Call for Nominations for the ACHEMA Start-Up Award 2021

Entrepreneurial scientists, young founders and owners of start-ups can now apply for the ACHEMA Start-up Award 2021. For the third time DECHEMA, Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and High-Tech Gründerfonds are looking for ideas, concepts and business plans in the fields of chemistry, process engineering and biotechnology. For the first time participation is also possible for international founders. The finalists have the unique opportunity to present themselves to an international audience of experts at ACHEMA 2021. Three overall winners will also receive a prize money of 10,000 Euro each. 

The chemical industry is a driver of innovation for numerous other industries. Innovations in chemistry, process engineering and biotechnology can fundamentally improve technologies and products on a broad scale. However, the number of new companies being founded in these areas is low. Good ideas and young companies need support in order to bring innovations to the market and open up new business fields. This requires access to experienced mentors, a strong network and financial resources.

Therefore, DECHEMA, the Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and High-Tech Gründerfonds are awarding the ACHEMA Start-up Award for the third time at ACHEMA 2021. Idea providers and company founders can apply now.

The competition has three phases - ideas can be submitted until 31 March 2020, concepts until 31 July 2020 and business plans until 30 November 2020. Particularly in the early phases, applicants have the opportunity from the outset to discuss their concepts with high-ranking mentors with specialist expertise and, on this basis, to obtain support for the preparation of their business plans. Already in this early phase, applicants as well as young start-ups founded or in the process of being founded after 1 July 2018 can be given access to potential investors in order to discuss the possibilities of financing. Irrespective of the time of entry into the competition, all business plans submitted by 30 November 2020 will compete for the places in the final round.

Up to ten promising start-ups or start-up ideas will be given the chance to present themselves and establish contacts at ACHEMA 2021at the ACHEMA Start-up Award stand and within a special pitch and networking session. Three overall winners will also receive a prize money of 10,000 euros each.

The ACHEMA Start-up Award is presented by DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V., DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH, Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain e.V. and High-Tech Gründerfonds. The ACHEMA Start-up Prize is also supported by the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) as well as the Business Angels Network Germany and the Forum Startup Chemistry.