New opportunities for start-ups at the start of 2026

There are various established funding programs for innovative founders in Germany. BayStartUP's Bavarian business plan competitions have been the first port of call for start-ups in Bavaria for 25 years. Here, teams benefit from expert feedback, free coaching, exclusive events, media attention and prize money totaling 85,000 euros.

At the same time, the Science4Life Venture Cup is aimed at founders from the life sciences, chemistry and energy sectors and has been providing support in all phases of founding a company since 1998 - from the development of ideas to the finished business plan. In addition to practical feedback from industry experts, the competitions offer prize money of over 60,000 euros, Academy Days and access to networks from numerous companies and start-ups. Both programs help start-up teams to further develop their business ideas, gain visibility and lay the foundations for initial financing rounds.

The 4C Accelerator goes one step further and is aimed specifically at MedTech start-ups that want to master the special challenges of the healthcare industry with medical devices or in-vitro diagnostics (IVD). The application phase for Batch #11 runs until 10 February 2026 and includes knowledge transfer on relevant topics and advice, as founders must also take into account the regulatory requirements of the industry when developing innovative products - the so-called 4Cs: Commercialization, Certification, Clinical Studies and Copyright. The program not only imparts knowledge in these areas, but also shows how they can be networked and practically implemented in the business model - with the help of the specially developed 4C Business Modelling method.

Participation in the 4C Accelerator is divided into two phases. Part one consists of 15 interactive workshops conducted by the Foundation for Medical Innovation. These online sessions take place in teams and impart practical knowledge. Part two comprises six months of individual coaching by Medical Innovations Incubator GmbH, in which founders can further develop their business models in monthly one-to-one meetings and consolidate the content from the workshops. Even after the event has ended, the individual teams can continue to access advice from the coaches for up to a year.

Each of the 4Cs is tailored to the specific requirements of the MedTech industry: C1 - Commercialization provides knowledge about reimbursement options in the healthcare system and their integration into the business plan, including self-pay solutions, reimbursement by health insurance companies, selective contracts and DiGA. C2 - Certification covers the development of a quality management system in accordance with ISO 13485 and the preparation of technical documentation in accordance with MDR/IVDR for CE marking. C3 - Clinical Studies provides transparency on the planning, objectives and implementation of clinical studies, taking into account certification and commercialization. C4 - Copyright provides knowledge of intellectual property rights, patents, especially for software components, and compliance with the GDPR in the healthcare sector.

The 4C Business Modelling method forms the core of the program. It enables the founders to integrate regulatory requirements into their business model at an early stage and consistently, to create a roadmap, to calculate realistic investment sums and to develop a regulatory plausible, entrepreneurially successful business model.

Participants in the Accelerator gain access to the 4C Community, where current and former teams, partners from the healthcare industry and the start-up ecosystem are networked. This enables not only professional exchange, but also participation in exclusive events and networking formats.

The Accelerator is aimed at start-ups with innovative product ideas in the medtech sector, including software solutions and in-vitro diagnostics. The program is free of charge for all participants. Through a combination of workshops, individual coaching and community access, founders are empowered to overcome the regulatory hurdles of the industry and make their company "investor-ready".

The programs offer a wide range of opportunities: Feedback from experts, the expansion of your network and the targeted further development of your own business idea. Batch #11 of the 4C Accelerator in particular offers medtech start-ups a unique opportunity to make a targeted start to 2026. Those who take action now will lay the foundations for sustainable growth and successful positioning in the market.

The value of a strong innovation environment is particularly evident in the phase in which ideas develop into viable business models. Bayern Innovativ connects founders with science, industry and practice, creates spaces for exchange and knowledge transfer and supports them in navigating the complex innovation ecosystem. In this way, promising approaches are sustainably transformed into marketable solutions and Bavaria is strengthened as an innovation region.