The 24 finalists for the German Startup Awards 2026 have been announced
The Startup Association has announced the finalists for the German Startup Awards 2026. On May 21, 2026, the awards will be presented for the first time in front of around 700 guests at the Palais am Funkturm and thus on a much larger stage than before.
From over 400 nominations, a 26-member jury selected the three finalists in each of the categories Newcomer, Founder, Investor and Impact Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition, a special prize for special services to the startup ecosystem will once again be awarded.
Stage for the formative minds of the scene
With the awards, the association specifically focuses on personalities who are driving the German startup ecosystem forward with innovation and entrepreneurial commitment.
Managing Director Christoph J. Stresing emphasizes that, in addition to economic success, all nominees also have the ambition to develop solutions for the central challenges of our time. The awards are intended to give these achievements greater visibility and recognition.
These are the 2026 finalists
Newcomer of the year
- Elise Chen (Syn2core, Munich)
- Lena-Marie Pätzmann (Riemerling)
- Ruth Bosse (Munich)
- Christian Ninstel (Osnabrück)
- Maurits Zevering (Berlin)
- Philip Schmitt (Bochum)
Founder of the year
- Julie Lepique (Berlin)
- Ksenija Milicevic Neumann (Munich)
- Nina Heine (Berlin)
- Felix Pörnbacher (Garching near Munich)
- Jarek Kutylowski (Cologne)
- Malte Kosub (Berlin)
Investor of the Year
- Judith Dada (Berlin)
- Miki Yokoyama (Bielefeld)
- Tanja Emmerling (Berlin)
- Andre Retterath (Munich)
- Mathias Ockenfels (Berlin)
- Simon Schmincke (Berlin)
Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
- Kathrin Mikan (Regensburg)
- Ruth von Heusinger (Berlin)
- Pia Wülfing (Hamburg)
- Ali Abderrahmane (Berlin)
- Alexander Leutner (Berlin)
- Felix Oldenburg (Berlin)
Community voting decides the Impact category
While the jury determines the winners in the Newcomer, Founder and Investor categories, the Impact category remains an award from within the ecosystem: Here, the community decides once again.
Public voting will continue until May 3, 2026.
Partners from the business world
The German Startup Awards are supported by partners such as PwC, Commerzbank, Deutsche Börse, SAP and Ströer. BITO Lagertechnik and the BITO Campus are also involved.
With the new format and the larger stage, the awards underline their claim to make central personalities of the startup ecosystem visible. In addition to economic success, the focus is on innovative strength, social contribution and entrepreneurial courage.
Startbase wishes all nominees every success!
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