Eight years of Prototype Fund

The Prototype Fund was launched in 2016 to support public interest technologies. In eight years of funding, we have supported almost 400 projects on their way to becoming software prototypes. Together with you, we want to look back on the past 16 rounds and celebrate: On March 29th, 2025, we invite you to the Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin.

Please note: A free ticket is required for participation:

Barriers

We strive to make our event as accessible as possible together with you. The Festsaal Kreuzberg is accessible at ground level. Wheelchair-accessible WCs and parking spaces for the disabled are available. The stage program will be in German and English and simultaneously interpreted into German, English and German Sign Language. If you have any support needs, suggestions or requests, please let us know.

Agenda

10:30 Arrival

11:00 Welcome by the BMBF

11:15 Keynote by Jac sm Kee: Funding Resistance: Rewilding Tech Landscapes for the World We Want
Jac sm Kee is a feminist activist working at the intersection of internet technologies, social justice and collective power. Jac’s activism includes collaboratively making the Take Back the Tech! global campaign on ending online gender-based violence, and the Feminist Principles of the Internet. Jac is a founding member of the Malaysia Design Archive, and recently co-founded Numun Fund – the first fund dedicated to supporting feminist tech activism and leadership in and for the Larger World.

12:00 Panel I – Recognition is silver, but only gold is gold – why civil society needs money
With Marie Kochsiek (drip), Travis Brown (Archivindex-Builder) & Hadi al-Khatib (Syrian Archive)

12:45 Demo Time & Networking

13:15 Lunch break

14:15 Panel II – The two sides of the coin – software development beyond the code
With Marta Marczykowska-Górecka (Streamlining Qubes OS Device Management), Casey Kreer (a11ybuddy) & Giacomo Nanni (Vantage)

15:00 Review

15:30 Lightning Talks

16:00 Coffee break

16:15 Demo Time & Networking

17:15 Panel III – We build the future – software infrastructure and invisible bridges
With Karolin Varner (Rosenpass), Adam Burns (sig0namectl) & Holger Levsen (Reproducible Builds)

18:00 Lightning Talks

18:30 Closing remarks by the BMBF and Team Prototype Fund

19:00 – 21:00 Closing Ceremony

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