DemocracyTech Accelerator 2026 - Build the Future of Democratic Innovation

A 3-month, high-intensity accelerator for startups strengthening participation, transparency, and democratic resilience - powered by the Social Impact Republic and Public Value Hub in Leipzig.

‍DemocracyTech - Why Now?

‍Democracy needs innovators.

‍Across Europe, trust in democratic institutions is declining. Polarization, misinformation, and outdated participation formats challenge our societies - while citizens increasingly expect transparency, inclusivity, and digital access.

At the same time, a new generation of founders is stepping up: civic technologists, participation designers, AI-for-democracy builders, and social innovators committed to Public Value creation.

DemocracyTech is no longer niche - it’s necessary.

‍This accelerator gives those innovators the tools, networks, and momentum they need to scale their solutions where they matter most.

‍What the Accelerator Offers

Everything you need to turn civic innovation into scalable impact.

You’ll gain:

• Tailored Mentoring: 1:1 guidance from experts in democracy, policy, tech, user-centered design, and public innovation
• Technical Support: product and architecture mentoring for secure, scalable, accessible solutions
• Impact & Public Value Training: measure, communicate, and grow your societal value with proven Public Value tools
• Access to Target Groups: civil society, universities, municipalities, participation labs
• Pilot & Validation Opportunities: test your solution in real use cases
• Validated Impact Data: Access to our Impact Measurement & Management tool "Inluma"
• Visibility & Investor Connections: pitch to a national network of impact investors, foundations, and public partners
• Helping hands: Access to purpose-driven talents in design, product marketing and software/AI engineering. Equipped with a three-month scholarship to support your startup full-time

This is where civic vision meets execution.

Why Leipzig?

Leipzig: Germany’s emerging DemocracyTech Hub

As the Social Impact Republic’s DemocracyTech lead, the Public Value Hub provides:

• Deep regional networks in civil society, policy, and administration
• Expertise in impact entrepreneurship
• Local events, labs, and test environments
• A community of founders committed to strengthening democratic innovation

International scaling is the goal - Leipzig is just the launchpad.

Powered by the Social Impact Republic

A nationwide ecosystem behind your mission.

The DemocracyTech Accelerator is part of the Social Impact Republic, a Germany-wide alliance of six leading innovation hubs.

UnternehmerTUM in Munich, Founders Foundation from Bielefeld, Digital Innovation Center Rostock, Campus Founders and appliedAI Institute for Europe in Heilbronn, and us, the Public Value Hub in Leipzig.

The core themes of the projects lie in the following areas:

• AI in GovTech
• Citizen Entrepreneurship & DemocracyTech
• EdTech
• GreenTech

Our goal

Germany's first impact unicorn! A socially responsible startup with a "Social Return on Investment" of more than 1 billion euros!

Stay Connected With the DemocracyTech Community

The accelerator is only one piece of a larger ecosystem being built across the Social Impact Republic. We’re continuously developing new formats, partnerships, and opportunities for founders working on the future of democracy.

Want to stay in the loop?

→ Join our newsletter for program updates
→ Follow us on Linkedin to stay in-the-loop on events and DemocracyTech workshops
→ Connect with the Public Value Hub team in Leipzig

Innovation in democracy doesn’t happen alone - let’s stay connected.

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About the Project

The Public Value Hub is A non-profit dedicated to fostering public value and impact-driven entrepreneurship through education, research, and policy engagement.‍ The development of the Public Value Academy is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as part of the Nachhaltig Wirken (NaWi) funding program. The duration of the project is December 2024 to December 2027.

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