The Traction Fellowship.
Designed to amplify you in scaling a company with global impact.

Apply for Fellowship
Name: Alex Harston

Title: Co-Founder at Flow.bio

Description: Can't recommend EWOR enough if you have an early-stage startup or even just an idea for one - it's a fantastic programme that's definitely worth applying to: https://ewor.com/apply/
Name: Olaf Schmitz

Title: Management, Strategy, SaaS, Cloud-Computing, E-Commerce, Online-Publishing, HVAC / Climate-Solutions, Cycling & Musicproduction

Description: 🚀 I had the honor of participating in an EWOR event in Nantes this week, where the air buzzed with innovation and the spirit of entrepreneurship. As someone who has nurtured numerous founders on their journeys to reshape industries and redefine societal norms, I felt an immense sense of pride and belonging among these trailblazers.Name: Stefan Balg

Title: MD and Co-Founder of INSRD | Angel Investor @blackdor 

Description: 📢 I'm truly excited to share with you that INSRD has joined EWOR's post-idea Program and also secured EWOR as an investor in our pre-seed round. 📢
Let me share with you why and maybe even inspire some of the founders in my network to do the same.Name: Valeriy Bykanov

Title: Founder, CTO, Angel Investor | Outdoor adventure community for entrepreneurs

Description: The People - the key element making EWOR Connect such an extraordinary experience. A group of truly remarkable individuals, carefully selected by the EWOR team, coming together for a few days to connect in the magnificent château in the French countryside.
Name: Alex Harston

Title: Co-Founder at Flow.bio

Description: Can't recommend EWOR enough if you have an early-stage startup or even just an idea for one - it's a fantastic programme that's definitely worth applying to: https://ewor.com/apply/
Name: Olaf Schmitz

Title: Management, Strategy, SaaS, Cloud-Computing, E-Commerce, Online-Publishing, HVAC / Climate-Solutions, Cycling & Musicproduction

Description: 🚀 I had the honor of participating in an EWOR event in Nantes this week, where the air buzzed with innovation and the spirit of entrepreneurship. As someone who has nurtured numerous founders on their journeys to reshape industries and redefine societal norms, I felt an immense sense of pride and belonging among these trailblazers.Name: Stefan Balg

Title: MD and Co-Founder of INSRD | Angel Investor @blackdor 

Description: 📢 I'm truly excited to share with you that INSRD has joined EWOR's post-idea Program and also secured EWOR as an investor in our pre-seed round. 📢
Let me share with you why and maybe even inspire some of the founders in my network to do the same.Name: Valeriy Bykanov

Title: Founder, CTO, Angel Investor | Outdoor adventure community for entrepreneurs

Description: The People - the key element making EWOR Connect such an extraordinary experience. A group of truly remarkable individuals, carefully selected by the EWOR team, coming together for a few days to connect in the magnificent château in the French countryside.
Name: Seb Haugeto

Title: Building Dealflow, Forbes 30U30 

Description: When growth is good, all is good ⚡️
Last week we joined the hottest fund in Europe right now @ EWOR.Name: Max Osborne

Title: Founder at ThisThat - winner of best tech in influencer marketing - global leader in marketing measurement and strategy

Description: 📣 Big News!ThisThat has raised from not just one, but FOUR unicorn founders 🦄🦄🦄🦄 Why? Advertising has evolved. Market research hasn’t. And at ThisThat we've set out to and are committed to evolving market research. ✨Name: Lukas Köstler

Title: 3D CV & AI

Description: We have been part of EWOR since last year, and it has been phenomenal. They supported SE3 Labs from the beginning and have helped with advice, intros, and an extraordinary community.Name: Luke Ferris

Title: CEO OriginAI | Gen AI, ex Bain, INSEAD MBA

Description: Hi all! Thanks for following along on the OriginAI journey. I've got two exciting bits of news today. First we've raised a pre-seed round from the fine people at EWOR. Thanks to Daniel W. Dippold and Florian Huber particularly for your support! I'm really looking forward to working with you.
Name: Lukas Köstler

