partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- SIE - Steinbeis Innovation Education gGmbHcoreThe conceiver, developer, and operator of JUGEND GRÜNDET since its inception. SIE is responsible for all aspects of program management including platform operations, event coordination, teacher support, alumni relations, and strategic development. Led by project director Franziska Metzbaur, the SIE team executes the vision funded by the BMBF.
- Porsche AGflagshipMain sponsor (Hauptsponsor) of JUGEND GRÜNDET. Porsche hosts the annual Bundesfinale at its training center in Stuttgart, provides the grand prize (Grand Tour Europe), and contributes to jury panels. Porsche's involvement as main sponsor since multiple years provides significant credibility and attracts premium press coverage.
- Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)coreThe Conference of German Ministers of Education officially recommends JUGEND GRÜNDET to schools nationwide. This institutional endorsement enables schools to formally recognize student participation as a special academic achievement (besondere Lernleistung), removing a key barrier to classroom integration.
- Volkswagen AGcoreAwards the 'Social Start-up' and 'Planspiel-Sonderpreis' special prizes at the Bundesfinale. Volkswagen also hosts winning teams at its Wolfsburg headquarters, providing exposure to the automotive industry's innovation ecosystem. Has sponsored special prizes since 2018.
- McKinsey & CompanycoreAwards the 'Diversity-Sonderpreis' at the Bundesfinale, recognizing teams that demonstrate diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Winners receive an Innovation Day at a McKinsey Germany office, gaining exposure to consulting career paths and business methodology.
- CK HoldingminorAwards the 'Sonderpreis Künstliche Intelligenz' (AI Special Prize) at the Bundesfinale, including a high-performance computer as prize. CK Holding supports recognition of AI-driven student innovations.
- ALTANA AGminorAwards the 'ALTANA Sonderpreis Chemie' (Chemistry Special Prize) at the Bundesfinale, recognizing innovative chemistry-related business ideas among student teams.
- pikepartnersminorAwards the 'Sonderpreis Bester Businessplan' at the Bundesfinale, recognizing excellence in business plan development.
- Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) Regional OfficesminorRegional IHK offices in Munich/Oberbayern, Nordschwarzwald, Nord Westfalen, Pfalz, and Ulm partner with JUGEND GRÜNDET to offer regional support events, mentoring, and recognition for participants from their districts. They provide local infrastructure and publicity for the competition.
- Initiativkreis Gründung in SchoolminorCross-organizational initiative promoting entrepreneurship education in schools. JUGEND GRÜNDET is a founding member, collaborating with other stakeholders to advance entrepreneurial education policy and practice in German schools.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
JUGEND GRÜNDET competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- European Innovation Academy (EIA): European summer program running intensive entrepreneurship bootcamps and pitch competitions for students. Comparable in entrepreneurship-curriculum-plus-competition format, though targeting older students and operating fee-based.
- DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America): International student organization running business competitions and entrepreneurship programs for high school and college students. Comparable in student-competition model and corporate sponsorship structure.
Direct peers
- School-Challenge / business@school (The Boston Consulting Group): BCG's German student business competition on real-world business challenges, with school-based teams and a national finale. Highly comparable in audience, competition structure, and corporate-sponsor backing.
- NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship): International non-profit delivering entrepreneurship education to young people, including competitions and classroom curricula. Closely comparable in mission, methodology, and student/young-adult target audience.
- JUNIOR (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft): German student entrepreneurship program running company simulations and business plan competitions in schools. Direct comparable in audience, school-based delivery, and entrepreneurship focus.
- Junior Achievement Germany (JA Germany): German arm of the global JA network, delivering entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work-readiness programs to students through school programs, competitions, and workshops. Highly comparable in target audience and educational mission.
- Planspiel Börse (Börse Stuttgart): Germany's largest student stock-trading simulation competition. Runs an annual nationwide competition for students to learn financial markets, with similar audience, school-network distribution, and competition format.
- STARTUP TEENS: German non-profit initiative that empowers students to learn entrepreneurship and build ventures. Closely matches JUGEND GRÜNDET in mission (student entrepreneurship), audience (German students), and delivery model (free, founder-led exposure).
- Enactus Germany: German branch of the global Enactus network, running student-led entrepreneurship projects and a national competition. Comparable as a student-competition platform with sponsor and educational institution support.
Others
- Founders4Schools: UK-based non-profit connecting students with entrepreneurs through employer encounters and events. Adjacent comparable in mission (entrepreneurship exposure for students) but different delivery format (in-person employer visits vs. structured competition).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
JUGEND GRÜNDET social profiles
Digital presenceJUGEND GRÜNDET financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JUGEND GRÜNDET leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
JUGEND GRÜNDET funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JUGEND GRÜNDET M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JUGEND GRÜNDET
What does JUGEND GRÜNDET do?
JUGEND GRÜNDET operates an online annual student competition and learning platform where German students (school and vocational trainees) develop and submit business plans and then operate virtual companies through a business simulation game. The platform is complemented by an educational knowledge portal (Business Academy), an alumni mentoring program, and a teacher resource portal (Lehrerzimmer). All participation is free of charge and the program is fully funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Is JUGEND GRÜNDET a public or private company?
JUGEND GRÜNDET is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was JUGEND GRÜNDET founded?
JUGEND GRÜNDET was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is JUGEND GRÜNDET based?
JUGEND GRÜNDET is headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does JUGEND GRÜNDET make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public funding (BMBF) is the primary driver. The others are sponsor contributions (in-kind and prize donations).
Who are JUGEND GRÜNDET's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are European Innovation Academy (EIA) and DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America). Direct peers are School-Challenge / business@school (The Boston Consulting Group), NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship), JUNIOR (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft), Junior Achievement Germany (JA Germany), Planspiel Börse (Börse Stuttgart), STARTUP TEENS and Enactus Germany. Founders4Schools is listed as an others.
Does JUGEND GRÜNDET have an API?
No public API is recorded for JUGEND GRÜNDET.
What industry is JUGEND GRÜNDET in?
JUGEND GRÜNDET's product category is Entrepreneurship Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAB, Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days), with a secondary code of EDAMAHAE, Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.