[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Unlocking Germany: Cardano’s Next Commercial Growth Market

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

60000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

4

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Cardano lacks growth in Germany - a leading Web3 hub and economic powerhouse - and thus misses out on key commercial and academic opportunities that go beyond basic meetups and community efforts.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://www.sososcaled.com
,
• https://x.com/sososcaled
,
• https://t.me/sososcaled

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.

Yes, fully open source. We will publish all data, mappings, insights, and frameworks in an open workspace. This ensures transparency and makes the project a repeatable template for ecosystem contributors who want to activate other regions or continue expanding in Germany.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Marketing

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano?

We’re targeting startups, enterprises, innovation leaders, and academic institutions in Germany. These include enterprise incumbents, startup founders, accelerator leads, and university innovation hubs.

We’ll reach them through direct 1:1 outreach, curated events, university visits, and our extensive personal network in the Berlin and wider German innovation ecosystem.

This matters for Cardano because Germany as a global innovation hub and economic powerhouse remains largely untapped. Engaging this market will help unlock new pilot opportunities, startup integrations, and talent channels for Cardano.

Provide a list of key activities of your project:

Mapping the landscape and opportunity space:

• Research, structure and map 100+ startups, enterprises, labs, and innovation hubs in Germany

Facilitating opportunities:

• Shortlist 3+ Cardano-aligned businesses and introduce them to ecosystem
• Confirm mutual interest with 1+ university innovation hubs to explore partnership opportunities

Building and developing the network:

• Host 1 curated closed door business roundtable in Berlin
• Conduct 10+ 1:1 calls with high-potential stakeholders
• Engage with 1+ university innovation hub (e.g., TU Berlin, TU Munich)

Documenting results:

• Deliver insight-rich report with clear synthesis of stakeholder feedback, regional opportunity areas, key challenges, and recommended next steps.

What are your success metrics?

• 100+ relevant organizations mapped and categorized
• 10+ 1:1 conversations completed with tangible follow-ups
• 1 curated closed door business roundtable successfully hosted
• 3+ startup collaborations initiated with Cardano potential
• 1+ academic partnerships or pilots kicked off
• Engagement and alignment with Cardano ecosystem actors (e.g. IOG, Catalyst, Cardano Foundation) initiated

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We propose a structured, four-month pilot that activates Cardano’s commercial presence in Germany - one of Europe’s most influential innovation markets - through targeted landscape and solution mapping, high-value business development, and academic engagement.

Our solution focuses on three pillars.

1. Systematic landscape and solution mapping (foundation)

We identify and categorize 100+ relevant organizations across Web3, enterprise (retail, automotive, manufacturing, …), deep tech and AI, as well as universities. The result is the first structured “Germany Opportunity Map” for Cardano, highlighting where commercial traction is most likely.

2. High-leverage activation (execution)

We directly engage key actors through:

• One curated leadership roundtable in Berlin (first tier-1 enterprises confirmed already)
• 10+ targeted 1:1 meetings
• Identification and light-touch BD support for 3+ Cardano-aligned startups

These interactions create real partnership opportunities, not just community awareness.

3. Academic and talent channel development (long-term pipeline)

We initiate collaboration with at least one leading institution (TU Berlin, TU Munich, or similar) to explore lectures, hackathons, case studies, and curriculum integration, opening a sustainable student and talent pipeline into Cardano.

All outputs are captured in a public strategic report that synthesizes insights, maps BD pathways, and provides concrete next steps for scaling the effort.

This is a repeatable regional BD model that can be scaled for Germany, and also applied to other markets.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This project strengthens Cardano’s commercial and academic presence in one of Europe’s most strategic markets. Germany is a top-tier innovation hub with strong enterprise demand for secure, regulated-ready blockchain solutions, an area where Cardano has natural strengths. The impact includes:

• New dealflow channels: Direct access to promising enterprise teams, startups, and digital innovation units.
• University + talent activation: New pathways for student engagement, lectures, and hackathon collaborations.
• A repeatable regional GTM model: Other Catalyst teams and Cardano contributors can reapply the methodology in additional markets.
• Ecosystem benefit beyond the pilot: Mapped organizations, BD opportunities, and academic contacts remain shared and usable for IOG, CF, EMURGO, Catalyst projects, and builders.
• Visibility at the decision-maker level: The project extends ecosystem marketing into commercial, academic, and venture networks that typically require direct relationship-building. It complements existing marketing efforts and demonstrates a coordinated, ecosystem-wide approach to growth.

