Are you an early-stage or innovation-driven startup looking for fresh perspectives, structured strategic thinking, and hands-on support for your next growth steps?

In our Disruptive Innovation & Moonshot Design class at the Sustainable Innopreneurship, master’s students work directly with founders on real strategic challenges. As a partner startup, you bring your venture, your questions, and your ambitions — and student teams help you translate them into clear, actionable strategies.

Rather than theoretical case studies, students engage with real companies, real constraints, and real decisions. They apply a structured strategic management process to analyze your market environment, identify opportunities and risks, and develop concrete recommendations for positioning, growth, and long-term direction.

What students contribute

Throughout the semester, interdisciplinary teams support you with:

✔ Market, competitor, and stakeholder analyses
✔ Strategic positioning & value proposition refinement
✔ Scenario analysis to explore uncertain futures
✔ Identification of growth opportunities and risks
✔ Technology & knowledge transfer thinking (from innovation to market)
✔ Clear, actionable strategic recommendations

Especially for early-stage and technology-oriented startups, this process helps connect emerging ideas or research-based innovations with viable markets, customers, and business models.

You benefit from dedicated strategic thinking capacity, new perspectives, and evidence-based insights — while students gain authentic entrepreneurial learning experiences.

How collaboration works

We keep the time commitment focused and efficient:

• 1 day: Present your startup, challenges, and goals to the class (probably 17.04)
• 1–2 short check-ins: Online or in person (max. 60 minutes each) 
• Final presentation day: Attend student presentations and discuss results (13.07)

This structure ensures meaningful collaboration while respecting your time as a founder.

Who should participate?

We welcome:

• early-stage startups
• spin-offs and research-based ventures
• innovation-driven SMEs
• teams working on new products, services, or business models

If you are open to reflection, experimentation, and strategic thinking, you’ll be a great fit.

Interested in collaborating?

We would love to hear from you.

Contact us at:
Sustainable-Innopreneurship@ris.uni-due.de

Let’s shape your next strategic steps together.