2026-02-19
How we verify listings
Verified on Haus means we have confirmed the listing belongs to a real organization and that the core details look sound. That badge is a spam filter. You still have to open the provider page before you apply, and organizations cannot pay to make the badge appear or to climb organic results. The long policy lives on our methodology page. The short version is research plus submissions, human review before publish, Germany scope, and no pay-to-rank. If a field is wrong, tell us, because deadlines and terms move faster than any directory can.
How listings get onto Haus
Germany already has serious primary research: the Deutscher Startup Monitor, Dealroom city reports, and federal program pages such as EXIST. Founders still need a directory that points at rooms they can use this quarter. Haus listings come from two places, which we describe on the methodology page: public research by the team, and submissions from founders, operators, and partners. Anyone can suggest a program, community, or benefit. New and updated entries are reviewed before they go live so the directory stays useful and reasonably accurate.
We focus on programs, communities, and benefits relevant to founders building in Germany. That includes Berlin and the other hubs, plus remote or hybrid options that serve German founders. City and format filters are how you narrow from the full set. We add and refresh listings as submissions come in and as we research the ecosystem. Deadlines, funding terms, and application status can change quickly, so always double-check critical details with the provider before you apply or claim an offer. The card is a researched pointer, and the operator's site is the live document.
What the verified badge actually covers
A verified badge means we confirmed the listing belongs to a real organization and that core details look sound. It does not mean we endorse the program, complete your diligence, or guarantee every field is current. Fields can still go stale after a board meeting or a missed cohort. Program reviews are a different lock: Haus asks for LinkedIn sign-in so fake ratings are harder, and published reviews stay anonymous. A verified listing with zero reviews is still a researched card. A glowing review on an unverified row is still one person's report.
Use verified as a first cut when you are scanning programs or communities. Then open the provider URL and read equity, cost, time, and who sits on the other side of a demo or a pilot. If those fields are blank on the official page, believe the blank. If we got a name, a city, or a status wrong, write to us. The directory only works if correcting a row is cheaper than guessing. We would rather take a listing down than leave a dead deadline in public.
Ranking, paid placement, and updates
Organizations cannot pay to climb search or directory results. That rule is in the methodology on purpose, and editorial decisions stay independent of commercial pressure. Sponsored placement, if it appears, will be labeled clearly and kept separate from organic discovery. Paid visibility is a labeled slot, and it does not buy a better verified badge or a higher organic rank. If you cannot see the label on a paid card, we have failed the policy we published.
We do not pretend the map is complete. Germany is wider than any one research week, and operators rename programs faster than footnotes can follow. The honest process is to keep sourcing, keep reviewing, and keep the method in public. Browse the live programs directory and treat each card as a start, then confirm the current cycle on the operator site before you block a week for an application. That whole integrity bar is deliberately ordinary, because the alternative is a directory nobody can check.