Open for Applications: Hamburg invites GreenTech Startups to grow
Hamburg, 20 April 2023 – With its thriving startup ecosystem, Hamburg is the perfect destination for entrepreneurs looking to expand their business. From April 2023, GreenTech startups can apply for two support programmes of the City of Hamburg: the Future Hamburg Award and the Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg. One of the highlights of the Future Hamburg Award is the opportunity to participate in an attractive accelerator programme by Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley. The Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg offers particularly promising scaleups tailor-made services to boost their business in Hamburg and beyond.
Metropolitan regions around the world are facing the same challenges, such as increasing traffic, rising emissions and limited space – and all of these developments call for innovative approaches. With the Future Hamburg Award and the Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg, the City of Hamburg aims to support smart solutions for the city of tomorrow. GreenTech startups and scaleups that contribute to sustainable change in urban life in the areas of energy, sustainable mobility, logistics or construction and all related fields are invited to apply online.
“With the Future Hamburg Award, we support future-oriented startups in realising their business models for innovation and technology in Hamburg and thus creating sustainable solutions for the future and competitiveness of metropolitan areas. The Landing Pad makes it easier than ever to gain a foothold in Germany and Europe, as the programme is unique in Germany in terms of its services and needs-based flexibility,“ says Dr Rolf Strittmatter, CEO of Hamburg Invest.
Europe’s hotspot for GreenTech startups and scaleups
Hamburg is frequently ranked as one of Europe's most liveable cities and is also a leader in key industries such as aviation and renewable energies. At a very early stage, the city realised that sustainability is the key factor in securing quality of life and economic wealth at the location. With its own ambitious climate target to be CO2-neutral by the year 2045, Hamburg is also setting the pace on climate action. Moreover, Germany’s second largest city is emerging as a leader in the transition towards renewable energies and approaches for ramping up a functioning green hydrogen economy by 2035. As a renowned international urban “test lab”, Hamburg offers blue prints for realising e.g. intelligent mobility systems and sustainable housing concepts. All of this makes Hamburg the perfect location for GreenTech startups especially in the areas of mobility, logistics and green hydrogen.
Beyond that, the Hanseatic city attracts international attention as one of the few European cities to boast their own startup programmes with a special focus on green technologies. Two of these programmes are now open for applications:
Future Hamburg Award
The Future Hamburg Award invites new ways of thinking to inspire and boost future-oriented projects. The programme is aimed at companies with an impact on sustainability and urban quality of life in the realm of logistics, mobility and GreenTech. It provides three companies in an early startup phase (i.e. 2 to 4 years) with access to Hamburg’s thriving startup ecosystem, allowing them to develop their business model further and helping them connect with potential industry partners or investors. Plus, the winners will have diverse opportunities to enter the German and EU markets from Hamburg.
In cooperation with the global innovation platform Plug and Play, the three winners will be supported in maintaining and consolidating their business to take their project to the next level. The first prize will include particularly the following:
- A one-month international accelerator programme in Silicon Valley
- A media package, pitch trainings and a corporate readiness workshop
- Mentoring from a leading technology innovation expert
International startups can submit their applications online until 9 July 2023 at www.future.hamburg/award.
Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg
The Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg helps growth companies with sustainable technologies from the mobility, logistics, energy and construction sectors scale their business in Hamburg and expand in the German market. The programme aims to connect scaleups with relevant companies from the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and systematically support them on their path to economic success.
The selected scaleups will receive services tailored to their individual needs worth up to €50,000 as well as in-person, one-on-one guidance until the end of 2023.
Scaleups can choose from four components (up to the total value above), delivered through a curated network of external service providers with Hamburg expertise:
- Business Development
- Living & Workspace
- Location Consulting
- Business Services
The Landing Pad team is accepting applications online via its website as of now and until 30 April 2023.
To sum it up: Hamburg is the ideal destination for innovative entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale their businesses. With its strategic location, international trade connections and thriving startup ecosystem, Hamburg offers founders access to resources, funding and mentoring, as well as a supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurs. We came here to grow, and Hamburg is the place to do it.