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Women Start-up Award

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About the Award Application Pitch Night Ceremony Our Partners and Supporters FAQs Contact

Women Start-up Award 2025: Empowering Female Founders in Bavaria

Are you a female founder with a groundbreaking tech idea?
The Women Start-up Award 2025 is your chance to shine and take your vision to the next level!

This award isn't just about winning a prize—it's about providing women in tech with a platform to showcase their talent, gain valuable skills, and connect with industry leaders. Becoming a finalist is a win in itself! You'll be immersed in an exclusive program that includes hands-on training, personalized coaching sessions, and mentorship from renowned experts. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to present your venture at the spectacular Pitch Night and Award Ceremony.

Take the first step towards turning your dream into reality. Apply now and join a community of trailblazing women shaping the future of tech!

Apply now!
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All our finalists benefit from:

  • Dedicated sparring sessions with our "Angels"
  • Exclusive Live Training & Workshops
  • Individual Coaching and Expert Feedback
  • Access to Exclusive Events
  • Enhanced Visibility
  • Individual Pitch Feedback session in front of expert jury
  • The VINCI Energies Prize (1000€) in the special category "Sustainability" will be awarded to one finalist for an exceptional sustainable business model. This special award is in recognition of VINCI Energies' commitment to the environment and sustainability.
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Prizes for the final three winners include:

  • First prize: 1000 € provided by Bayern Kapital
  • Marketing packages (3000 €), provided by IHK
  • Exclusive dinner with multi-investor Martina Pfeifer, provided by encourage ventures
  • Tickets for the Slush festival in Helsinki in November 2025, provided by Munich Startup and the Digital Hub Initiative
  • Tickets for the HTGF Family Day 2026
  • Tickets for the DLD Conference
  • Tickets and Pitch Slots at UnternehmerTUM's Ultimate Demo Day
  • Prototyping Grants by Funding for Innovators

The prizes will be presented during our award ceremony on October 23rd.

Our Women Start-up Angels

All our finalists will have the extraordinary opportunity to engage with prominent figures from the start-up and corporate landscape, receiving personalized guidance and support to propel their venture to new heights.

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Steffi Czerny

Managing Director at DLD Media
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Sarah Fleischer

Sarah Fleischer

Co-Founder tozero
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Dr Saskia Juretzek

Dr. Saskia Juretzek

Head of Sustainability Tengelmann Twenty-One & Advisor Futurewoman
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Anna Kaiser

Anna Kaiser

Co-Founder Encourage Ventures
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Ksenija Neumann

Ksenija Milicevic Neumann

Co-Founder tozero
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Magdalena Oehl

Magdalena Oehl

Founder Talent Rocket & Board member Start-up Verband
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Haufe Tina Ruseva1718

Dr. Tina Ruseva

Founder & CEO Mentessa
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Bettine Schmitz

Bettine Schmitz

Founder & General Partner Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund
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Dr. Helmut Schönenberger

Co-Founder & CEO UnternehmerTUM
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Johannes von Borries

Managing Partner UVC Partners
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Dr. Julia Zimmermann

Founder & CEO terraplasma
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Application

Entry Criteria

  • You have at least one female founder in your team,

  • You should either live, study or plan your project in Bavaria,

  • You're in the early founding stage and aren't yet officially founded,

  • You already have a team or are looking for a co-founder,

  • Your idea or product has a reference to technology.

To apply for the Women Start-up Award, you and your team must meet this criteria.

How to apply

Follow the four steps below to complete your application and get the chance to become a finalist of the Women Start-up Award 2025:

  1. Review the entire form to understand what is required.
  2. Prepare what you need: You have to attach a pitch deck and a video message—find more info in the application form.
  3. No Save Progress: You cannot save your progress, so make sure to gather all necessary information before starting the form.
  4. Submission: Ensure your application is complete and submitted before the deadline.

Deadline: June 25, 2025 | 12:00 am.

  • Find here our terms and conditions for the Women Start-up Award to learn more.
Apply now!

Key Dates

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Pitch Night Ceremony

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Coaches, Experts and Jury

Finalists get exclusive support from our coaches and experts who are committed to helping you succeed.

Florian Becke

Florian Becke

Start-up Coaching
Connect
Manuel Geitner klein

Manuel Geitner

Start-up Coaching
Connect
Silvia Haenig 067

Silvia Hänig

Jury member | Encourage Ventures
Connect
Kirstin Hegner

Kirstin Hegner

Personal Coaching
Connect
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Katharina Hickel

Jury member | VINCI Energies
Connect
Liu Lisa 1

Lisa Liu

Jury member | Bayern Kapital
Connect
Mareike Mutzberg

Mareike Mutzberg

Team Coaching
Connect
Damla Obermeir

Damla Obermeir

Personal Coaching
Connect
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Jana Petry

Jury member | UVC Partners
Connect
Jenny Rathgeber

Jenny Rathgeber

Start-up Coaching
Connect
Lisa Schebitz

Lisa Schebitz

Value Proposition & Pitch Training
Connect
Doris Schoenbeck

Doris Schönbeck

Team Development & Co-Founder Matching
Connect
Traub Joerg

Jörg Traub

Jury member | HTGF
Connect

The Women Start-up Award is supported by

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Grunderland Bayern

Partners and Supporters

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FAQs

  • Can I apply as an individual?

    Yes, but it must be clear that you are looking for a co-founder and like to work on a growing business.

  • What stage should my start-up be in?

    You're in the early founding stage and aren't yet officially founded. It is not a problem if you are EXIST or EXIST Women funded.

  • Is there a specific technology focus?

    We are open to all tech-related ideas.

  • Can we join if we have men in our team?

    Yes, certainly! We warmly welcome diverse teams and the entire team plays a vital role. However, for the application process, we require the female founder to submit the application and present the pitch at the final stage.

  • How do I become a finalist and what do I get out of it?

    After the application phase, all applicants are screened internally during the selection period. From all applicants, 6-9 finalists are selected. In September and October, these finalists receive extensive support, including media exposure, coaching, training, mentoring, feedback loops, and the invitation to our final Pitch Night. At the Pitch Night, the top three winners will win significant prizes.

  • What can I expect from the Women Start-up Angels?

    As one of the finalists, you will have the distinct advantage of being paired with a "Women Start-up Angel" – prominent figures and experts from the start-up ecosystem. These dedicated individuals are offering their time (approximately 1-2 hours) for focused meetings or calls with you, scheduled between August and October 2025, to share their insights and expertise. We encourage you to proactively utilize this time, as direct access to such accomplished leaders in a private setting is a truly exceptional opportunity.

  • What exactly does the training and coaching phase consist of?

    The training and coaching phase is an offer for all finalists. It consists of training sessions in September and October covering topics such as value proposition and product design, pitching, financing, personal development, team building, mental health & resilience etc.

    In addition we have experts and coaches who like to support our finalists with individual sessions.

    Trainings will be delivered through a combination of online and in-person sessions in Munich.

Contact

If you are interested or have any specific questions, please contact our project leader directly.

Susanne Traugott

Project Leader

Susanne Traugott

traugott@unternehmertum.de

UnternehmerTUM GmbH

Lichtenbergstraße 6
D-85748 Garching b. München
Germany
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