Startups apply now!
In this section, startups can find an overview of our current startup tenders and offers, such as the participation of Hamburg startups in trade fairs or conferences and awards. These are offered by Startup City Hamburg, which offer their services under the umbrella of IFB Innovationsstarter. Startups can find more information on the calls for entries and the application process in the respective linked PDFs and further links.
Application deadline: Apply until 3 May
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 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.
Competition procedure and prizes
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
Contact our Startup Guides for a consultation
Advisory Session for startups:
Reach out via mail at guide@startupcity.hamburg
Book a free startup consultation (by phone or video call on request, 40 minutes) with our Startup Guides.