Alongside UnternehmerTUM and the LMU Entrepreneurship Center, the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie (SEA) is a fixture in the Munich startup ecosystem, albeit with a very different focus. Founded across universities in 2010, it combines social thinking with entrepreneurial action under the motto “Education for Societal Change”.
The entry point is usually the “SEA:start” program, a two-day workshop on Business Model Canvas and Design Thinking. Anyone looking to dive deeper can apply for the “SEA:certificate”, a multi-month program with in-person sessions and an online course on social entrepreneurship—the approach of sustainably tackling societal problems with entrepreneurial solutions.
More than traditional startup support
The SEA does not require university enrollment, setting it apart from traditional startup advising services. It is aimed at students from all disciplines, young professionals, educators, and aspiring founders without any university affiliation. What matters is the focus on impact, not the academic background. As a result, the SEA catches teams that would otherwise fall through the cracks of conventional, university-bound funding programs.
Success stories from Munich
Among the most well-known startups supported by the SEA is Recup. With its deposit system for reusable cups and bowls, the Munich-based company has established an alternative to single-use packaging in the food service industry.
Enna, which helps older people access digital services using a simplified user interface, also emerged from the startup advisory services of the Social-Startup-Hub Bayern of the SEA.
In addition, other well-known names from Munich’s impact ecosystem can be found in the SEA network: such as Social Bee, which works towards the labor market integration of refugees, Polarstern from the sustainable energy sector, or Near Bees, which supports the local marketing of honey. These examples show how broadly social entrepreneurship is understood at SEA – ranging from the circular economy and social participation to energy and sustainable consumption.
About the author: Liam Brömer is completing a six-month internship at Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship, and is concurrently active in the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie. This gives him first-hand insights into the depths of the Munich startup ecosystem. He is 17 years old and attends the 12th grade of the Fachoberschule für Wirtschaft und Verwaltung (specialized upper secondary school for business and administration).
