The Self Management Initiative Leipzig SMILE is a well known regional project to support entrepreneurship and start-ups in Leipzig. The associated Partners of the Initiative are the International SEPT Program and the Institute for Service and Relationship Management at the University of Leipzig, the Leipzig Graduate School of Management, the Academy for Engineering, Economy and Culture Leipzig, the Helmholtz – Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig, and the AKAD University of Applied Sciences. The initiative is cooperating closely with further partners throughout Saxony and Germanyto help young entrepreneurs, start ups and existing companies to succeed.

SMILE - the Network for entrepreneurship in Leipzig - is well versed in the supervision and coaching of start-ups and spin-off companies as well as in the training for key and management qualifications.

The interdisciplinary team of 13 employees with diverse entrepreneurial backgrounds, skills and experiences operates in highly professional and flexible fashion to bring the best ideas to the market. SMILE founders have won several business plan competitions.

SMILE was founded in 2006. Up to today more than 3.000 persons have participated in the program and as a direct result more than 250 businesses were founded.

Website SMILE 

The Project SMILE.medibiz was started in the year 2008. SMILE.medibiz specializes in supporting Start-ups and Spin-offs in biotechnology and medicine sectors.

With their practical and sector-specific experience, the team members of SMILE.medibiz accompany the entrepreneurs and provide them with a personalized coaching from the first business idea over the establishment of a firm to the further stages. Moreover, SMILE.medibiz offers a series of events where key entrepreneurial qualifications are transferred to the participants. SMILE.medibiz hereby allows personnel from universities and research centers as well as students with entrepreneurial spirit getting closer to an own enterprise, gaining complementary competences and receiving active support during the start-up process.

Thanks to the support of the federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), participation is exempt of charges.    

Website SMILE.medibiz