After a one-year break, the Hamburg Innovation Summit (HHIS) will return on 12 September 2024. Start-up enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting programme of networking, innovative insights and practical workshops. The Startup Port is active in many areas and is represented both in the stage programme and with the central contact point ‘MachBar’ in the Startup Area. The Hamburg Innovation Awards (HHIA), which recognise innovative ideas and companies, are particularly noteworthy: The finalists have now been announced.
The Hamburg Innovation Awards recognise special innovative spirit and outstanding entrepreneurship in the Hamburg metropolitan region in three categories:
- The high-potential business idea: IDEA category
- The exciting start-up: START category
- the innovative growth company: WACHSTUM category
The finalists were selected after two rounds of evaluation by a jury of over 50 people. The winners will be announced at the Hamburg Innovation Summit on 12 September 2024. In addition, an audience award will be presented in a live vote on site.
The finalists in the IDEA category
The business idea with the most potential, sponsor: HC Hagemann
The IDEA category is aimed at potential founders or start-ups from universities, research institutions and all those willing to set up their own business with a technology-orientated or innovative business idea.
Prize money/winnings: €5,000, a start-up kit with valuable non-cash prizes, and all finalists will also receive a stand at HHIS 2024.
Presada is a Hamburg-based EdTech start-up that specialises in improving communication and presentations in companies through artificial intelligence. Presada’s AI presentation coach offers personalised 360-degree feedback on speech, body language and slides to make presentations more successful. Presada helps employees to convey information clearly and convincingly. The aim is to revolutionise communication training in companies and set new standards for e-learning.
wildvögeln is a Hamburg-based start-up that has developed an innovative condom brand to redefine the market for contraceptives and achieve a positive social impact. The company promotes sexual empowerment in developing countries by distributing one condom for every one sold to women who have difficulty accessing contraceptives. Wildvögeln plans to appeal to a young target group through modern brand strategies and creative distribution channels.
HIVESOUND is developing an AI-based platform for beekeepers that enables comprehensive beekeeping management: the platform supports intuitive management, simple documentation and planning of beekeeping work. With the help of external data sources such as weather forecasts, the platform generates recommendations for the care of bee colonies. In addition, sensor technology is being developed to realise a monitoring system for the beehive. The aim is to reduce the winter mortality of bee colonies and increase the honey yield.
The participation criteria:
Natural persons of legal age who are planning to implement an innovative business idea, whereby the start-up and market entry must not have taken place before 30 June 2024.
Participation as an individual or in a team
Participants must be resident in the Hamburg region (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the districts of Stade, Harburg, Pinneberg, Segeberg, Stormarn and Lauenburg) and the planned company must be based there.
Franchisees are excluded from participation.
The finalists in the START category
The most exciting startup on the market, sponsor: TEMPOWERK
The START category is aimed at entrepreneurs who have founded a company in the last ten years and have achieved their first market successes. Start-ups that are changing their industry with an innovative business idea and have the potential to become the next big innovation.
Prize money/winnings: €5,000, a start-up kit with non-cash prizes, and all finalists will also receive a stand at HHIS 2024.
amsight is a spin-off from the Fraunhofer IAPT and aims to revolutionise industrial 3D printing through data-based process optimisation. The amsight software automatically records quality-relevant information from the entire production chain and stores it in the digital twin. AI-based and statistical methods identify optimisation potential, leading to significant cost savings and quality improvements. Since its foundation in August 2023, amsight has achieved several milestones, including 2nd place in the BMWK’s ‘Digital Innovation’ start-up competition and the IFB’s InnoFounder grant.
casuu care offers non-native medical professionals virtual, case-based language and professional training. With the help of realistic simulations, participants learn patient-oriented German, medical terminology and the standards of the host clinic – while still in their country of origin. ‘Our aim is to build a bridge between language courses in the country of origin and practical work in Germany,’ explains Rüdiger Schmitz, founder and CEO of casuu. casuu makes it easier for international nursing staff to enter the German labour market.
vilisto is a Hamburg-based climate protection company that uses digital heat management to reduce energy consumption in non-residential buildings. The core of the solution is real-time energy controlling combined with intelligent thermostats that use patented sensors and self-learning algorithms to recognise room usage and control the temperature automatically. This technology not only saves energy, but also CO2 emissions. Vilisto was founded in 2016 and employs an international team of around 90 people who already serve over 300 customers.
The criteria for participation:
Companies that have become visible within the last ten years (deadline: 30 June 2014) with a technology-oriented, knowledge-based or innovative business idea. The company must be based in the Hamburg region (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the districts of Stade, Harburg, Pinneberg, Segeberg, Stormarn and Lauenburg). Franchisees are excluded from participation.
The finalists in the WACHSTUM category
The most innovative growth company, sponsor: Sparkasse Harburg-Buxtehude
The GROWTH category is aimed at companies that have been in existence for more than ten years and are characterised by sustainable growth and pioneering innovations.
Prize money/winnings: €5,000 and all finalists will also receive a stand at HHIS 2024.
Fristam is recognised worldwide as a leading manufacturer of hygienic stainless steel pumps. Fristam builds pumps for pumping applications in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and chemicals. Since its foundation in 1909 and the production of the first stainless steel pump in 1931, the company has continuously developed and specialised. Fristam is still owner-managed today and focuses on the development of innovative pumps, customised for individual requirements. With five production sites worldwide, Fristam is pursuing a course of continuous growth and investing heavily in the research and development of pioneering technologies.
XRG Simulation GmbH is a simulation services company from Hamburg-Harburg that was founded almost two decades ago. XRG develops innovative software and simulation solutions that make cars, aeroplanes and buildings more efficient. With around 30 employees, the company focusses on pioneering simulations. Owner Stefan Wischhusen emphasises that XRG’s sustainable development is the result of clever ideas and great teamwork.
Participation criteria: Companies that have been entered in the commercial register for at least ten years (deadline: 30 June 2014 or older) and whose registered office is in the Hamburg region. The companies should be characterised by sustainable growth and innovation. Franchisees are excluded from participation.
Announcement of the HHIA award winners on 12 September
More than 50 applications were received by Hamburg Innovation for the IDEA, START and GROWTH categories and were assessed by an independent, high-calibre jury. Following an evaluation of the written applications, the top-ranked companies became HHIA finalists. The finalists then presented themselves in person to the final jury. The HHIA winners will be announced at the Hamburg Innovation Summit on 12 September and presented with their awards by the Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Katharina Fegebank.
The programme at the Hamburg Innovation Summit will offer something for all award finalists and all HHIA applicants with extensive offerings on start-up topics. The programme in the Startup Area is organised by Startup Port and IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH, among others, and consists of events such as these:
- Consultants Table & Interactive Table, Founders Table, Investors Table
- The art of role allocation: Startup teams between chaos and structure
- Startup Roast – support for founders through audience feedback
- Start-up journeys – founding from idea to growth
- Investment Types in Check – Family Offices, VCs or Corporate VCs – Who suits your startup?
- Presentation and short pitches by the HHIA finalists & presentation of the audience award, sponsor: Continental
Subject to change, see HHIS website for current programme.
Website Hamburg Innovation Awards (HHIA):
https://hhia.hamburg
Website Hamburg Innovation Summit (HHIS):
https://hamburg-innovation-summit.de
