The Driving Force of Startups in Munich: A Comparative Analysis of Incubator and Accelerator Programs

The quality of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem is a determinative factor in the success of new enterprises and start-ups. Supporting organizations, such as incubators and accelerators, generally offer assistance through education, mentoring, networking opportunities, access to physical resources, and in some cases financial resources, therefore increasing the probability to survive and to attract funding. The aim of the study is examining the start-up supporting programs in Munich, Germany, including incubators, accelerators and even preceding, preparatory programs. Information about the offered services, the strategic focus, application and selection process, funding structure, and alumni relations were collected through in-depth interviews. Based on the comparative analysis of the insights, similarities regarding the application-selection process, especially the selection criteria and partially in the program package can be observed, however some programs have individual characteristics, fostering start-ups with special needs. In Munich, many programs are led jointly either with a higher education institution or its entrepreneurial centre and therefore, highly rely on the creative resources of students and academics. In conclusion, the research corroborates the importance of a high-quality ecosystem as a factor of success. The focus must be on the collaboration between programs, higher education institutions and other successful industry specialists, as well as on the construction of a flexible program package.