18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

AI-powered. Human-centered. The accelerator that helps impact-driven businesses grow.

A free 14-week accelerator for businesses and startups with a social or environmental mission in Germany. Strengthen your business model, master key business tools and grow your measurable social and environmental impact.

⏰ Application deadline

Apply by 30 November 2026

Applications for Cohort 2 (Winter/Spring 2027) are open now. The application takes only a few minutes. We review applications on a rolling basis, so the call may close earlier once all 18 spots are filled.

39

days

12

hours

32

minutes

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

Who Impact Sprint Lab is for

Your business is registered. Now it's time to grow. Impact Sprint Lab is a free accelerator for impact-driven businesses and startups registered in Germany, including recently founded startups. AI becomes your copilot, no-code tools help you work smarter, and human coaching keeps you on track, so you can strengthen your business model and grow your impact.

Impact-driven businesses & startups registered in Germany

Migrant entrepreneurs & inclusive business models welcome

A social or environmental mission at the core of your business, aligned with the UN SDGs

What Makes Impact Sprint Lab Special

Personalized 1:1 Kick-Off with Human AI Head Coaches

Start tailored, not generic. Experienced head coaches and mentors combine tech-driven insights with hands-on expertise to set you up for sustainable success.

One Immersive Retreat: From Pitch to Proof

Three days in Beeskow (Brandenburg) bring the whole cohort together, including founders with migration backgrounds: pitch stations with expert feedback, founder resilience and an open session on discrimination and bias. A safe space to gain clarity, confidence and community.

Build Ventures That Truly Matter

Sharpen your solution to real social and environmental challenges, aligned with the SDGs and a practical Theory of Change, so your activities lead to measurable long-term outcomes.

Tech Without Barriers

Not a tech expert? Perfect. We make AI and no-code tools your secret weapon to work smarter and grow, without needing a tech team.

A Program That Fits Your Life

Already running a business? Our hybrid program fits alongside your day-to-day operations in about 3 hours per week: weekly online sessions, a Jour Fixe every Tuesday, recorded workshops you can watch when it suits you, plus in-person days in Berlin and one retreat in Beeskow (Brandenburg).

Empowering YOU as a Gamechanger

We strengthen your confidence, leadership and resilience in three Founder Development sessions and at the retreat, so you grow as a founder and as a changemaker, especially when navigating new cultures and systems.

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

Three phases, one sprint

Weeks 1 to 4

Diagnose + Focus

Where do we stand, and what does our impact change?

Sprint Diagnosis and personal sprint goals, AI tools for founders, Theory of Change, impact KPIs, go-to-market and customer pitch, and first evidence from customer interviews.

Weeks 5 to 8

Grow + Model

Does our model carry growth and impact?

Sustainable innovation and model levers, AI automation for marketing, brand and impact marketing, social media, entrepreneurial finance, and a feedback lab on your product, landing page and deck.

Weeks 9 to 14

Pitch + Prove

Can we prove it, and what exactly do we ask for?

Winning your first 100 customers, pricing and financial modelling, founding, tax and accounting, non-dilutive funding, angels and impact investment, the retreat in Beeskow, a pitch deck lab with due diligence rehearsal, and Demo Day.

18 hands-on workshops, expert sessions, a Jour Fixe every Tuesday and 1:1 coaching every two weeks. Every session starts with your Journey Map.

Winter/Spring Cohort 2027 Program & Key Dates

Our approach combines practical, outcome-driven workshops with expert sessions on the topics that matter most to growing impact businesses – from navigating local bureaucracy to brand building, go-to-market and funding. This foundation is supplemented by dedicated personal development sessions, peer-to-peer learning, and one-on-one coaching to build founder resilience and leadership while working towards clear program outcomes.

The program is hybrid: weekly online workshops and expert sessions, a Jour Fixe every Tuesday and 1:1 coaching every two weeks, plus in-person days in Berlin and a three-day retreat in Beeskow (Brandenburg). Some workshops are recorded, so you can watch them on your own schedule and bring your questions to the Jour Fixe. Plan for about 3 hours per week plus the in-person days.

01

Thu 21 Jan 2027

Pre-onboarding (online)

02

Thu 28 Jan 2027

ISL Kick-off (Berlin)

03

Thu 18 Feb 2027

Founders Lab 1 (Berlin)

04

Thu 18 Mar 2027

Founders Lab 2 (Berlin)

05

Fri 9 to Sun 11 Apr 2027

ISL Retreat (Beeskow, Brandenburg)

06

Thu 29 Apr 2027

Demo Day (Berlin)

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

What ISL Founders Will Walk Away With

Stronger Product-Market Fit

Test your offer with real customers: interviews, a pitch test and a feedback lab on your product, landing page and deck.

