Do I have the option to get funding from MOL Group or Design Terminal?
We do not claim any ownership in the startups participating in the program, meaning there is no automatic investment by acceptance. If you need further venture capital to grow, you will be able to receive investment from venture capital funds who are in close partnership with us, in case your company meets the funds’ investment expectations and policies.

Does the programme involve any funding for expenses?
In certain justified cases, where selected startups face difficulty with, for example, relocating, we will do our best to find a solution that may involve covering some limited expenses.

How can you guarantee that you will not use the solutions offered by startups that are not selected for the programme? How does MOL Group resolve intellectual property rights? Are applying startups protected in this respect?

During the selection process, any IP-related matter will be thoroughly reviewed. Furthermore, upon application startups do not have to disclose details that could have potential IP relevance. Once selected, if your startup does not have any IP protection, as a first step it will be assigned to an IP strategist from Design Terminal’s mentor pool. Overall, cooperation between MOL and the startup is based on mutual trust.

What happens to participating startups after the programme?
After the startup has worked through the programme (consisting of tailor-made mentoring from Design Terminal and MOL colleagues, and unique piloting opportunities), it will be able to develop further, and scale up more easily and faster on its own. If the startup’s product or service is promising for any of MOL’s business units, the scale-up can potentially happen with the active support of MOL, too. For example, the startup might have the opportunity to become a MOL supplier. With the experience of this corporate partnership under its belt, the startup can work further on its growth strategy.

What will a typical day be like for participants?
The startups will have a strict routine to achieve the commonly set goals. In this respect, because the startups are at a more mature stage (in prototype or MVP) they don’t need basic workshops for everyday work. Rather, they have to focus on product development and improving their business. They have to take part in a maximum two mandatory workshops per week, and one-on-one mentoring sessions at least twice a week. Every second week they will have to participate in a social team event. Since all of the selected startups will work together in a co-working office, they will have many chances to discuss their challenges with each other, and to seek help from our mentors/incubation team. Furthermore, they can have additional one-on-one mentoring sessions if they need a specific mentor from our mentorpool to help solve a specific challenge. All-in-all, we will provide a supportive, caring and strong community to motivate the startups to pursue their game-changing innovations.

Will every startup be able to test their solution in MOL’s network?
The four or five startups that we choose to take part in our programme will be able to test their solutions in parts of MOL’s infrastructure.

Does the testing take place in Hungary only, or throughout MOL’s network?
The testing will take place predominantly in Hungary.

There are many similar initiatives out there, why is yours different?
MOL Group is one of the largest businesses in the CEE region, with a 10-million customer base. We execute one million daily retail transactions, at 2,000 selling points. We will offer parts of this infrastructure as we believe it is a valuable testing ground for innovative solutions, helping to take them to the next level.

What if I can’t commit to working on this full time?
Our preference is for people who are going to be able to set aside the time needed to maintain a strong growth trajectory. This includes attending workshops (1-2x/week), meeting with mentors, completing assignments, talking to users and using all of these activities to constantly iterate on your product. We think this is unrealistic for people who have a full time job. Be aware that if you do not complete the required assignments and do not have sufficient attendance, you can be dismissed from the program.

What if I don’t have relevant skills for what I am trying to build?
Unless you have a plan for how you are going to acquire or hire those skills, it will be difficult. When applying, don’t hide the missing skills, but highlight how you will fill these holes.

Can I enroll in the program if I don’t speak English?

At least one team member must have minimum intermediate English language skills. If you are a Hungarian team consulting with a Hungarian mentor, you don't have to use English during the meeting, only in assignments. Workshops and materials produced during the program will be in English, and we require the application form in English too.

Reasons for not considering applications

• Single person company

• Working on project part time

• No sufficient traction

• Non-scalable product / service

• The complete lack of social utility