ASAP is an offer by 
For participants
Registration for our Academy is open on an ongoing basis and you can complete the five challenges at your own pace. In addition to the Academy, there is also the ASAP Final – you can find more detailed information on this in the next section.
You can take part in our Academy in two simple steps:
Step 1: Each team member must register with the ASAP Academy.
Step 2: One team member must create an idea for the team. All team members can now join this idea. Now you can work on the five challenges and validate your idea!
The final takes place every six months. The application template is released approximately 6 weeks before the final. As a participant in the ASAP Academy, you will automatically receive an e-mail. In addition, the application period for the next final will be communicated on our finals website.
One application template per team must be completed and uploaded. The application period ends approximately 2 weeks before the final, the exact deadline will of course be communicated in the respective application phase.
Each team will then receive an acceptance or rejection for the final after our evaluation. If you have qualified for the final, it is important that you keep the dates for the pitch workshop, your individual pitch training and the dress rehearsal free. All teams that did not make it to the final or did not apply may of course apply (again) for the next final.
In principle, anyone can participate in the program, regardless of their idea. However, only individuals or teams with with at least one student or graduate (max. 5 years after graduation) from Baden-Württemberg can apply for the final. Any idea, at any stage.
In principle, we also allow participation as an individual, as this can be useful in individual cases (e.g. when testing the potential of a self-developed app for foundation). Nevertheless, we recommend to look for further teammates and to work in a team in order to use synergies. In regard to a later Exist application teams of three people are ideal.
Of course. You are welcome to re-register for ASAP BW in the next round, with the same or a new idea. You can also apply for the final more than once if one round didn’t work out or if you weren’t ready before.
No, the participants are introduced to the topics of founding, entrepreneurship and validation of business models in a structured and systematic way. You only need an idea to start with.
No, the program is open to all ideas. After completing our program, we will gladly refer you to further funding programs that specialize in certain areas (for example Sandbox, Social Impact Lab Stuttgart, fintogether, KI Garage, etc.).
Yes! All challenges and templates are also available for download in English. We are working on offering the content as a step-by-step guide in English as well. However, the workshops and the finals will be held in German – you can still pitch in English though.
No, the competition and all documents are 100% free of charge and of course your idea is still yours!
All participants of the competition who have submitted their application for the final will receive a certificate documenting the contents of the challenges and the acquired competences including workload in the amount of 3 ECTS. With the certificate you can go to your exam administration or your dean of studies and get it credited. It is up to the individual colleges and universities to decide whether and how credits of up to 3 ECTS will be awarded. If your examination office or your professors have any questions, we will be happy to help you!
Our Experience shows that several consulting appointments are necessary for a successful Exist application, since many questions about the business model remain unanswered even with elaborated start-up concepts. With its tools and templates, ASAP BW covers many aspects of an Exist application and helps to assess the chances of success at an early stage. Subsequently a well-grounded application can be made.
The competition uses numerous tools and process models that have become established in recent years under the buzzword “Lean Startup”. This incorporates the experience gained from various collaborations. Among them the collobaration with Steve Blank and Bob Dorf in the creation of the “Handbuch für Startups”, the German edition of the well-known Startup Owner’s Manual,the Lean Launchpad approach based on it, the technical co-design of the Medtech Startup School, the inno-tools.com offering as well as numerous teaching events and innovation workshops.
The basic philosophy is the idea that startups need to validate numerous business model hypotheses on the way to the foundation of their startup.
ASAP (Academic Seed Accelerator Programme) was initiated in 2018 by Prof. Dr. Nils Högsdal at Stuttgart Media University and funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economy, Labor and Tourism in its first testing year. The project was launched with the aim of supporting students from the idea to the validated business idea and is now funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts.
For Educators
Yes, there are numerous ways in which you, as a so-called Educator, can incorporate ASAP BW into your courses. Conceivable options include remote events, transfer projects or final theses. For this purpose, we also support you with a Train-The-Trainer, in which you learn how to convey the contents of the five challenges. Here the individual contents are dealt with again in detail.
