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Startup acceleratorLP-01
Heisenberg LaunchPad
Six months · Acceleration · For AI startups
An acceleration programme that takes promising AI startups to market-ready. It replaces trial and error with a structured pathway from innovation to commercialization, addressing the four things that actually slow AI startups down: technology, talent, commercial strategy, and market access.
6 mo
Programme length
3
Phases
50+
Ecosystem partners
1
Demo day
Sprint review — LaunchPad cohort
Programme overview
Propelling startups from AI innovation to market
|ψ⟩ = α|0⟩ + β|1⟩
$15.7 tn
Global AI value by 2030
The potential contribution of AI to the global economy by 2030. Source: PwC.
€600 bn
European gross value added
The potential contribution of AI in gross value added to the European economy by 2030.
6 mo
From roadmap to demo day
Foundation, acceleration and launch preparation, with milestones at each phase boundary.
20
Places per cohort
Kept deliberately small so every team gets direct advisor and engineering time.
Six workstreams
What the programme gives you
LaunchPad runs six workstreams in parallel, because the constraint on an AI startup is rarely only one of them.
Technology expertise
Intensive technical bootcamps, weekly sessions with practising AI engineers, hands-on support for applied projects, architecture reviews, and technical due diligence preparation.
Professional development
AI leadership and management training, product development frameworks, customer discovery methodology, go-to-market workshops, and investor pitch coaching.
Talent solutions
Access to pre-vetted AI specialists, recruiting strategy support, team structure optimization, compensation guidance, and technical interview frameworks.
AI benchmarking
A full AI readiness assessment, quarterly progress tracking, competitive intelligence, performance metrics, and structured feedback from industry advisors.
Commercialization and IP
Patent strategy workshops, IP portfolio guidance, licensing and partnership frameworks, pricing models, market entry strategy, and regulatory navigation.
Community access
Introductions to venture capital firms and corporate partners, demo days with qualified investors and customers, and peer learning with fellow AI founders.
Roadmapping session — foundation phase
Entry profiles
Who LaunchPad is for
Two profiles, both with something real to accelerate.
Founding teams
- Pre-seed and seed-stage AI startups with a working prototype
- Technical founders who need commercial structure around the product
- Teams of two or more, at least one full-time
- Startups with a defined problem and early customer conversations
Growth-stage teams
- Post-revenue companies adding an AI product line
- Teams preparing for a technical due diligence process
- Companies scaling an AI system beyond its first deployment
- Founders hiring their first dedicated AI engineers
Programme structure
Structured in three phases
Six months as an intensive journey with clear milestones at each phase boundary — and an advisor review you have to pass to move on.
MONTHS 01–02
Foundation
- AI readiness assessment across product, data and team
- Strategy development against a defined market
- Technical roadmapping and architecture review
- Baseline metrics agreed with your advisor
MONTHS 03–04
Acceleration
- Intensive development sprints against the roadmap
- Market validation with real prospective customers
- Business model refinement and pricing
- Talent gaps identified and recruiting begun
MONTHS 05–06
Launch preparation
- Go-to-market execution
- Investor materials, due diligence pack and pitch coaching
- Demo day with qualified investors and customers
- Scaling strategy and post-programme advisory
Frequently asked questions
Before you apply
What stage should we be at?
Anywhere from a working prototype to early revenue. The programme is built around your roadmap rather than a fixed syllabus, so the useful test is whether you have something real to accelerate — not how much of it exists yet.
Do you take equity?
No. LaunchPad is a fee-based acceleration programme, not an investment vehicle. Introductions to investors are part of the programme; the terms of any resulting investment are between you and them.
How much time does it take?
Six months, with weekly technical sessions and sprint reviews. Founders should expect it to be a working commitment rather than an evening course — the deliverables are your own roadmap, product and go-to-market materials.
Is it delivered online?
Yes. Sessions, reviews and advisory are delivered online so distributed founding teams can take part together, with demo day run as a scheduled live event.
What does it cost, and when does the next cohort start?
Fees and intake dates are confirmed per cohort. Contact the admissions team and we will send you the current schedule and terms.
Bring us something that already works
Cohorts are small and places are allocated on a rolling basis. Apply, or talk to the admissions team about whether the timing is right for your company.
