Get ready for Sting

Sting delivers unmatched hands-on support tailored to your startup’s unique needs, combined with direct access to one of Europe’s largest and most active networks of founders, investors, and experts. Over 90% of our startups recommend Sting to their peers — and many return for follow-on programs.

Absolutely! Having secured funding before joining Sting is common and doesn’t prevent you from participating in our program. Many startups enter with angel investors already on board, and we’re here to help you build on that momentum with tailored support, strategic guidance, and access to our extensive network.

To maintain trust and a healthy community, we do not accept startups that directly compete with each other at the same time in our program. However, once a startup has graduated and been an alumni for at least six months, we may consider working with another company with a similar business idea.

If technology is the core of your business, having your tech team in-house is essential. If technology is primarily a tool to solve a problem, outsourcing development can be an option to extend capacity—though it comes with some risks.

We do our best to get back to you as soon as possible, however it depends on the availability of the coaches. Also keep in mind that late applications are often coming in during holiday periods, which may slow down the response time even more. But please be patient, we will email you as soon as your application has been reviewed.

If you submit an application after the deadline, your application is automatically tagged as “late”. You will still get evaluated based on your merits, but late applications are generally competing for fewer slots, which means it will get harder to get accepted the later you apply. It will also take longer for us to get back to you, as the process is already ongoing.