Munich Startup: Please introduce yourselves briefly.
Impact Hub: We are a coworking space and a community for sustainable economic activity in Sendling. People meet here to pursue their own projects in a positive atmosphere. We do not see entrepreneurship as an end in itself, but as an opportunity to help shape society. And because we need the contribution of many for social change, it is our goal to Impact Hub It's a major concern to make entrepreneurship accessible to more people. Different life realities pose different challenges when it comes to designing a company startup. To reflect this, we work with the community to develop frameworks, attitudes, structures, and methods for a sustainable understanding of entrepreneurship and pass this on to our startups.
Companies with attitude
Munich Startup: What do you focus on when working with startups?
Impact Hub: We are interested in companies with attitude and bold ideas that are keen to explore alternative economic spaces and are open to questioning conventional models.
Munich Startup: “To be successful, a startup must…”
Impact Hub: ...invest in successful relationships. The economic importance of successful relationships, both internally and externally, should no longer be a romantic "nice-to-have" for even the last skeptics, especially since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
It sounds trite, but in our experience, it's essential for success, especially for young companies: Build a community, get help, support each other, share your ideas, be courageous. Success must be oriented toward the common good and, of course, recognized financially.
Munich Startup: Why does a good startup need a business incubator behind it?
Impact Hub: The Impact Hub provides startups with an ecosystem of support structures and a space for experimentation. Especially for startups and self-employed individuals in the early stages, it is important to be able to test their business ideas in a safe space, gain inspiration from others, share experiences, and strengthen their skills.
Munich Startup: What is the biggest mistake a startup can make?
Impact Hub: Thinking that you need to know everything to get started is much more important (and realistic) to build a community of experts and be willing to accept help.
Offer for early-stage startups
With our Launchpad startup program We have created an offering for early-stage startups that allows us to provide impetus by confidently taking risks and making advance investments. For startups, this means expert support immediately, with financial support when they can afford it.
New legal form for responsible-ownership companies
Munich Startup: The trend of the year is…!
Impact Hub: Stewardship: From the very beginning, the Impact Hub has been a steward-owned company. This means that profits are invested exclusively in the company and its mission. We value the opportunities offered by a limited liability company (GmbH), but at the same time, we are not satisfied with the status quo and view the demand from many entrepreneurs for a new legal form for steward-owned companies as one of the most important current developments in business.
Munich Startup: What characteristics make the Munich startup scene so special?
Impact Hub: Munich is exciting for startups because you still get noticed here if you're a little rude. It's great for getting things rolling.
Munich Startup: Last but not least: Who do startups approach when they want to talk to you?
Impact Hub: The best way is to go to one of our bi-weekly hub tours come.
