Study.
Found.
Turn your idea from your studies into a startup — with coaching, a scholarship and space right at HWR Berlin.
You don’t have to wait until your studies are over. Testing an idea, finding a team, standing in front of real users for the first time — much of this fits into everyday student life. The Startup Incubator Berlin is the startup center of HWR Berlin and open to students who want to find out whether there’s more to their idea. You don’t need a finished company or a business degree for that.
Starting small is expressly welcome here. Some people arrive with half an idea, others with nothing more than a problem they’ve noticed. Both are a good starting point. On this page you’ll find paths that work without much effort — and you decide for yourself how deep you go.
No commitment
Get a taste at events and workshops before you commit to anything. No company, no business plan required.
From any field
Good ideas come from every degree program. Technology, design, social fields, business — the mix is often the advantage.
Doable alongside your studies
Formats that fit into everyday student life: from two hours to a semester project. You set the pace.
Bachelor Entrepreneurship (B.Sc.)
Study and build your own startup at the same time — seven semesters, hands-on throughout, with the Startup Incubator Berlin at your side as a practice and network partner.
Provider & application: HWR Berlin. The SIB informs & supports.
Find your way in.
Study and start a company along the way — hands-on practice, a strong network, and the right degree program.
Bachelor Entrepreneurship (B.Sc.) Degree program at HWR
Degree program at HWR Berlin — 7 semesters, 210 ECTS. The SIB informs and is a practice partner.
Learn more →UX-Testing: take part
Join usability tests, gain experience, and earn a little on the side.
Learn more →Events & Workshops
Learning formats, meetups, and workshops all about starting up.
Learn more →Co-Working & Labs (CIC)
Workspaces and labs to work on your own project.
Learn more →
How you can start as a student
The most common misconception: that you first need a perfect idea, a complete team and a plan before you’re allowed to get in touch. The opposite is true. Most paths at the SIB are designed precisely for the phase before that — for trying things out, discarding them and thinking further. You can start small and stop at any time, or move up a level.
A good, low-threshold way in is UX-Testing: you give startups feedback on their products and, in doing so, see up close how founding works in practice — what succeeds, what fails, how teams work. Anyone who regularly comes to Events & Workshops gets to know methods, meets others with similar questions and often finds fellow founders along the way. And in the Co-Working areas and Labs you can work on your project instead of pushing it forward alone in your room.
If you want to not just try out founding but learn it systematically, HWR Berlin offers its own degree program: the Bachelor Entrepreneurship (B.Sc.). An important point of clarification: the provider of this degree program is HWR Berlin, not the SIB — application, admission and all study matters go through the university. The SIB is a practice and network partner here and gives you a sense of how theory and real founding come together.
- Take a look. Come to an event or workshop or join in at UX-Testing. That way you get a feel for how things work here, risk-free — and whether it suits you.
- Try it out. Test your idea or your problem against real feedback, find a team at events, and use the Co-Working & Labs as your workspace. In this phase it’s about learning, not about being perfect.
- Go deeper. If you sense there’s more to it, you can pursue founding in a focused way — through the SIB programs or, if you want to bring it into your studies, through the Bachelor Entrepreneurship at HWR Berlin.
Frequently asked questions
Do I already need a finished idea or a company?
No. Many offers are expressly designed for the phase before that. It’s enough to be curious or to have noticed a problem that won’t let go of you. You don’t need to have founded a company for that.
Do I have to study business or economics?
No. Startup ideas come from all fields — technology, design, computer science, social sciences and more. Often it’s precisely the mix of different perspectives that is the advantage. You come with your expertise, not in spite of it.
Can I start on my own, without a team?
Yes. The first steps — sharpening an idea, gathering feedback, running first tests — you can take well on your own. At Events & Workshops you’ll meet other students, and not infrequently a team comes together right there.
What’s the best first step?
Try something concrete. Come to an event or workshop or join in at UX-Testing. Both are low-threshold, take little time and give you a real impression.
How is the Bachelor Entrepreneurship connected to the SIB?
The Bachelor Entrepreneurship (B.Sc.) is a degree program of HWR Berlin — it is the provider, and application and admission go through the university. The SIB is a practice and network partner and provides information about it, but does not decide on admission.
Let’s talk about your idea.
Whether it’s half an idea or a concrete plan — write to us, and together we’ll find the right way in for you.