- Startups, investors, SMEs and legacy companies from all over Germany will meet at the Stadthalle Bielefeld for the annual Hinterland of Things conference
- Starting this year, the Conference will host the “OUT OF THE BOX” (OOTB.NRW) state competition’s finale, in which NRW’s trailblazing digital startups will compete against each other in a live pitch event
- Top investors will help curate the best startups in the state for placement in a “Top 24 in 2024” list
- The competition is one of the most highly endowed competitions in Germany: NRW.BANK will award a total of 50,000 euros to the three best startups
- The audience includes renowned and well-known figures from the German startup scene, including Verena Pausder (Start-up Verband), Frank Thelen (Freigeist), Dr. Gesa Miczaika (Auxxo Female Catalyst), Claudius Jablonka (10x Founders), Rouven Dresselhaus (Cavalry Ventures) and AI-expert Judith Peterka (German Federal Administration)
“In times of crisis and economic transformation, we must work closely together to find new approaches, sustainable technologies and innovative solutions. With the OUT OF THE BOX award, we support the dedication of our founders and honor the courageous and creative minds who are shaping the digital and sustainable transformation of NRW with their entrepreneurial ideas. Because we are committed to support their growth, spread their innovations and to successfully connect them with corporates as well as investors. As one of Germany's leading B2B conferences, the ‘Hinterland of Things’ provides an excellent framework for this innovative collaboration and the perfect stage for the OOTB finale.”
“Germany's largest federal state needs a calling card for its growing startup landscape! We want to shed light on this development by supporting and sharing entrepreneurial success stories – even in difficult times. The 'Top24 in 2024' list will put NRW's best startups on the radar! By working closely with investors and the NRW-wide startup network, founders not only gain visibility but also the necessary market access to both capital and potential customers. We are looking forward to hosting the competition’s finale for the first time at this year's Hinterland of Things conference - because it will be bigger than ever before!"
“Top 24 in 2024” list serves as a quality indicator for startups in North Rhine-Westphalia
Any startup from NRW that is based on digital processes, services and business models and was founded no more than three years ago can apply. Inspired by the Forbes’ Best-Lists, a pre-selection of the “Top 24 in 2024” for startups in NRW will be made in collaboration with renowned venture capitalists such as Simon Capital, Coparion, Cusp Capital, Neoteq Ventures and other regional investors. Those who make it onto the list will have convinced the judges of the quality of their business model and are also considered to be particularly scalable – making them all the more attractive to investors. Investors and startup experts from the NRW startup environment, such as the DigiHubs and Excellence Start-up Centers NRW (ESC) of the universities, as well as the general public will then vote online for their top 10 favorites. These young entrepreneurs receive the chance to present their company to an audience of 2,500 conference visitors, which includes attendees from SMEs and legacy companies, the international investor scene, potential customers and many other tech-based startups during the final pitch event at the Hinterland of Things conference. Together, a jury of experts and the audience will select the top three finalists, who will then receive the prize money of 50,000 euros. More information about the application is available on the website."Startups are shaping the future for North Rhine-Westphalia. With their innovations, they are driving digitalization forward and developing the technologies with which we can create a climate-neutral and sustainable transformation. With the OUT OF THE BOX.NRW competition, we are helping to ensure that these ideas gain recognition and can grow quickly."
More about the Hinterland of Things conference – A launchpad for future growth
The Hinterland of Things is one of the most renowned German conferences for B2B tech startups. It provides the ideal setting for startups to network with investors and businesses, as well as to discuss current trends and innovations. The non-profit Founders Foundation gGmbH has been organizing the conference in Bielefeld since 2018 in order to connect SMEs and legacy companies in the East-Westphalia-Lippe region with the strengths of young innovators.
Under this year’s theme “Go Beyond!,” more than 100 renowned speakers from business, science and the startup scene are expected to join the conference participants in an exploration beyond today’s horizons. In masterclasses and panel discussions, participants are encouraged to discuss and debate the conference’s key topics of AI/Productivity, ClimateTech, IndustrialTech and EdTech. Among those taking part this year are:
- Verena Pausder, Chairwoman of the Start-up Association,
- Choco founder Daniel Khachab,
- farmer and entrepreneur Benedikt Bösel,
- Max Honig from the global market research company Appinio,
- venture capitalists Dr. Gesa Miczaika, Valerie Bures, Frank Thelen, and many more.
About the Founders Foundation
The Founders Foundation gGmbH was founded in 2016 and is a subsidiary of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. It trains the next generation of successful founders and is building a sustainable B2B startup ecosystem in the heart of the German Mittelstand. As a pioneer in startup education, the Founders Foundation relies on the holistic approach of the Founders Foundation Education Model. In the B2B startup ecosystem of East-Westphalia-Lippe, ‘new and old businesses’ are brought together to foster entrepreneurship. In this context, the ‘Hinterland of Things’ conference was launched in 2018, which is now one of the most renowned networking conferences in Germany.
