Date of next event: 21/07/23
Start
Fellowship
Creating equal
opportunities for
entrepreneurs from
all backgrounds.
Why Apply?
START Fellowship is the powerful accelerator program designed to offer unique opportunities and connect ecosystems.
START Fellowship is eight months of learning and personal development that will last a lifetime. It’s an exciting accelerator for students under 25, combining online and offline sessions with experienced investors, classes at the University of St. Gallen, mentoring, and coaching with experts, alongside funding opportunities.
You’ll have a chance to develop your start-up, learn from experienced entrepreneurs through input sessions, and start building to see your vision come to life while being connected to the European start-up ecosystem.
At the end, you’ll have a new network of like-minded entrepreneurs forming a tight-knit community, and potential investments to help get your start-up off the ground.
Partners of START Fellowship







Learn more about the incredible network of partners we work with to deliver mentorship, professional coaching, and insight sessions as part of the START Fellowship program.
How it works
The START Fellowship program is divided into four key stages:
ROAD TO MVP
The start of your entrepreneurial journey begins with a six-week online program, usually launching in September. During these initial six weeks, you’ll participate in a series of workshops designed to get you thinking. By the final workshop, you'll have designed and created your MVP which you can use in your application for our program in Switzerland.
ACCELERATOR
In the final stage, which takes place in Switzerland, we take things offline and deliver professional mentorship, coaching, and workshop sessions so you can see your start-up really begin to take shape. By the end of your journey with us, you’ll return home with your business (all kinks ironed out), a host of knowledge, learnings and expert industry insights, and even some potential investments to get your startup off the ground. Not to mention we’ll also give away up to USD 30k.
What You'll get out of it:
Embark on your start-up journey with START Fellowship and add key skills, experiences, and industry knowledge to your arsenal.
Expert Input

Workshops
Hosted by external partners from a range of industries, our interactive workshops dive deep into key topics from the start-up space, including fundraising, finances, sales and customer acquisition, customer feedback, business models, and marketing and branding.

4-month founder scholarship
If you make it to the final stage, we’ll offer you a founder scholarship to come to Switzerland for 4 months — we’ll even cover your expenses, such as travel, living costs, insurance and more. We want you to be able to fully focus on your startup during your time in Switzerland while leveraging all of the formats we offer to you.

Deep dives
Get reliable, pragmatic advice and top tips on how to build a successful business during input sessions delivered by experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. The deep dives are our individual program with small groups that offer the chance to ask start-up specific questions.

VC office hours
Pitch your ideas directly to professional VCs as part of your prep and receive valuable, actionable feedback on your start-up and business model.

Courses at the University of St. Gallen
Attend classes at one of the leading business universities in Europe to expand your knowledge and broaden your understanding of the international business landscape.

Founder Q&As
Get to know some of the most inspiring founders in exclusive formats where they share their stories and answer all the questions you’re interested in.
The accelerator, the heart of the mission
BUILDING
Occupying the majority of your time throughout the Fellowship, building is where you’re given the opportunity to think deeply about your start-up and get hands-on with your product development, business development and sales process.
If you’re selected for our offline program in Switzerland, you’ll have access to a range of resources, materials, and a contemporary office space to help you produce your best work.
Regular coaching sessions, workshops and meetings will be a part of your calendar, so you can keep track of your progress and we can make sure you’re always receiving the support you need.
PROFESSIONAL MENTORING & COACHING
At the start of the Fellowship, we’ll hand-pick a mentor for you to team up with, aligning your goals with their experience and knowledge.
Your mentor will be your guide throughout the Fellowship program — your dedicated advisor, there to provide you with all the support you need to see your start-up succeed.
You’ll meet regularly and draw upon your mentor’s experience as a successful founder, absorbing tips, insights and whatever lessons they have to share so you can take your entrepreneurial skills to the next level.
A GLOBAL NETWORK
Leverage START Fellowship’s exclusive networking opportunities and link up with industry-leading partners, venture capitalists, business angels and other potential investors from Switzerland, Europe, and across the globe.
With access to a host of networking events (including START Summit) and a dedicated mentoring program featuring workshops and coaching sessions with successful entrepreneurs, START Fellowship lays the groundwork for your professional network to grow.
ALUMNI SUPPORT
START Global may be the launchpad for your rocket, but that doesn’t mean our work is done after you’ve initiated the countdown sequence and felt the jets kick in.
Our comprehensive alumni support means you won’t be left to float around aimlessly in space. We’ll keep you tethered to your goals and professional development plans with access to valuable resources, including the Fellowship Alumni Network. And, thanks to our ever-growing partner network, you’ll also have quicker and easier access to other accelerator and incubator programs, too — like DayOne Accelerator and Plug and Play.
Start Fellowship:
A History
START Fellowship is a student-run accelerator program designed to fill the entrepreneurial ecosystem gap that excludes young entrepreneurs from low- and middle-income backgrounds.
START Fellowship is an interdisciplinary program open to all, aiming to provide equal development opportunities and resources for entrepreneurs, regardless of where they come from.
Since it's launch in
2020
START Fellowship has...
helped
90+
young entrepreneurs make their ideas a reality...
resulting in
55
successful start-ups...
raising over
£1.5M
(one YC participation).
FAQ
General
Online Program
Offline Program
FAQ
General
If you have no start-up at the MVP stage running yet, please apply with your start-up idea. You can state your idea in the application and present the idea during your 3-minute pitch video.
Online Program
For the Road to MVP, you’ll need to dedicate time to advance the creation of your MVP within six weeks to then be able to join the rest of the selection process.
You’ll have three months to create and develop a solid MVP. This part of the program is what enables us to consider providing opportunities to start-ups that might not be as far ahead in their development as others.
The number of spots available on the Road to MVP are limited, and a vigorous selection process will determine whether or not you will progress further with the Fellowship.
For the Road to MVP, we also ask for a motivation letter and a reflection paper.
Offline Program
Discover more about what start global has to offer
START Summit
Strike up the conversations that will kick-start your success at START Summit — the annual student-run conference for entrepreneurship and technological innovation.
Uncover employment opportunities, meet founders, investors and industry experts, and attend exciting keynotes and workshops to grow your professional network and expand your knowledge.
START Hack
Create, collaborate, code and compete at our annual hackathon.
Run by students, for students, START HACK bridges the gap between the worlds of business and technology to create exciting opportunities for talented young developers, including the chance to win life-changing and project-launching prize money.