At Impact Factory, we believe in the power of bold ideas. Our mission? To help Germany’s most innovative minds develop solutions to pressing social challenges. Now we’ve found a partner who shares our vision: Yello Strom.

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Blog

12.

January

2023

From purpose to profit: The spectrum of impact organizations

Discover where your startup sits on the spectrum between purpose and profit, and how you, as a social enterprise, can find the perfect balance between social impact and economic success.

Crowdfunding for startups: The guide for founders

Find out whether crowdfunding could be the key to financing your startup.

Sustainability meets scaling: Growth strategies for impact startups

Discover seven key strategies that help impact startups grow sustainably and increase their positive impact on society and the environment – without losing sight of their mission.

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Press

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FAQs

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions.

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Program

When and where does the program take place? Do I need to be there in person?

In total, the active program runs for about 4-6 months. As explained in the program stages, this period is especially relevant – and mandatory – for Create-ups and Ramp-ups. During this time, we meet roughly every 2 weeks for 2-3 days. There are also special sessions at the start and end – our bootcamp and the final assessments “Expert Check” and “Master Challenge”. So effectively, you’ll be with us for about 4-6 months per batch.
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Our program is hybrid – alternating between online and on-site. About every four weeks, we meet in person at the Haniel Campus in Duisburg. As one of our funding partners, Haniel provides us with our own space (the “Villa Anthropia”), and we can also use their wider infrastructure for events and more.
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Our startups come from all over Germany – you don’t need to live in Duisburg to apply. While you’re in the program, you can use the Impact Factory’s spaces and infrastructure for co-working Monday through Friday and attend internal events. We see the exchange at in-person events as an essential part of the Impact Factory, which is why we don’t offer an online-only option.

What content can I expect in the program?

The Impact Factory program varies slightly by stage to meet the individual needs of each startup. Some parts of the program are set – e.g., prototyping for Create-ups and sales coaching for Ramp-ups.

On top of that, there’s a wide range of workshops, talks and office hours that you can choose based on your level of knowledge and with different members of our team. This way, we make sure every team builds the most important founder skills.
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Topics covered across every stage include:
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- Marketing
- Sales
- Business plan
- Investors
- Pricing
- Legal advice & tax topics

Everything about pitching (pitch deck, delivery, your first pitch or pitching to investors in a funding round…)
Finally, we organize various networking events where you can connect with interesting people, and our (public) pitch formats give you a feel for presenting your idea to an audience or even investors.
Participants learn the exact content before the program starts. The program is “alive” – we constantly incorporate feedback and prepare new formats and content!

At the end, we decide which startup projects we will keep supporting and admit to the next stage of our program. These decisions are made at the “Expert Check” at the end of the Create-up stage and at the “Master Challenge” at the end of the Ramp-up stage. An expert jury reviews whether you’ve made the progress expected for that stage. After the Master Challenge, there are no further formal qualification steps.

If you need to restructure or pause your participation, e.g., due to personal challenges, you can still stay part of the community. You then become a Fellow.

What is expected of the fellows?

We expect you to attend the scheduled sessions, work intensively on your idea and seriously intend to start a company. This also means aiming to become financially viable in the medium term so you can fund both your company and yourselves.

We also hope you’ll embrace the iterative process and adapt or change your business idea to market conditions where needed. And we’d love for you to become an active part of the community and spread the idea that entrepreneurial initiatives with impact can make the world a better place.
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We’d also like to feature you and your startup on social media and elsewhere. This makes the program even better known, so we can support even more people in making the world a little better. Of course, just let us know if parts of your idea can’t be shown on social media & co. yet for patent or similar reasons.
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Our funding partners also receive regular updates on the startup ideas so they can see where their donated money goes – and where in the world they can create impact through you.

Which program stage can or should I apply for?

Currently, you can apply to the Impact Factory as a Create-up, Ramp-up or Fellow. Because the Scale-up stage builds closely on our previous work together, it’s not possible to apply directly as a Scale-up.
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Applying as a Create-up or Ramp-up means taking part in our structured program. Applying as a Fellow is more low-key: as a Fellow, you can join many Impact Factory program sessions and events, but we don’t expect regular attendance. Still, we only recommend applying directly as a Fellow for more advanced startups. We won’t admit beginners directly as Fellows, e.g., if they can’t commit the time for the Create-up program.

I have to choose a program stage in my application. Is this choice final?

No! This question is just a first self-assessment on your part. We’ll be in touch with you several times during the application process, and it often turns out in those conversations that a different program stage is a better fit for your startup.

Is there financial support?

We support you financially in an indirect way by providing funds for specific consulting services (e.g., initial consultations & Q&A sessions with (patent) lawyers, pitch deck pros and tax experts). In addition, many great speakers join the program and share practical tips & tricks (e.g., from the perspective of a “real investor”: what matters in an investor pitch).
The program for Create-up and Ramp-up teams is worth around 20,000 to 30,000 euros.
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As part of the program, we’ll of course help you find possible funding options for your startup. We have a large network and can connect you with investors and business angels as well as potential customers.

Is the program really free of charge?

Yes, taking part in the Impact Factory program is free of charge. Our funding partners want to make the world a little better.

Please note that the mandatory on-site sessions in Duisburg every four weeks involve travel and possibly some accommodation costs, which we cannot reimburse.

Neither we nor our funding partners take equity in your startup. As a joint initiative of the founding partners Beisheim Stiftung, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, KfW Stiftung and Anthropia gGmbH, supported by program partner Der Paritätische NRW, the program is financed through grants. Our funders’ commitment is based on a shared desire to promote innovative, sustainable business models and a future-proof economy. That means: while we’re happy to drive any collaborations you want, none of us intends for your startup to be “swallowed up” by a company!

