VANTAGE

A science-based performance program for founders who run fast — and want to last. Sustain your energy, clarity, and leadership for the long run.

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20 spots · Apply by Jan 15 · Starting Feb 2026

THE VANTAGE METHOD

You’re building fast — but at a cost. Your company scales, but your energy doesn’t.

VANTAGE reconnects your physiology and leadership so you can lead with focus, stamina, and clarity again.

1. MEASURE

Data as your starting point. 48h ECG, WHOOP, and leadership diagnostics to assess how you perform, decide, and lead under pressure.

2. CALIBRATE

Turn data into leadership action. 1:1 and peer performance coaching translate your metrics into daily strategies for clarity, energy, and leadership precision.

3. RESET

Step out of the noise. Immersive retreats, contrast therapy, biofeedback enhanced breathwork, and deep reflection to reset your system and fuel your flow state.

4. INTEGRATE

Build systems that last. Daily performance protocols for focus, sleep, and recovery that keep your energy stable through any growth phase.

5. CONNECT

Real conversations, real accountability. Grow in a high-trust founder circle that shares real challenges, accelerates insight, and sustains change long after the program ends.

6. VALIDATE

Close the loop. Reassess your data with guidance from leading researchers and performance scientists. Measure progress, refine habits, and anchor sustainable performance for the long run.

THE 4-MONTH VANTAGE JOURNEY

  • Remote | February 2026

    Every system starts with data.

    Before the program begins, you’ll complete your baseline assessment: a 48-hour ECG-based nervous-system analysis, WHOOP tracking, performance questionnaires, and a 1:1 founder interview.

    We capture how you recover, focus, and lead under pressure — creating a data-backed foundation for your personalized performance strategy.

  • Berlin | 27 Feb – 01 Mar 2026

    From data to experience.

    Across three intense days, you’ll translate insights into action — supported by a small group of exceptional founders who share your drive and depth.

    Through science-based nervous-system regulation protocols — including biofeedback-enhanced breathwork, contrast therapy, and recovery training — you’ll learn how to build energy on demand and regulate your system under pressure.

    You’ll also dive into deep reflection and facilitated dialogue to surface what truly drives your decisions, challenges, and leadership patterns.

    The result: a grounded, energized start — and a cohort you’ll trust for the journey ahead.

  • Remote | March–April 2026

    Build internal stability in real time.

    Train your nervous system to stay clear, calm, and adaptive under pressure.

    Develop practices that sustain high energy and cognitive precision through the demands of founder life.

    Together with your peer group, you’ll translate daily challenges into experiments — turning insight into embodied performance.

  • Brandenburg | 23 – 26 Apr 2026

    Step out of the noise and reset your system in nature.

    Over four immersive days, movement, saunas, cold plunges, and incredible food meet deep coaching and therapeutic work.

    You’ll recover your energy, face what’s holding you back, and leave with clarity, purpose, and renewed momentum.

  • Remote | May–June 2026

    Turn performance tools into leadership capacity.

    Through coaching and peer sessions, you’ll refine how you communicate, influence, and energize others — even under pressure.

    Together, we’ll design your Founder Performance System — the framework that aligns your energy, focus, and leadership for the long run.

    This is where connection becomes culture — and your systems scale, without burning you out.

  • Berlin | 12 – 14 Jun 2026

    Reassess your baseline metrics and measure your growth.

    You’ll reconnect with your cohort, celebrate progress, and share the strategies that moved the needle most.

    This is the activation moment — where personal transformation turns into sustained performance, together.

THE VANTAGE CO-FUNDING MODEL

A €10,000+ program made accessible through EU & BMWE funding. Only 20 spots available.

VANTAGE Base

Build your foundation for sustainable growth.

  • ECG, WHOOP & leadership diagnostics

  • Personalized Health & Performance System

  • Biofeedback-enhanced flow state training

  • 1:1 & peer performance & leadership coaching

  • Three in-person immersions (Kick-off, Retreat, Closing)

Your contribution:

  • Early Bird — €1,999 (≤ 30 Nov 2025)

  • Regular — €2,499 (≤ 30 Dec 2025)

  • Late — €2,999 (≤ 15 Jan 2026)

Apply now →

VANTAGE Pro

Go deeper—expand your capacity, clarity, and recovery.

