The German Startup Awards will be presented for the fifth time on May 16, 2024. Among the nominees is Natalia Tomiyama from Nüwiel as Impact Entrepreneur of the Year, whose startup was significantly supported by the Startup Dock – now Startup Port @TUHH. With an award ceremony at the Tipi am Kanzleramt in Berlin, the startup association honors visionary entrepreneurs and investors who want to shape the future with their groundbreaking ideas. The keynote speech will be given by Federal Minister of Economics and Vice Chancellor Dr. Robert Habeck.
This year, the jury of the German Startup Awards nominated 24 outstanding personalities from over 400 applications in the categories Impact, Investing, Newcomer and Foundation – a recognition that is intended to reflect the breadth and quality of the German startup ecosystem. “This award celebrates the pioneers of our time who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, creating innovative solutions for tomorrow and making a sustainable contribution to the transformation of our economy with entrepreneurial responsibility,” emphasizes Franziska Teubert, Managing Director of the Startup Association.
Diversity and potential of German startups
The nominated founders and their start-ups are intended to exemplify the innovative spirit that can carry Germany into the future. “They are opening up future fields such as green hydrogen and AI, bringing research-intensive technologies such as battery recycling to the masses and helping cancer patients receive the best possible treatment,” says Teubert. “The German Startup Awards 2024 show the diversity and great potential of German startups.”
Natalia Tomiyama from Nüwiel nominated as Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
The Impact category recognizes individuals whose companies have a sustainable and positive impact on society. Among the nominees is Natalia Tomiyama from Nüwiel as Impact Entrepreneur of the Year, whose startup was significantly supported by Hamburg University of Technology’s Startup Dock – now Startup Port @TUHH. In 2016, she founded her company together with Fahad Khan and Sandro Rabbiosi. With his experience as a senior design and development engineer, Fahad developed the concept for the intelligent, motorized bicycle trailer from Sandro’s original idea. Natalia brought more than five years of experience in market analysis and research as well as the necessary financial and marketing know-how to the company. With the support of the Startup Dock, they received funding from InnoRampUp and Climate-KIC, among others, and were recognized by the European Commission as one of the most innovative startups in Europe.
Various awards are presented
In addition, investors who demonstrate their sense for successful business models with clever investments are honored with an award. The Newcomer of the Year category recognizes promising entrepreneurs who have achieved a lot with their startups in a short space of time and have made a strong impression on the ecosystem. In the top category of start-ups, the driving forces behind the next unicorns and global market leaders who are changing entire industries with their start-ups are honored.
In addition to the startup hotspots of Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, the nominees come from Freiburg, Aachen, Dresden, Ulm, Giessen, Braunschweig and Mannheim, thus demonstrating the regional diversity of the German startup ecosystem.
In addition to the prizes in the four categories, the Startup Association also awards a special prize to individuals or organizations for their outstanding commitment to the startup ecosystem. The 30-member jury is made up of representatives of the Startup Association board, winners from the previous year and representatives of the GSA partner organizations.
These are the finalists of the German Startup Awards 2024
Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
- Kristina Lunz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Center for Feminist Foreign Policy (Berlin)
- Natalia Tomiyama, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Nüwiel (Hamburg)
- Tatjana Kiel, Founding Partner, Score 4 Impact gGmbH (Hamburg)
Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
- Ben Unterkofler, Founder & Managing Director, share (Berlin)
- Dr. Mridul Agrawal, Managing Director & Co-Founder, iuvando Health GmbH (Mannheim)
- Philipp Schröder, CEO & Co-Founder, 1KOMMA5° (Hamburg)
Newcomer of the year
- Prof. Dr. Angela Moreira Borralho Relógio, Founder & CEO, TimeTeller GmbH (Hamburg)
- Lilian Schwich, Co-Founder & CEO, cylib GmbH (Aachen)
- Dr. Najoua Bolakhrif, Co-Founder and Managing Director, GLAPE GmbH (Freiburg im Breisgau)
Newcomer of the year
- Dr. Ish Dhand, Co-founder and CEO, QC Design (Ulm)
- Dr. Joel Eichmann, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Green Elephant Biotech GmbH (Giessen)
- Joudi Khal, CCO & Co-Founder, NewStarters (Berlin)
Founder of the year
- Julia Bösch, CEO & Founder, Outfittery (Berlin)
- Kristina Nikolaus, CEO & Co-Founder, OKAPI:Orbits (Braunschweig)
- Lea Frank, CEO & Co-Founder, anybill (Munich)
Founder of the year
- Jonas Andrulis, Founder & CEO, Aleph Alpha (Heidelberg)
- Jonathan Kurfess, Founder & Chairman, Appinio (Hamburg)
- Nils Aldag, CEO & Founder, Sunfire (Dresden)
Investor of the year
- Gloria Bäuerlein, Founder, Puzzle Ventures (Berlin)
- Katharina Wilhelm, Partner, Index Ventures (Berlin)
- Lise Rechsteiner, General Partner, Vsquared Ventures (Munich)
Investor of the year
- Benjamin Erhart, Managing Partner, UVC Partners GmbH (Munich)
- Jan Miczaika, Partner, HV Capital (Berlin)
- Johannis Hatt, Founder & CEO, JVH Ventures GmbH (Berlin)
About the German Startup Awards
“Behind every startup is not just an idea, but a large number of people who do everything they can to bring this idea to life and make it grow. With the German Startup Awards, the Startup Association honors the fighters, doers, lateral thinkers, visionaries, supporters and companions who make the German startup ecosystem what it is: one of the most exciting and dynamic in the world.”
About the Startup Association
As the representative and voice of startups in Germany, the Startup Association has been committed to a startup-friendly Germany since it was founded in 2012 and currently represents more than 1,200 members.
