Creating solutions for a world of crises
Impact Startup program to respond to the effects of the war against Ukraine
Impact startups play a key role in addressing the various, constantly changing crises and challenges we face in society.
PHINEO Startups seeks to contribute to this by educating and equipping a new generation of committed founders with the necessary expertise and skills. We aim to empower them in their journey towards achieving a greater impact in addition to a financial return.

Who are we looking for:
- Do you have an innovative solution and approach to the effects of the war against Ukraine?
- Are you a non-profit and for-profit startup with strong entrepreneurial spirit and an impact-oriented mindset?
- Are you a team consisting of at least two founders and are based in Berlin?
- Do you have an almost finished prototype that you can test or an existing startup that you want to bring to a new level?
Applications for Ukraine Response Cohort 2 are open now!
We are now taking applications for the second cohort of the Ukraine Response Program starting in June 2023. Applications are open until 16th April 2023.
We will review applications and select startup teams on an ongoing basis – so better apply earlier than later!
Timeline

Meet us and the teams of the first cohort at our Q&A sessions. We will host 3 Q&A sessions: on 22nd February, 9th March and 22nd March.
- Pitch event and Q&A session on 29nd March, 4 p.m. – Register here ...
Why you should take part
You can benefit from a tailored program with a needs-oriented curriculum along seven elements:
- Coaching: A dedicated PHINEO Startups coach guides you through the program, customizes it to your needs and helps you build your startup.
- Masterclasses: There will be a weekly training offer with workshops aimed at addressing your needs and gaps and intended to support the acceleration of your development.
- Mentoring by leading experts: An experienced mentor will stand ready to offer their expertise in weekly mentoring sessions.
- Events: We offer different types of events, e.g., community events, pitching opportunities, networking opportunities & a final event and connect you with key players.
- Co-working: Joint co-working is offered at bUm, a community workspace to work, meet, learn and improve the world together. You can be part of this community and have a space assigned in its premises. You will gain access to a place designed to boost creativity and obtain public attention.
- Peer-to-peer-Coaching & community building: We encourage and facilitate learning and community-building opportunities among you and your peers.
- Network: PHINEO is one of the pioneers of impact investing in Germany. We combine impact and financial know-how in one team. Therefore, we can help you finance your project and provide access to a network of impact investors. In addition, we support you with our communication to our broad network of different sector partners and one of the largest Impact Investing and Social Entrepreneurship networks in Germany.
Milestones and best practices from our Ukraine Response Cohort 1
What we have achieved so far:
- 55+ start-up applications for first program
- 10 startups – most of them with Ukrainian founders – are participating in a 6‑months incubator program in Berlin from 11/2022 to 04/2023
- 20+ active program participants – 77% of which are female
- 10 dedicated startup mentors with startup or management experience in the impact sector
- Continuous strengthening of the impact community together with bUm, e.g. winter festival with 70+ participants
- Check out our LinkedIn channel for more information on the program and follow us to keep up to date with the application process and the current cohort!