Overall, this pilot builds durable commercial infrastructure for Cardano, not just short-term marketing activity.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

This project is led by So So Scaled!, a Berlin-based Web3 GTM Lab founded by experienced operators, C-level executives, and PhDs with strong backgrounds in strategy, Web3, and growth. Our team brings a unique combination of deep technical fluency, commercial execution, and real-world business acumen.

We have strong roots in the German market and a proven track record of running high-leverage BD pilots across Europe. Our ability to engage local startups, convene ecosystem actors, and surface valuable opportunities has been demonstrated repeatedly in similar contexts, and will be a key factor for the success of this project.

Beyond our Web3 experience, we are also seasoned guest lecturers at leading global universities such as Harvard, Oxford, and St. Gallen, and experienced workshop facilitators and enterprise advisors at C-level. As angel investors, Techstars mentors, and corporate VC advisors, we work closely with founders, enterprise leaders, and innovation teams. This means we are naturally very familiar with the environments this project operates in, and bring both the soft skills and hard skills required to ensure this initiative becomes an absolute success.

The model we propose is low-risk, replicable in other regions, and designed to generate fast insights. Feasibility is ensured by our regional network and experience. To ensure trust and accountability, we will:

• Share progress, event outcomes, and academic engagements for the ecosystem and community to review
• Include documentation for each milestone, including contact lists, roundtable notes, and startup profiles
• Make collaboration transparent by involving local stakeholders, Cardano contributors, and ecosystem teams

This project is designed to be lean and effective. We’re not running a vague community initiative - we’re mapping tangible pathways for commercial opportunities, creating real-world connections, and documenting them clearly for future reuse. Validation will come from:

• Confirmed 1:1 calls and university engagements
• Curated roundtable execution with relevant actors
• Startup and enterprise traction and handover to Cardano founders and teams

The following testimonials from previous Web3 projects show that our approach creates real value, that we deliver results, and our results are already trusted by ecosystem leaders:

• “Decentralized BD is tough to bootstrap. Natalie and Jashar found a credible path by building an essential knowledge base. I fully support all their proposals to bring this into the ecosystem.” //Founder, Web3 Governance Platform
• "Natalie and Jashar don’t just create slides. They identify what’s needed, collaborate, and deliver.” //Founder & CEO, Web3 Investment and Advisory Firm

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Ecosystem Mapping & Dealflow Sourcing

Milestone Outputs

• Map 100+ ecosystem stakeholders including early-stage startups, enterprises, Web3 founders, venture scouts, university labs, and crypto-aligned incubators across Germany.
• Conduct 10+ 1:1 conversations with selected stakeholders (e.g. accelerator leads, crypto-native startup founders, innovation heads) to understand their pain points, Cardano relevance, and potential collaboration angles.
• Publish a regional BD Opportunity Map that visualizes the most promising entry points, partners, and strategic verticals. This will be delivered as a living resource or PDF, publicly shared with the Cardano ecosystem and community.

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 100 organizations mapped across the region, covering startups, enterprises, university labs, VCs, and accelerators.
• A minimum of 10 meaningful 1:1 calls held
• A public-facing Notion or PDF visualizing key stakeholders, categories, and initial collaboration potential.

Evidence of Completion

• Publicly accessible Notion page or downloadable PDF listing 100+ mapped German orgs
• Table or visual map categorizing stakeholders (startups, labs, VCs, universities, etc.)
• Screenshots or notes from at least 10 completed 1:1 calls
• Link to publically available BD Opportunity Map, designed to be updated and extended over time

Delivery Month

1

Cost

15000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Activation & Strategic Engagement

Milestone Outputs

• Host one curated private roundtable in Berlin, bringing together a selected number of handpicked startup and innovation leaders to explore concrete collaboration opportunities with Cardano (e.g. pilots, grants, tech alignment). This will not be a public meetup - it’s a curated, professional convening.
• Identify and support 3+ Cardano-aligned enterprises or startup projects with a strong use case (e.g. decentralized identity, tokenization, sustainability, decentralized storage). These projects will receive light-touch BD support, including feedback sessions, resource access, and connection to relevant Cardano teams or grant programs.

Acceptance Criteria

• One curated business roundtable hosted in Berlin with up to 10 targeted participants from the startup and innovation space.
• 3+ promising Cardano-aligned startups identified, profiled, and offered light BD support.

