If you have an idea that is real gone and you think that it may change the industry as we know it, but you need some support from experienced professionals to make it happen, then this is the right place for you. Everybody is welcomed in our Preparatory Mentoring Program from Hungary and beyond, however, for the Seed Funding Program we can only accept founders, startups, teams, etc. outside Central Hungary. From across the border, we admit applicants from EU countries with offices in our country.

BNL Start Partners supports promising startups with mentoring, coaching and product validation. Furthermore, we also provide seed funding and grants for startups selected by tender to get them through the earliest stages of their project and help them to create their MVP. Likewise, we support those startups with incubation services like strategic and business planning, financial modelling, sales and marketing support, branding, networking, knowledge transfer, teaming up, etc.  

Basically, those are the two programs we provide. Preparatory Mentoring Program (PMP) is the optional step 0 to prepare selected applicants to get a bit closer to seed funding and the incubation services. Seed Funding Program (SFP) is our official program. For more details, keep on scrolling!

Apply for our Preparatory Mentoring program by filling in this form. Applications will be evaluated and most outstanding ideas, startups-to-be will be chosen for an approximately 1-month-long preparatory phase, where we provide personal consultancy, in order to get your idea/project in shape, and help you build a solid MVP (most vialable product). After this, you can apply for our Seed Funding Program - with greater chances, obviously; however, skipping the Preparatory Mentoring Program won’t cause you any drawback. Also, please note, that entering the Preparatory Mentoring Program does not mean you automatically get the green light for the funding.

We won’t reject you automatically, however, we advise you to find yourself a technical cofounder in the first place. Personal connection is important here, so that you have the same determination for the cause (the idea). Yet, we can introduce you to some technical gurus, and hopefully you find your match.

You can enter to our SFP by submitting an application form the following ways: Either you first apply for our Preparatory Mentoring Program (as seen above), or if you think your idea is out-of-this world impressive, and you’re feeling very confident, you can skip the Preparatory Mentoring Program, (but frankly, why would you?) and hand in the application for the Seed Funding Program. For that, you should send us a bunch of official forms and documents, so that we can choose among the startups, whom we want to invest in.

Enter our Seed Funding Program by submitting the official forms and documents available here. If we choose your startup, you get the funding.

We invest a maximum 72 Million HUF per startup in our Seed Funding Program. But there is a huge likelihood that you won’t need the maximum to get your idea into MVP stage, right?

Well, at first, when you apply for the Preparatory Mentoring Program, you don’t need to have one. Be prepared though, that we want to know how down-to-earth your concept is on your expenditures of the beginning phase. Also, you should have the hint on how you will make money with your product. By the time you apply for the SFP you really should hand  a detailed one in, this is why you should consider to apply for the PMP first.

Nope. Usually, no venture firm does that at this stage. Yet, there is an informal commitment to secrecy on our application to PMP.

Sure. The more, the merrier. You can have multiple ideas at the PMP phase, but only one can be assigned in the SFP.

That can happen. Although, we’d like to avoid accepting competing startups, sometimes it is inevitable that overlap occurs in the Preparatory Mentoring Program. At this stage ideas change. We won’t talk to one about the other’s idea. However, when it comes to entering the Seed Funding Program, we will opt for the more agile and viable startup.

Applying to PMP is not a requirement for participating in SFP, and it does not guarantee that your application will be accepted, either. PMP does not give you plus credits while evaluating your official SFP Application, it simply gives the chance to know your idea and your team better.

Well, yes, and also no: We are looking for startups in pre-seed or seed phase, mainly, but if you happen to have an advanced startup with a prototype, you can still enter to our Preparatory Mentoring Program, and we customize the support you need by delegating you to our BnL partner companies.

There is no definite answer to this question. Others were more outstanding, we had to make a final cut. What you can learn from an occurent rejection – and this may sound as a cliché – is not to give up, rethink your idea, find that extra something that you may missed the first time, and apply once more.

Sure.

By all means. We think (hope) money is just a small piece an incubator can offer and your startup can benefit from the other services we provide in our Preparatory Mentoring Program.

We won’t refuse single founders in the Preparatory Mentoring Program, however we truly believe that a startup has better chances with one or more cofounder(s).

In the Preparatory Mentoring Program it is no biggies, go for it!

We inform you either it’s a yes, or a no. But we won’t tell you why, if it is a ‘No’. We just don’t have the capacity for that.

Well, that’s quite a long process. Please, find the details here.

We evaluate the SFP applications within 90 days tops. You will be informed about the outcome. After that, we will do our best to prepare and sign the contract and get you the money.

Well, that should be your job to do. But if you have questions while preparing the documents, please, email us on palyazat@bnlstart.com and ask away. Naturally, you can give us a call, too. We will make every effort to help you.

During the PMP phase the board of BNL Start attempts to comprehend the incoming ideas, know the selected entrepreneurs and teams better and give advice on stepping forward. This can help you while preparing the official SFP application, however, it is not a requirement.

The board members of BnL Start Partners will evaluate the SFP Applications. Charming fellas, check them here.

By all means. If you succeed in entering the Preparatory Mentoring Program, you will get the chance to know them better. If you skip the preparatory phase, and you assign the SFP Application exclusively, the board members can initiate an appointment before decision-making.

If it’s worth investing in, we will fund you anyway. We will work on building a remarkable MVP so that later stage investors raise more money.

Look, we have comprehensive backgound and experience in the IT field, this is our thing. So yes, we can support software developers on a maximum level. Have a look at the focus areas here, though.

In Seed Funding Program, we will inform you as soon as the decision is made about your Application.

We have offices in Budapest and Miskolc. We would like to be more active in the North Hungarian Region. In a little while, we will open the coolest co-working office of the Region at the University of MIskolc. If the incubated startups could move in, work and network there, that would be great.

You don’t have to move in, but we do believe that we could provide an inspiring environment, where knowledge transfer, networking, problem solving is at your fingertips.

No, any country in the EU is welcomed, however, you should have a business site in the country. Only offices outside Central Hungary are accepted.

Nope, you can be a foreigner. Note, that SFP Applications cannot be submitted by private individuals, but companies.

Sorry, but we can’t. We’re trying to concentrate on the companies we invest in.

It would be quite time consuming for us to meet every startup that wants us to invest. The BnL Start application process helps us to decide whom to meet in person.

If you have a startup idea, please, follow our application process.

It is better for you to look around among your friend of friends who have already started or worked for startups, and ask them to introduce you to their investors. A friend knows you better, we don’t really.

BNL = Build ‘n (and) Large

We’d love to! We signed a Cooperation Agreement with the University of Miskolc Faculty of Economics that we participate in their dual education system for Marketing, Management and Organisation or Business Development MSc students. Why is it good for you? Because you’ll become an employee of a real company from the very beginning, you develop under real conditions, you will get to see the company’s workflow, you can build your professional network that will be profitable throughout you future carrier. Furthermore, you can earn money. So, If you choose to take part in dual education system and you also happen to choose our company to be an apprentice at, then don’t hesitate to download our Application Form. After filling and signing your application, please, send it back to dualis@bnlstart.com.