Scale-up.NRW

What Scale-up.NRW does

Scale-up.NRW is a government-funded scaling and internationalization program for established startups based in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Founded in 2021 and commissioned by the Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of NRW (MWIKE NRW), the program is implemented by a consortium of Digital Innovation Hub Düsseldorf/Rheinland GmbH and Start2 Group GmbH. It targets NRW-based startups that have achieved product-market fit and are entering a growth and internationalization phase. Eligibility criteria include a registered office in NRW, at least 15 employees, a completed financing round of at least EUR 1 million, and annual revenues of at least EUR 0.5 million. The program was created in response to a 2020 Startup Genome analysis that identified a gap in NRW's ecosystem for the post-product-market-fit segment, with the stated objective of positioning NRW among Europe's top 10 startup regions.

The program operates on an 18-month cycle with cohorts of 10 to 14 startups admitted through a multi-step application process that includes pre-application submission, detailed review, independent jury evaluation, and final selection committee approval. Core offerings include a three-tier mentoring model (lead mentors, serial founders, and subject-matter experts), access to a network of 100+ investors and 500+ mentors, individual and group workshops, peer-to-peer learning, internationalization support via Soft-landing Pads in target markets, and exclusive pitching events. Participation is free of charge and no equity is taken. The underlying technology stack is standard SaaS tooling (HubSpot, MailChimp, Google Analytics, Cloudflare); the program has no proprietary technology product.

Scale-up.NRW generates no commercial revenue from participants. It is funded entirely through a public commissioning model from MWIKE NRW. Reported cumulative outcomes include 49+ scale-ups supported across multiple batches, combined annual revenues of EUR 269M+ among participants, and 3,022+ jobs created. The core operational team comprises approximately 12 members spanning program direction, scale-up management, marketing, operations, events, and content, within a broader organizational headcount of 27.

Name

Scale-up.NRW

Legal name

Scale-up.NRW

Website

https://scale-up.nrw

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scale-up.NRW is a government-funded 18-month scaling and internationalization program for NRW-based startups that have achieved product-market fit. It provides free mentoring, investor introductions, and Soft-landing Pad access, commissioned by the NRW Ministry of Economics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Operation (Public Funding): Scale-up.NRW is a publicly funded program commissioned by the Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MWIKE NRW). It is implemented by Digital Innovation Hub Düsseldorf/Rheinland GmbH and Start2 Group GmbH. Participation in the program is free of charge and no equity shares are taken from participating startups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Scale-up.NRW is a publicly funded 18-month scaling and internationalization program for NRW-based startups that have achieved product-market fit. The offering includes individualized 1:1 mentoring (lead mentors plus subject-matter experts), curated investor introductions for follow-on financing rounds, peer-to-peer cohort learning, international Soft-landing Pad market entry support, and exclusive events such as Graduation Night and Launch Night. Participation is free of charge and no equity is taken from participating startups.

