Apply for a Startnext spotlight campaign budget
Grab €1,000 worth of marketing power for your project – with just a 60-second video from you. Sounds easy, right? Let’s go.
Launch Day is entering its 4th round – and once again, everything’s new. So please read carefully how to apply and what we expect from you, so your spotlight moment really shines.
You send us your personal application video by Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. Our editorial team reviews all videos submitted that week and selects one winning project by 2:00 p.m. You can find all criteria and requirements below.
You can only take part if your project has already been verified. You also need to commit to at least 2–3 hours of collaboration in the following week so we can produce valuable content together. All applicants appear in a wrap-up reel that we produce and promote during the same week. That alone makes applying worth it.
You do not win money – you win reach and access to our ads budget.
It’s not about likes. It’s about stepping into the spotlight with us, co-creating high-value content for the Startnext crowd, and gaining reach.
Sounds good? Then apply now. Our AI assistant answers your questions – or check the FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Submission deadline: every Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. (via Dropbox link).
Winner announcement on the same Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
Winning project in the spotlight the following week.
All decisions are final.
Pitch in front of your phone camera and convince the Startnext team. Each week, we choose one project from all applicants as the Launch Day winner.
We want to see how you perform and whether we can develop successful communication formats together with you. You are applying to Launch Day for marketing support worth around €1,000 with the goal of “more reach” – just for your project.
We want to get to know you – speak directly to us. No animation, no music, nothing fancy required.
Win us over from the very first second. Build a fictional hook that fits your project and put it right at the start – it needs to stick in our minds.
Show us your on-camera skills. We have big plans with the Launch Day winner.
Explain the value you create for your audience and why they need you – convince us of the value of your project.
Explain where your project is positioned.
Explain which target group you want to reach.
Your pitch is clear, easy to understand, and short (max. 60 seconds)
The video is in vertical 9:16 format
Your pitch video has good sound, lighting, and image quality
Your pitch covers all elements listed above
Your project is ready to start or has already been live for a few days
Your project complies with our guidelines
Your project page is high quality and visually appealing
Your project provides value to the public (purely private fundings are not allowed)
Your project convinces us and has realistic chances of success
You commit production capacity for the following week
Your project is timely, relevant, and has strong network effects
You have read and accepted the terms and conditions
The Instagram-Game
Instagram is increasingly focusing on high-value, educational content. We are all in on that. What performs well is authentic content that people save and share. Together we play this game smartly so that your project gets the attention it deserves.
Your project needs visibility. Let’s join forces and put your project in the spotlight together with our team for one full week. If you win Launch Day, you’ve earned it. Our Instagram communication package is worth €1,000.
Insta likes are yesterday’s game. Together with the winning project, we produce high-quality content that delivers real value to the Startnext crowd and generates reach.
To maintain the quality of our content, our communications team reviews and evaluates all application videos. The team decides which project receives the spotlight for the upcoming week.
We choose the project with the greatest marketing and entertainment potential because we want to create various Instagram formats with it. At the same time, the winning project’s impact creates visibility for the entire community.
Even if you do not win Launch Day, you still benefit. Every week we produce a short reel with clips from your application video and tag your account. This way, every applicant gets airtime – and a second chance. You can apply again at the next Launch Day with an improved pitch, because we want to support your growth. We will give you constructive feedback on why we did not pick your project.
Even if your project does not win, we may still reach out to you to produce a separate format together. Be ready for that.
Launch Day ’26 is our weekly spotlight format for projects on Startnext. Each week, we select one project that receives a full week of extra marketing, content production, and paid reach on our channels. You do not win money. You gain visibility, content power, and our ads budget – all with one goal: “more reach” for your project.
Any project can participate that:
is at least in pre-launch or live funding phase
has already been fully verified
goes live no later than the week after applying, or has already been live for a few days
Private fundraisings (orange projects) are currently excluded. Your project must also comply with our guidelines and align with our values.
You can apply every week until Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.
You apply through a form on Startnext where you enter your project and upload your application video via the upload link. We cannot consider applications sent by email or DM.
Your pitch video should:
be a maximum of 60 seconds long
be filmed in vertical format (9:16)
have good sound, lighting, and image quality
be submitted in a common format such as .mp4 or .mov
Most importantly, speak clearly and make sure you cover all the elements we listed above (Face, Hook, Show, Value, Space, Base).
In your video, make sure to show:
Face: Show yourself. We want to get to know you – no elaborate animation needed.
Hook: Start with a strong hook tailored to your project that sticks in people’s minds.
Show: Show your on-camera and stage presence – we have big plans with the winner.
Value: Explain the value you create for your audience and why they need you and your project.
Space: Explain the context and environment your project is operating in.
Base: Explain which target group you want to reach.
We look at factors like:
an eloquent, convincing performance
a strong, clearly understandable pitch
a compelling project idea with realistic chances of success
a strong fit with Startnext’s values and our community
secured capacity for content production in the following week (about 1–2 hours, on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.)
a timely topic with high relevance
real added value and fresh insights for the Startnext crowd
The Startnext communications team reviews all videos submitted in a given week and selects the winning project.
The decision is usually communicated to all applicants on Wednesday around 2:00 p.m. All decisions are final.
The winning project receives a communication package worth around €1,000:
3–4 tailored visibility formats on our channels (for example, reels, story series, short interviews)
additional media budget that we invest specifically to push your project
highlighted visibility on the Startnext website and, if suitable, in other channels (for example, newsletter or social media highlights)
There are no more cash prizes or co-funding. Instead, we invest the budget directly into marketing for your project.
Yes. You can apply multiple times as long as your project still meets the participation requirements.
If you do not win in a given week, you can apply again with an improved pitch. If you have already won once, we reserve the right to limit further participation so that as many projects as possible get a chance.
We co-plan your launch week together:
we agree on fixed time slots (about 1–2 hours, weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.) for interviews, pitches, photos, or other recordings
based on your application video and the additional material we create several formats for our channels
your project is in the spotlight for a full week and receives additional paid reach
You will receive a rough overview in advance of what types of content we plan so you can prepare.
You commit to:
setting aside 1–2 hours in the following week for joint content production
being reachable for coordination and approvals
actively collaborating with us so we can create high-quality content for your project and our community.
Please only cancel in real exceptional cases – your win is tied to valuable resources.
If, repeatedly or intentionally, collaboration is not possible, we reserve the right to exclude you from future Launch Day rounds and, in serious cases, remove your project from the platform.
From 2026 onward, Launch Day no longer includes a cash bonus or co-funding.
Instead, we invest this budget directly into marketing and ads so your project can gain more genuine reach and therefore better chances of successful funding.
Launch Day ’26 currently takes place in German.
Your project page and your application video should therefore be in German so that the Startnext crowd and our team can fully understand your content. If your project primarily targets an international audience, you can indicate this in the form – we will then review on a case-by-case basis how we can best include you.
Launch Day is designed to give projects more reach, growth, and the communication pressure every crowdfunding campaign needs.
We create a weekly moment where supporters can discover new projects and we support you with extra visibility, feedback, and content formats. More reach means more attention for your project – and stronger chances of successful funding.