Funding Futures: Financing That Makes Creative Ideas Possible

Instructions for Decentralized Escalation: Underdog Expertise as a Driver for Innovation

Creative work should not be an underdog story – and yet it is often the "small" creatives who make structural change happen. The article asks how life experience, diversity and expertise from solo self-employed people to SMEs can be systematically incorporated into urgently needed innovation and R&D projects.

At the centre is a strategy of "shockwave riding": scaling effects are distributed across many shoulders, experiments become possible quickly and pragmatically. One example shows how small paradigm shifts can be trialled in the wake of the AI hype and large funding projects – with the aim of anchoring more added value on a broad basis.

This programme item is part of "Funding Futures: Funding that Makes Creative Ideas Possible".

At our participative Stage K4, we combine impulses with networking. Come along at the beginning of the session and take a look at all the projects. After a short project presentation, you will have the opportunity to network intensively with the people behind the projects and find out more about their work.

Financing Advice for Creative Start-ups

How do founders find the right funding for their creative start-up – and what role do incubators play in this?
We provide insights into the programs offered by the Wavelab incubator for culture and tech start-ups and the Music WorX incubator for music und tech start-ups. We will show how programs can complement each other and what funding and support options are available for founders. The subsequent networking session will also focus on funding and financing opportunities for start-ups in the creative industries as a whole and an open exchange with those interested in the programmes.

This programme item is part of "Funding Futures: Funding that Makes Creative Ideas Possible".

At our participative Stage K4, we combine impulses with networking. Come along at the beginning of the session and take a look at all the projects. After a short project presentation, you will have the opportunity to network intensively with the people behind the projects and find out more about their work.

KfW Innovation Promotion for SMEs

KfW is presenting its promotional programs for innovation and digitalization at GCES and showing how companies can actively shape the future. Whether new business models, digital products or the use of AI in creative processes: KfW supports companies from the idea through to implementation. Funding is available for investments in technologies, processes and expertise, among other things. Find out how you can use suitable financing solutions to drive innovation and strengthen your competitiveness in the long term.

This programme item is part of "Funding Futures: Funding that Makes Creative Ideas Possible".

At our participative Stage K4, we combine impulses with networking. Come along at the beginning of the session and take a look at all the projects. After a short project presentation, you will have the opportunity to network intensively with the people behind the projects and find out more about their work.