Application

Who can apply for the program?

The program is aimed at founders from all over Germany whose business idea creates human, social and/or environmental value (green or social impact) and is financially viable. You can apply with an idea (Create-up), a first product version (Ramp-up) or after market entry (Fellow). It doesn’t matter whether you’ve already incorporated or not.
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We welcome applications from individuals as well as teams.
HERE you’ll find an overview of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, which our definition of “impact” is based on. If you meet one or more of the criteria in the colorful tiles, the Impact Factory is the right place for you.

What do I need to prepare or submit for my application?

Please set aside enough time for your application. We estimate that filling out our application form will take at least about 30 minutes.

In the form, we ask you for the following:
1. Key facts and contact details for your startup and for you as founders
2. You’ll work on several texts that describe you, your startup and your motivation. In some places, we deliberately ask for specific formats (e.g., a short description or a profile).
3. You choose a self-assessment of your program stage at the Impact Factory. You’ll find more information on this in point 2 of this FAQ. This assessment isn’t final and will be reviewed during our further conversations. We’ll find the right fit for you!
4. Please prepare a short video of about 1 minute – simply filmed on your smartphone or laptop, for example. It helps us get a better impression of you and your idea. That also means: don’t worry about a glossy production!
5. A team photo. If you don’t have a group photo yet or you’re a solo founder, individual photos are fine too. Please combine individual photos of several people into a collage.
6. Optional: At the end, you can send us additional attachments, such as pitch decks.

I’ve already founded my company. Can I still apply?

Yes. If your company was founded fairly recently and you’re looking for the right market entry strategy, you can apply. You’ll especially benefit from personal, needs-based support and advice as well as our network of companies, institutions and civil society players.
Our program is designed so that both aspiring founders with a first business idea (Create-up) and those looking for support with market entry (Ramp-up) can join.

Can I apply if I have founded or want to found a nonprofit organization?

Yes. Because sustainable financing of your organization matters to us for creating long-term impact, we’ll take an even closer look at your business model as part of the Impact Factory program.

I have an idea for solving a social or environmental problem, but I don’t know how to make money with it. Can I still apply?

Yes. Your project should be able to finance itself in the long term. We can also develop a business model together during the program.

What happens after I apply online?

After the application deadline, we review each application and select the most promising ones. Our application process has two stages. First, we get in touch with you by phone. If you and your idea convince us, we invite you to get to know each other online at our selection camp. If it’s a fit on both sides, you’ll be admitted to our program.
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After the application deadline, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks until we first contact you. Our selection camp takes place about 2 to 4 weeks after that. You’ll get our admission decision very shortly after the selection camp. The process is designed so that we make our selection before the summer or Christmas break and kick off the program after the break.

What are the selection criteria for the program?

Besides the idea itself, we look above all at your motivation, your commitment and your interest in a sustainable business model. You should also be willing to adapt your initial idea to achieve greater impact.

While the online application already gives us a good impression of the idea, the first call and the selection camp focus more on the people behind it.

Of course we take a closer look at you, your ideas and the way you work, but the selection camp isn’t about weeding people out – it’s about getting to know each other. In fact, most of the teams that take part are admitted!

Impact Factory

Who is behind the Impact Factory?

The “Impact Factory” is a joint initiative of the founding partners Beisheim Stiftung, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, KfW Stiftung and Anthropia gGmbH, supported by program partner Der Paritätische NRW. So the Impact Factory is the shared project of these partners. It includes the founder fellowship and all its components, such as the startup community. Anthropia gGmbH plays a special role here. Anthropia is also supported by the funding partners TRM Stiftung – the Knauf family business – and the Evonik Stiftung.

I sometimes find information about the Impact Factory under the name Anthropia. What does that mean?

Ultimately, the program is run and managed by the staff of Anthropia gGmbH – that’s us, the team behind the Impact Factory! All Impact Factory funding goes to Anthropia gGmbH, and we use it exclusively to run the program.
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The Impact Factory is and will remain Anthropia’s biggest and most important project, which is why the two names are sometimes used interchangeably. However, because our funding is earmarked and for legal reasons, there has to be a separation between us as a company and the program. In the long run, we at Anthropia also want to dedicate ourselves to other projects and tasks in green & social entrepreneurship.

What role do the funding partners play?

As the organization responsible for the entire project, we as Team Anthropia of course report regularly to our funding partners about our work. In an annual impact report, we document the “impact of the Impact Factory,” so to speak. We also stay in touch to define strategic goals. However, Team Anthropia itself shapes the day-to-day operations and decides how the funding is used within the Impact Factory.
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Our funding partners are directly involved in Impact Factory processes mainly at the start and end of each program half-year: after Team Anthropia’s pre-selection, representatives of the funding partners make up part of the jury at the selection camp. The same applies to the final assessments of the Create-up (Expert Check) and Ramp-up (Master Challenge) stages. In the end, however, the final decision for or against teams is always made by Team Anthropia.
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Our funders’ commitment is based on our shared desire to promote innovative, sustainable business models and a future-proof economy through entrepreneurship. That means: while we’re happy to drive any collaborations you want, none of us intends for your startup to be “swallowed up” by a company (think: “corporate raiders”)! The same goes for your startup ideas: our funding partners, of course, don’t steal ideas. Nor do they have direct access to your application data and documents at the start. At the earliest, we share your video and application profile with them at the selection camp so they can prepare for your ideas.

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