Final in Berlin: The winners of the Startup Champs 2024 have been announced

As part of the “Startup Champs goes FinTech” pitch competition, the Hamburg-based company PARTICIPAYED was named the overall winner of Startup Champs 2024. The event is part of the Fintech Festival FIBE Berlin, which is taking place for the first time in Berlin’s CityCube. A high-calibre jury of investors selected four regional winners and one overall winner from three companies from each of the leading German startup strongholds of Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne. Berlin was represented by the startups NAO, U Impact and tilta. The three companies impressed with exciting pitches. In the end, tilta won the city title – and will now represent Berlin at the international startup conference Slush in Helsinki in November 2024, among other events.

The Startup Champs were chosen for the fifth time this year. The competition is the result of close cooperation between Berlin Partner, KölnBusiness, Hamburg Invest and Munich Startup/WERK1 and serves to network the respective ecosystems in the German startup hotspots of Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Munich. The approximately 9,000 startups based there have an investment volume of almost eight billion euros. Together with other startups from all over Germany, they have developed into an important economic and innovation factor in recent years, which is becoming increasingly relevant both nationally and internationally. The pitch competition contributes to the increased visibility of dynamic startups and thus represents an important impetus for the further development of Germany as a startup location.

The motto of this year’s competition was “Fintech” and was thematically broadly interpreted. This meant that all startups that combine technology and finance and thus offer their own target group innovative added value were able to take part. The Berlin startups NAO, U Impact and tilta were also among the twelve finalists. While NAO offers access to innovative and exclusively curated investments for long-term wealth accumulation, U Impact specialises in making the complex world of sustainable finance more accessible to the general public through data, analyses and tools. tilta, on the other hand, provides marketplaces and e-commerce platforms with an end-to-end infrastructure that enables them to process credit-based payment flows and close liquidity gaps for customers.

As the Berlin regional winner, tilta can now claim a ticket for the international startup conference Slush, which will take place in Helsinki from 20 to 21 November, as well as a pitch spot in the FIBE format “Späti-Talk” this Thursday, 25 April 2024, and look forward to the regional prize from the Berliner Sparkasse. This includes three VIP tickets for the WLOUNGE Tech Award Gala, one of the largest networks for digital startups and scale-ups.

Further information at: www.startup-champs.de

The four initiators of Startup-Champs Germany:

Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH offers business and technology promotion for companies, investors and scientific institutions in Berlin. Numerous technical experts, together with customised services and excellent networking with the scientific community, form an optimum offer to make innovation, relocation, expansion and location projects a success. As a unique public-private partnership, Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie is backed by both the Senate of the State of Berlin and over 250 companies and scientific institutions that are committed to their city. Berlin Partner is also responsible for global marketing for the German capital. The Berlin Partner startup team specifically supports startups and scaleups in their internationalisation in growth markets and, conversely, markets the Berlin startup ecosystem on the international stage in order to promote the establishment of startups in the capital. Within Berlin, the team also coordinates the Berlin Startup Unit, which forms the bridge between the startup world and Berlin politics.
https://www.berlin-partner.de/

Hamburg Invest is the one-stop agency for relocations and investments in Hamburg and a central partner for Hamburg’s business community in all areas of business development. There is a wide range of service offers, particularly for small and medium-sized companies. The Startup Unit sees itself as a central point of contact for all questions relating to the startup offers of the city of Hamburg, financing and important events and networks in the Hanseatic city. https://www.hamburg-invest.com/

KölnBusiness is a partner for a strong economy. As a subsidiary of the City of Cologne, KölnBusiness is a facilitator and supporter for all companies, startups, investors and project developers in Cologne. The Startup Unit of KölnBusiness supports Cologne startups in their growth in cooperation with the stakeholders in the startup ecosystem and positions Cologne as a startup location both nationally and internationally. https://koeln.business/

Munich Startup is the official startup portal for Munich and the region, which was developed as part of the “Entrepreneurship Strategy Munich” by the City of Munich, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria and the association of the four entrepreneurship centres of Munich’s universities. The sponsor is Münchner Gewerbehof- und Technologiezentrum GmbH (MGH). The portal has established itself as the first virtual contact point for technology-orientated, innovative startups in Munich and the surrounding area. Munich Startup is characterised by a neutral, independent and transparent presentation of content and stakeholders. The portal increases transparency within the startup scene and promotes networking between founders and potential partners, investors and mentors. All key stakeholders in the Munich scene are involved. The aim is to make Munich and the region the first choice for high-growth young companies in Europe. https://www.munich-startup.de/

Media contacts of the participating partner cities:

Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH
Carolin Meltendorf, Deputy press spokesperson
Mobile: +49 151 150 758 29
Email: carolin.meltendorf(at)berlin-partner.de
 
Hamburg Invest Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH
Ingrid Meyer-Bosse, Head of Corporate Communications
Tel: +49 40 41 11 10 - 638
Email: ingrid.meyer-bosse(at)marketing.hamburg.de

KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung
Steffen Eggebrecht, Press spokesperson
Tel: 0221 99501-300
Email: presse(at)koeln.business

Munich Startup
Email: redaktion@munich-startup.de