Conditions of participation
Attempted fraud
Like & comment manipulation, e.g. through purchasing, leads to exclusion from the competition.
We will check this in our own way before announcing the winners.
- Your project must be legitimized on Startnext (note: the legitimation process begins during the launch phase!).
- Your project must officially start on Launch Day no later than 4:00 PM (but earlier).
- You must upload your pitch video by Tuesday at 4:00 PM at the latest (before the show), ensuring it meets the specified criteria.*
- You must have an active and public Instagram account that we can tag.
- Our team will review your pitch and decide whether to accept it for Launch Day. You will be informed in advance.
- The Launch Day Pitch Videos will be posted on Thursday at 4:00 PM, marking the start of the like voting and your promotional efforts.
- The like voting ends on Wednesday at 4:00 AM. Manipulation checks will be conducted, and the final decision is legally binding.
- The winning project will be announced via an Instagram post and will receive a €500 co-funding contribution within 24 hours.
- The matching ratio is 1:1, with a maximum of €25 per supporter.
- To receive the full amount, you need at least 20 backers contributing €25 each during your project’s duration.
- The winning project may be contacted for a short interview.
- The like voting will only take place if at least four participants are involved.
Take a look at our sample video that shows you how we re-brand your pitch to make sure, that it fits to the startnext UI and our Launch Day Call-to-Action.
Admission criteria
- Your pitch is understandable, clear, short (maximum 60 seconds)
- The video is in portrait format and does not contain any components that require a license (music, video, images, typography)
- Your pitch video has good sound, light and image quality
- Your pitch contains your call to action to support your project
- You and possibly your team are visible in the pitch
- Your project is ready to launch or has been ready for support for a few days
- Your project complies with our guidelines
- Your project page has a high-quality and appealing design
- Your project is of value to the general public (private funding is not eligible for the pitch)
- You have read and accepted the conditions of participation
That's why you take part at Launch Day
The Insta-Game
Your post will be suggested frequently in feeds and stories if the recipients like, comment on, share and save your post. The more they do this, the more visible your post will be. The more visibility for your project.
You can convert this visibility into supporters if you send a clear message.
Our basic understanding of Launch Day is that you do what you should already be doing to make your project successful. You communicate directly and proactively with your crowd on Instagram. You play the Insta game (see info box).
This means that your post should be designed to be shareable and encourage interaction. As mentioned, you do this for your own project, not for Startnext.
The Launch Day format further supports this communication task through a community action that gives you even more visibility. If your pitch receives the highest number of likes, you will emerge as the winner of Launch Day.
Important! Currently, we only count likes until Wednesday at 4 PM and check for manipulation before announcing the winning project.