INVESTOR DAYS THURINGIA: Four innovative start-ups honored with pitch awards
The 9th edition of Investor Days Thuringia kicked off today under the motto “THE BEAT OF INNOVATION”. Stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem gathered at the Cental Club to discover the future technologies of young national and international companies. Erfurt thus became a place for innovation, inspiration and exchange.
A total of 36 innovations presented themselves on the first day of #IDT24
As one of the largest startup events in Germany, Investor Days Thuringia (IDT) brings startups and growth companies together with investors, SMEs and interested parties every year to drive innovation forward. This year, a total of 20 start-ups took the opportunity to present themselves on the pitch stage, exhibit their technologies in the innovation arena and exchange ideas with investors. Many different topics and sectors were represented, from GreenTech and Lifesciene to mobility, digitalization and optics. In addition, 16 innovative start-ups exhibited on Innovation Floor 1 and 2. The overall high density of investors opens up numerous opportunities for founders looking for capital on site. But guests also benefit from several networking opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere.
Olga Röder and Andreas Sonnefeld, head of the ThEx innovativ project sponsored by the Thuringia Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research (STIFT), opened the event today and guided the guests through the day. On behalf of the hosts, Christiane Kilian, Chairwoman of STIFT, and Kevin Reeder, Managing Director of bm|t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh, then welcomed the guests. “When investors meet start-ups and growth companies at the Investor Days Thuringia, innovative business models and capital come together in one room. This is how acceleration happens,” says Christiane Kilian, Managing Director of STIFT. Kevin Reeder, Managing Director of bm|t, emphasized: “The Investor Days Thuringia are a successful model. Whether startup or growth company – at the IDT, companies get to know suitable investors and thus take a big next step towards success.” Following the opening, Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Wolfgang Tiefensee, addressed the audience: “The Investor Days Thuringia are an important driver of economic development and technology transfer in Thuringia. And they are a shining example of how the Free State of Thuringia promotes innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. After all, the IDT has been providing a unique platform for start-ups and investors to come together to shape the future since 2016. With
The partner country of this year’s Investor Days is Japan
The Investor Days Thuringia are open to the industry and the world. With Japan as this year’s partner country, a total of eight start-ups from Japan presented themselves as part of an official delegation. On this occasion, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike delivered a digital greeting. Startup Warpspace is also part of the delegation, which was awarded a wildcard for the IDT stage on a delegation to Japan with Christiane Kilian and Kevin Reeder.
In addition to Japanese innovation, startups from all over Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland also took to the stage. The event thus created sufficient opportunities for national and international networking. In addition, this year’s IDT offered an exciting panel on the topic of internationalization, which was organized together with the Digital Hub Initiative and the Start2 Group.
Six promising start-ups from the Thuringian Regional Innovation Program (TRIP) were also among the pitches. As an accelerator program of the Free State of Thuringia, TRIP accelerates innovative start-ups towards investment readiness every year and thus creates a solid basis for market entry.
Applause for the pitch winners!
The presentation of the Pitch Awards was a highlight of the event. In recognition of the most convincing pitches, the jury of investors and the audience selected a total of four winners in a live vote. Congratulations go to:
STIFT & bm|t prize: in|stead
Cash prize: € 3,000
Prize from EY: DeepEn
Prize in kind: € 2,000 consulting services
Prize from LeoBlu Patent Attorneys: Inline Process Solutions
Prize in kind: € 2,500 Consulting services
Prize from GRÜNDELPARTNER legal advice: CYNiO
Prize in kind: € 1,500 consulting services
Public prize from Apropro Haarbeck: in|stead
Prize in kind: € 1,500 consulting services
The second event day will take place on June 6 exclusively for investors at Egapark in Erfurt. Under the motto “Invest beyond the crowd”, 16 selected innovative technology companies in the growth phase will present themselves to interested investors.
Save the Date for the #IDT25 on June 4 & 5 2025!
Contact:
Firiedrich Göring
Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT)
Leitung Kommunikation
Häßlerstraße 8 | 99096 Erfurt
Tel: +49 (0)163 7738974
E-Mail: friedrich.goering@stift-thueringen.de
Karin Rabe
bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen gmbh
Senior Investment Manager
M.Welsch-Str.6a | 99084 Erfurt
Tel: +49 (0)361 7447-605
E-Mail: karin.rabe@bm-t.com
