From Lab Validation to Market Proof
iF Momentum is a six-month, highly selective Deep Tech program built around execution and evidence. In a 1:1 factory setup, teams work on integration readiness, pilot design and investor readiness - so progress is measurable, not just promised.
The Essentials
Everything you need to know about the format, schedule, and commitment.
This program is designed for incorporated Deep Tech startups that are ready to achieve a meaningful step forward in real-world validation within six months. It’s for teams that want to go beyond prototypes and actively tackle real deployment challenges—such as integration, data, compliance, and stakeholder alignment.
We’re looking for founders who value a focused, execution-driven approach, with clear goals, tangible results, and strong accountability.
This program is not designed for idea-stage projects or teams that are not yet incorporated. It’s also not a fit for teams that cannot commit full-time or lack a complete core setup with key roles in place.
We’re not the right match for teams without a Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) assessment for their core use case, or for those at an early stage (below TRL 5 / IRL 3) where a meaningful evidence leap within six months isn’t realistic.
From Prototype to Proof
This program exists because many Deep Tech ventures struggle with the hardest transition: moving from technology validation to industrial decision readiness and investability. The bottleneck is not “more content” or generic coaching. It is integration reality—interfaces, operational constraints, data/compliance requirements, buying dynamics, and pilots that generate credible proof. iF Acceleration helps teams build that proof in a structured, measurable way.
Program Journey
A tailor-made acceleration experience for Deep Tech startups. We combine strategic support, expert access, validation pathways, investor readiness work, and targeted resources to help teams move from strong technology toward real-world application and scalable growth.
Strategic Sparring & Tailored Support
Pilot & Venture-Client Support
Commercial Validation
Investor Readiness
Funding, Experts, Labs & Infrastructure
Ready for Deployment & Investment
By the end of the program, teams have built a validated path toward real-world deployment, supported by measurable evidence. This includes a completed pilot—or an equivalent industrial proof point—with documented results and clear next-step decisions.
Teams leave the program with a set of standardized, decision-ready artifacts: a clear TRL/IRL roadmap and evidence plan for the next 6–12 months, a structured pilot blueprint, a commercial validation summary, and a fully developed investor readiness package.
The overall objective is to position teams for the next stage, targeting TRL 6–7 and IRL 4–5.
Selection & Access
Successful applicants will meet the following criteria:
- Deep Tech relevance and ambition to build a deployable, scalable solution
- Full-time founder commitment and a complete team (core roles covered)
- Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) completed for the core use case
- Readiness: TRL ≥5 and IRL ≥3 at entry
- A credible, time-bound path to pilot-grade evidence within six months
- Coachability and execution reliability (speed of learning, quality of decisions, follow-through)
Funding Conditions
Each participating team receives a €100,000 cash contribution structured as a Convertible Loan Agreement (CLA), including a Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause. The loan carries 4% annual interest and a 20% conversion discount, applicable if the next qualified financing round occurs more than 12 months after signing.
In addition, teams receive non-dilutive Venture Credits as an enablement budget for access to labs, specialist services, expert sessions, and other program resources. Venture Credits are non-cash, allocated based on the project roadmap and availability, and cannot be redeemed as direct funding.
Meet the Mentors & Coaches
The program is delivered through a small core team and a curated expert network - activated based on your roadmap, not a fixed curriculum.
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Marie-Luise Menzel thrives where technology and business come together. With a background in particle physics and astrophysics, she brings scientific rigor and strategic thinking to complex business transformations. She has worked as a technology consultant in Data and AI and as a commercial lead for German logistics and maritime companies. At Lufthansa Industry Solutions, she led initiatives to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in flight operations and redesigned an international IT delivery unit in response to AI-driven business model changes.
