Glossary

Scalability refers to the ability of a startup to expand its business efficiently without the costs or resources increasing proportionally. This concept is crucial for startups and established companies and enables them to deal with increasing demand and tp exploit opportunities on the market.

Scaleups are companies that began as a startup and have achieved a Product Market Fit (PMF). They have launched their product or service successfully on the market and are now in a rapid growth phase.

A scorecard is a strategic management tool that turns a company's vision and strategy into concrete goals and measurable indicators. It makes the vision and mission understandable for all employees so that they can achieve the goal.

A seed round is the first round of financing  a startup. The capital raised is used to develop prototypes or validate the business model and ensure market entry.

Startups' funding rounds are counted according to a specific pattern. This shows how many investments a startup has received and how far along it is in its development. The first round is called the seed round, and all subsequent rounds are classified alphabetically as Series A, Series B, Series C, etc.

A silent participation is a form of corporate financing in which a shareholder (silent shareholder) participates in an existing company without manifesting externally.

Strategic Partners (SPs) in the startup context are companies that invest in startups in order to pursue strategic as well as financial goals. They are particularly interested in technologies, expertise or potential synergies with the startup. They are often established companies that want to promote innovation or strengthen their market position through their investment. Strategic partners often operate within the framework of corporate venture capital.

In a spin-off, a product of a start-up is spun off from the original company in order to develop this product in a new company. This can make sense, for example, if the outsourced product no longer fits in with the startup's core business and can be marketed better under its own name.

Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have an interest or influence on the activities, decisions and successes of a company. These include customers, employees, investors, suppliers and the company itself.

Start-ups are young companies with innovative business ideas and high growth potential. Not every new company is automatically a startup. The term does not refer to skilled workers and freelancers. Startups only have limited startup capital and depend on external lenders. Generally, startups are not older than 10 years and have fewer than 100 employees.

Companies and products that do not want to go public with their true intentions are in stealth mode. The location and purpose of the startup remain secret until the product or service has been developed to market maturity.

Sweat Equity refers to all non-monetary contribution to a startup. This can be labour, or time spent increasing the value of the company. Such services are often remunerated by corporate shares rather than a salary.

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that startups use to assess their market position and develop strategies. It helps companies identify their strengths and weaknesses but also risks and opportunities. The aim is to come up with measures and seize these opportunities and avoid risks.

SWOT stands for:
• Strengths 
• Weaknesses 
• Opportunities

• Threats