EWOR

What we do: EWOR is a radically selective fellowship supporting the top 0.1% of exceptional early-stage tech founders worldwide. We provide up to €500,000 in immediate funding and weekly one-on-one mentorship from full-time unicorn founders who have built companies collectively worth over €12 billion, including SumUp, Adjust, and ProGlove. Our virtual-first, borderless ecosystem offers tailored support rather than standardized programs, enabling founders to accelerate their unique, non-linear journeys. We run two 6-month fellowships: the Ideation Fellowship for pre-validation stage founders and the Traction Fellowship for startups ready for investment.

Where we are located: EWOR is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. There are no Belgian offices mentioned.

Short history: Founded in 2021, EWOR has quickly established itself as a premier fellowship for outlier founders. It has committed €60 million to support founders and selects about 35 fellows annually from over 35,000 applicants. Notable milestones include fellows raising Europe’s largest-ever pre-seed round by a first-time founder and achieving valuations of $3 billion within two years of joining.

Organization & culture: EWOR is run full-time by six entrepreneurs with backgrounds in successful startups and venture creation, led by CEO Daniel Dippold. The culture is founder-first, emphasizing a dense, high-quality network over volume, with a strong community and intensive mentorship. The environment is highly selective, supportive, and tailored to founders’ individual needs, fostering transformative tech innovation.

Recent developments: EWOR continues to expand its impact by backing founders with substantial capital and mentorship, maintaining a virtual-first, global approach. Its fellows consistently break records in fundraising and valuation, positioning EWOR as a European alternative to accelerators like Y Combinator but with a more founder-centric and tech-driven model.