Thuy Ngan is Co-Managing Director at A11, where she leads a team of 120 operators focused on scaling, transforming, and delivering business success for companies ranging from Mittelstand firms to unicorns. Over the past decade, including as Managing Director at Project A, she has helped drive growth at some of Europe’s most influential tech companies, including Trade Republic, Kry, Sennder, HelloFresh, Westwing, and Casavo. At Trade Republic, she played a key role in acquiring the company’s first one million users, working closely alongside the CMO. Her expertise lies in commercial leadership, with a strong focus on scaling what matters most: revenue, retention, and profitability. She also specializes in AI execution, turning practical use cases into automated operations, sharper forecasts, and measurable bottom-line impact.
Photo Credit: ©Ania Berak
Dirk Freise is Founder of Shortcut Ventures GmbH and Managing Director of non olet and Hamburg FOR Mobile GmbH. An early-stage investor in the digital space, he brings a strong entrepreneurial background and extensive experience in building and scaling companies.
Dirk Ploss is an online and tech enthusiast with nearly 30 years of experience in innovation, marketing, and advertising. He has worked across retail, FMCG, B2B services, and e-commerce, building deep cross-industry expertise.
He is Associate Director Early Innovation at Beiersdorf, where he focuses on identifying and integrating emerging technologies and startup-driven innovation.
His specialties include startup and technology scouting, innovation management, long-term innovation strategy, venture clienting, and corporate venture capital.
Dörte Hirschberg is an experienced investor, founder, and advisor focused on climate tech and impact-driven startups. With a background at McKinsey and Rocket Internet, she has scaled dozens of companies across business development and organizational growth.
Today, she actively invests in climate tech ventures and supports founders with hands-on expertise. As General Partner at Climentum Capital, she leads investments and investor relations across the DACH region, leveraging her experience in scaling startups and building strategic partnerships.
Dr. Anne Lamp is the CEO and Co-Founder of traceless materials, a Hamburg-based startup founded in 2020 that turns agricultural residues into natural, fully compostable plastic alternatives. A process engineer (PhD, TU Hamburg) and Cradle-to-Cradle expert, she created the company’s technology to combat global plastic pollution, winning numerous awards including the German Founders Award.
Sebastian Pollok is a founding partner of Visionaries Tomorrow, where he invests in breakthrough technologies transforming the core of major industries. He leverages deep industrial access and the scaling expertise of leading global founders and industry partners within the fund’s network.
Previously, he founded Visionaries Club, one of Europe’s leading software-focused venture capital firms, and AMORELIE, which he successfully exited to ProSiebenSat.1 in 2018. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investor at Headline in San Francisco. Today, he also serves as Deputy Chairman of the German Startups Association.
iF Momentum FAQs
The program is designed for incorporated Deep Tech startups with a strong scientific or technological foundation that are ready to accelerate their path toward real-world application, commercial validation, and investor readiness.
iF Momentum is aimed at startups that already have a strong technological basis and are beyond the earliest idea stage. Teams should be ready to work on real-world validation, integration, and investor readiness.
To be a fit for the program, startups should generally meet the following criteria: they are already incorporated; they have a strong Deep Tech foundation; they have a clear use case and a realistic path toward real-world validation within the program period; their IP situation is sufficiently clear; their cap table is investable; and they are ready for an intensive, full-time six-month acceleration journey.
The program is tailor-made and 1:1-based. Rather than following a fixed workshop curriculum, each team receives targeted support based on its specific needs, priorities, and development path.
No. The program follows a rolling intake model rather than a classic batch structure. This allows teams to enter when they are ready and receive support that fits their stage and priorities.
The program requires full-time founder commitment. It is designed for teams that are ready to work intensively on technical progress, commercial validation, and investor readiness.
Yes. Each selected team receives EUR 100k in cash through a CLA with an MFN clause. In addition, teams receive Venture Credits for selected expert support, lab access, infrastructure, and other specialized resources. The cash contribution and the Venture Credits are separate elements of the program: the cash provides financial room to operate, while the Venture Credits give teams access to curated support and high-value resources.
No. Startups do not need to come through another Impossible Founders program first. The key requirement is that they are a strong fit for iF Momentum and ready for this stage of support.
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