“We don’t care where you come from – we care where you want to go!”

For Track A, we seek self-driven individuals with expertise in chemistry, engineering, business, or any complementary field. Whether you hold a degree, have a proven track record, or bring a unique and valuable skillset, if you are looking for a science-based venture to found and are ready to engage deeply with green chemistry, this track is for you.

Founded companies and institutional applications are not eligible.

The innovate! call is an intensive business and technology validation program specifically designed for the needs of green chemistry innovations. All selected participants work in parallel on business modeling and lab-based technology validation for up to twelve months on-site in Berlin. To ensure that innovators can focus on the program from day one, the selected individuals receive stipends to cover living expenses and – if needed – our partner Berlinovo provides furnished apartments to secure a soft landing in Berlin and its vibrant ecosystem.

Track A offers a curated launchpad. Here, you can explore pre-selected IP to build a new team, or identify an existing spinout team where your expertise fills a critical gap – all vetted by our Selection Committee for a de-risked start. We remove obstacles in the way of entrepreneurial and scientific talent discovering each other, partnering up, and connecting with breakthrough intellectual property from researchers. 

Once admitted to the program, you will have one month to: Choose and understand a technology, find teammates, define a business angle, and establish a collaboration framework. After this discovery and team-formation sprint, you will go through a review process to determine your program suitability. If selected, you will then receive a stipend for five months, extendable for another six (up to 11 months in total). If not selected, you may still participate in the program but without receiving financial compensation.

For more details on the six-month program, check here.

Our lab-embedded validation program is adapted from the Founder Institute's proven curriculum and customized specifically for green chemistry ventures. It combines business modelling, technology validation, and expert mentorship to help you de-risk your science-based business. You'll work through structured modules covering customer discovery, intellectual property strategy, regulatory pathways, and other topics – all supported by leading industry experts.

Learn more about the program schedule and mentors here: https://fi.co/greenCHEM

Yes! The innovate! call awards stipends to up to 10 Inno-Talents in total (up to three per spinout team). The value of the stipend varies according to each Inno-Talent’s qualification and family situation:

• Inno-Talents with master’s degree: € 2,500 per month

• Inno-Talents PhD degree: € 3,000 per month

• Inno-Talents receive a supplement of € 150 per month for each dependent child

In addition, we grant each team up to € 40,000 for materials and investment expenses related to technology development. In addition, all teams will receive a budget of 30 hours, that can be used for mentors accredited in the program. Upon request, we may approve additional support on a case-by-case basis.

In Track A, stipends will only be granted after the one-month discovery and team-formation sprint. If selected in the review process, Inno-Talents from this Track will then receive a stipend for five months, extendable for another six (up to 11 months in total).

In addition, we support Inno-Talents relocating to Berlin with practical onboarding. Where needed, we facilitate access to furnished single apartments through our housing partner Berlinovo, helping participants avoid the typical stress of flat hunting in Berlin. For international Inno-Talents, we also provide guidance and support throughout the visa application process, ensuring a smooth start to the program.

No, there is no equity component in the innovate! call, nor any other hidden strings attached. You keep full control of what you have already built and created and what you will build and create in the future. Our funding is 100% philanthropic.

Check out the Participation Guidelines here.

Submit your application online by March 15th, 2026; our team will review all entries and shortlist candidates. Shortlisted candidates from Track A might be invited to interviews before being admitted to the program. Once admitted, they can start working on the one-month discovery and team-formation sprint starting on April 21st, 2026. This initial phase culminates in a standard review, where team progress and technology fit are assessed. At this stage, teams may qualify for full program funding to continue their development journey.

In general, IP remains the sole property of those involved in its creation, i.e. it does not change hands in the program. In Track A, this means that you will be working on IP that does not belong to you. However, we will be by your side throughout to ensure collaboration agreements with rights’ holders are fair, transparent, and designed in such a way to unleash the full potential of green chemistry innovation.

