The Company
UnitPlus is a Berlin-based FinTech that originally started with an investment account app for
retail customers, through which users could invest via ETFs and a Mastercard
and make payments.
The company has since primarily focused on business customers. With
UnitPlus Business, it offers professional cash management for startups, freelancers
and SMEs, offering high-yield and flexible alternatives to traditional call and fixed-term deposits
based on money market funds.
The Challenge
UnitPlus already had experience applying for funding, specifically with the
Startup Bonus. However, non-dilutive funding like the R&D tax allowance was new territory for the team.
The challenge was less about a lack of awareness of the program,
but rather in the complexity of the application process itself.
Applying under the R&D tax allowance act places specific demands on
the documentation and description of research activities. Instead of building this expertise
internally, in addition to their core product focus, UnitPlus faced the question of
how the funding could be secured most efficiently.
Collaboration with re:fund
UnitPlus deliberately chose re:fund to outsource the complexity of the
application process and to specifically complement its own expertise with a
specialized partner. Two key factors were decisive: the
proven funding expertise of re:fund and the individual support throughout the
entire process.
re:fund took over the grant-related preparation of the R&D activities and ensured
that the documentation met the requirements of the certification body. The
effort on the client's side varied, being moderate during the initial assessment and
estimation of eligible resources, and then low in subsequent years due to the
clear and structured approach.
The Result
The collaboration with re:fund was a complete success: UnitPlus receives a six-figure
sum through the research allowance, enabling it to finance further growth and additional
development projects.
The result also convinced internally: re:fund is described as a dynamic team with high
expertise, providing individual support and targeted advice during the application process.
.png)
.png)
