Becker Innovation Accelerator

The Becker Innovation Accelerator is the start-up accelerator programme of Labor Becker, in collaboration with Becker Ventures. The programme offers personalised support for early-stage start-ups who are developing novel diagnostic solutions, in the form of expert mentorship, lab space, clinical validation, market validation, funding, and piloting and implementation opportunities in the state-of-the-art, accredited laboratories of Labor Becker.

Roadmap of Becker Innovation Accelerator

Roadmap

  • ROLLING APPLICATION

  • SELECTION PROCESS

  • PLANNING PHASE

  • MILESTONE: VALIDATION ROADMAP

  • PAPERWORK

  • COME TO MUNICH

  • VALIDATION PHASE

  • SHOWCASE DAY

  • POST-PROGRAMME SUPPORT

  • Apply and get started anytime! We do not work with a batch system and can support up to 5 start-ups at any given time. We want to support you exactly when you need it and we adapt the programme’s content and length entirely to you!

  • Your application will be reviewed by our selection team according to the following criteria:

    • The relevance of the medical need that you are addressing
    • The innovative nature and potential of the solution you are developing
    • Your team’s expertise
    • The value that we can provide you through the programme

  • Explore needs and mentor matching:

    • Identify needs and knowledge gaps
    • Define areas of specialised mentorship (medical, IVDR, market access, medical device manufacturing, marketing, etc.)
    • Assign a sparring partner (experienced start-up founder) for general mentorship

     

    Validation study planning:

    • Identify sample and data needs
    • Prepare validation plan and timeline
    • Receive medical expert feedback on the validation plan
    • Identify required equipment, reagents, consumables

  • The end of the planning phase comes when you reach the first milestone of the programme: you have a defined roadmap for the validation study that you would like to perform with us.

  • Once the first milestone is completed, we will get all the paperwork ready for the second phase of the programme: the validation phase. This includes signing the Equity Agreement, as well as preparing any necessary safety-related documents for the lab work during the validation phase.

  • In case you need to access our equipped Sandbox Lab to carry out your experimental validation study, you will need to come to Munich for the duration of the study.

  • Clinical validation of your solution:

    • Lab induction and training in Sandbox Lab
    • Access to samples and equipment in Sandbox Lab
    • Access to reference clinical data

     

    Mentorship and workshops:

    • 1v1 expert sessions in the identified support areas
    • Informal sessions with assigned sparring partner
    • Informal meet-ups with other start-ups for community building
    • Presentation of startups of the year
    • Networking opportunity with potential investors, medical experts, and industry partners
    • Credits for the Becker Innovation Lab-as-a-Service for future validation studies
    • Be part of our Accelerator Alumni community
    • Be part of Becker Ventures Portfolio
    • Potential long-term partnership and implementation in Labor Becker
    • Potential joint Go-to-Martket activities

FAQ

Who is eligible to apply?

 
If you are an early-stage start-up developing a novel in-vitro diagnostic solution and you fulfil the following requirements, we are looking forward to your application!
  • You have already built a proof-of-concept or prototype of your in-vitro diagnostic solution and you are looking for support to validate it.
  • You have at least one founder working full-time on the start-up.
  • Your company is already registered or you are planning to register it in the next 6 months.
  • You plan to enter the German market.
  • You are early-stage (Pre-Seed or Seed funding stage)

What is the selection criteria?

 
We evaluate applications based on a wide range of criteria, including the medical need that you are addressing, the potential of your technology in solving that medical need, the market opportunity, the expertise of your team, the value we can provide you through the programme, your alignment with Labor Becker’s vision, etc.

Does my company need to be registered before I apply?


Your company does not need to be registered before applying to the Becker Innovation Accelerator, but it will need to be registered before we can sign the Equity Agreement (after completion of the Planning Phase of the Accelerator Programme). 
If for any reason you cannot register your company in a short time frame (for example, due to existing or planned public funding applications), we may be able to consider special circumstances in a case by case basis.

Can I apply if I am not based in Munich, Germany?


Yes, you can, but you need to be willing to come to Munich for certain in-person events and to carry out your experimental validation plan in our Sandbox Lab.
We will organise a mandatory in-person Showcase Day once a year, where all participating start-ups will present their solutions and have the opportunity to network with investors and industry partners. Additionally, regular optional community-building events will be held throughout the year.
During the validation phase, you may need to access our Sandbox Lab and samples to perform a clinical validation study on your technology. The duration of this study, and therefore how long or how frequently you may need to stay in Munich for, will be based on your specific needs and agreed upon during the Planning Phase.

How long does the programme last?


This is not a programme with a fixed timeline – it is created and adapted to the needs of each participant and may vary in duration. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis (no deadlines, no batches!). Successful candidates start the programme with the Planning phase, where we define together what are the needs to be addressed and we design an experimental validation plan that will dictate the timeline and length of the Validation phase. The Planning Phase can last between 1-3 months and the Validation Phase between 1-12 months, depending on the complexity of your needs. Our aim is to have long-lasting impact and we will also continue to support you after the programme.

What does it cost?


As the start-ups we’ve supported so far say, the support in validating your solution and the data we can help you generate during our programme is a lot more valuable than a cash investment. We would like to support you at the early-stage, when you have a very promising diagnostic solution, but you need resources to generate key validation data before being able to raise your first round. Therefore, we offer our support as an “equivalent” early investment. You will enter into an Equity Agreement with Becker Ventures GmbH for the agreed upon value of the services provided to you.
If this model does not work for you and you are already well funded, please check out our Lab-as-a-Service.

What support do you offer?


Labor Becker is an innovative, leading clinical laboratory based in Munich and offers the following support to start-ups:
  • Access to equipped BSL-2 laboratory space
  • Access to clinical samples and reference data to perform clinical validation studies
  • 10.000 € funding
  • Access to Labor Becker’s extensive network of clinical, medical, and regulatory experts.
  • Sparring partner from our network of experienced start-up founders
  • Showcase Day to present your solution to investors and industry partners
  • Opportunity to pilot your solution in Labor Becker
  • Regular networking and community-building opportunities

Can I contact someone from Becker Innovation prior to my application?


Yes, we are happy to connect with prospective start-ups and clarify any questions you may have. You can contact us anytime via email at kontakt@becker-innovation.de.