Title: 3D CV & AI

Description: We have been part of EWOR since last year, and it has been phenomenal. They supported SE3 Labs from the beginning and have helped with advice, intros, and an extraordinary community.Name: Max Osborne

Title: Founder at ThisThat - winner of best tech in influencer marketing - global leader in marketing measurement and strategy

Description: 📣 Big News!ThisThat has raised from not just one, but FOUR unicorn founders 🦄🦄🦄🦄 Why? Advertising has evolved. Market research hasn’t. And at ThisThat we've set out to and are committed to evolving market research. ✨Name: Luke Ferris

Title: CEO OriginAI | Gen AI, ex Bain, INSEAD MBA

Description: Hi all! Thanks for following along on the OriginAI journey. I've got two exciting bits of news today. First we've raised a pre-seed round from the fine people at EWOR. Thanks to Daniel W. Dippold and Florian Huber particularly for your support! I'm really looking forward to working with you.Name: Seb Haugeto

Title: Building Dealflow, Forbes 30U30 

Description: When growth is good, all is good ⚡️
Last week we joined the hottest fund in Europe right now @ EWOR.
Name: Johannes King

Title: Digital Warehousing for the Construction Industry

Description:I just graduated from the EWOR Fellowship! 🚀
So let me take this as an opportunity to summarize what happened so far on my EWOR journeyName: Kacper Szklarczyk

Title: AI-Driven Grant Fundraising | Forbes 25u25

Description: Yesterday was a BIG day for us at OpenGrant Inc. We had over 120 top-notch investors including Sequoia Capital, Balderton Capital, 10x Founders, Earlybird Venture Capital, Cherry Ventures, Visionaries Club, La Famiglia, HV Capital, Redstone, Capnamic, World Fund, 4P CAPITAL, Planet A Ventures, HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds, Tiburon, Speedinvest and many well-known angel investors join us for the Demo Day. Name: Beth Kume-Holland

Title: Award-winning Founder and CEO of Patchwork Hub | Power 100 Most Influential Disabled People in the UK | Disability advocate & speaker | Harvard University Kennedy Scholar | Oxford University Research Fellow

Description: Europe’s answer to Y-Combinator = EWOR
A brilliant article by EU-Startups on a leading organisation in Europe’s entrepreneurship eco-system.Name: Charlie Simionescu-Marin

Title: Bringing Confidence to Asset Managers with Advanced AI | Quanted Co-Founder & EWOR Fellow

Description: Bringing Confidence to Asset Managers with Advanced AI | Quanted Co-Founder & EWOR Fellow
Name: Johannes King

Title: Digital Warehousing for the Construction Industry

Description:I just graduated from the EWOR Fellowship! 🚀
So let me take this as an opportunity to summarize what happened so far on my EWOR journeyName: Charlie Simionescu-Marin

Title: Bringing Confidence to Asset Managers with Advanced AI | Quanted Co-Founder & EWOR Fellow

Description: Bringing Confidence to Asset Managers with Advanced AI | Quanted Co-Founder & EWOR FellowName: Beth Kume-Holland

Title: Award-winning Founder and CEO of Patchwork Hub | Power 100 Most Influential Disabled People in the UK | Disability advocate & speaker | Harvard University Kennedy Scholar | Oxford University Research Fellow

Description: Europe’s answer to Y-Combinator = EWOR
A brilliant article by EU-Startups on a leading organisation in Europe’s entrepreneurship eco-system.Name: Kacper Szklarczyk

Title: AI-Driven Grant Fundraising | Forbes 25u25

Description: Yesterday was a BIG day for us at OpenGrant Inc. We had over 120 top-notch investors including Sequoia Capital, Balderton Capital, 10x Founders, Earlybird Venture Capital, Cherry Ventures, Visionaries Club, La Famiglia, HV Capital, Redstone, Capnamic, World Fund, 4P CAPITAL, Planet A Ventures, HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds, Tiburon, Speedinvest and many well-known angel investors join us for the Demo Day. 

