Women Start-up Award

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

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.

We are open to all tech-related ideas.

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.

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.

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.

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.