Press Release: CONTENTshift: Startup accelerator fosters the best content startups 30.03.2017

Three-month coaching and mentoring programme brings startups together with book industry companies and investors / Startups and entrepreneurs invited to apply now to participate

Founders wanted: On 1st July 2017 the Börsenvereinsgruppe (German Publishers and Booksellers Association Group) will launch the second round of its CONTENTshift programme designed to find and foster startups in the book and media industry. The three-month international accelerator brings together industry investors, founders and experts to discuss and refine new business models. Founders are given direct access to a network of important, high-ranking decision makers, while established industry players profit from direct contact to startups as well as from quick and curated access to new ideas. Startups from all over the world can apply starting on 1st April 2017.

“In its first year, CONTENTshift showed how great the need is for a hands-on exchange of thoughts and ideas between startups and established companies. Many partnerships have emerged out of the accelerator and two of the finalists even found investors while the programme was still in progress. The founders were also able to make valuable business connections and raise their visibility, which allowed them to become even more successfully positioned on the market today. In 2017, it is once again our goal to give startups a development boost and, in turn, to foster a productive exchange between established industry companies and founders”, noted Detlef Büttner, Börsenverein Board Member, Managing Director of Lehmanns Media GmbH and CONTENTshift jury member.

Supporting companies will invest €10,000 each in CONTENTshift. In return, they will receive a spot on the jury as well as direct contact to the startups in competition for the final prize. The companies supporting the programme in 2017 are, amongst others, Hoffmann und Campe, MANZsche Verlags- und Universitätsbuchhandlung, Thalia and Thieme Gruppe. The Börsenvereinsgruppe will also have professional advisors on hand to ensure that the participating companies will be drawing from a pool of highly qualified startups. Additional European media associations are also involved in the accelerator as partners.

In the course of the competition, startups will receive comprehensive coaching and advice from experts. The jury consists of the sponsoring companies, representatives of the Börsenvereinsgruppe and as guest juror Nintendo for industry-wide exchange. Investors will also be offered coaching services upon request. The centrepiece of the competition is a joint workshop weekend in September involving both jury and startups. The final pitches and an award ceremony honouring the best startup will take place at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2017. The winning startup will receive €10,000 in funding.

Visit the website for a detailed programme and submission instructions: www.contentshift.de
Twitter: @ShiftingContent
Hashtag: #cosh17

About the Börsenvereinsgruppe:

The Börsenvereinsgruppe (German Publishers and Booksellers Association Group) represents the interests of Germany's book industry and provides its members with practical and advisory services. The group consists of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V. (German Publishers and Booksellers Association) and its business subsidiaries, which include Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH, MVB Marketing- und Verlagsservice des Buchhandels GmbH, mediacampus frankfurt | die schulen des deutschen buchhandels gmbh as well as the Holding Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH. The Börsenvereinsgruppe fosters the book industry and media sector with services that include representational activities, cultural projects, the organisation of tradeshows, training programmes and publishing and technology services.