The Traction Fellowship focuses on helping you...

Raise a Huge Round

Through our network of over 1000 investors, we can help you raise a sizeable round. In fact, an EWOR Fellow holds the record for the largest-ever pre-seed round raised by a first-time founder in Europe (€13M).

Set Up Your Company
for Unicorn Scale

With personalised 1:1 coaching from our Partners, guidance from unicorn founders, and access to over 200 tailored educational videos on our platform, we’ll prepare your company for exponential growth. No obligations — just opportunities.

A Network and Mindset Transformation

Join EWOR Productivity Circles alongside exceptional founders in tech and business, attend our inaugural EWOR Connect event to meet the community in person, and connect with unicorn founders during our live sessions.

The EWOR Edge

up to € 500K

Investment from EWOR. Millions potentially raised afterwards

16+

Partners who provide up to € 300K in cloud credits and steep discounts, ranging from CRM systems to accounting services

avg.130%

More money raised than an average pre-seed founder at a 2.5x higher valuation

0.1%

Acceptance rate.
Outliers only!

Options only — 
no rigid structures

GRAND PITCH

Pitch in front of hundreds of investors and reduce fundraising time by more than 80%

PERKS

Free cloud credits, tickets to Europe’s leading conferences,  templates, and more

Mentor and Expert Access

Connect with the best advisors on your own schedule

COMMUNITY

Fun and transformative experiences in the EWOR Houses

EDUCATION

Exclusive access to our entrepreneurship education platform

Unfair Advantage

We are transforming founders and providing an unfair advantage

A personal transformation journey

Go through a rigorous personal development and entrepreneurship education regime. Join a community of the world’s best founders, and be granted access to an unprecedented network and capital.

Frequently Asked Questions

We invest in people, not companies.
Whether you make €500K ARR or don’t yet have an idea, it doesn’t matter to us. We invest in and support you.

More FAQs
What is the EWOR Traction Fellowship?

For those who already launched their startup with initial (revenue) traction, the EWOR Traction Fellowship is designed to help them scale their startup.

During the fellowship, you’ll work closely with one of the EWOR Partners, e.g. the founders of SumUp (€8BN) and Adjust (€1.2BN exit), whom you have access to every day if necessary, and who will coach you on key strategic business decisions and personal development topics.

You’ll also gain access to our in-house-built modules which help you hire the best talent, get more customers, and raise more money. For example, we run a Grand Pitch that is designed to help you raise your first funding round, with Fellows typically raising between €1-€11M afterwards. Only 3 months into the EWOR Fellowship, Jörgen Tveit has raised a €11M funding round, the largest-ever pre-seed round in Europe by a first-time founder.

There are hundreds of resources and templates, exclusive discounts, credits for top software and service providers, and direct connections to our co-founder network and mentoring platform. As a Traction Fellow, you’ll join a vibrant community of outlier founders and get invited to both online and in-person EWOR Community events.

How soon can I expect a response after submitting my application?

We strive to respond to your application within two weeks. During the application cycle, we can dedicate more resources to reviewing your application.

Can I apply to the EWOR Fellowships if I already have a start-up?

Yes, the Traction Fellowship is designed for those who have already launched their startup.

What is the difference between the Ideation and Traction Fellowships?

The EWOR Ideation Fellowship is built for founders who haven’t yet hit early traction. It helps you take your idea from concept to launch. Selected fellows can receive up to €300k in funding, and if we invest, we take 3% equity as a tuition fee.

The EWOR Traction Fellowship is for founders who already have early traction—whether that’s revenue, active users, pilot projects, initial patents, or built hardware.
If accepted, you’ll receive €500k in funding right from the start. There’s no tuition fee.

