Gain real-world experience while you study
The Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) at ESMT Berlin offers multiple opportunities to gain practical experience that prepares you for the real challenges of scaling a business or driving change within a global organization.
Throughout the program, you can develop and launch your own startup, collaborate with established companies on innovation projects, and connect directly with investors, mentors, and founders in Europe’s largest startup hub.
A good network is everything. Berlin's start-up community is thriving
A good network is everything. Berlin's start-up community is thriving......and the Sustainability Bootcamp (now called the Ideation Bootcamp ) was a fantastic opportunity to make initial connections. I got to know some of the founders associated with Vali, one of whom is now our mentor for the SEP (now called Incubation I ).
Before, entrepreneurship was more of a theoretical concept I’d mainly learned about in classes. I never really got to “do” it. The Bootcamp let me deeply dive into something I’m passionate about and develop a solution with a fantastic team...It gave me incredible insights and showed me what ESMT can provide to make the whole journey possible.
It's a full-time experience that lets you find out whether this is really the path for you – because entrepreneurship sounds incredibly exciting, but it demands far more than a 9 to 5.
MIE students have the option to take part in the Summer Entrepreneurship Program (now called Incubation I ) instead of a mandatory internship. It's a chance to get your hands dirty and truly navigate the entrepreneurial path: building a venture from scratch, identifying a problem space, validating it, developing a solution, doing customer discovery, generating traction, and practicing investor pitching.
It's a full-time experience that lets you find out whether this is really the path for you – because entrepreneurship sounds incredibly exciting, but it demands far more than a 9-to-5. Where else can you learn how to build a business by actually building one, with no real financial consequences if things go sideways? Try, fail fast, learn.
I'm really excited to keep developing our venture through the NEXT B2B accelerator program (now called Incubation II ).
Interested in hands-on entrepreneurship?
Find out more about DEEP: ESMT's hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and Deep Tech
Meet DEEP – Institute for Deep Tech Innovation
DEEP focuses on turning scientific discoveries and advanced technologies into viable business innovation. It brings together researchers, founders, and corporate partners to accelerate the development and commercialization of deep-tech ventures.
One of DEEP’s flagship initiatives is the Creative Destruction Lab Berlin (CDL Berlin), the first CDL Lab in Germany. Through this global network, early-stage science and technology startups receive structured mentorship from entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts.
MIE students take part in this ecosystem through the Deep Tech Innovation Program (DTIP), where they work directly with CDL Berlin ventures. The program offers hands-on experience in evaluating and supporting deep-tech startups, giving students a practical view of how cutting-edge research becomes market-ready innovation.
Explore your opportunities
Ideation Bootcamp
In collaboration with DEEP, the Ideation Bootcamp is a mandatory program that brings students, corporations, startups, NGOs and other like-minded entrepreneurial talents together to conceptualize solutions for the greatest challenges of the 21st century that can then be developed into new ventures.
The DEEP community consists of a broad range of individuals and organizations, including students, alumni, faculty, serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and Deep Tech experts.
Value Proposition
- Workshops, guest lectures, coaching and mentoring with entrepreneurs, sustainability and industry experts
- Work with corporates and other key players of the innovation and sustainability ecosystem
- Receive insights from industries
- Exposure to find (external) co-founders
Corporate Innovation Project (CIP)
For the Corporate Innovation Project (CIP), you will either deliver an innovation consulting project or develop venture ideas together with a corporate partner.
Incubation I
Incubation I is an elective that helps you develop and elaborate your own startup ideas. Over three months during the summer, you will work on every aspect of your startup, from finding co-founders and identifying trends and problems, to building your product or solutions and pitching to Venture Capitalists (VCs) and angel investors.
The program includes an ideation process where you will either generate or validate ideas. Participants benefit from expert mentoring, access to the ESMT and DEEP network, and a structured series of workshops led by entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
Value Proposition
- Identify problem opportunities
- Validate problem and solution through customer discovery
- Connect with tech and business talents
- Meet potential co-founders
- Gain valuable insights into trends, technologies, and sustainability
- Develop landing pages, prototypes and an MVP
- Receive mentorship and coaching
- Meet the DEEP network, including investors and Deep Tech experts
Incubation II
Incubation II is an elective that lets you continue the path started in the Ideation Bootcamp and Incubation I by exploring six different areas:
- Product-market fit
- Human capital
- Fundraising
- Legal
- Administrative
- Tax issues.
DEEP Tech Innovation Program (DTIP)
You will have the opportunity to join and advise startup founders by participating in the Deep Tech Innovation Program. ESMT Creative Destruction Lab Berlin is the first CDL Lab in Germany.
International exchange semester
Whether you choose to do the Incubation I and Incubation II programs, Corporate Innovation Project, or Deep Tech Innovation Program, you will have the opportunity to spend an academic term (Term 5) abroad at one of ESMT's top-ranked international exchange partners in Europe and beyond.
Internships
As an MIE student, you can pursue an internship at a company's innovation or intrapreneurship unit. You will earn credits towards your master’s degree by completing a mandatory paid internship between April and September of your first year.
Your internship must be at least 12 weeks in duration, though many students choose to stay up to six months. Internships can be completed either in Germany or abroad.
Past internships of MIE students
- Student with a background in Economics and Musical Studies: Private Equity Intern at capiton in Germany (Private Equity)
- Student with a background in Commerce: Venture Capital Intern at SBI Ventures Europe in Germany (VC)
- Student with a background in Economics and Management: Corporate Venture Capital Intern at Deutsche Bank in Germany (Banking)
- Student with a background in Socioeconomics: Business Development & Sales Intern at Tucan AI in Germany (Technology)
- Student with a background in Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering: Revenue Operations Intern at Pliant in Germany (Fintech)
It [Bosch] is such a cool company. I especially love my role...I work on automotive engine control unit projects for Porsche, Alpha Romeo, Ferrari, VW, and Audi
I realized that it is one of ESMT’s founding companies after joining Bosch. It is such a cool company, and I especially love my role. It is so amazing. I work on automotive engine control unit projects for Porsche, Alpha Romeo, Ferrari, VW, and Audi. Look how cool that even sounds!
The team is very well organized and since I have previous experience in this particular field, it was easy for me to learn and keep up with them immediately. So far, I am having an amazing time with respect to having a super cool role and a very professional and technically sound team. I am actually sad that it is going to end in three months. But it's okay, life must move on.
How ESMT supports your internship journey
From identifying the right opportunity based on your goals to helping you prepare for interviews and leverage your internship experience for your future career, ESMT’s Career Development Center (CDC) is with you every step of the way. Some services and support offered by the CDC includes:
- Career Bootcamp and targeted skills workshops
- One-on-one coaching with CDC advisors
- Internship search strategy and application support
- Access to company visits, career fairs, and networking events
- Mid-internship check-ins
- Job search coaching and strategy
- Personal branding workshop
Get involved beyond the classroom: Student clubs and initiatives
At ESMT, applied learning doesn’t stop with internships and projects. Students also take the lead through clubs and initiatives that shape campus culture and connect with the global community. Whether you're organizing a major conference, launching a social initiative, or exploring the future of tech and business, these groups offer space to lead, collaborate, and grow.
Examples of ESMT student clubs and initiatives
- ESMT Venture Club, a community for aspiring founders, offering student-led venture consulting, workshops, events, and visits to leading startups in Berlin.
- Tech & Innovation Club, a space for tech-enthusiasts exploring emerging trends like AI, fintech, automation, and startups through events, Berlin Product Managers meetups, and panel discussions.
- TEDxESMT, student-organized TED events that spark meaningful conversations and inspire action.
