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We'll help you gain a foothold in the content industry. Get involved and refine your business model in a practice-oriented way together with potential clients.

Your benefits

Practical Experience

  • Mentoring and feedback from top decision-makers in the book industry
  • Coaching by the experienced experts Prof. Dr. Harald Henzler and Prof. Dr. Okke Schlüter
  • Extension of the skillset e.g. through design thinking, presentation training
  • Validation of the business model

Contacts

  • Direct cooperation with the first-rate jury, consisting of top decision-makers from various well-known companies
  • Exchange with the other startups at the programme

Financing

  • €10,000 for the final winner of the competition
  • Prospects of future investment by or cooperation with jury members
  • Paid accomodation expenses for one person per startup during programme events

Visibility

  • Coverage accompanying the programme and via the channels of the Börsenverein group, the jury and in the media
  • Major pitch event at the Frankfurt Book Fair at the THE LÄND booth, where the six final start-ups present in front of industry representatives, investors, and media.
  • All ten preselected start-ups will have the opportunity to showcase themselves at the THE LÄND booth at the Frankfurt Book Fair from 7–11 October 2026 — an ideal platform to gain visibility and build international connections.
  • Visibility on the program’s website and social media channels.

This is our first-rate jury!

Apply now for the CONTENTshift accelerator!

Eligibility criteria

  • Your business model is related to the content industry and/or can be applied to the content industry.
  • Your company is more than an idea
  • You have a solid product concept
  • You have a stable team of founders
  • You have already founded the company

How do I apply?

The application phase of the CONTENTshift innovation programme 2026 will continue until 30 April 2026.

Important: Ten start-ups will be shortlisted and invited to present themselves to the jury at a pitch event in mid‑June in Frankfurt. The exact date will be announced shortly.
You can find more information about the accelerator process on the programme page.

Click here to see the eligibility criteria

Success Stories

You want to get to know more former winners and participants? You can find an overview of the past years winners and participants on our review page.


Get in touch!

Julia Löffler

Julia Löffler Team Assistant, German Publishers and Booksellers Association, Baden‑Württemberg Regional Branch

contentshift@buchhandelsverband.de

You can also find us here