If you're still validating your idea or looking for product-market-fit, apply for Ideation.

If you're ready to grow fast and raise the first financing round, apply for Traction.

Where can I apply to the EWOR Traction Fellowship?

Please use the application form on our website to apply for our Fellowships. Applicants typically take 15 to 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire.

Can I apply with my co-founder?

Sure! We encourage you to choose one person to apply (preferably the CEO or CTO) and list all other co-founders in the application form. There is no need to apply twice for the same startup. Once admitted, your co-founder(s) are able to join the fellowship as well.

What are the benefits of the EWOR Traction Fellowship?

We provide as much value as an experienced full-time co-founder by blending scientific insight, real-world experience, and deep empathy for a founder's journey.

During the fellowship, you’ll work closely with one of the EWOR Partners, e.g. the founders of SumUp (€8BN) and Adjust (€1.2BN exit), whom you have access to every day if necessary, and who will coach you on key strategic business decisions and personal development topics.

You’ll also gain access to our in-house-built modules which help you hire the best talent, get more customers, and raise more money. For example, we run a Grand Pitch that is designed to help you raise your first funding round, with fellows typically raising between €1-€11M afterwards. Only 3 months into the EWOR Fellowship, Jörgen Tveit has raised a €11M funding round, the largest-ever pre-seed round in Europe by a first-time founder.

There are hundreds of resources and templates, exclusive discounts, credits for top software and service providers, and direct connections to our co-founder network and mentoring platform. As a Traction Fellow, you’ll join a vibrant community of outlier founders and get invited to both online and in-person EWOR Community events.

We foster an active community and regular in-person gatherings around the world, up to two months of co-working each year at scenic spots, a two-months San Francisco residency, and exclusive invite-only events. Every fellow gets hands-on support through a virtual-first model that includes 1:1 mentorship, tailored learning modules, and access to a curated network of 1,500+ mentors, investors, and industry experts.

From what industries or technology sectors do you accept companies?

We welcome founders from all industries and tech sectors. Our focus is on early-stage startups with the potential for rapid growth and large-scale impact.

How many founders do you accept?

Each year, we select roughly 35 to 40 new startups to join EWOR.

What is the Grand Pitch?

The EWOR Grand Pitch is a bi-annual event where you’ll pitch your startup to a curated audience of top-tier VCs, family offices, and superangels. Fellows typically raise between €1M and €11M, typically pre-seed and Seed.

The event is hosted both online and in-person. Past live editions have taken place at major conferences like Bits & Pretzels and START Summit, while the online version regularly draws over 400 high-profile investors.

To help you shine, you’ll be coached by your EWOR Partner along with a public speaking expert, pitch deck designer, and someone from our investment team. For many fellows, the Grand Pitch has been a game-changer—leading to oversubscribed rounds and cutting fundraising time by over 80%.

Are there any tuition fees?

There is no tuition fee for the Traction Fellowship. EWOR is investing €500k once accepted to the Traction Fellowship. All Traction Fellows receive an investment.

Do you offer funding?

Once accepted into the Traction Fellowship, you will receive a total of €500k. We will invest €110k at a €1.5M post-money cap, along with an additional €390k through an uncapped SAFE Note - or a similar instrument - with a MFN (most-favored-nation) clause.*

* €110k is being invested through EWOR GmbH, Berlin, our operational entity running the EWOR Startup Academy. An additional €390k is being invested through a Luxembourg-based investment fund. 

Does EWOR take equity in my company?

Once accepted into the Traction Fellowship, EWOR invests a total of €500k. We will invest €110k at a €1.5M post-money valuation cap (which gives us 7,33%), along with an additional €390k through an uncapped SAFE Note (or a similar instrument) with a MFN (most-favored-nation) clause.*

* €110k is being invested through EWOR GmbH, Berlin, our operational entity running the EWOR Startup Academy. An additional €390k is being invested through a Luxembourg-based investment fund.