Start2 Group

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🚀Introducing the 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝟮 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 Cohort, Singapore Edition! The 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝟮 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 Program is built to help high-potential Japanese startups validate and scale across Asia's most dynamic markets, equipping founders with market insights, on-the-ground connections, and a strong foundation for regional growth. Supported by 𝗧𝗼𝗸𝘆𝗼 𝗦𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠, we work alongside founders at every step of their international expansion journey. This cohort is heading to 🇸🇬 Singapore, where our founders will dive deep into the regional ecosystem through market discovery sessions, curated investor meetings, and a live pitch event. Singapore isn't just a destination, it’s a launchpad for what comes next. We’re thrilled to welcome the five startups making that journey with us: 🔐 Asilla, Inc: Turning existing security cameras into intelligent safety systems with AI-powered behavior recognition. 🧪 Meta Sensing Co., Ltd: Bringing lab-grade chemical analysis into the field with ultra-compact Raman spectroscopy sensors. 🗓️ Mixtend Inc.: Eliminating scheduling friction for millions across Japan with TimeRex and Chouseisan. 🔍 find Inc: Transforming lost-and-found from a cost center into a seamless AI-powered digital service. 🐞 FutuRocket Co.: Redefining pest monitoring with 24/7 AI-sensing IoT devices that work in any lighting condition. To each of the founders, welcome to the Start2 family. We’re proud to have you in the cohort. 🙌 Five bold solutions. One cohort. Looking forward to showing Asia how Japanese innovation is growing 🌏 This is just the beginning. Stay tuned! ...... Start2 Group in Japan

🚀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 & 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 was just the beginning. And now we build. What we witnessed wasn’t defined by the agenda, but by the peer group in the room. The feedback speaks for itself: 💬  “𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵.” 💬  “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴!” 💬  “𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴.” 💬  “𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶!” What stood out most: The conditions created for real exchange. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁. That’s what 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 & 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 is becoming... An accelerator for accelerators - built to unite ecosystems, scale best practices, and drive cross-border collaboration. Stay tuned for the next edition! ...... Matthias Notz, Eleni Vordos, Tim Miksche, Marius Rosenberg, Dr. Valentin Schmitt, Volker Hofmann, Divotsna ., Kajarin Yotdam, Xia Wei La 罗夏伟, Till Ammelburg, Andrea Diewald Start2 Group, Science & Startups, HUMBOLDT-INNOVATION, Impact Hub Berlin

The 15 teams of the 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 cohort are confirmed!! Gateway Factory's scale-up program is entering 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘸𝘰: 🗓️ April 16 🕟 4:30 PM (Doors Open) 📍  InnoDom Cologne 🎟️ FREE .....and we're ready to go. 🤔 What is 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 is Gateway Factory's 12-month program for deep tech startups that are ready to truly grow: from a validated product to a scalable business. With hands-on mentoring, access to strong corporate partners and investors, and a curated peer community, we support teams in professionalizing sales, operations, and fundraising. The kickoff is the starting signal for exactly this journey: Networking and the moment when "𝘸𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴" turns into "𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴." We're rooting for all 15 teams and can't wait to share their milestones, learnings, and wins over the coming months. Register to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/e2xkgk8M ..... Gateway Gründungsservice Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, Gateway TH Köln, Gateway Excellence Start-up Center University of Cologne, Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, University of Cologne, CBS International Business School, Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln, Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Industrie, Klimaschutz und Energie des Landes NRW, exist - from science to business, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Malte Brettel, Andrea Greven, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Riesener, Christian Schwens, Eva Lutz, Steffi H., Marc Kley, Frederik Lindner, Christina Mertsch, Matthias Notz, Marius Rosenberg, Tim Hiddemann, Tanja Zirnstein, Nina Rieger, Dr. Christopher Smolka, Nicolas Canevaro

🚀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 & 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 wasn’t an event. It was a signal. A signal that Europe’s ecosystem is no longer just connecting, it’s now moving as one. We asked four speakers what they took away. None of them started with agendas ➡️ they started with people. 💬 Aymeric Penven (HEC Paris Deep Tech Center) highlighted the quality of interactions: “𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯.” 💬 Bart Deweer (Tomorrowland) said it simply: "𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 & 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥." 💬 Anca Luca (InnovX) cut through it: "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥… 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴." 💬 Isabelle Simon (Flanagan) (Deep Tech Momentum) captured it best: "𝘈 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴… 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘷����𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴." And that’s exactly what this felt like. Not just a room - a density of intent. 82 ecosystem leaders from 24 countries, all aligned in motion. 💡 Momentum compounds. We’re building the next one. Stay tuned. 👀 ...... Matthias Notz, Anna Krzyzanowska, Thomas Klem Andersen, Marc Penzel, Mikkel Sørensen, Michael Langguth, Mirko Tadic, Laura Möller, Volker Hofmann, Eleni Vordos, Tim Miksche, Marius Rosenberg, Dr. Valentin Schmitt Start2 Group, Science & Startups, HUMBOLDT-INNOVATION, Impact Hub Berlin

