Market & Funding readiness program in Leiden
Venture Academy is a free program for motivated, aspiring entrepreneurs with a scalable startup idea based on a technological or scientific innovation. The program focuses on soft skills and team development, as well as hard skills such as sales and fundraising.
Over the course of three months, you will attend weekly training sessions and build a community with the other participants. Join us and launch your startup with the guidance of Christian and other specialized trainers!
Launch your startup!
With the help of experts, mentors and fellow entrepreneurs, you will:
- Become investor-ready
- improve and execute your go-to-market plan
- Build a winning team
At the end of the program you will have:
- A validated, scalable value proposition & business model
- A realistic go-to-market & funding plan
- An improved pitch & pitch deck
Program timeline
Ready to take your startup to market and meet all the requirements? Then sign up for one of the two Venture Academy cohorts.
Deadline
Selection & pitch days
Weekly sessions
Demo Day
Special Track for Life Sciences and Health startups
Research and deep-tech startups, such as academic spinouts, face different challenges than, say, direct-to-consumer tech propositions. That’s why we offer specialized coaching and networking opportunities for research-based startups.
Through the unlock_ incubation program, we have specialized knowledge and a broad network in the Life Sciences & Health sector. In the past, we have helped startups in the biotech, e-health, medtech, pharmaceutical and diagnostic sectors make significant strides in their development.
Admission criteria
- You have a scalable* business idea based on a scientific or technological innovation**
- You determined who exactly your potential customers and users are and what problem they are struggling with
- You have validated that customers are willing to pay for your solution, through structured interviews and by creating some traction if possible (test users, newsletter signups, first sales, etc.)
- For deep tech concepts: you have proven technical feasibility. For non-deep tech concepts: you have created an MVP/prototype and tested it with users.
- You have determined how you will make money
- You have a founder team that can continue testing and improving the product without reliance on external technical development parties (single founders also welcome)
- You have a pitch deck describing your business case (we’ll help you with this)
*Potential for rapid revenue growth with no equal increase in costs – so no consulting-like services
**Solves a problem in a new and unique way
If you’re not sure if you meet these criteria, fill out the intake form and we’ll help you figure it out.
About the trainer
Christian Ramakers
Program Manager
As Senior Program Manager at PLNT Leiden, Christian is responsible for the Venture Academy, PLNT’s pre-incubation program and unlock_, the incubation program for life sciences & health startups. He develops and coordinates programs and coaching, working with startups, the university and partners in the broader ecosystem.
Do you have a question about Venture Academy? Then please contact Christian!
FAQ
Don’t see your question listed here? Ask the program trainer!
Does my startup need to be registered with the Chamber of Commerce (Dutch KVK)
How much does the program take?
Can I also participate online?
No, all sessions are physical. We believe that physical meetings benefit your participation. This way you can grow more and connect better with the other participants/PLNT Community.
What does market & funding readiness mean?
You work toward a startup that is ready for the market as well as for investors, focusing on sales, fundraising, team development and pitching.
Should I already have traction?
Yes, it is expected that you know your target audience and problem and have validated this (e.g. through interviews, test users, MVP or initial sales).