‍Moving to Berlin can be a hassle and, bearing that in mind, we got in touch with Berlinovo to provide single flats for Inno-Talents who require it. We promise that you won’t have any stress flat hunting in Berlin so that you can focus on your new venture from day one.

Besides that, if you require a visa to live in Germany for the duration of the program, we will provide comprehensive support so that you may apply for it.

This is a full-time program. Participants must be able to dedicate themselves fully and should not have other major professional obligations. However, we do offer flexibility:

• Scientific / technical leads must be physically present in Berlin, as lab work takes place in our facilities.

• Business-focused individuals may work in a hybrid model, but must be in Berlin for key milestones, workshops, and pitch events. This arrangement also needs to be agreed upon with your new teammates.

If you wish to remain employed elsewhere for the duration of the program, you must ensure:

• No overlap in funding (no double funding of the same project)

• Your employer agrees to your full-time participation in our program (or you take a leave/sabbatical)

As a rule, postponing your start in the program is not possible. All selected participants are expected to join their cohort beginning April 21st, 2026. This is particularly important for Track A, since it’s in the first days and weeks where you’ll be learning about the available patents as well as finding and building a new team. In exceptional cases, however, we might be able to accommodate a later start. Otherwise, please consider applying for future editions of the innovate! call.

We encourage all Inno-Talents to participate in every program activity – the more you engage, the more you benefit. At a minimum, we require at least one consistent team member to be present at all times to ensure continuity and deep engagement. As long as this core requirement is met, additional teammates are always welcome to join. Think of it as: one constant anchor + flexible support from the rest of your team.

That being said, this is the absolute minimum – we strongly advise that everyone attends everything whenever possible, especially in Track A.

Inno-Talents are the individuals selected to participate in our validation program – the innovators driving each spinout project. Regardless of the track (A or C), the Inno-Talents are the stars of the show. 

To guide these teams of Talents, each is paired with an Inno-Director, a senior scientific advisor from any of the Berlin University Alliance’s institutions. Inno-Directors act as strategic mentors, providing technical expertise and helping teams navigate research and development challenges throughout the program.

Inno-Talents are required to secure an Inno-Director for their teams and collaborate with them for the entire program.

The innovate! call is designed as a springboard, not a final destination. Every team moves at its own pace: Some are sprinters and found their company right after the program’s end; others are marathonists and need more time to develop. We support everyone.‍‍

After the program, one possibility is that teams apply for German public validation and startup support grants such as VIP+ and EXIST. Alternatively, faster teams may also receive introductions to our investor network and corporate partners, opening doors to private partnerships that can take their business to the next level.

Note that beyond the 12 months, you remain part of our community and ecosystem – with continued access to support, network, and opportunities. You won’t become a stranger!

The innovate! call runs under the greenCHEM brand with the brand holder’s approval and is issued and organized by the innovate! lab gGmbH, a non-profit organization owned by Berlin University Alliance K.ö.R (BUA). As a philanthropic, non-profit legal vehicle, we are able to move fast, stay founder-first, and think entrepreneurially. “Founders helping founders”‍ ‍is at the core of everything we do – innovate! lab gGmbH provides the legal structure to execute with startup agility while staying fully mission-driven.

We are deeply grateful for the philanthropic support of the Joachim Herz Foundation, as well as the Berlin University Alliance’s commitment and courage to establish this legal structure, enabling an agile, founder-first operating model.

Our only goal is to help you build impactful green chemistry ventures. No equity. No hidden obligations. No strings attached.

The innovate! call by greenCHEM is supported by a long-term philanthropic commitment from the Joachim Herz Foundation and executed through innovate! lab gGmbH – a non-profit legal entity fully owned by the Berlin University Alliance (BUA).

This setup ensures a stable, mission-driven foundation: philanthropic funding enables impact-focused action, while the BUA provides the institutional backbone and long-term public-interest alignment.

We do not take equity, do not claim intellectual property, and do not benefit financially from your success. Our incentive is purely mission-driven: accelerate green chemistry innovations, empower the next generation of founders, and unfold impact.

In short: your success is our impact. Period.