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New certificate programme at Wavelab: applications accepted until 22 September 2026

New certificate programme at Wavelab: applications accepted until 22 September 2026

2. September ’26

Wavelab, our university’s start-up centre and innovation lab, is launching a new certificate programme entitled »Creative Industry Startup Programm« in the 2026/27 winter semester. The programme is a further development of the Wavelab Incubator, which has already supported 21 start-up teams working at the interface between the arts and new technologies over the last six cohorts.

As part of the new certificate programme, at least one person from each start-up team will be enrolled at HMTM for one semester. At the end of the semester, the teams will receive an official certificate from HMTM, and the enrolled students will also earn ECTS credits.

All interested start-up teams with a validated, tech-related business idea within the cultural and creative industries – for example, in the fields of music tech, film tech, theatre tech, museum tech or art tech – are eligible to apply. The opportunity is open to both HMTM students and teams from across Europe.

The deadline for applications is 22 September 2026 (12:00 PM).
Up to five start-up teams will be selected.

Programme details

Residential weeks in Munich and Berlin featuring team coaching, pitch training, networking, inspiration and discussions with a wide range of experts from the worlds of music, the arts, media, tech and entrepreneurship
Digital workshops featuring insights into start-up, cultural and tech topics
Access to a co-working space in the heart of Munich’s »Kunstareal«
Networking within Munich’s cultural scene and start-up ecosystem, with technology companies and potential investors and customers

About the Wavelab

Wavelab is the innovation laboratory and start-up centre at the University of Music and Theatre Munich (HMTM) for experimentation and enterprise at the intersection of music, arts and media with new technologies. It began operations in November 2020 at the HMTM’s Institute for Arts Management and Media. At the time, this made the HMTM the first European university to combine the topics of management and entrepreneurship in the cultural and creative sectors with developments in digitalisation.

Wavelab is aimed at interested students and graduates from the fields of music, art, the performing arts, film and media, as well as new technologies. The aim is to encourage the establishment of start-ups in the arts, culture and entertainment sectors that capitalise on developments in digitalisation, and to support them through workshops, coaching and mentoring. The focus is on technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), data science and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Since January 2025, HMTM, through Wavelab, has also been a partner in the Upper Bavaria’s »Gründungs-Hub«, where it is working alongside other higher education institutions and universities to build a new ecosystem for those interested in starting a business in Upper Bavaria.