Pitch & Pitch Deck

Refine your pitch and deck in a pitch deck lab, rehearse investor due diligence and Q&A, and create an AI explainer video for Demo Day.

Impact Business Model

Sharpen your impact business model: develop your embedded impact Business Model Canvas, evolve your pricing and revenue streams, and build a financial model you understand, with AI finance sheets, key ratios and red flags.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Sharpen your positioning, win your first 100 customers and build your traction playbook with channel experiments and AI-automated marketing workflows.

Impact Thesis

Define an SDG-aligned impact strategy, develop your Theory of Change, learn how to measure impact, and tell a compelling impact story, including what you may credibly claim as green or social.

Founder Growth

Understand your why, build resilience and develop practical founder skills: leadership, branding, legal and tax basics, and a clear funding ask for grants, subsidised loans, angels and impact investors.

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

Impressions from our Kick-off & Open Event

These are our Experts

ISL — Expert Team Section

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

What you will Learn

Impact & Sustainability – Turn your vision into measurable impact

- SDG mapping & stakeholder outcomes - Theory of Change & Impact Mapping - KPI design & learning loops - Impact marketing & green claims: what you may claim, and the proof

Product & Customer Insights – Improve what you already offer

- Customer interviews & feedback loops - No-code tools to improve and automate - AI-assisted research & insights - Feedback Lab on your product, landing page and deck

Business Model & Go-to-Market – Shape a viable, real-world business model

- Business model design, pricing & financial modelling - Entrepreneurial finance: AI finance sheets, ratios, red flags - Go-to-market: win your first 100 customers - AI automation for marketing & social media - Funding: grants, subsidised loans, angels & impact investment

Founder Identity & Empowerment – Empowering YOU, not just your business

- Leadership & decision frameworks - Resilience, confidence & habits - Inclusive communication & cross-cultural navigation - Discrimination & bias: recognise it and respond with confidence

Coaches & Community

Work with experienced head coaches who guide you through every stage, with hands-on workshops, Q&A in the weekly Jour Fixe and personal 1:1 coaching every two weeks. Join a supportive, diverse founder community bridging Berlin’s startup energy with Brandenburg’s creative focus.

Claudia Andrea Brasche

Project Manager

Yamile Vargas

Head of Venture Building & Community Manager

Regine Haschka-Helmer

Head Coach

Anisha Mohil

Lead Impact Coach

Gernot Diaz

Marketing Manager

Sandra Aguirre

Social Media Manager

Angela Präuner

Administration

Meet the Founders of Cohort 1, 2026

From founding to growth in one program cycle – meet the founders behind it.

ISL — Testimonials

The most valuable part of Impact Sprint Lab has been the mentoring sessions and the support from the various coaches. Each session explores a different step of building a business, making the program both dynamic and empowering, built on community, empowerment and engagement.

Aleksandra

Founder NeuralGrounds

Impact Sprint Lab challenged us to think bigger, connect deeper, and present our startup with confidence. Demo Day felt like a major milestone in our journey.

Manuel

Founder Encuentro de Hispanos

What has impressed me most about Impact Sprint Lab is how thoughtfully the curriculum is designed, combined with the openness and kindness of all the coaches. It’s a strong program with genuinely supportive people behind it.

Ebony

Founder FoodStorii

The Impact Sprint Lab brought clarity, inspiration, and a renewed vision for my entrepreneurial journey. The learnings and connections will stay with me forever.

Saurabhi

Founder LettsLocal

The Impact Sprint Lab was a game-changer for our startup. It helped us sharpen our vision, strengthen our scaling strategy, and accelerate our growth.

Eldin

Founder Bazarium

Impact Sprint Lab gave me the confidence and support to turn my vision into action. It is one of the few programs that truly supports both the founder and the business behind the idea.

Laura

Founder Lumuly

The most valuable part of the program was the people, the shared space, and the expertise the mentors brought to the table. That combination made the experience powerful, joyful, and full of opportunities.

Itzel

Founder LoLo the App

“

The most valuable part of Impact Sprint Lab has been the mentoring sessions and the support from the various coaches. Each session explores a different step of building a business, making the program both dynamic and empowering, built on community, empowerment and engagement.