We had the pleasure of collaborating with the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce / AHK Singapur to deliver a focused session for German Mittelstand companies on two key topics shaping innovation in Asia: 🇸🇬 Singapore’s Smart City Journey: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next 🚀 Best Pitch Practices in Asia Led by Start2 Group, the session explored how Singapore has positioned itself as a leading smart city hub, covering areas such as urban mobility, digital infrastructure, and sustainability, while sharing practical insights for companies looking to expand into Southeast Asia. What we brought to the table: ✅ Real smart city use cases from Singapore as an entry point into ASEAN ✅ Practical pitch frameworks tailored for the Asian market ✅ Cross-border exchange between German Mittelstand companies and Singapore-based startups: Curium, QUIKBOT TECHNOLOGIES, and XNERGY｜Wireless Charging for Electrified Mobility The session also highlighted pathways for companies to engage with Start2 Group’s German Accelerator and 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 programs as they explore and scale in Southeast Asia. Looking forward to continuing the conversations and building meaningful collaborations ahead.

🚀 There’s still time to scale your innovation with MANN+HUMMEL Through MH Innovates 2026, in partnership with MANN+HUMMEL, Start2 Group is actively seeking deep tech startups, SMEs, and scaleups with solutions that can drive meaningful change across mobility, air, water, and industrial applications This is an opportunity to work directly with MANN+HUMMEL teams, solve real business challenges and co-create scalable solutions. If your team is ready for real-world collaboration, now is the time to step forward. 🌍 Explore the opportunity areas they’re focusing on. ▪️ Heavy Duty ▪️ Passenger Cars and E-Mobility ▪️ Automotive Aftermarket ▪️ Industrial ▪️ Air Filtration Solutions ▪️ Advanced Air Solutions ▪️ Water & Membrane Solutions ▪️ Advanced Filtration Materials Think your solution fits? Apply now: https://lnkd.in/dMvBcqRH

MWC Barcelona - 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘬 with SK Telecom Built into the energy of MWC (4YFN), we hosted a 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘬  together with SK Telecom. As one of Korea’s leading telecom players, SK Telecom is actively driving global innovation by connecting high-potential startups to international ecosystems. 7 Korean AI startups into a curated setting with investors, corporates, and ecosystem players from across Europe, spanning areas such as energy & climate, AI infrastructure, security & vision, healthcare, and data & identity. Through the 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘬, startups pitched ideas already proven in their home market, putting them to the test with real-time European market feedback, bringing in perspectives beyond a local Barcelona setup, and driving strong interactions and valuable exchanges throughout. Big thanks to our jury for the thoughtful questions, sharp insights, and engaging discussions! Albert Colomer i Espinet, Francisco Badia Ortega, Talia Rafaeli, Tim Akgül More to come as we continue building connections between the Korean and European startup ecosystems. ..... Jiyun Ha, Kajarin Yotdam, Colin Scavone, Till Ammelburg, Marta Allina, Ji-hyun Park, Bomin Kang, Start2 Group in South Korea

Internationalization is still often treated as a "next step," something that comes after product-market fit, funding, and initial traction. In a recent interview, our CEO Matthias Notz explained why this sequencing is increasingly misaligned with reality. Today, companies operate in global markets from day one, whether they plan for it or not. Markets, capital, and talent are interconnected. Waiting to think internationally often means losing time early. That's why internationalization shouldn't be treated as expansion, it's a core capability that needs to be built in from the start. As Matthias emphasizes, Start2 Group has focused on this challenge for years, embedding global readiness early, not as a milestone, but as part of how companies are built and scaled. Since 2008, we've supported 600–700 startups annually with 1,000+ mentors worldwide, helping them scale across ecosystems. In practice, this means: ▪️ identifying the right markets, not just the most obvious ones ▪️ building within strong ecosystems, not operating in isolation ▪️ making deliberate, informed decisions instead of opportunistic moves For founders and leaders scaling companies, it comes down to this: global growth starts with the ability to operate across markets, not with entering as many as possible. More on this and our Financial Times Ranking in Matthias' interview with Startup Insider: ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d2uGtnP2

🚀 We’re proud to be a community partner for the CHISEL Healthcare InnoMatch 2026! Organised by CHI - Centre for Healthcare Innovation and supported by Temasek Foundation and the Ministry of Health (Singapore), CHISEL is a cross-cluster platform that convenes the Singapore public healthcare system to accelerate the adoption of market solutions from start-ups and SMEs. Since its launch in 2021, CHISEL has brought together nearly 1,500 participants from 88 countries, and this year, it’s back with even more opportunities. 💡 Theme: 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡-𝐄𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 This year’s challenge focuses on leveraging AI and technology to empower healthcare professionals, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and elevate patient care across the system. 🏥 What’s in it for you? • Opportunity to test-bed your solution with NHG Health, NUHS, or SingHealth • Funding support of S$300,000 to S$500,000 per project • Backed by a S$3M funding pool • End-to-end support from validation to adoption If you’re building solutions that can transform healthcare delivery, this is your chance to make a real impact. 📅 Deadline: 13 April 2026, 5:00 PM (SGT) Apply now via the challenge platform and be part of shaping the future of healthcare. If you may have any questions, please contact chisel@chi.sg.