FAQ
Who can participate?
Any pre-qualified student team can participate. All partner universities nominate 2 of their best early stage teams of the year (e.g., by means of a local venture competition). Nominated startups are ideally described as follows:
■ The startup has not raised more than € 250,000 in equity capital prior to the event
■ The team is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months)
■ The startup is a potentially viable investment opportunity
When will the competition take place?
The first edition took place on October 29, 2021. Stay tuned for Stage Two 2022.
How can I participate?
Only pre-qualified teams can participate. That means, we only admit teams that have been pre-selected through one of our partner universities' local venture competitions. Please reach out to your local entrepreneurship center to find out more.
What are your evaluation criteria?
We evaluate teams based on (1) innovativeness, (2) scalability and (3) impact on the world of tomorrow.
Does Stage Two have a specific industry focus and how do you compare different business model approaches?
There is no industry limitation for Stage Two startups. However, we assign all participating teams to the streams Tech and Business Innovation, in order to ensure a better comparability for the jury.
The Business Innovation stream comprises teams with innovative business models, new products as well as new approaches to problems in industries while making use of existing and emerging technologies. Mainly these challenge the dominant logic in their industry and are therefore innovative businesses.
The Tech Innovation stream comprises startups where an in-house developed technology, often originating from cutting-edge research, serves as the main driver of value creation. Here, materials or technologies are developed which are new to the market and enable customers to achieve what was not possible before.
Who is behind Stage Two?
Stage Two is a pan-European project initiated and hosted by RWTH Aachen University and HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management for a network of several entrepreneurial universities.
Who sits in the jury?
The jury consists of reputable representatives from venture capital.
I am working at an Entrepreneurship Center of a university – how can I take part in Stage Two?
We would love to get in touch with you – please reach out to contact@stagetwo.io.
I was nominated by my local university. What do I need to prepare for the competition?
There is not much you need to do in advance. We’ll contact you personally with the specifics, but here’s a quick overview of what we’ll ask from you:
■ One-pager business overview
■ Team information
■ Team introduction video
■ Pitch deck for 2 Min-Pitch
I will participate in the on-site event, what are the venue's Covid-19 regulations?
Stage Two will be a "2G event", i.e. only recovered or vaccinated guests are allowed to participate on-site. Tests (neither Antigen nor PCR) as a substitute cannot be accepted. All participants and invited guests must be ready to present their proof of full recovery or proof of vaccination at the entrance, whether in electronic (EU Digital COVID certificate) or paper form.
Your question is not mentioned here? Feel free to reach out to us.
FAQ
Who can participate?
Any pre-qualified student team can participate. All partner universities nominate 2 of their best early stage teams of the year (e.g., by means of a local venture competition). Nominated startups are ideally described as follows:
■ The startup has not raised more than € 250,000 in equity capital prior to the event
■ The team is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months)
■ The startup is a potentially viable investment opportunity
When will the competition take place?
The first edition took place on October 29, 2021. Stay tuned for Stage Two 2022.
How can I participate?
Only pre-qualified teams can participate. That means, we only admit teams that have been pre-selected through one of our partner universities' local venture competitions. Please reach out to your local entrepreneurship center to find out more.
What are your evaluation criteria?
We evaluate teams based on (1) innovativeness, (2) scalability and (3) impact on the world of tomorrow.
Does Stage Two have a specific industry focus and how do you compare different business model approaches?
There is no industry limitation for Stage Two startups. However, we assign all participating teams to the streams Tech and Business Innovation, in order to ensure a better comparability for the jury.
The Business Innovation stream comprises teams with innovative business models, new products as well as new approaches to problems in industries while making use of existing and emerging technologies. Mainly these challenge the dominant logic in their industry and are therefore innovative businesses.
The Tech Innovation stream comprises startups where an in-house developed technology, often originating from cutting-edge research, serves as the main driver of value creation. Here, materials or technologies are developed which are new to the market and enable customers to achieve what was not possible before.
Who is behind Stage Two?
Stage Two is a pan-European project initiated and hosted by RWTH Aachen University and HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management for a network of several entrepreneurial universities.
Who sits in the jury?
The jury consists of reputable representatives from venture capital.
I am working at an Entrepreneurship Center of a university – how can I take part in Stage Two?
We would love to get in touch with you – please reach out to contact@stagetwo.io.
I was nominated by my local university. What do I need to prepare for the competition?
There is not much you need to do in advance. We’ll contact you personally with the specifics, but here’s a quick overview of what we’ll ask from you:
■ One-pager business overview
■ Team information
■ Team introduction video
■ Pitch deck for 2 Min-Pitch
I will participate in the on-site event, what are the venue's Covid-19 regulations?
Stage Two will be a "2G event", i.e. only recovered or vaccinated guests are allowed to participate on-site. Tests (neither Antigen nor PCR) as a substitute cannot be accepted. All participants and invited guests must be ready to present their proof of full recovery or proof of vaccination at the entrance, whether in electronic (EU Digital COVID certificate) or paper form.
Your question is not mentioned here? Feel free to reach out to us.