Evidence of Completion

• Photos or documentation from the private roundtable in Berlin (agenda, notes, invite list)
• Short profiles of 3+ selected Cardano-aligned startups and enterprises, including their use case and relevance
• Confirmation that resources were shared with Cardano community stakeholders. Summarie, themes, opportunities, etc. will all be shared with the ecosystem, not just used for private deal flow

Delivery Month

2

Cost

20000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

University & Talent Channel Activation

Milestone Outputs

• Initiate fruitful dialogue with at least 1 leading university innovation hubs or student-led tech clubs in Germany - such as TU Berlin or TU Munich. These will be approached with a focus on blockchain curriculum integration, hackathon collaboration, or guest lectures.
• Explore feasibility for a “Cardano GTM Case Study” or seminar-style engagement where university students can learn how real-world Cardano adoption is structured from a business angle.
• Prepare a contact list and engagement plan for a potential follow-up proposal focused on deeper academic integration and student talent development.
• Start building up an actual ongoing talent channel blueprint for Cardano, not just one-off chats.

Acceptance Criteria

• Initial engagement with at least one leading university innovation hubs or student groups in Germany, including 1:1 meetings.
• Documentation includes contact list, meeting notes, and a plan for future student-facing activities such as workshops, lectures, or case studies.

Evidence of Completion

• Contact list of university innovation hubs or student-led clubs (with names, roles, emails)
• Meeting summaries or notes from initial university outreach and calls
• Draft outline of ideas for a workshop, hackathon, or guest lecture plan tailored for university settings
• Documentation of alignment with potential follow-up scope (e.g. slide, Notion page, or doc)

Delivery Month

3

Cost

10000

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Reporting & Strategic Recommendations

Milestone Outputs

• Deliver a polished, insight-rich report with a clear synthesis of stakeholder feedback, regional opportunity areas, key challenges, and proposals for how to scale.
• Share findings with IOG, Cardano Foundation, EMURGO, and other teams, ensuring the pilot connects with ongoing ecosystem initiatives.
• Include a next-step plan for scaling the effort: e.g. a full German growth office, co-designed startup accelerator, or repeatable GTM playbook tailored to regional institutions and founders.

Acceptance Criteria

• A comprehensive strategic report (PDF or Notion) summarizing all key insights, BD opportunities, pain points, and proposals for scale-up. Report shared with IOG, Emurgo, and the Cardano Foundation. Follow-up roadmap included to guide next steps toward a longer-term presence in Germany.

Evidence of Completion

• Stakeholder feedback, Key BD barriers & enablers, Regional GTM opportunities, Strategic recommendations
• Confirmation of report delivery to IOG, Cardano Foundation, and EMURGO
• Documentation of next-phase proposal scope (summary slide, concept note, or similar)

Delivery Month

4

Cost

15000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

This section explains how the total budget of ₳60,000 (≈ €21,600) is allocated across the four milestones of the project.

Milestone 1 Budget (15,000 ADA)

Senior Strategist (120 ADA/hr): 88 hrs = 10,560 ADA

• Mapping 100+ ecosystem organizations
• Researching relevance to Cardano
• Preparing early insights for contact strategy
• Drafting the first version of the BD Opportunity Map

Stakeholder Outreach & Interviews (120 ADA/hr): 12 hrs = 1,440 ADA

• Conducting 10+ 1 to 1 stakeholder calls
• Capturing pain points, collaboration angles and technical interest
• Synthesizing early signals across calls

Data Structuring & Visual Production (80 ADA/hr): 16 hrs = 1,280 ADA

• Creating the landscape map
• Categorizing all organizations
• Building tables, layouts and a lightweight visual map

Documentation & Workspace Setup (80 ADA/hr): 10 hrs = 800 ADA

• Organizing a public workspace
• Uploading datasets, call notes and visualizations

Flexible refinement budget: 900 ADA

• Reserved for minor additional analysis or mapping adjustments.

Milestone 2 Budget (20,000 ADA)

Strategic Engagement & BD Work (120 ADA/hr): 80.5 hrs = 9,660 ADA

• Identifying 3+ Cardano-aligned startups
• Use case validation + BD guidance
• Preparing ecosystem handovers
• Coordinating follow-ups

Roundtable Planning & Production (80 ADA/hr): 20 hrs = 1,600 ADA

• Agenda design + theme formulation
• Participant recruitment + preparation
• Creating briefing materials

Roundtable Execution (80 ADA/hr): 12 hrs = 960 ADA

• Facilitating the curated session
• Capturing insights and partnership pathways

Participant Documentation (80 ADA/hr): 10 hrs = 800 ADA

• Startup profiles
• Collaboration recommendations
• Summary of discussion outcomes

Venue, Logistics, Food & Beverage (fixed): 6,080 ADA

• Venue contribution
• Basic onsite logistics
• Coffee, drinks, snacks, dinner buffet
• Hospitality for 8–12 curated participants

Flexible refinement budget: 900 ADA

• Minor adjustments and last-minute coordination needs.

