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

To qualify for EU- and BMWE-funded participation, your company must meet simple criteria. Each must be 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

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 a live info session (optional)

Join one of our 30-minute info sessions. We cover the program, funding, timeline, and how to apply, plus live Q&A.

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.

Yes. We host three 30-minute online sessions where you can learn exactly how the program works, whether you’re eligible for EU scholarships, and how to apply.

You’ll learn:

• How VANTAGE works (method + structure)

• What founders gain

• Funding & eligibility

• Application tips

• Live Q&A

Dates:

21.05. I 5:30-6pm I sign-up
11.06. I 5:30-6pm I sign-up
02.07. I 5:30-6pm I sign-up

Outside of the in-person events, we calculate between 1–2 hours per week of remote work for your individual coaching sessions, peer circles, and short performance and recovery practices. Timing will be aligned with your personal schedule.

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

Yes! Already 70% of our participants are fully or partially funded by their company, so it's worth having that conversation with your co-founders, lead, board, or investors.

The business case speaks for itself: our data shows that participants leave the program significantly stronger across dimensions that predict business success. Resilience increases by 26%, psychological safety by 43%, and sense of control by 47%, while emotional exhaustion drops by 25% and stress by 24%.

For companies investing in founders, C-suite leaders, and senior management, that translates directly into more effective leadership, reduced burnout risk, and stronger retention.

Costs can also be split between you and your company. We're happy to issue separate invoices for both parties.

If you'd like support making the case internally, reach out, and we'll help.

The market value of VANTAGE is €10,000, but thanks to EU scholarships, founders can join at a fraction of the cost.

Your contribution:

VANTAGE Base

• Early Bird — €2,290 (until June 10 2026)

• Regular — €2,790 (until 30 Jun 2026)

• Late — €3,290 (until 15 Jul 2026)

VANTAGE Pro

• Early Bird — €3,490 (until 11 Jun 2026)

• Regular — €3,990 (until 30 Jun 2026)

• Late — €4,490 (until 15 Jul 2026)
  

VANTAGE Premium

• Early Bird — €4,690 (until 11 Jun 2026)

• Regular — €5,190 (until 30 Jun 2026)

• Late — €5,690 (until 15 Jul 2026)

Due to funding limitations, only 20 founders can receive scholarships per cohort.

You can also pay in up to 3 instalments.

If you’d like to participate but don’t qualify for the scholarship, please get in touch with us.

Batch#4: August-December 2026 (TBC)

Core in-person formats take place at the beautiful Gutshof Fredenwalde in Brandenburg — our primary retreat location immersed in nature. Additional sessions take place in Berlin. Coaching and peer sessions are conducted digitally between immersions. All in-person events are mandatory for participation in the program.

• Kick-off: 28-30 August 2026 (Berlin)

• Retreat: 15–18 October 2026 (Gutshof Fredenwalde, Brandenburg)

• Closing: 4–6 December 2026 (Berlin)

Future programs: Q1–Q2 2027.

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

Measured by ECG-based 48h HRV analysis, WHOOP sleep tracking, and validated mental health & leadership diagnostics — evaluated in collaboration with our external science team from leading U.S. performance research institutes.

Typical outcomes:

• Lower stress, burnout, and anxiety: stress -24%, anxiety -24%, emotional exhaustion -25%, measured through ECG, wearable data, and validated diagnostics.

• Greater resilience and efficacy: resilience up 26%, professional efficacy up 12%; founders describe feeling "steady instead of wired," managing pressure without depletion.

• More control and psychological safety: sense of control up 47%, psychological safety up 43% — two strong predictors of business success.

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

• 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.

We use a rigorous pre-post design across multiple data sources to track real change. Each program is scientifically evaluated by a research consortium across Iowa State University, Syracuse University, University of Missouri – Kansas City, University of North Texas, Kansas University, and Queen’s University.

• Every participant undergoes a clinical-grade 48-hour ECG assessment capturing heart rate variability, autonomic nervous system balance, stress reactivity, recovery capacity, and sleep architecture. In addition to a structured lifestyle questionnaire covering sleep, nutrition, exercise, and energy patterns.

• Throughout the program, participants wear biometric devices (like Whoop and HeartMath) that provide continuous longitudinal data on nervous system response, recovery, sleep quality, and activity levels.

• At the start and end of the program, each participant also completes a comprehensive scientific survey based on validated scales — covering burnout, stress and anxiety, psychological safety, resilience, work-life harmony, passion, and loneliness at work. Our framework draws on references including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, DASS-21, and the HOL Scale.

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.

We believe in what we've built: if you're not convinced after the kick-off, you can withdraw and receive a full refund within 7 days.