Startup Germany Tour

#Exploring

Join our Pre-Program! Nine webinars for your successful start in Germany!

#Challenging

Inter.national! Startup Contest: A worldwide startup competition with more than 40 countries.

DETAILS & REGISTRATION

#Connecting

Our Main Program – Get in contact with companies, accelerators, investors and relevant institutions.

PROGRAM 2022

#Extending

Exclusive Day for Finalists.

Learn more

Feel the pulse of the most exciting German startup ecosystem.

What it's all about?

The Start.up! Germany Tour is a mainly digital tour and is about bringing international startups from abroad in touch with corporates and important players from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and showing them the benefits of NRW as a business location and of establishing a business here. The main program is organized from October 23 - 26, 2022 (see #CONNECTING).

How to be part of?

With the help of our local partners (e.g. German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK)), we are identifying and selecting innovative startups from all around the world which are active in the areas of Logistics/Mobility, Green Tech or Industrial Solutions. However, only five startups per country are allowed to be part of the Start.up! Germany Tour. This selection is made by our local partners! These startups get then the opportunity, during our main program in October, to get in touch with our local companies, accelerators, institutions, and potential investors. Maybe you are one of the participants!

So,

… if you want to be part of the Start.up! Germany, click on “APPLY NOW”.

Apply now

Watch the aftermovie 2022

For deeper insights: Watch here the complete GRAND FINAL 2022!

Our International Network

Voices

What do our startup alumnis and partners say?

“Overall, it was very good. The Start.up! Germany Tour allowed us to do experience more companies from different sectors and that was I think for us the main objective in taking part. It was very positive. When we are talking about the final event in Germany, that was a 10 out of 10. On a personal experience, this was really enriching and for Pix Force from a corporate perspective it was really good. The result was as good as it could get. It was a worthwhile trip. Germany is the place to be. Germany is the hard land. Join Germany and you are everywhere in the world. And I think the tour made this crystal clear in terms of the challenges that exist and also a lot about the success cases that also existed with large companies. And how large companies, the government and the banks are helping out. It was worth every single moment. So, that’s why it is a 10 out of 10.”

Renato Gomes

Founder and president at Pix Force (Brazil), Winner of 1st place

“The Start.up! Germany Tour was a nice experience. We already had a lot of experience with these kinds of events. So, I would say that we have enough experience to know if it’s good or bad. The biggest thing what I took from the Start.up! Germany Tour was the Reverse Pitch, I really loved it. I loved this format of reversed pitches and the idea of presenting us the local environment. The Start.up! Germany Tour was really inspiring, and I really felt comfortable with the people around like the organizers, corporates and the other startups. So, it was a nice experience.”

Camil Moldoveanu

Co-Founder & CEO at Re.flex (Romania), winner of 2nd place

“It’s a good way for every startup that wants to raise awareness about its product or idea. It’s valuable to take part in the tour because the outcome you get could be more than you count on. For us, it was exactly the reason why we participated. When we had our first pitch, I was impressed by the scale and quality of the tour, the level of the jury. For us, the Start.up! Germany Tour was a great experience in terms of pitching to different audiences. It helped us gain many insights because we received feedback from a large number of different companies and institutions. That was really valuable and relevant for us, a great addition to winning the third place.”

Vitaly Chukanov

CEO at Ant Machines (Slovakia), winner of 3rd place

NRW does not only need national innovations and startups, but should also become the hotspot for international startups, especially in the B2B sector. The Start.up! Germany Tour has made it possible for many years now to attract suitable international startups from all over the world to the economy in NRW through a qualified process. In recent years, the tour has established itself as a lighthouse project for NRW with an impact for the whole of Germany. As xdeck, we are happy to remain a partner of the tour.

Dr. Markus Gick

co-managing director at xdeck

The core industries in NRW rely on a strong logistics backbone. Startups develop new approaches along the supply chain and help to maintain Germany’s position as a logistics champion. Therefore at startport we focus on matching corporates with promising logistics startups. The Start.up! Germany Tour is a great opportunity for us, as it attracts each year promising international startups. As a result several Startups we met at the Start.up! Germany Tour successfully took part in our accelerator program!

Jan Herzogenrath

accelerator & partnership manager at startport

We have had very good experiences with the Startup Tour in the past. It was a very good and diverse selection of startups from many different countries. All participants had a high motivation and a good spirit. There were many intercultural and value-added conversations before and after the event with the startups. Above all, looking back, the physical event was an important factor to make the right connections right on the spot. The cooperation with Gideon Brothers is of course a very special and positive outcome for us.

Erik Wirsing

Vice President Global Innovation at DB Schenker

Visit our blog

Interview with Vitaly Chukanov, ANT Machines

ANT Machines develops automated heavy-duty robots for port and yard operations. They address the issues of driver shortage, sustainability, and operational efficiency and are intended to replace conventional terminal trucks to make intralogistics more environmentally friendly and resilient.