Milestone 3 Budget (10,000 ADA)

University Outreach & Meetings (80 ADA/hr): 83.75 hrs = 6,700 ADA

• Contacting innovation hubs (TU Berlin, TU Munich, etc.)
• Conducting 1 to 1 calls
• Early alignment on academic collaboration

Academic Case Scoping (120 ADA/hr): 12 hrs = 1,440 ADA

• Exploring curriculum integration
• Drafting workshop, lecture or hackathon concepts
• Conceptualizing how Cardano use cases might be translate into academic formats

Documentation & Planning (80 ADA/hr): 12 hrs = 960 ADA

• Academic contact list
• Meeting notes
• Structuring the follow-up plan

Flexible academic engagement budget: 900 ADA

• Minor additional meetings or deeper scoping if required.

Milestone 4 Budget (15,000 ADA)

Insight Synthesis & Strategic Analysis (120 ADA/hr): 16 hrs = 1,920 ADA

• Synthesizing 4 months of stakeholder input
• Identifying BD opportunities, barriers and enablers

Final Strategic Report (120 ADA/hr): 86.83 hrs = 10,420 ADA

• Writing the full regional report
• Structuring insights across startups, enterprises and universities
• Recommending scalable GTM pathways

Roadmap & Next-Step Plan (80 ADA/hr): 12 hrs = 960 ADA

• Drafting the long-term expansion roadmap
• Designing future phases (growth office, accelerator, etc.)

Review Meetings with Ecosystem Teams (80 ADA/hr): 10 hrs = 800 ADA

• Alignment calls e.g. with CF, IOG, EMURGO
• Incorporating final edits

Flexible refinement budget: 900 ADA

• Reserved for final polishing and minor last-mile improvements.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This proposal offers strong value-for-money by unlocking a strategically important region for Cardano with minimal cost and low execution risk. For 60,000 ADA, the project delivers:

• A complete BD landscape map for Germany (100+ organizations)
• 10+ qualified meetings with enterprise, startup, and venture leaders
• A curated private roundtable with high-value decision makers
• 3+ startup collaborations with clear Cardano alignment
• Initiated partnerships with at least one university innovation hub
• A full strategic report and scale-up roadmap

This level of business development normally requires significantly larger budgets in corporate or ecosystem settings. The cost is kept low because:

• The So So Scaled! team is locally embedded in Germany and can activate networks without travel overhead.
• Work builds on a proven BD structure used across Web3 ecosystems (Polkadot, Arbitrum, Scroll, Cardano).
• Deliverables (maps, BD insights, pipeline) remain reusable across all Cardano organizations.
• The methodology (mapping → activation → academic channel → report) is reusable for other markets.

Historically, similar BD pilots in Web3 ecosystems cost between 100k-300k ADA. Delivering a German-focused pilot at 60k ADA represents exceptional cost efficiency.

Meanwhile, the following actors will be able to reuse our work right away, with its value extending far beyond the 4-month pilot:

• CF / Emurgo – use the Opportunity Map and recommendations to plan future regional campaigns or hubs.
• Cardano Academy / Intersect – use university contacts and startup profiles for future programs, hackathons, and technical collaborations.
• Catalyst proposers – reference our mapping and insights when designing region-specific proposals.
• Local community members – use the stakeholder list and report to organise their own targeted events or developer meetups.

Why Germany?

• 3rd-largest economy globally
• 2nd-largest Web3 talent pool in Europe
• Deep-tech & engineering culture aligned with Cardano’s values
• Strong academic base (TUM, TUB, KIT, HPI, Fraunhofer)

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that the proposal is a non-technical initiative, with ≤20% of the budget for tech support.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable evidence (portfolio, links, reports) of the team's ability to deliver the project.

Yes

I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes clear objectives with both Output Metrics (what proposal did) and Adoption-Focused Metrics (what effect proposal had).

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly explains the user journey and provides a credible plan for how the project will equip and motivate users for future on-chain activity.

Yes

I confirm that the initiative clearly demonstrates how it will grow the Cardano ecosystem or onboard users.

Yes

I confirm that the project plan and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic and well-defined.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal commits to public outputs and justifies any exceptions.

Yes

I confirm that the budget adheres to all policies: it is for future work, follows the merchandise rule, and excludes establishing local treasuries, incentives/giveaways, re-grants.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes