Application phase for the Hamburg Innovation Awards 2026 now open
The Hamburg Innovation Award (HHIA), presented in three categories, is entering its next round. Together, Startup City Hamburg, Startup Port and IFB Innovationstarter GmbH aim to give innovations in Hamburg greater visibility. The application phase runs until 3 May.
The three categories of the HHIA and their criteria
The award recognises bold ideas, young startups and international founding teams. Compared to previous years, there are slight changes to the three HHIA categories. Ideation, presented by Startup Port, is aimed at startups that have not yet been officially founded; the cut-off date here is 3 May 2026. The only entry requirement here is an innovative, technology-driven idea. For the Start category, powered by Startup City Hamburg, companies founded on or after 3 May 2021 are eligible to apply. They must have already entered the market and shown initial success.
A new addition is the International Founders category, sponsored by IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH. It is aimed at startup teams in which at least one member was born abroad and holds at least 20% of the company’s shares. Here too, an innovative, technology-driven business model is required, and the startup must not be more than five years old. The following applies to all categories: the registered office of the planned or already established company must be in the Hamburg metropolitan region.
Once the application deadline has passed, a pre-selection process will take place. A jury meeting will then determine the three finalists per category, who will be informed by 30 May. The final pitch will take place on 18 June as part of the Hamburg Innovation Summit, where again a jury will decide on the winners. The following prizes are up for grabs:
Ideation: six 6-month memberships at the betahaus Hamburg co-working space
Start: six 6-month memberships at betahaus Hamburg and a one-year membership of the industry association Bitkom
International Founders: for the two best teams: participation in the International Founders Awards (IFA) Summit in Frankfurt and access to an exclusive international bootcamp programme
