“Behind every startup there is not just an idea, but a multitude of people who do everything they can to bring that idea to life and make it grow.”
Under this motto, the Federal Association of German Startups The German Startup Awards are presented in eight categories and one special category: Founder, Newcomer, Entrepreneur, and Investor of the Year. To participate in the competition, the startups founded or supported by the nominees must
- be younger than 10 years old,
- have a (planned) employee/sales growth and/or
- be (highly) innovative in their products/services, business models and/or technologies.
In addition, there are additional criteria for each category. For example, a nominee for the title of Founder of the Year must demonstrate "a strong sense of innovation, commitment, and perseverance." However, those seeking to become Newcomer of the Year must not have founded their startup before 2019. All details on the requirements are available here. viewable here.
The nomination and the process
Nominations are open from September 1 to October 31. A jury consisting of investors and founders will then select the best in each category. The awards will then be presented in Berlin on May 6, 2021.
The German Startup Awards were presented for the first time on 5 March 2020. Following the gala, Christian Miele, President of the Federal Association of German Startups:
"At the German Startup Awards, we saw what great founders and investors we have in Germany. The German Startup Awards are the first awards from the scene for the scene. And it was precisely this startup scene that showed yesterday that it stands together and has developed a new self-confidence and a new attitude. German startups are taking on more and more responsibility and are ready to shape Germany even more strongly in the future, technologically, economically, and socially. Many thanks to all the sponsors, guests, and the team who made the German Startup Awards possible."
