JUNI Team-Up Challenge - GreenTech Batch

Great climate tech starts with the right team.

Breakthrough GreenTech ideas often stay in the lab because the right people never meet. The JUNI Team-Up Challenge changes that. For six weeks, scientists with their own GreenTech idea team up with experienced venture builders and industry experts in Berlin-Brandenburg. Together, you turn a research topic into a validated venture concept with a clear path to market. That's your first step towards funding routes like EXIST and the Berlin Startup Scholarship (BSS).

We work with a small, curated cohort, so every team gets the right mix of science, business and industry know-how, and the attention it deserves.

At a glance

• When: 11 January – 19 February 2027
• Time commitment: Part-time, at least 15 hours per week
• Where: On-site in weeks 1, 2 and 6 (incl. Demo Day on 19 February), hybrid in weeks 3–5
• Locations: JUNI Campus (Berlin-Mitte) and NLND (Berlin-Neukölln)

Who should apply

Apply as an individual, with or without your own idea:

• Science Lead: You're a scientist with a research-based GreenTech idea, with or without IP. You don't need to be at a university right now.
• Venture Builder: You bring a business or product background and first entrepreneurial experience, and you're ready to build a venture around science.
• Industry Expert: You know a GreenTech-relevant industry inside out and bring the network and market insight that research teams often lack.

What we look for

Ideas that drive at least one of these areas:

1. Decarbonization & clean energy 
2. Resource efficiency & circular economy
3. Climate adaptation & resilience
4. Pollution prevention, water & soil protection
5. Biodiversity & ecosystem protection

This includes enabling technologies such as environmental sensing, monitoring and data. Your idea can make an impact in energy, mobility, industrial production, construction, food & agriculture, or any industry where science can speed up the green transition.

Our focus areas are aligned with the environmental objectives of the EU Taxonomy.

What you get

• Your co-founders: Meet people with complementary skills, and explore before you commit.
• A validated concept: Sharpen the problem, talk to real customers and map your route to market. 
• IP support: Get clarity on IP ownership and how to bring your research into a startup.
• Your funding path: Individual support for your next step, e.g. EXIST or BSS.
• 1:1 mentoring: Experienced coaches by your side throughout the program.
• A strong network: Access to the JUNI community of 40 Science Partners and 14 Business Partners - during the program and beyond.
• Space to build: Get a desk at the JUNI Campus in Berlin-Mitte and NLND in Berlin-Neukölln, right in the middle of Berlin's startup scene.  

How it works

1. Check your eligibility: takes one minute.
2. Apply: tell us who you are and what drives you.
3. Review: we carefully pre-select candidates for each profile.
4. Interview: a 20-minute conversation with our team.
5. Welcome to the cohort: we put together balanced teams.

Ready to turn research into impact? Start your application now.

Questions? Reach out to Dialina Kotlerova (dialina.kotlerova@juni.science).