Entrepreneurs from Developing and Emerging Countries Can Now Apply for the 2018 Westerwelle Young Founder Programme

Entrepreneurs can now apply for the 2018 Westerwelle Young Founders Programme with the opportunity of attending its Young Founders Conference in Berlin scheduled to hold in Germany from 10 to 14 April 2018.

The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme is a fully funded year-long programme for 25 exceptional entrepreneurs from developing and emerging economies.

One of the high points of the programme is the Young Founders Conference which the Westerwelle Foundation hosts annually in Berlin. The conference is organized to connect young founders from developing and emerging economies with each other and with the German startup scene.

The participants of the Young Founders Conference will have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with successful entrepreneurs, investors and political decision makers. They will also join a network of like-minded outstanding young founders from developing and emerging economies.

Benefits:

During the year-long programme, all fellows will get access to:

• The Young Founders Conference in Berlin, Germany; 10 – 14 April 2018
• A mentoring programme: monthly mentoring calls with an experienced entrepreneur and with the group of Westerwelle Young Founders
• Invitations and scholarships for entrepreneurship conferences
• An international alumni network

Travel and accommodation for the Young Founders Conference will be covered by the Westerwelle Foundation. All fellows are expected to actively participate in the Young Founders Conference as well as in the scheduled mentoring calls.

Requirements:

• Participants must have recently (in the last 5 years) started a for-profit company with a scalable business model
• The company must be based in a developing or emerging country or have a strong business focus on developing and emerging economies
• Participants must possess a good working knowledge of English
• All foreign applicants must possess valid travel documents (including a visa, if necessary) to enter Germany, and valid travel medical insurance.

Application process overview

1. Online application (Deadline: 18 December 2017, 10 AM CET)
2. Notification of application status to all candidates (10 January 2018)
3. Skype interviews with shortlisted candidates (11 January – 10 February 2018)
4. Jury decision and final selection of candidates (10 – 15 February 2018)
5. Notification of application results to shortlisted candidates (15 February 2018)

Interested candidates can apply here.