From founders for founders
Profit from Bluelion’s well-curated network of industry experts and entrepreneurs who will share their personal success recipe and help you leverage your business.
Turn your project into a startup
Fast-track your business in this jam-packed 10-week acceleration program that covers the most important topics in the pre-seed phase.
Your ticket into the ecosystem
Get privileged access to the Zurich startup ecosystem, various corporate partners, and experienced angel and early-stage investors.
Meet the LikeMinded Spring 2022 Batch
What to expect
Community
Become part of the Bluelion community and meet like-minded peers, former program participants and many more.
Tangible Input
Benefit from our hands-on training and individual support for the duration of the program.
Workspace
While on the program, you will receive a free workspace in our newly opened Startup Hub near Zurich Hardbrücke.
Demo Day
The program ends with a public demo day where you can pitch your idea exclusively to leading business angels and pre-seed investors.
What to bring along
Scalable Idea
You work on a scalable tech-idea in a future-oriented industry.
Skillset
Your co-founding team has the skills and industry knowledge to drive the idea forward.
Prototype
You have built an initial prototype that you can test with potential users.
Commitment
You are determined to develop the next big thing and work on it full-time as soon as feasible.
Testimonials
“Personally, I feel like the LikeMinded Program is like the Y Combinator of Switzerland. As a startup we received a great network and expert support during our journey and also after that.”
“It’s not just another startup coaching program, it’s the one that got us found, that got our team up and running for market entry and growth. If you are the next unicorn, you should take part.”
“The LikeMinded Program was very valuable for Haplomind for the outstanding content, network and even in getting us a new team member!”
Timeline
Start Application
Close Application
ANNOUNCEMENT FINAL SELECTION
KICKOFF PROGRAM
DEMO DAY
Frequently Asked Questions
The LikeMinded program is not just another startup school, but is geared towards highly skilled professionals who want to launch their own business. Accordingly, we have designed the program specifically to meet the needs of working professionals in terms of content, style and structure.
The program is free of charge for the participants and is financed by our partners. There is also no need to relinquish a stake in the company. In return, we require full commitment from the participants for the entire duration of the program.
All events take place on site in Zurich. If you are unable to attend on a particular day, we will make sure you can join us online.
The LikeMinded program is conducted twice a year, in spring and fall. The spring batch is expected to take place between calendar weeks 15 – 24 and the fall batch between calendar weeks 40 – 49. For detailed times, see the timeline above. Applications are only open for the current batch.
If accepted into the program, we expect you to be present at 80% of all acceleration days (each Thursday), with the kickoff (14.04.2022) and the demo day (09.06.2022) being mandatory for all participants. Furthermore, we expect you to meet the specified deadlines and demonstrate full commitment to the program. We reserve the right to exclude participants who fail to meet these expectations from the program.
While it is possible to complete the program alongside a regular job, we do not recommend it. The program includes a training day that takes place every Thursday for 10 weeks (kickoff and demo day inclusive). Although it is technically possible to be present only one day per week, you will benefit most from the program if you can work on your startup every day.
After the submission deadline, we will review all applications and conduct a pre-selection based on the above requirements. We will then contact the shortlisted candidates directly to arrange a 30-minute interview to get to know you better and learn more about your business idea (calendar week 11 & 12). The final decision will be announced on April 4.
Track Record
Batches
In spring 2022, we will conduct the 4th edition of the LikeMinded program.
Startups
So far, we have accompanied 22 tech startups on their entrepreneurial journey.
Funding rate
More than 2/3 of LikeMinded alumni have received external funding within the first 6 months of completing the program.
The LikeMinded Alumni
Partners
