HR? To many founders, it sounds like bureaucracy.

But getting the right people on board from the start and building simple, scalable structures can save you time, money and stress down the road.



This virtual session will show how start-ups can build a solid foundation for growth - without much effort.



What to expect:

• Your first 10 hires: Who you really need – and who you don’t

• Recruiting without expensive agencies: How to find and convince the right talent

• Onboarding with a plan: Why solid onboarding prevents chaos later on

• HR tools: Which ones actually help – and which ones just waste your time

• Leadership and team culture: Why flat hierarchies don’t always work

• Maturity Analysis as a follow up, if desired



About Dr. Simon Kentsch

Simon is an experienced HR strategist and organizational developer. With a background in both research and hands-on consulting, he has helped numerous start-ups and scale-ups build strong, scalable people and culture practices. Simon combines academic insights with practical tools to help founders lay the foundation for sustainable growth.



Join here:

https://rwth.zoom-x.de/j/62634708902?pwd=Qp6oe246KzaCpbkRnE80QKzkKQnVMX.1  



What if everything you thought you knew about sales was wrong?



In this virtual Sales Workshop for Early Stage B2B Teams you will learn:

• What is Sales?

• What is the Game we play in the early stage?

• Why does nobody buy a drill?

• What do Sales Funnels and assembly lines have in common?

• How do I win in every sales appointment?

About the speaker:

Florian Hoppen, +15 yrs of Marketing & Sales Experience, Founder of GTMN, Consulted and Mentored +100 B2B Start-Ups in the last 5 years.

GoToMarket.Ninja (GTMN) is a leading B2B sales consulting boutique created for early stage B2B ventures. Blending psychology with business savvy, GTMN understands the emotion-driven human behind every business and focuses sales actions on impact. By eliminating the guesswork from sales, this brings simple, lean solutions that work. Clear focus on listening to and understanding your customer as well as cutting out all of the unnecessary complications around sales GTMN dissolves your sales bottlenecks. With the provided Ninja skills you will cut through the bullshit from the million and one reasons why sales is so hard and bring your product to your customers - which is, after all, the reason you created it in the first place.



Join here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7700091184?pwd=RGkxSFFFOE9kS3ptbllaanE0dWhmdz09



Founding a start-up? Then you’re also signing up for legal responsibility. From team agreements to IP rights and early financing decisions – legal missteps in the beginning can have serious consequences later. This session helps you build your company on solid legal ground from day one.



In this virtual session, you will learn:

• The most common mistakes in founder team dynamics and start-up setup

• What to watch out for in early financing rounds

• Key principles for smart equity allocation

• Special considerations for university spin-offs and IP-related challenges



About Orrick:

​Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a global law firm founded in 1863 in San Francisco. With over 1,100 lawyers across 25+ offices worldwide, including Düsseldorf and Munich, the firm specializes in Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance, and Life Sciences & HealthTech sectors. Orrick is recognized for its innovative approach and commitment to client success, consistently ranking among the top law firms globally.  



Join here: https://rwth.zoom-x.de/j/62634708902?pwd=Qp6oe246KzaCpbkRnE80QKzkKQnVMX.1

Venture Capital sounds exciting – but how does it actually work behind the scenes? This session offers a rare insider look into the world of VC: how funds operate, what investors are really looking for, and how founders can prepare for a successful fundraising journey.



In this session, you will learn:



-How a VC fund like neoteq is structured and what areas it focuses on

-The different types and forms of financing – and what makes VC unique

-What the VC business model looks like and how investors make decisions

-What you really need to prepare before raising your first round

-A typical funding process – from intro to investment

-Key tips and real-world lessons from dozens of early-stage deals



About neoteq:

Neoteq Ventures is a Cologne-based early-stage venture capital fund investing in technology-driven startups with scalable business models across the Rhineland and DACH region. The fund specializes in B2B software and digital platforms, providing portfolio companies with strategic capital, industry expertise, and an extensive entrepreneurial network to accelerate growth and market expansion.

How do you build an organization that can thrive in a world shaped by digitalization and sustainability? This interactive session explores how to design structures and cultures that foster adaptability and how leadership plays a key role in driving transformation.



In this session, you will learn:

• How to build a structure that aligns with your mission and future goals

• What makes a strong, learning-oriented team and organizational culture

• How to assess and develop your leadership style

• Which tools and systems support modern, agile teamwork

About the speaker: Hon.-Prof. Dr. phil. Jacqueline Lemm is Director of the TFI Institute at RWTH Aachen and holds an honorary professorship at its Institute of Sociology. With a PhD in sociology and experience in both academia and industry, she advises organizations on transformation, leadership, and team development. As a certified systemic coach, she works with leaders and teams across start-ups, corporates, and research institutions. 



Join us in the Collective Incuabtor Town Hall or vitual: https://rwth.zoom-x.de/j/66590820945?pwd=ie4cLbhwIbF3ItNCYrYFaAF93i6W4h.1

On Thursday, July 10, you’ll get the rare opportunity to learn what really matters when pitching to VCs – straight from someone who sees hundreds of decks every year.

In this 120-minute special edition of the Collective Incubator Academy, Fabian Krautwurst (Principal at NAP – Nerds And Pioneers, ex-Cavalry Ventures) will share what catches an investor’s eye, how decks are actually screened, and what convinces VCs to take a meeting – or even write a check.

You’ll learn:

-The 4 key elements every VC looks for in a pitch deck

-How long investors really spend on your slides (spoiler: not much)

-How to structure your story to stand out in a crowded dealflow

-Common mistakes founders make when pitching – and how to avoid them

PLUS: Receive live feedback on specific questions about your pitch deck.

About the speaker:

Fabian Krautwurst is a Principal at NAP (formerly Cavalry Ventures), a pre-seed VC fund backing exceptional early-stage founders across Europe. NAP stands for "Nerds And Pioneers," reflecting their focus on teams with deep domain expertise and unique perspectives on their markets or technologies. Fabian has screened hundreds of pitch decks, negotiated numerous deals, and supported founders through the fundraising journey from first check to follow-on rounds. With a background in business and as a software developer, Fabian combines operational experience with sharp investor insight. He is passionate about early-stage companies and has a strong track record of supporting visionary entrepreneurs from day one.



📅 Date: Thursday, July 10

🕓 Time: 4:00 PM

📍 Location: Collective Incubator 1.OG (online on request)

🎯 Target Group: Early-stage founders (with or without pitch deck)



Equity is one of your most valuable assets – but do you really know how to manage it? This session gives you the tools to master your cap table from day one, avoid painful dilution surprises, and make smart ownership decisions as your company grows.



In this session, you will learn:

• How to calculate a fully-diluted share price

• How to set up a clean and scalable cap table from the very beginning

• How dilution works – and how to keep it under control

• How to build your own cap table that evolves with your future funding rounds



About the speaker:Dr. Johannes Janning is a leading expert in Venture Capital and M&A transactions. As a lawyer at YPOG, he advises investors, start-ups, and corporate venture units on financing rounds, acquisitions, joint ventures, and exits – with a particular focus on cross-border deals. Recognized as one of WirtschaftsWoche’s Future Leaders at the Best of Legal Awards, and praised by JUVE and Legal 500 for his deep expertise and client-centric approach, Johannes is a trusted advisor in the European tech and investment landscape. With two LL.M. degrees and a PhD on virtual stock option programs, he bridges academic precision with hands-on deal experience – from early-stage investments to billion-euro exits.



Join us in the Collective Incubator, 1.OG, Room lamarr or virtual:

https://rwth.zoom-x.de/j/66590820945?pwd=ie4cLbhwIbF3ItNCYrYFaAF93i6W4h.1