Product overview

Scale-up.NRW is a single unified accelerator program for scaling and internationalizing top start-ups in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. The program runs for 18 months and is powered by digihub Düsseldorf/Rheinland and Start2 Group, commissioned by the Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of NRW. The core offering includes a three-tier mentoring model (lead mentors, successful founders, subject matter experts), individual and group workshops, peer-to-peer learning formats, and internationalization support including soft-landing pads in target markets. The program connects participating scale-ups with a network of 100+ investors, 500+ mentors, and industry experts to support financing rounds, international expansion, and organizational growth. There are no separate product modules, sub-brands, or distinct software offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scale-up.NRW Program An 18-month free-of-charge scaling and internationalization accelerator for NRW-headquartered startups that have achieved product-market fit. Each batch admits 10–14 startups that meet eligibility criteria (≥15 employees, ≥€1M completed financing round, ≥€500K annual revenues, registered NRW legal entity). The program delivers 1:1 lead mentoring, group workshops, peer-to-peer learning formats, financing introductions to a curated network of 100+ investors, international Soft-landing Pad market entry support, and exclusive events (Graduation Night, Launch Night, pitching events). No equity is taken.
• Scale-up.NRW Community An open community network offered to NRW founders, successful alumni founders, mentors, investors, and ecosystem supporters that delivers peer exchange, mentorship matching, ecosystem visibility, and access to Scale-up.NRW events. Available separately to those who have completed the program or participate as ecosystem partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• €269M+ combined annual revenues generated by program participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Digital Innovation Hub Düsseldorf/Rheinland GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two implementing organizations (alongside Start2 Group GmbH) responsible for executing the Scale-up.NRW program. Provides local ecosystem expertise, seed-accelerator experience through its 'ignition' program, and network in the Düsseldorf/Rheinland region. Managing Directors: Nadine Thees and Lisa Brauer. The digihub is a central ecosystem player in NRW.
• Start2 Group GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two implementing organizations (alongside Digital Innovation Hub Düsseldorf/Rheinland GmbH). Founded in 2008, Start2 Group provides local and international experience in scaling startups and ecosystem orchestration. Operates in key markets in Europe, America, Asia, and the Middle East. CEO: Matthias Notz. Has accompanied thousands of startups from initial capital raising to global expansion.
• HandelsblattcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary media partner and research collaborator. The Handelsblatt Research Institute has produced two research reports with Scale-up.NRW: one on scale-up challenges in NRW and one on AI adoption in startups. The partnership provides credibility, media reach, and thought leadership content for the NRW startup ecosystem.
• WirtschaftsWoche (WuW)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing editorial coverage and visibility for the Scale-up.NRW program and its ecosystem within Germany's business media landscape.
• Handelsblatt Research InstitutecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerResearch partner that conducted two surveys among Scale-up.NRW participants: Research Report #1 on the biggest challenges for scale-ups and NRW's development as a startup region; Research Report #2 on AI adoption in startups and its impact on growth opportunities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• German Accelerator: Government-backed program supporting German startups with internationalization and scaling. Most direct comparable as both are publicly funded German programs focused on helping startups scale globally.
• Berlin Partner for Business and Technology: Public economic development agency for Berlin-Brandenburg providing business support, networking, and growth programs for startups and scale-ups in the capital region. Comparable as a state-funded startup support organization.
• BayStartUP: Bavarian startup network offering financing coaching, investor matching, and growth programs for Southern German startups. Most direct regional German peer, focused on similar scale-up support within a specific German state.

Emerging players

• SAP.iO: Corporate venture and accelerator arm of SAP supporting enterprise software startups with go-to-market and scaling support. Comparable as a structured program providing mentorship, investor access, and corporate partnership for scaling startups.
• High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF): Germany's largest early-stage tech investor providing seed funding to tech startups. While primarily an investor rather than accelerator, it plays a complementary role in the German scale-up ecosystem alongside programs like Scale-up.NRW.

Broad incumbents

• Founders Factory: Global venture studio and accelerator operating corporate-backed and independent accelerator programs. Provides comparable scale-up support with structured mentorship and corporate partnership elements.
• European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator: EU-level program providing blended finance, grant funding, and acceleration services to European scale-ups. Represents a higher-tier public funding option that German scale-ups may pursue after regional programs like Scale-up.NRW.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris hosting dozens of accelerator programs. Comparable as a government-supported startup ecosystem hub, though focused on physical infrastructure rather than direct scale-up program delivery.
• Y Combinator: Premier global startup accelerator offering seed funding, mentorship, and a powerful network. While US-based and earlier-stage focused, YC represents the gold standard for structured accelerator programs that Scale-up.NRW's model conceptually resembles.
• Techstars: One of the world's largest global accelerator networks with structured mentorship-driven programs for startups. Operates accelerator programs in multiple sectors with equity-based model, serving as a benchmark for structured scale-up support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXfTqxVtY_buxwWxGsucSZQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scale-up-nrw
• Instagraminstagram.com/scaleup.nrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 Scale-up.NRW