Resources for Entrepreneurs
Courses with a focus on startups
The curriculum in the field of entrepreneurship is diverse, interdisciplinary, and internationally oriented. Numerous courses offered by several departments prepare students for careers in entrepreneurship.
Accelerator Programs
A unique feature of the Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MCEI) are its so-called accelerator programs, which allow students to combine their studies with their startup activities or to carry out a consulting project at a startup.
Bachelor's and Master's Theses with a Start-up Focus
You can write yourBachelor's orMaster's thesis on the topic of start-ups (Inside the Venture Theses). This allows students to earn ECTS credits for developing their own start-up throughout their entire degree program.
Services and consulting for startup financing
Exist Scholarships
Grants from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs
Exist is a startup grant for college graduates, researchers, and students. It provides the startup team with one year of living expenses, allowing them to focus fully on launching their business. We are happy to advise and assist you with the application process.Exist Women Scholarship Program
Support for Female Entrepreneurs
The EXIST Women Grant offers comprehensive support to help you successfully bring your startup idea to life—from financial support and workshops to personalized coaching, connections with mentors, and a strong network of fellow female founders. We’re happy to advise you on the application process.Advice on financing
At the University of Mannheim and in the surrounding area, you’ll find a variety of resources offering advice on scholarships, startup funding, and starting a business, including:
- Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MCEI)
- Research Funding in Department I of the University (for researchers at the University of Mannheim, only available in German)
- MAFINEX Technology Center for Startups
- GIG7 (for female founders)
More opportunities for startups
Startup Coaching and Mentoring
Support from Experienced Coaches
The MCEI Startup Coaching and Mentoring Program connects students and graduates with experienced coaches and entrepreneurs. They can offer guidance on specific challenges, provide access to their networks, and share insights into their own journeys as founders. Through their expertise and personal experiences, they help the next generation of founders move forward on their journey.ABSOLVENTUM Mentoring Program
Support from experienced mentors
ABSOLVENTUM offers a mentoring and coaching program that runs alongside your studies, spans various industries, and is location-independent. The program is designed for students, recent graduates, and experienced professionals, and can be started at any time of the year.Assistance with inventions and patents
Intellectual Property, Patenting, and Licensing
If you are employed at the University of Mannheim, you must notify the university before publishing an invention. Department I will then advise you on drafting third-party funding agreements regarding intellectual property issues, as well as on inventions, invention disclosures, and inventor compensation. In doing so, we work closely with TechnologieLizenzBüro (TLB) GmbH. The GmbH also provides a quick assessment of a submitted invention disclosure regarding its basic patentability. The university treats all invention disclosures with absolute confidentiality to avoid jeopardizing the success of the patenting process.
Network and Partners
We are happy to connect people interested in starting a business with our partners in the regional startup community.
Contact
Dr. Nora Zybura
MCEI/
Schloss, Ehrenhof Ost – Room EO 271
68161 Mannheim
This text was translated from German by DeepL.