The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme (YFP) is a six-month fellowship for 25 leaders uplifting emerging and developing markets towards a sustainable future. We offer targeted support to scale our founders' ventures and develop their leadership abilities, with the following programme plan:
- Kick-Off Conference: A two-day digital kick-off conference will take place on September 4 and 5, 2023.
- Remote Programme: From September – February, the Young Founders will receive six months of support including a personal mentor, monthly peer learning sessions, monthly expert workshops and networking opportunities with corporates and investors.
- Berlin Conference: The ten best performing Young Founders will be invited to a five-day conference in Berlin in May 2024. During this conference, the founders will have the opportunity to pitch in front of investors, participate in workshops, join networking events and get insights into the German start-up scene.
About Westerwelle Foundation
The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding is a nonprofit organization based in Berlin, Germany. Our mission is to create equal opportunities for all by uplifting emerging markets through empowered entrepreneurship.
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Westerwelle Foundation Young Founders Program (YFP),
Aim and Benefits of Westerwelle Foundation Young Founders Program (YFP),
Mentoring:
- A unique experience with a successful entrepreneur or investor, who becomes your sparring partner.
Peer Learning:
- Exchanges with other successful young founders of the cohort to share knowledge and support each other.
Expert Sessions:
- In-depth sessions on relevant topics with high-class experts.
International Community:
- Access to new business opportunities by being connected to programme alumni, partners and other members of the Westerwelle Foundation network.
Berlin Conference:
- Exposure to the Berlin Startup Ecosystem through a fully funded 5-day conference together with the other founders for the top 10 participants.
Requirements for Westerwelle Foundation Young Founders Program (YFP), Qualification
We are looking for entrepreneurs with high potential for impact and growth to become leaders of a sustainable future, with the following criteria:
- You are a citizen or resident of a developing or emerging country.
- You have recently (in the last five years) started a for-profit company focused on developing or emerging markets.
- Your company possesses a scalable business model that has generated revenue or secured a first round of external funding.
- You or your business possesses disruptive qualities that can increase the quality, impact or inclusiveness of the industry.
- You possess a good working knowledge of English.
- You are available to attend the digital kick-off conference and can make time to participate in programme activities for the six months.
Application Deadline
August 13, 2023
How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
Westerwelle Foundation on forms.zohopublic.eu to apply
The following application will provide our Programme Team with an understanding of your startup and profile. Please have the following key elements ready:
- Your startup pitch deck
- Basic financial information (i.e. revenues, funding)
- Your LinkedIn profile and/or CV
With these on hand, the application will take approximately 20 minutes. Only complete applications will be reviewed.
Application deadline: Sunday, August 13 at 23:59 CET
Interviews with shortlisted candidates: August 16-29, 2023
Notification of all applicants: August 31
If you want to learn more about the programme, you can join the Info Call which is taking place on July 25, 14:00 CEST. Register here to receive the link to join the call: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtceusqz8jHNfms7TqHE_WQL7n5kc911KC
For more details visit: Westerwelle Foundation website.
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