Since 1 July 2026, the Körber Foundation has a dedicated ‘Entrepreneurship’ division. This brings together existing programmes and new initiatives to support entrepreneurial activities. In this interview, division head Carmen Ludwig explains what support is available and how startups and founders can benefit from it.
The team of Körber Start-Hub at the Next.Gen Summit for Good in June 2026 © Claudia Höhne
Dear Carmen, please introduce yourself and the Entrepreneurship team briefly!
The team behind the Entrepreneurship division is not yet complete – two positions are currently being filled, and we will be able to advertise two new posts in the autumn. Mustafa Eren will be stepping down as programme director for the Start-Hub at the end of July, whilst Franziska Zeides is the programme manager responsible for the Next.Gen InKubator. Until 31 July, young people under the age of 30 can once again apply for the one-year programme with their startup idea.
Cornelius Gesing, who has previously been responsible for the premises and communications as Hub Manager, will now head up the new Körber Network Entrepreneurship programme with immediate effect. I have been in charge of this new division since 1 July, having previously developed the concepts for the Körber Start-Hub and the new Körber Network Entrepreneurship programme. Our team also includes our two student staff members, Cennet Uyar and Julius Lietz, as well as our intern, Theresa Roth.
What is the idea behind the Körber Foundation’s new Entrepreneurship division?
With this new division, we aim to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking and action in our society and raise the profile of startups that have a social impact. Our goal is to encourage more people to take responsibility, develop innovative ideas and play an active role in shaping social change – entirely in the spirit of our founder, Kurt A. Körber. As an entrepreneur, he saw entrepreneurship not merely as economic success, but as a mindset. Through creativity, personal responsibility, courage and a drive to shape the future, Körber sought to help society move forward. This is precisely the goal we have been pursuing for just under three years with the Körber Start-Hub, and we are delighted that, as a division, we can now contribute even more to the ecosystem.
Carmen Ludwig, head of the Entrepreneurship division at Körber Foundation © Claudia Höhne
What can startups, founders and others interested in startups expect from the Entrepreneurship division?
As the Entrepreneurship division, we aim to expand our target groups in future: whilst the Körber Start-Hub will continue to focus on the under-30s through its co-working space and incubator, we are also introducing new programmes for founders aged over 60. The new division is complemented by the Körber Entrepreneurship Network. This is aimed at former project participants and award winners of the Körber Foundation who have set up their own businesses, are successfully implementing entrepreneurial projects or are helping to shape the development of innovative business sectors. This interdisciplinary, international and cross-generational network comprises an open community for exchange and networking, as well as a group of Impact Fellows who contribute their expertise specifically to the further development of ideas, partnerships and projects with social value.