Selection of mentors and supporters
- Andreas Rickert, CEO at PHINEO
- Peter Brock, Managing partner of BeeWyzer GmbH
- Sophie Dienberg, Founder of inKlub
- Jasmine Borhan, Founder of Jasmine Borhan Strategic Communications
- Fabian Höhne, Founder of Vitolus, Clever Ackern & Flyla.com
- Carolin Kroeger, Co-Founder at beingfemale.de
- André Nikolski, Startup Coach and Web3/Crypto enthusiast
- Christian Boettcher, Associate Founder at nuw.ventures
- Christian Kroll, CEO Ecosia
- Felix Krause, Partner at Vireo Ventures
- Laura Kohler, Director Startup Business at BRYCK
- Dr. Lyudmyla Kovalenko, CEO und Co-Founder Doctor Kimchi
- Maike Striffler, Co-Founder & Social Entreprise Lead at SINA
- Nora Azzaoui, Co-Founder mimycri
- Philipp Schmidt, Managing Owner – C4CS Europe – Center for Corporate Sustainability
- Sébastien Martin, Founder & Managing Partner at Impact Associates
- Johannes Landow, Tax partner at ECOVIS
- Thomas Gnefkow, Managing Director of Saferay
FAQs
- Stage: Startups in all stages (early or later stage)
- Business model: Non-profit as well as for-profit organizations can apply
- Solution: PHINEO aims to support startups that are developing solutions in response to the effects of the war against Ukraine. The issues addressed can range from refugee crisis, reconstruction, food insecurity and energy supply to health and legal issues among others.
- Team: Your team consists of at least two founders. You are based in Berlin, as there is where the program takes place. Since the program addresses the effects of war against Ukraine, applications from teams with Ukrainian participants are preferred.
You can benefit from a tailored program with a needs-oriented curriculum along seven elements:
- Coaching: A dedicated PHINEO Startups coach guides you through the program, customizes it to your needs and helps you build your startup.
- Masterclasses: There will be a weekly training offer with workshops aimed at addressing your needs and gaps and intended to support the acceleration of your development.
- Mentoring by leading experts: An experienced mentor will stand ready to offer their expertise in weekly mentoring sessions.
- Events: We offer different types of events, e.g., community events, pitching opportunities, networking opportunities & a final event and connect you with key players.
- Co-wirking: Joint co-working ist offered at bUm, a community workspace to work, meet, learn and improve the world together. You can be part of this community and have a space assigned in its premises. You will gain access to a place designed to boost creativity and obtain public attention.
- Peer-to-peer-Coaching & community building: We encourage and facilitate learning and community-building opportunities among you and your peers.
- Network: PHINEO is one of the pioneers of impact investing in Germany. We combine impact and financial know-how in one team. Therefore, we can help you finance your project and provide access to a network of impact investors. In addition, we support you with our communication to our broad network of different sector partners and one of the largest Impact Investing and Social Entrepreneurship networks in Germany.
The program is part-time and has a duration of six months (Cohort 2: from 5th June until 29th November 2023). The selected teams can distribute their time according to their schedule. The program elements will be allocated in a convenient way to meet the needs and gaps of the participating teams. It is possible to participate and/or apply to other programs in parallel to our program.
We use the external portal F6S for the applications. You will have to create an account or login with LinkedIn or Facebook to submit your application.
The program does not offer financial support at this time. However, PHINEO is happy to make available its wide network of companies, founders and investors, foundations and other relevant stakeholders from civil society, as well as governmental organizations, in order to help you materialize your ideas and find potential partners.
If you encounter any technical or other difficulties while submitting your online application, please feel free to reach out to us (see our contact at the bottom of this page). Some common difficulties could arise when uploading files or when being unsure about what to answer to a specific question, among others. We are happy to assist you in all matters related to the program.
We advice you to have a co-founder before applying for the program. If you do not have a co-founder at this stage, we are happy to support you in finding a matching partner.
A great value of the program is the profound exchange between experts and startups, as well as the variety of networking opportunities between the participating startups. That is why physical presence in Berlin is preferred. However, we are aware of the geographic constraints facing some of the applicants. Thus, if you are planning on partnering up with someone who is neither based nor able to relocate to Berlin, please reach out to us directly to discuss the prospects of a remote collaboration.
We do not take any equity from our participating startups. Our goal is to support social entrepreneurship as it plays a key role in addressing the various, constantly changing crises and challenges we face in society.
We will host 3 Q&A sessions: on 22nd February, 9th March and 22nd March.
The first and third session will be in person at bUm. We will host a pitch event starting at 12:30 with our current cohort, followed by a Q&A session with the applicatants for the second cohort starting at 4. You are most welcome to come at 12:30 already to watch the pitches of our teams and get their insights and experience on the program.
The second session will be held online.
- Pitch event and Q&A session on 22nd February – Register here ...
- Online Session on 9th March – Register here ...
- Pitch event and Q&A session on 22nd March – Register here ...
The current challenge
Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022 and the acts of violence have changed the world. The violence has upended the lives of millions of Ukrainians, leading to food insecurity, an energy crisis and much more.
As a part of our Impact Startup Program, you will get support to design your idea or scale your non-profit or for-profit startup. We are open to many topics as long as they create impact. Therefore the issues range from refugee crisis, reconstruction, food insecurity and energy supply to health and legal issues and among others.
We also support displaced Ukrainian women who seek to establish a new livelihood.

About us
Impact startups plays a key role in addressing the various, constantly changing crises and challenges we face in society. This changing nature also requires new business models and approaches to strengthen the resilience of our socio-ecological system and make our world more livable and sustainable.
PHINEO Startups runs incubator and accelerator programs to support impact startups in collaboration with partners from all three sectors. We support the development of solutions to long-term crises within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, we favour the development of quick solutions to acute crises such as the 2015/2016 refugee crisis, the COVID-19 crisis, and the current war against Ukraine. We aim to empower social entrepreneurs in their journey towards achieving a greater impact in addition to a financial return.
The second Ukraine Response Cohort will start in June 2023. Applications are open from 1st February 2023.
We will review applications and accept startup teams on an ongoing basis – so better apply earlier than later!
Follow us on LinkedIn
Check out our LinkedIn channel for more information on the program and follow us to keep up to date with the application process and the current cohort!
Are you interested in further informations via newsletter? then send us an e‑mail to redaktion@phineo.org with the subject „newsletter startups”. We will then add you to our list!

What can we do for you?
Sebastian Neumann
Head of Impact Startups
startups@phineo.org
Partners




