German UDS and Berlin College of Business and Technology Launch "The Founder's MBAs": Two Accredited MBA Degrees in a Single Founder-Focused Pathway

A dual-MBA pathway that places founders inside Berlin’s startup ecosystem, working alongside 260-plus ventures, learning through Harvard Business Impact case studies, and taught by faculty who led research at institutions such as the Hasso Plattner Institute.

BERLIN, 28 July 2026 - Berlin College of Business and Technology (BCBT) and German University of Digital Science (German UDS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to launch The Founder's MBAs. The programme pairs business leadership training with genuine digital expertise, so students can pursue both without splitting their studies or leaving the Berlin-Brandenburg region.

Over two years, students complete BCBT's International MBA (awarded by Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi in Italy) alongside German UDS's MBA in Digital Transformation. The first degree covers entrepreneurship, business negotiation, and scaling operations. The second covers digital strategy, cloud infrastructure, and venture building. Students graduate with two independently accredited degrees.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel, President of German UDS and former Director and CEO of the Hasso Plattner Institute (2004 to 2023), said: “Digital transformation is decided by people, not by technology alone. We designed these courses around the skills that transformation demands from people, not just the tools. Combining that with BCBT’s entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs training and its on-campus startup community means our students graduate having already worked next to real ventures. That combination does not exist anywhere else in the region.”

Holger Holland, co-founder of BCBT and serial entrepreneur, added: “future skills alongside a working knowledge, being in the campus with other founders lets students learn both sides of the equation and build their own company at the same time.”

Dr. Valdrin Dervishaj, co-founder and CEO Academics of BCBT, said:

“Founders require strong finance and negotiation skills alongside a working knowledge of data, cloud infrastructure, and software development. This partnership with German UDS allows our students to learn both sides without choosing between them.”

What makes this different

The distinction is not only the two degrees. It is where the learning happens and who students learn beside.

Education is run in one of the city’s largest innovation hubs and digital transformation area. Students work directly alongside more than 260 active ventures rather than reading about entrepreneurship from a distance. The curriculum is built on Harvard Business Impact case studies and taught by faculty whose digital transformation experience includes leading research institutions and top startups in Germany.

The environment is engineered for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. During the programme, students can also join weekly networking evenings and regular founder meetups held on campus with more than 100 people. Enter in-house startup programme to build, and formally incorporate, their own venture while they study. Access free legal and financial advisory for their own startups. Attend regular bootcamps and hackathons organized by both institutions.

What's next

Applications for The Founder's MBAs will open later this year. Programme structure, admissions criteria, curriculum details, and tuition fees will be published at The Future of Education | German University of Digital Science and Home - Berlin College of Business and Technology in the coming weeks.

About German University of Digital Science (German UDS)

German UDS gGmbH is a digital university based in Potsdam, Germany, dedicated to digital science and the digital transformation of higher education.

About Berlin College of Business and Technology (BCBT)

BCBT GmbH is a private higher education institution in Berlin, operating in academic cooperation with Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi. The college trains founders and future business leaders, with a campus located directly within Berlin's start-up and innovation ecosystem.

Media Contact
sourav.majumdar@german-uds.de