Aleksandra

Founder NeuralGrounds

“

ISL challenged us to think bigger, connect deeper, and present our startup with confidence. Demo Day felt like a major milestone in our journey.

Manuel

Founder Encuentro de Hispanos

What has impressed me most about Impact Sprint Lab is how thoughtfully the curriculum is designed, combined with the openness and kindness of all the coaches. It’s a strong program with genuinely supportive people behind it.

Ebony

Founder FoodStorii

The Impact Sprint Lab brought clarity, inspiration, and a renewed vision for my entrepreneurial journey. The learnings and connections will stay with me forever.

Saurabhi

Founder LettsLocal

The Impact Sprint Lab was a game-changer for our startup. It helped us sharpen our vision, strengthen our scaling strategy, and accelerate our growth.

Eldin

Founder Bazarium

Impact Sprint Lab gave me the confidence and support to turn my vision into action. It is one of the few programs that truly supports both the founder and the business behind the idea.

Laura

Founder Lumuly

The most valuable part of the program was the people, the shared space, and the expertise the mentors brought to the table. That combination made the experience powerful, joyful, and full of opportunities.

Itzel

Founder LoLo the App

Apply to the accelerator

18 spots · Apply by 30 November 2026

Funding logos: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Co-funded by the European Union (ESF+), Ibykus AG

Completely free, thanks to public funding

Impact Sprint Lab is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (German: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie) and co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme. The program is implemented on behalf of the funding authority by Ibykus AG.

Frequently asked questions

When does it start, and what are the key dates?

Can I apply alone?

Do I need a technical background?

Where does it take place?

Who can I contact with questions?

Who can apply?

Impact Sprint Lab is for impact-driven businesses and startups with a social or environmental mission that are already registered in Germany when they apply. This includes: - Registered social enterprises, impact startups and small businesses with a social or environmental mission - Registered companies, including recently founded startups - Migrant entrepreneurs & inclusive business models Solo founders, sole traders and freelancers are welcome, and so are teams. Living in Germany alone is not enough: your business itself must be registered here. Revenue is not required, but your business must be active. If you want to strengthen your business model and grow your impact, ISL is for you.

What counts as a social or environmental mission?

We follow the criteria of the EU Social Business Initiative: - Your social or environmental mission is the core purpose of your business and is documented, e.g. in your articles of association or mission statement - Most of your profits (at least 50%) are reinvested in the mission - Your ownership or organization reflects the mission

Revenue is not required, but your business must be active. If you are selected, we send you two short self-declarations (an SME self-declaration and a Social Business self-declaration) and ask for proof of registration before the program starts. You don't need to prepare anything extra for the application form.

What counts as registered? Can NGOs apply?

Any business with an economic activity counts, regardless of legal form, including sole traders and freelancers. Proof can be a commercial register entry, a trade license (Gewerbeschein) or your registration of self-employment with the tax office. NGOs and non-profits (e.g. gGmbH, e.V.) can apply if they regularly run an economic activity, for example selling products or services. Purely donation-funded organizations cannot apply.

Is participation free of charge?

How does the application work?

Applying takes two steps: 1. Short application: tell us about your business, your impact and the support you need. 2. Follow-up form: if it's a fit, we'll send you a second form with more detailed questions. After that, we invite you to an interview. If you are selected, we ask for proof of registration and two short self-declarations before the program starts. Your business must already be registered in Germany when you apply. The application deadline is 30 November 2026. We review applications on a rolling basis, so the call may close earlier once all 18 spots are filled.

How is the program structured?

Impact Sprint Lab is a free, 14-week hybrid program in three phases: Diagnose + Focus (weeks 1 to 4), Grow + Model (weeks 5 to 8) and Pitch + Prove (weeks 9 to 14). - 18 hands-on workshops with our coaches, some of them recorded so you can watch them when it suits you - Expert sessions on AI strategies, bureaucracy and migration, branding, impact marketing, go-to-market, pricing, tax and accounting, non-dilutive funding and impact investment - A Jour Fixe every Tuesday and 1:1 coaching every two weeks - In-person days in Berlin: Kick-off (28 Jan), Founders Lab 1 (18 Feb), Founders Lab 2 (18 Mar) and Demo Day (29 Apr) - A three-day retreat in Beeskow (Brandenburg), 9 to 11 April Plan for about 3 hours per week plus the in-person days. At least 80% attendance is required, and the program language is English.

You'll get access to: - AI-powered tools and templates - A community tool for resources and mentor interaction - A Demo Day to showcase your business

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