Our 10K Incubator Programme

From idea to startup in 20 weeks!

Do you want personal coaching and guidance while developing your startup? At 10K, we coach startups in different phases. Besides our fixed programme which is relevant to all startups, we offer tailor-made guidance to each startup.

The program

10K consists of five different program components:

Intensive Week In this week - where we expect you to fully attend - startups get off to a flying start. The week is all about getting to know each other and the coaches, the programme, but you will also get to work hard with your team on your startup, and your roadmap for the next 20 weeks.
10K Wednesdays We meet every other week on Wednesdays. We start with a plenary feedback session or workshop. Then we have a joint dinner and masterclass given by experts in the fields of Finance, Legal, Impression Management and Online Marketing, among others.
Coaching Each startup is assigned a coach, who is there for you to give feedback and think along with you in an inspiring way.
Feedback Night

When you're halfway through the program the feedback night takes place. You will pitch your idea to external experts, who will then discuss your idea with you and give feedback on your idea and pitch. This is in preparation for the Dragons' Den at the end of the program.

Dragon's Den The 20 weeks at 10K will end with a Dragons' Den. You will pitch your idea to a board of Investors, experienced entrepreneurs and other well-known names in the startup ecosystem.
Others

In addition to these program components, you can make use of the following services:

  • Workplaces at the HvA Venture Centre.
  • Connections with experts and researchers from the HvA and its partners.
  • Events within the field of entrepreneurship.
  • Join the community of the Venture Centre.

The startup development

During the 10K program, we support student teams to advance their startup within four areas:

  1. You map out the problem you solve even better and who benefits from this
  2. You further develop your product or service into at least one prototype.
  3. You develop a business model for your startup
  4. You build your team, with both; who you need and how you work together.

These four points ultimately result in the fact that after 10K you know exactly which steps you want to take in the following 9 to 18 months and you not only have this in your head but you can also present it excellently in writing as well as orally.

The result is that after 10K startups submit successful HBO Take-off applications, find business partners, win startup competitions, are admitted to renowned follow-up programs and of course further develop and market their products.

Persoonlijke ontwikkeling

The 10K program not only contributes to developing your idea into a startup, but also to your personal development as a young professional. During 10K you will learn how to get your idea up and running and what is involved in that, from leadership and network expansion to process planning. In these 20 weeks you will gain knowledge and skills that can be useful now, but also later on. In addition, participation in 10K looks good on your CV.

After 10K

After the 10K Program, we see that every startup and every student who participated with an eagerness to learn, open minded and motivated has made great strides. The way they present themselves, their network, their self-confidence and their skills as professionals and entrepreneurs have all been strengthened.

Being successful after 10K can be done in many ways, we actually see three routes with that:

  1. You continue with your own startup after 10K and start looking for funding, the first customers, partners and your team starts growing.
  2. You've brought your idea/startup to the attention of another organization and you and your idea both come under the wing of this organization.
  3. You decide that this experience was instructive but don't go on (yourself) with the idea/startup and take the skills gained with you into the rest of your career. (Employers value startup experience on your resume.

10K Community

As a 10K Startup, you become part of a community with numerous other students and alumni who participate or have participated. We also regularly organize gatherings to encourage the exchange of ideas, experiences and networking.

One example is that on the 10K Wednesdays we always have dinner together. This is important because it is a moment to get to know each other in a different way and not to talk with your own team but with others.

Moreover, in the six months after 10K you are always invited to the master classes and dinners of the generation after you, these are different master classes and this way we promote the exchange between different generations.

In addition, every year during Global Entrepreneurship Week we organize a bonus masterclass for both current and former 10K'ers.

Overview

Start February & September
Duration 20 week
Costs Free of charge for HvA students & alumni (but an obligation to make an effort)
Amount of startups
  • Between 8 and 12 startups
Size teams Max 4 (but ideal 2 to 3)
Language Both Dutch and English (only master classes can not always be offered in English)
Details In consultation combinable with internship or thesis trajectories

Program Schedule

If you are registering, these are the dates you should mark in your calendar:

Generation #15 (start sep 2024)

Generation #16 (start feb 2025)

Generation #17 (start sep 2025)

16-19 Sep 2024

24-27 Feb 2025 t.b.a.

2 October 2024

12 March 2025

16 October 2024

26 March 2025

3 November 2024

9 April 2025

20 November 2024

23 April 2025

4 December 2024
(Feedback Night)

7 May 2025
(feedback Night)

18 December 2024

21 May 2025

8 January 2024

4 June 2025

22 January 2025

18 June 2025

29 January 2025
(Dragons' Den)

25 June 2025
(Dragons' Den)
Published by  Entrepreneurship 8 July 2024