Interview with Maren Petry - AHK Greater China

What role is your AHK playing in the local startup scene? Have there been any changes since the last year of the tour? (increased interest also among smaller firms to become international?) The AHK Greater China has an innovation strategy department with dedicated staff focusing on China-wide innovation projects and events. We support innovation and […]

Interview with Sharon Masury - AHK Israel

Israel is enjoying an impeccable reputation as one of the start-up friendliest places on the globe. What do you think is Israel’s key to such success? What do you think needs improving? There are several factors that have made Israel’s startup scene so successful. An innovation cycle based on synergies between market opportunities, government support, […]

Interview with Thilo Schaller - AHK Chile

With Chile as one of the top destinations for startups, most certainly in South America, what is Chile’s secret? And what is the secret for his transformation to a popular destination in Latin America? The Chilean government and the entrepreneurship programs like CORFO and Start-Up-Chile are pushing the startup scene to create economic, social, and […]

Interview with Silvia Braghini - AHK Italy

In todays interview we had the pleasure to talk with Mrs. Silvia Braghini from AHK Italy. She is Project Manager for Market & Business Development in Milan and shares with us her thoughts about Italian startup landscape and what part the AHK Italy is playinng in this ecosystem.

ACCESS TO INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS - HOW TO BRING YOUR INNOVATION TO GERMANY'S INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND NRW

The industrial revolution transformed Germany in the late 18th century from a predominately agrarian society into the economic powerhouse in Europe. The seed for this rapid metamorphosis was planted in the coal rich regions of the Ruhr and Rhine, modern North Rhine-Westphalia. Till this day, the landscape of NRW is dominated by its industrial history. Facing ever stiffer competition globally as well as further challenges, NRW is determined to revolutionize and vitalize its industry, actively placing itself at the forefront of technological innovation for industrial solutions.

ACCESS TO GREEN TECH - SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES FOR GERMANY'S MOST DRIVING LOCATION NRW

The industrialization introduced radical change to the world, its people and to the economy, mostly at the expense of the environment. Germany is no exception to this rule. However, the country is determined to embark on the transition to carbon neutrality till 2045, signaling that economic progress does not have to be at the environments expense. North Rhine-Westphalia, the cradle of Germany’s industrialization is vital to this process. Having greatly benefitted from its natural riches of coal and steel production, NRW has been the engine of Germany’s industrial progress and forms till this day Germany’s industrial core. Confronting its industrial heritage, NRW seeks innovative solutions in greening its economy while maintaining its prosperity.

ACCESS TO LOGISTICS & MOBILITY - NRW AS GERMANY'S LOGISTICS HOTSPOT

Although it is a well-known fact that all roads lead to Rome, it is little known that most of them will eventually passing through North Rhine Westphalia (NRW). As the most populous state in Germany, sharing borders with France, Belgium and the Netherlands and a booming economy, NRW is truly the beating heart of Europe. Located in the center of Europe and equipped with an outstanding infrastructure network, NRW is the prime location to serve a wide range of customers and businesses across the continent. Due to these factors, already 19 out of the 50 top-selling companies are located within the state as well as 9 of the 25 leading logistics firms such as DHL, UPS and FedEx. Hence, making NRW a booming and vital target for the logistics & mobility sector.

Podcast by AHK Malaysia about Start.up! Germany Tour

Dominik Stute and Nick Neidl, both one of the main organizers of the Start.up! Germany Tour have been invited to the podcast series „Memberbytes” by the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Malaysia) to talk about the Rhine-Ruhr Area and the Start.up! Germany Tour.

Interview with Krzysztof Mędrala - MedApp S.A.

MedApp S.A. a Polish medtech startup that was founded in Krakow, Poland is now expanding its business to Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia and from there to the DACH region. As a former startup participant of our Start.up! Germany Tour 2021, MedApp took part in the several program parts of the Start.up! Germany Tour like the pre-program, the Inter.national! Startup Contest and has been among the 15 finalists of the Grand Final of the Start.up! Germany Tour 2021 during the main program.

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Vertical 1: Logistics & Mobility

Vertical 2: Green Tech

Vertical 3: Industrial Solutions

improve the way to move people and things.

For centuries increasing mobility and logistic capabilities have allowed us to travel further and organize the transportation of goods more efficiently. And the possibilities are far from exhausted – there is always another new idea that allows startups to improve the way we move people and things.

The future is sustainable and green.

Due to climate change and the worldwide declared objectives to reduce CO2 emissions until 2050, the need for sustainable solutions and green technologies is rising in future. Startups may play a major role here. Let’s make the world greener.

Different industries need different solutions.

The industry sector is transforming, not only locally but globally. Innovations and different solution approaches from startups will meet economic and corporate strategies. Be part of this transformation.

Why our Tour?!
Benefits for Startups.

North Rhine-Westphalia as one of the most dynamic Regions in Germany.

NRW has the highest amount of working force and the most innovative companies in Germany. The most driving locations are the Rhine-Ruhr-Area along the cities Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Bochum and Dortmund.

Get new ideas and learn from practical insights.

The tour will give you a deep insight into North Rhine-Westphalian startup ecosystem. You will meet many local startups, incubators and accelerators for practical advice and networking on the tour.