Munich Startup: Please introduce yourselves briefly.
Impact Hub: We are a coworking space and a community for sustainable business in Sendling. People come together here to advance their own projects in a good atmosphere of collaboration. We don’t see entrepreneurship as an end in itself, but as an opportunity to shape society. And because we need the contribution of many for social change, it is a major concern for us at the Impact Hub to make entrepreneurship accessible to more people. Different life circumstances mean different challenges in structuring the founding process. To reflect this, we develop frameworks, attitudes, structures, and methods together with the community for a sustainable understanding of entrepreneurship and pass these on to our startups.
Companies with purpose
Munich Startup: What do you focus on when working with startups?
Impact Hub: We are interested in companies with purpose and bold ideas that are eager to explore alternative economic models and are open to questioning established approaches.
Munich Startup: “To be successful, a startup must…”
Impact Hub: …invest in healthy relationships. The economic importance of healthy relationships that a company maintains internally and externally should no longer be a romantic “nice-to-have” for the last skeptics, certainly not since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.
It sounds clichéd, but based on our experience it is essential for success, especially for young companies: Build a community for yourselves, let people help you, support each other, share your ideas, be bold. Success should be oriented toward the common good and of course also be recognized financially.
Munich Startup: Why does a good startup need a founder center in the background at all?
Impact Hub: The Impact Hub provides startups with an ecosystem of support structures and a space to experiment. Especially for startups and self-employed people in the early stages, it is important to be able to test their business idea in a protected environment, get inspiration from others, exchange experiences, and solidify their skills.
Munich Startup: What is the biggest mistake a startup can make?
Impact Hub: Thinking you already need to know everything to get started. Much more important (and realistic) is to build a community of experts and be willing to accept help.
Offering for early-stage startups
With our founding program Startrampe, we have created an offering for early-stage startups with which we set our own impulses by trustingly taking on risk and providing upfront support. For startups, this means: competent support immediately, financial burden when they can afford it.
New legal form for companies in responsible ownership
Munich Startup: The trend of the year is…!
Impact Hub: Responsible ownership: Since the beginning, the Impact Hub has been a company in responsible ownership. This means that profits are invested exclusively in the enterprise and its purpose. We appreciate the opportunities of a GmbH, but at the same time we are not satisfied with the status quo and see the demand from many entrepreneurs for a new legal form for companies in responsible ownership as one of the most important current developments in business life.
Munich Startup: What characteristics make the Munich startup scene so special?
Impact Hub: Munich is exciting for startups because you still stand out when you ruffle feathers here. Great for getting the ball rolling.
Munich Startup: Last but not least: Who should startups contact if they want to get in touch with you?
Impact Hub: Best of all by attending one of our bi-weekly hub tours.
