Attention Munich startups: The Bavarian Founder Award will be relaunched in 2026. The Bavarian savings banks are awarding the distinction again in four categories after a pause of several years:
- Startup is aimed at promising young companies that were founded between March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2026.
- Rising star addresses companies that are already established in the market and continue to grow.
- Succession honors successful business transfers.
- Life’s work honors individuals for years of entrepreneurial activity.
While companies can apply directly for the Startup and Rising star categories, the Succession and Life’s work categories are only available through nomination by the respective savings bank.
Application, pitch, voting
After the application deadline, an expert jury will make a preselection. The strongest applicants in the Startup and Rising star categories will then pitch their business model to the jury. For the three finalists in both categories, this will be followed by public voting via the Bavarian Founder Award’s social media channels. The result accounts for 40 percent of the overall evaluation.
Final at BMW Welt
The jury is composed of representatives from Bavarian savings banks, the business community, the media, and the startup ecosystem. The awards ceremony will take place on July 20, 2026 at BMW Welt Munich.
You can apply here:
https://www.bayerischer-gruenderpreis.de/#gruenderpreis-kategorien
In parallel with the Bavarian Founder Award, there is also the Munich Founder Award from the Savings Banks, which is also worth checking out.
