KölnBusiness achieves international breakthrough for mature scale-ups through strategic acceleration and expert mentorship
Challenge
Mature scale-ups needed more than basic startup support—they needed tailored strategies to scale internationally, professionalize operations, and prepare for volatile markets.
Results
Each participating scale-up left with tailored strategic deep-dives, strengthened operations, acces to international partnerships, and tangible momentum to execute.
Client
KölnBusiness – Cologne’s economic development agency supporting high-potential startups in international scaling.
In short
In 2024, nlmtd and KölnBusiness launched the second edition of the Scale-Up Program—targeting mature ambitious companies ready to scale internationally. The program’s growing reputation became a magnet for high-performing scale-ups. Five scale ups entered: Humanizing, Aedifion, GreenToolkit, Eekual, and CatchHR, each not to find product-market fit, but to dominate new markets and scale with precision. Over eight weeks, the program delivered tailored strategic deep-dives, expert mentorship, and access to investors and international partners. The result: every participant left with a clear roadmap, enhanced operational foundations, and the partnerships to accelerate global growth.
The program provided a useful framework to sharpen our strategic direction. We professionalized our internationalization strategy, refined our value proposition, and more than doubled our ARR. In the first half of 2025, we successfully closed our Series B financing round.
Participants:
Challenge
Raising the bar
Due to a successful first edition in 2023, the KölnBusiness x nlmtd Scale-Up Program returned with a sharper focus: support mature, growth-ready companies that are ready to accelerate, not experiment. The 2024 cohort was therefore different than the 2023 cohort, these were no longer early-stage startups searching for their first international steps, but scale-ups with real tractions and international ambition facing the complex challenges of scaling, fundraising, and global expansion.
From challenge to breakthrough
This cohort entered with challenges such as ambitious growth targets and demanding stakeholders, the need to professionalize teams and processes, pressure to expand internationally without losing focus, and volatile markets demanding resilience and adaptability. The challenge was to provide sharp, actionable support and strategy, no hand-holding or general advice.
The scale-up program propelled us from a bootstrapped team to an organization with global credibility. Our results with global clients like A24 prove we're ready to lead the green transition in media.
Process
Over eight weeks, the program combined strategic assessments, expert coaching, and targeted interventions, all elevated from the previous year’s approach, to meet the mature scale-ups’ complex needs and help each scale-up refine its growth path. Companies worked through tailored sessions on go-to-market strategy, organizational design, international expansion, and investor readiness.
Deepdive in the process
The 2024 program was built around five pillars:
Strategic assessment
Each scale-up started with a full diagnostic of its business model, challenges, and growth plan. Together with the nlmtd team, they stress-tested their strategies and focused their resources on what truly drives results.
Organizational scaling
The second phase addressed the critical transition from hands-on founder teams to professional structures capable of international expansion. We worked intensively on process optimization, team professionalization, and operational excellence required for global scaling. Each scale-up received tailored guidance on building the organizational backbone needed to support rapid growth without losing agility—a key differentiator from the 2023 program’s more foundational approach.
Market entry
Scaling across borders was a key theme. Companies build to-to-market playbooks for international expansion, including local partnership development, compliance frameworks, and competitive positioning analysis. We didn’t just help them enter new markets—we helped them develop strategies to dominate those markets through strategic partnerships and localized approaches. This represented a significant evolution from the 2023 program’s focus on first international steps.
We entered this program with fast growth ambitions, and finished it with the playbook every scale-up now needs: resilience, focus, and adaptability. The journey gave us not just tools for growth, but the discipline to thrive—even when the market turns upside down.
Elite access
Only the most ambitious companies make the cut.
Peer learning
Founders challenge and inspire each other to raise the bar.
Global network
Direct routes to investors, and international partners.
Ongoing support
Quarterly check-ins and a vibrant alumni community.
Investor readiness
Investor preparation wasn’t just about pitch decks. The programm provided advanced investor readiness support, including Series A/B preparation, valuation strategies, transaction readiness, and direct investor access. Several participants, including Aedifion, used this groundwork to secure significant funding.
Final event: Elite network access
The 2024 Scale-Up Program finale was more than a closing ceremony—it was a celebration of ambition, achievement, and community. Over 50 founders, investors, mentors, and ecosystem partners gathered in Cologne to witness the cohort’s transformation firsthand. The program’s growing reputation meant it could attract higher-caliber mentors and partners than the previous year.
The atmosphere was electric. Instead of standard pitch decks, each scale-up presented strategic business cases, showcasing real traction, international partnerships, and bold growth plans. Keynotes from both founders and investors sparked lively discussions about the future of innovation and the German tech landscape.
Networking buzzed well into the evening, with new connections forming between scale-ups and potential partners. The event didn’t just mark the end of the program; it launched a new chapter for every participant—equipped, inspired, and ready to scale beyond borders.
