Gateway Sprints
The Gateway Sprints provide you with the basics you need to start a business, so you can get started on your entrepreneurial journey even without business management expertise.
In workshops on specific topics, you’ll work on your ideas and develop them in a structured way.
The Sprint program runs three times a year, but you can join at any time. One session per year is conducted in English.
Who are the sprints intended for?
Teams or individuals without startup experience who are just getting started with their project, want to develop it in a focused way, and want to receive support from Gateway.
Who can participate?
A requirement is that you receive support from your Gateway university’s startup service. This service is open to all members of the respective university: students, staff, and alumni.
Do I have to participate in all sessions?
No, the sprints are optional, and you decide for yourself which sessions you’d like to attend. Please note, however, that you need to register for each session you wish to attend (see below).
Where do the sprints take place?
The sprints are organized by the entire Gateway network. We therefore rotate among all our locations in Cologne. Sessions that are primarily for providing input take place online.
Workshop dates
Workshops are usually held on Thursdays at 10 a.m. and last between three and four hours. Please note: The “Team” workshop for the current session does not start until 2 p.m.
| Date | Time | Topic | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
|
September 17, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. |
Problem-Solution Fit & Customer Value | TH Köln, Campus Deutz |
|
September 24, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m |
Competition & Innovation |
University of Cologne / InnoDom |
|
October 1, 2026 |
No workshop |
||
|
October 8, 2026 |
No workshop | ||
|
October 15, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m |
Start Lean – Quickly to MVP | University of Cologne/InnoDom |
|
October 22, 2026 |
No workshop | ||
|
October 29, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. | Network and Ecosystem | Online |
|
November 5, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. |
Financial Planning for Beginners |
TH Köln, Campus Südstadt |
|
November 12, 2026 |
2:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. |
Team: Understanding Roles, Communication, and Cooperation | Deutsche Sporthochschule |
|
November 19, 2026 |
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | Business & Revenue Model | Rheinische Hochschule |
The upcoming rounds are planned to run from January to March (in German) and April to June (in English).
Admission to the Gateway Sprints
There are two ways to gain access to the Sprints:
- A recommendation from a startup coach at one of the participating universities. To apply, please contact your startup coach or the startup support service at your Gateway university.
- Participants in an early-stage funding program at the Gateway universities are automatically admitted to the sprints. Eligible programs currently include KickStart, EM*power, and the StarS-Kader.
Registration
If you have been admitted to the sprints, please send a confirmation email to Christoph. Please include the following information:
- Which workshops would you like to register for?
- Through which program or coach did you gain access?
- Which university are you from?
