Rise Europe

What Rise Europe does

Rise Europe is a non-profit pan-European founder network founded in May 2023 at Schloss Elmau, operating under the umbrella of UnternehmerTUM GmbH. It functions as a consortium of 20 member institutions across 14 European countries, designed to coordinate and amplify support for technology entrepreneurs across the continent. The network's stated reach in 2024 included 55,000 talents and 5,800 supported startups, with €6.1B in VC funding facilitated to network-connected companies. Its core constituency is European founders and the supporting institutions (incubators, accelerators, venture firms) that serve them.

The network's primary products and activities include an annual flagship summit, joint programming across member institutions, thematic initiatives such as AI Launchpad (a pan-European AI accelerator sub-brand), and published reports that position the network as a voice in European tech policy. Distribution is primarily through member institutions, which act as local entry points for founders, and through summit programming that convenes policymakers, investors, and operators. The network does not build proprietary technology platforms; its value lies in coordination, convening, and cross-border referral among members.

Rise Europe's business model is non-commercial. It operates without a disclosed pricing model, membership fee structure, or revenue-generating products. Costs are absorbed by the operating organization (UnternehmerTUM GmbH) and member institutions. The network's economic significance is best measured by the capital it facilitates toward member startups rather than by direct revenue capture. Strategic leadership is anchored by Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger, CEO of UnternehmerTUM and the network's primary sponsor. The planned relocation of the annual summit to Stockholm in 2027 signals continued geographic expansion beyond its DACH-centered origin.

Name

Rise Europe

Legal name

Rise Europe (brand operated by UnternehmerTUM GmbH, no independent legal entity)

Website

https://rise-europe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rise Europe is a non-profit pan-European founder network of 20 member institutions across 14 countries, operating under UnternehmerTUM to coordinate support for technology entrepreneurs, facilitate capital, and run programs including AI Launchpad.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Network Services

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product & Innovation Summits (Roadmap, Launch Readiness, Innovation Days) (THAHAMAG), Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem network
• Entrepreneurship support
• Innovation collaboration
• Venture acceleration
• Ecosystem builder coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rise Europe is a pan-European network that unites 20 leading startup ecosystem builder institutions across 14 countries to empower European startups in scaling sustainably. The organization produces shared knowledge resources (reports, playbooks, guides) on startup-corporate collaboration, sciencepreneurship, and tech transfer, hosts an annual summit, and runs the AI Launchpad as a pan-European AI accelerator.

Product overview

Rise Europe is a network organization that unites leading startup ecosystem builders from 14 European countries to empower European startups to make a positive global impact. Rather than a traditional product company with a unified platform, Rise Europe operates as a coordination and knowledge-sharing network. Its offerings consist primarily of publications and programs: the annual European Startup Landscape reports (2023-2025) showcasing nominated significant startups; playbooks on startup-corporate collaboration and sciencepreneurship/tech transfer; the European Scale-Up Navigator guide developed with McKinsey & Company; the Rise for Europe policy report on tech sovereignty; and the AI Launchpad as the first pan-European AI accelerator. The organization facilitates connections among its member institutions—which include university innovation centers, startup incubators, and entrepreneurship hubs across Europe—while producing knowledge resources to strengthen the European innovation ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AI Launchpad: The first pan-European AI accelerator born from the collaborative spirit of Rise Europe, connecting AI teams with world-class resources.

Products and services

• AI Launchpad The first pan-European AI accelerator connecting AI startup teams with world-class resources across the Rise Europe member network. Targets AI startup teams seeking support to thrive in the competitive AI landscape.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,800 startups supported in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and extended.

• UnternehmerTUMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host organization for Rise Europe; provides operational infrastructure; led by Prof. Dr. Helmut Schönenberger as Founder and CEO; manages Company Innovation and Circular Republic initiatives
• AgoranovcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench deeptech incubator; part of the 20 member institutions across 14 countries
• DTU SkyFactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish technology and innovation entity; Program Committee member
• Aalto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish university with strong innovation ecosystem; represented by Tomi Erho, Head of Innovation Ecosystem Services
• Beta-icoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese startup ecosystem organization; co-founded by Ricardo Marvão
• Campus FounderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman startup ecosystem builder; represented by Oliver Hanisch
• EnSpire OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford University entrepreneurship initiative; represented by Dora Handrea, Head of Student Entrepreneurship
• ETH AI CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss AI research and innovation hub; Co-founded by Alexander Ilic, Co-Founder & Executive Director
• HighTechXLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch deeptech accelerator; led by John Bell as CEO
• IE University / IE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish university with technology focus; represented by Ikhlaq Sidhu (Dean of IE School of Technology) and Geoffroy Gérard (Director General & CDO)
• Imperial Enterprise LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImperial College London's entrepreneurship initiative; represented by Ben Mumby-Croft, Director of Entrepreneurship
• INiTScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVienna-based high-tech incubator in Austria; represented by Michael Hähnle
• KTH Innovation & KTH Holding ABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish technical university innovation ecosystem; represented by Lisa Ericsson as Head & CEO
• Queen Mary University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK university with entrepreneurship focus; represented by Leah Thompson, Associate Director - Entrepreneurship
• StingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish startup incubator and accelerator; founded by Pär Hedberg as Founder & Business Coach
• YES!DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch startup ecosystem organization; managed by Ras Lalmy as Managing Director
• Tech Europe FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean technology foundation; represented by Luca de Angelis
• The Yope FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation foundation; represented by Michael Baum
• UniCreditextendedGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner in Extended Network; represented in Program Committee by Roberto Zuccaro, Strategic Investments Lead; provides financial industry perspective and corporate innovation linkages
• Circular RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative under UnternehmerTUM focused on circular economy and sustainability; collaborates on Playbook Startup-Corporate Collaboration
• McKinsey & CompanyextendedStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided analytical support for European Scale-Up Navigator guide and Kickstart Europe report

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Global accelerator network running multi-city cohorts and a founder community across the US, Europe, and beyond. Comparable to Rise Europe in operating a distributed, multi-institution accelerator-and-ecosystem model that supports early-stage startups.
• Startupbootcamp: European-rooted accelerator network running vertical-specific programs across multiple cities and corporates. Operates a multi-institution accelerator model and corporate-innovation partnerships similar to Rise Europe's AI Launchpad and corporate partner ecosystem.
• Mind the Bridge: Non-profit organization that bridges European startups with Silicon Valley and global corporates. Comparable to Rise Europe as a cross-border ecosystem connector producing programs, reports, and corporate-startup collaboration frameworks.
• Seedstars: Global accelerator and venture platform with a strong emerging-markets footprint and growing European activity. Comparable as a multi-region accelerator network that curates cohorts, runs programs, and connects founders to investors.

Broad incumbents

• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting dozens of accelerator programs and thousands of startups. A broader incumbent in the European startup-ecosystem-building space, comparable in ambition to unite and amplify European founders, though as a single physical hub rather than a coordination network.
• EIT Digital: EU-backed pan-European innovation network focused on deeptech digital entrepreneurship and education. Operates as a multi-country consortium of universities and companies similar to Rise Europe's institutional membership model.
• European Innovation Council (EIC): EU-managed funding and accelerator program for deeptech and high-impact startups across Europe. Comparable as a pan-European support institution channeling capital and programs to European tech founders, with a different (governmental) funding model.

Others

• EU-Startups: Media and events platform covering the European startup scene, including annual awards and conferences. Comparable as a pan-European community-builder amplifying startups, corporates, and ecosystem institutions across the continent.
• Sifted: Financial Times-backed media platform covering European startups and venture capital. Comparable as a pan-European narrative and convening layer for the ecosystem Rise Europe serves, though operating as a media outlet rather than a program operator.
• Atomico: European venture capital firm publishing the widely-cited State of European Tech report. Comparable as a pan-European institution shaping the European tech narrative and convening founders, corporates, and policymakers, though operating as an investor rather than an ecosystem network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RiseEuropeNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rise-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Rise Europe