Results
The 2024 program delivered measurable, meaningful and immediate results across all five participants. Aedifion more than doubled its ARR and succesfully closed a Series B funding. GreenToolkit landed global clients and laid the groundwork for European expansion. Eekual rebranded to OneSneaker and built international partnerships. Humanizing refined its strategic focus in the financial sector with partnerships in development. CatchHR became more resilient and shifted to a sustainable core business model despite market volatility. Across the board, scale-ups left the program better equipped—strategically, operationally, and commercially—to lead their markets. Additionally, the program achieved a 4.3/5.0 satisfaction score.
From SaaS Frameworks to Banking Focus: Finding Our True Core
The scale-up program not only gave us the frameworks to professionalize as a SaaS company, but also the space to discover our core: Humanizing AI for the banking industry. In 2024, we learned to build communities, up our operational game, and refine our leadership. Q1 2025 forced us to focus, double down on the financial vertical, and channel our Sparkasse experience. Now, with a focused team and actionable learnings from real client feedback, we’re truly ready to grow—one strategic partnership and one banking client at a time.
Doubled ARR, Secured Series B: The Strategic Path to Global Expansion
The program provided a useful framework to sharpen and stress-test our existing key approaches and strategic direction. In 2024, we professionalized our internationalization strategy, refined our value proposition, and more than doubled our ARR. What proved most valuable during the program were targeted expert connections that helped us to enhance transaction readiness. In the first half of 2025, we successfully closed our Series B financing round and are now well-equipped to roll out our expansion plans.
From Bootstrapped Team to A24: Leading the Green Media Revolution
The scale-up program propelled us from a bootstrapped, hands-on team to an organization with global credibility. Through 2024 we gained actionable insights into process automation, strategic hiring, and market expansion. Q1 2025 tested our structure—forcing us to fix the basics, reinforce our IT, and focus on what makes customers stick. Despite localization challenges, our results with global clients like A24 prove we’re ready to lead the green transition in media. We’re now laser-focused on sustainable growth, operational excellence, and building the partner network that will drive our European expansion.
Bold AI Vision Meets Strategic Reality: The GenAI Fashion Pioneer’s Journey
From the outset, the program helped us turn a big, bold vision—AI-powered, sustainable fashion—into something structured, strategic, and real. For a lean and ambitious team like ours at Eekual, that guidance was essential. We came in with passion and product ideas, but it was through the program that we were able to sharpen our brand, restructure our approach, and rethink how we scale sustainably. One of the biggest breakthroughs was learning to separate the AI technology from the product side of the business. That simple shift unlocked a path to scalability and gave us the clarity we needed to move forward with confidence. The rebrand to OneSneaker wasn’t just a name change—it signified a more focused identity and a clearer story to tell investors and partners. Q1 wasn't without its challenges. We faced some tough technical and financial roadblocks, especially in manufacturing and product tooling. But thanks to the structured feedback, the right network connections, and support from the cohort, we didn’t just navigate these issues—we used them as catalysts to refine our direction. We leave this phase not only with a stronger foundation and new international partnerships, but also with the kind of resilience you only gain by working through the hard stuff. The program didn't just accelerate our business—it helped build a version of Eekual that's ready for global scale. Thank you nlmtd!rs.
Building Resilience in Recruitment: How to Thrive When Markets Turn Volatile
We entered this program with fast growth ambitions, and finished it with the playbook every scale-up now needs: resilience, focus, and adaptability. 2024 brought us scale and new international traction, but Q1 2025 forced us to adapt to a changed, volatile market. By rethinking our value proposition, trimming the team, and investing in automated, efficient funnels, we've shifted from rapid expansion to building a sustainable, high-performing core in recruitment tech. The journey gave us not just tools for growth, but the discipline to thrive—even when the market turns upside down.
Next steps
The program showed that mature scale-ups thrive with sharp focus, the right network, and tailored support. With two successful editions and a proven track record, the KölnBusiness x nlmtd Scale-Up Program’s reputation now attracts higher-caliber applicants, creating a virtuous cycle of quality that distinguishes it from typical accelerators.
Applications for the 2025 edition are open until September 1st 2025 (Only 5 spots available for Cologne’s most strategic scale-up accelerator). This edition will continue focusing on Series A/B prospects, leveraging this proven model for international scale-up acceleration while building on the strategic depth that sets it apart.
From the outset, the program helped us turn a big, bold vision—AI-powered, sustainable fashion—into something structured, strategic, and real. The rebrand to OneSneaker wasn't just a name change—it signified a more focused identity and a clearer story to tell investors and partners.
Conclusion
At nlmtd, we turn vision into action. The KölnBusiness x nlmtd Scale-Up Program 2024 proved this: we don’t just talk about the future—we build it, side by side with ambitious founders. Together, we transform bold ideas into international growth, create resilient organizations, and deliver real impact across sectors—from sustainable media to AI-driven banking. This is our promise: by combining sharp strategic thinking with hands-on support, we help high-performing scale-ups unlock their next growth chapter. This isn’t just about growth—it’s about building tomorrow’s leaders that are ready to shape, and own, the future.
Want to know more? We worked on this!
Thijs Sprangers
Thijs Sprangers