Includes everything in Base, plus:

  • Executive coaching

  • On-demand therapeutic support

  • Science-based supplement stack

  • Single-room retreat accommodation

Your contribution:

  • Early Bird — €2,999 (≤ 30 Nov 2025)

  • Regular — €3,499 (≤ 30 Dec 2025)

  • Late — €3,999 (≤ 15 Jan 2026)

How to join

  1. Check eligibility — confirm you qualify.

  2. Meet us (optional) — ask anything at online info sessions.

  3. Apply — via 5-minute short form.

  4. Start — if selected, onboard for Kick-off (Feb 2026)

Apply now →

For founders who build fast — and want energy that lasts.

YOU TODAY

Running on adrenaline between investor calls and team fires.

Afraid to slow down — worried everything will fall apart.

Carrying pressure alone, with no real space to pause or talk.

Losing clarity, boundaries, and focus as growth takes over.

YOU AFTER VANTAGE

Waking up clear and rested — not running on caffeine and stress.

Making sharper decisions because your body and mind are in sync.

Delegating with confidence and creating space to think again.

Feeling supported by founders who share your pace and purpose.

Join the next VANTAGE cohort

Applications for Batch #3 – starting Feb 2026 – are open until January 15. For growth-stage, impact-oriented Founders & CEOs. 20 spots available.

Apply now →

Timeline

Fall 2023

Fall 2025

Feb – Jun 2025

Fall 2026

Spring 2027

Batch

Batch 1

Batch 2

Batch 3

Batch 4

Batch 5

Status

Completed

Running

Applications open

Coming soon

Final cohort

What founders are saying

  • “Didn’t realize how fried I was till I saw my ECG data. Apparently, my body was stuck in overdrive, running on caffeine and panic. The tracking and performance coaching helped me switch off before I crash.”

    — Co-Founder, ClimateTech

  • “Signed up skeptical but did it anyway because a friend wouldn’t shut up about it. Stayed because I actually slept through the night for the first time in months. Still not a ‘wellness guy,’ but turns out performance really does start with recovery.”

    — CEO, SaaS Scale-up

  • “I joined expecting productivity hacks and Huberman quotes. Instead, I got a heart monitor and a breathing practice that actually works for me. Wildly off-brand for me but it’s changed how I feel, lead, and sleep.”

    — Founder & CEO, Impact Venture

  • “The retreat was ridiculous… in the best way. I showed up ready to roll my eyes expecting green juices and yoga, then my body actually relaxed for the first time in years. Real science, no small talk, zero cringe. Honestly slightly annoyed by how much I liked it.”

    — CTO, FinTech

  • “Didn’t expect to click with the team this much. They’re sharp, calm, and somehow know exactly when to call you out. Being around founders who actually get what you’re going through is a relief. Highly recommend, especially if you think you’re too busy, like I did!”

    — CEO, Growth-Stage Healthtech

  • “Joined mostly to survive the next funding round. Ended up actually enjoying breathwork and talking about feelings. Wild! Would recommend, even for skeptics.”

    — Founder, Climate Tech

Apply now →

Partnering with the best venture and innovation:

FAQs

  • VANTAGE is open to founders, CEOs, and senior leaders of small or medium-sized companies (SMEs) registered in Germany (no NGOs, no self-employed).

    To qualify for EU- and BMWE-funded participation, your company must meet these simple criteria — each confirmed through a short self-declaration (no legal proof or complex documents required):

    • You hold a leadership role in a German SME.

      You’re a Founder, CEO, or part of the executive team at a business with 3–250 employees.

      👉 Confirmed via a KMU-Erklärung (SME Declaration).

    • You’re building a social or impact-driven business.

      Your company exists for more than profit — you pursue social or environmental goals, report transparently on your impact, and reinvest profits into your mission.

      👉 Confirmed via a Social Business Declaration (Sozialunternehmen Erklärung) under the EU’s definition of a social enterprise.

    • You’re within the EU De minimis funding limit.

      Your organization has received less than €300,000 in public funding during the past three years.

      👉 Confirmed via a De-minimis Declaration — a standard step in all EU-funded programs.

    • Your work supports climate goals (bonus).

      If your company actively contributes to climate solutions or follows climate-conscious practices, your chances of being selected for funding increase significantly.

      👉 Confirmed by signing the optional Climate Bonus B Form — a short self-declaration.

    💡 All forms are provided during your application and take just a few minutes to complete.

  • A 4-month founder performance journey combining science, leadership, and health:

    • Physiological diagnostics: ECG-based nervous system analysis and continuous WHOOP tracking.

    • Leadership diagnostics & performance questionnaires: Map how you lead, decide, and recover — creating a holistic baseline for growth.

