ACHEMA Start-Up Award

Entrepreneurial scientists, young founders and owners of start-ups can now apply for the ACHEMA 2021 Start-up Award. For the first time, participation is also possible for international founders.
Have you ever thought about founding your own company? If you are a process engineer or chemist, chances are you have not - and it is even less probable that you actually went ahead and became an entrepreneur.
That’s all the more regrettable since the chemical industry is a driver of innovation for numerous other industries. Innovations in chemistry, process engineering and biotechnology can fundamentally improve technologies and products on a broad scale. However, the number of new companies being founded in these areas is low.
The reasons are manifold: a lack of inspiring role models, little economic education, the alternative of well-paid and safe corporate jobs, the high investment and time to market for chemical processes are all factors that stand in the way of a thriving chemical start-up landscape.
People with good ideas as well as young companies need support in order to bring innovations to the market and open up new business fields. This requires access to experienced mentors, a strong network and financial resources.
Therefore, DECHEMA, the Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and High-Tech Gründerfonds are awarding the ACHEMA Start-up Award. For the third time, they are looking for ideas, concepts and business plans in the fields of chemistry, process engineering and biotechnology. Idea providers and company founders can apply now:
The competition has three phases - ideas could be submitted until 31 March 2020, concepts until 31 July 2020 and business plans until 30 November 2020.
Particularly in the early phases, applicants have the opportunity from the outset to discuss their concepts with high-ranking mentors with specialist expertise and, on this basis, to obtain support for the preparation of their business plans. Already in this early phase, applicants as well as young start-ups founded or in the process of being founded after 1 July 2018 can be brought into contact with potential investors in order to discuss the possibilities of financing. Irrespective of the time of entry into the competition, all business plans submitted by 30 November 2020 will compete for the places in the final round.