On July 9, the spotlight was firmly on migrant innovation as The Migrant Accelerator (TMA) celebrated its Spring 2025 Demo Day at the Freie Akademie der Künste in Hamburg. The event marked the culmination of a 12-week accelerator program designed specifically to empower migrant-led startups in Germany.

Nine founding teams—each with personal or family migration backgrounds—pitched their ventures to a packed audience of investors, entrepreneurs, media professionals, and representatives from civil society. From AI-powered tools to sustainable fashion and inclusive tech, the pitches reflected a wide range of industries, but all shared one common thread: the drive to build something new in a new home.

Community as a Catalyst

Throughout the program, participants received hands-on support including expert-led workshops, one-on-one coaching, and access to a strong support network. Speaking during the Demo Day, TMA mentor Anne Euler emphasized the importance of community in the entrepreneurial journey, especially for migrant founders. “Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges in entrepreneurship,” she noted, “but with peer support and strong networks, that isolation turns into inspiration.”

Diversity on the Main Stage

The event also welcomed guest teams from AIDIA (Afrodeutscher Startup Pitch), TMA’s partner initiative, adding further depth and energy to the evening. Their participation reflected TMA’s broader goal: to make Germany’s startup ecosystem more inclusive and equitable by centering the voices and ideas of those too often on the margins.

Based at the Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart, The Migrant Accelerator is a nationwide nonprofit program supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy through the EXIST initiative. It aims to bridge the gap for founders with migration backgrounds by offering them access to tools, mentorship, and visibility within a startup landscape still dominated by homogeneity.

What’s Next?
With applications for the Fall 2025 cohort opening in September, TMA continues its mission to rewrite the startup narrative—one founder, one pitch, and one powerful community at a time.

For more information or to apply, visit: themigrantaccelerator.com