    • 1:1 Health & Performance Coaching: Translate your data into clear strategies for energy, focus, and sustainable performance.

    • Peer & Group Performance Circles (bi-weekly): Real accountability, reflection, and honest founder conversations.

    • HeartMath Coherence Training: Build focus and recovery capacity through data-backed biofeedback breathing.

    • Three immersive in-person sessions:

      • Kick-off: 27 Feb – 1 Mar 2026 (Berlin)

      • Retreat: 23 – 26 Apr 2026 (Brandenburg)

      • Closing: 12 – 14 Jun 2026 (Berlin)

    • Online coaching, tracking, and data review between immersions — to integrate everything into your daily leadership rhythm.

  • Everything in the Base program, plus:

    • 4 executive coaching sessions focused on leadership, strategy, and clarity.

    • A science-based daily performance supplement for energy and recovery.

    • A professional recovery tool for nervous system balance.

    • Your own HeartMath Coherence sensor to keep.

    • Single-room accommodation at the retreat.

    Upgrade available for + €1,000 (limited Pro spots per cohort).

  • Between 1–2 hours per week between the in-person events — including your individual coaching, peer circles, and short performance and recovery practices.

    It’s built for busy founders: high impact, low friction.

  • The market value of VANTAGE is €10,000+, but thanks to EU and BMWE funding, founders can join at a fraction of the cost.

    Your contribution:

    VANTAGE Base

    • Early Bird — €1,999 (until 30 Nov 2025)

    • Regular — €2,499 (until 30 Dec 2025)

    • Late — €2,999 (until 15 Jan 2026)

    VANTAGE Pro

    • Early Bird — €2,999 (until 30 Nov 2025)

    • Regular — €3,499 (until 30 Dec 2025)

    • Late — €3,999 (until 15 Jan 2026)

    💡 You can decide between Base and Pro after your eligibility check.

    Only 20 founders are selected per cohort.

  • Batch #3: February – June 2026

    We meet in Berlin & Brandenburg for three in-person immersions, with remote online performance and leadership coaching and peer groups in between.

    • Kick-off: 27 Feb – 1 Mar 2026 (Berlin)

    • Retreat: 23 – 26 Apr 2026 (Brandenburg)

    • Closing: 12 – 14 Jun 2026 (Berlin)

    Future programs: Q3–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q2 2027.

  • Most founders experience measurable improvements within weeks — in both their data and daily lives.

    Measured by:

    ECG-based HRV analysis, WHOOP sleep tracking, and validated stress & leadership diagnostics — evaluated in collaboration with our external science team from leading U.S. performance research institutes.

    Typical outcomes:

    • Lower stress, burnout, and anxiety — reduced sympathetic activation and improved recovery patterns.

    • Higher energy and resilience — founders describe feeling “steady instead of wired,” managing pressure without depletion.

    • Improved sleep and recovery quality — deeper rest and fewer nighttime awakenings, visible in WHOOP and ECG data.

    • Greater focus and clarity — better decisions, less distraction, and less guilt when setting boundaries.

    • Calmer, more grounded leadership — communicating with confidence, leading with energy instead of urgency.

    These shifts directly address the challenges founders report before joining — cycles of overdrive and exhaustion, isolation, blurred boundaries, and inconsistent recovery.

    You’ll complete VANTAGE with a personalized Founder Performance System — a science-backed blueprint connecting your physiology, energy habits, and leadership for sustained health, focus, and impact.

  • You’ll feel at home in VANTAGE if you:

    • Are scaling fast and want to sustain your energy and clarity.

    • Lead under constant pressure but want to feel grounded again.

    • Care about performance backed by data — not wellness clichés.

    • Want to connect with founders who get what it’s really like.

    If you’ve ever thought “I’ll recover when this round closes”, this is your reset point.

  • Step 1 – Check your eligibility

    Confirm that your company meets the criteria for EU- and BMWE-funded participation.

    Step 2 – Apply

    Complete a short online application (takes about 5 minutes).

    Step 3 – Join an info session (optional)

    Choose one of three live sessions to meet the team, ask questions, and explore the fit.

    Step 4 – Get your confirmation

    If selected, you’ll receive your scholarship details and payment link.

    Once confirmed, you’ll start onboarding and baseline testing.

Why VANTAGE

High performance isn’t doing more—it’s aligning physiology with purpose.

Leave with the data, systems, and a trusted founder circle to sustain your edge.

Apply now →