Berlin startup fellowship EWOR secures €60 million funding to back early-stage founders with investment and mentorship across Europe

Berlin startup fellowship EWOR secures €60 million funding to back early-stage founders with investment and mentorship across Europe

In a world where launching a startup can feel like stepping off a cliff with a backpack full of question marks, one Berlin-based program is making that leap a lot more manageable for early-stage entrepreneurs.

EWOR, a growing name in the founder support space, just secured an impressive €60 million to back future business leaders through both funding and mentorship.


A Split Investment Strategy to Boost Founders on Two Fronts

So where exactly is this money going? EWOR is dividing the funds into two major channels.

Half—€30 million—is being funneled into a Series A funding round for its main operating company, EWOR GmbH.

The other half is going into a Luxembourg-based investment fund, designed to power up the startups EWOR supports.

Together, these two funding avenues create a robust structure aimed at not just training founders but giving them real financial momentum to scale.


Each Startup Gets €500K to Kick Off

One of the most attractive things about EWOR’s offering is its new standard deal for startups.

Each fellow’s startup receives a total of €500,000 in investment.

That includes €110,000 directly from EWOR GmbH, while the remaining €390,000 comes from the investment fund, typically through an uncapped convertible note or a similar flexible instrument.

For new entrepreneurs still navigating the early chaos of building a company, that kind of financial boost—paired with guidance—is a game-changer.


Mentorship with Unicorn Founders and a Powerhouse Network

EWOR isn’t just throwing money at startups and hoping for the best.

Its model is virtual-first, which means founders from around the world can plug into the program. But it’s not impersonal.

Startups receive between 1 to 5 hours per week of 1-on-1 mentorship—and not from just anyone.

We’re talking unicorn founders, people who’ve been in the trenches and built billion-dollar businesses.

They also get access to a carefully curated network of over 2,000 mentors, VCs, and industry experts, along with personalized learning modules. It’s like startup school on steroids.


The Results Speak Volumes

Since its inception, EWOR alumni have consistently proven the model works.

Most go on to raise anywhere between €1 million and €11 million during or soon after their time in the program.

That’s not just promising—that’s powerful momentum.


The Brains Behind the Program

EWOR was founded in 2021 and is now fully run by a passionate team: Daniel Dippold, Alexander Grots, Florian Huber, Petter Made, Quinten Selhorst, and Paul Müller.

Their mission is simple—equip founders with the resources, money, and mentorship they need to go from vision to reality.


Meet Some of This Year’s Rising Stars

This year, EWOR has accepted ten standout founders into its elite cohort. Just to name a few:

  • Mark Golab (UK) – Using 3D printing to revolutionize organ transplants through Cambridge Surgical Models.

  • Matthew Pierre-Louis (US) – Leading Möbius Industries, a robotics-driven recycling startup powered by talent from MIT, SpaceX, and Tesla.

  • Salil Patel (UK) – Oxford-trained PhD and radiologist working on digital biomarkers to track brain health.

  • Viktoria Izdebezka (Austria) – A serial entrepreneur redefining AI-driven lead generation with Salesy.

  • Nick D’Aloisio (UK) – A tech prodigy with €100M in previous exits, now building a deep learning hardware-software company under wraps.


Alumni Who’ve Already Made Headlines

The fellowship’s past graduates include some high-caliber names:

  • Ricky Knox, the mind behind Azimo and Tandem Bank, both acquired in nine-figure deals.

  • Andrew Nutter, who led fashion startup Westwing to IPO before moving into space tech with Gama.

  • Tim Seithe, who bootstrapped Tillhub to a nearly €100M exit.

  • Ariel Harmoko, a Cambridge machine learning researcher who just raised $4M led by a16z for Artifact AI.

  • Jörgen Tveit, founder of energy storage innovator Thaleron.


A Global Platform for Bold Founders

With a clear vision and major capital to back it up, EWOR is shaping up to be one of Europe’s most powerful springboards for early-stage founders.

By blending financial support with high-level mentorship and a global network, it’s helping build the next generation of startups ready to take on the world.

Would you like a visual summary or chart to go with this story?