The start2grow 2024/25 start-up competition organised by the Dortmund Economic Development Agency celebrated a successful finale at domicil on 26 February 2025. For the first time in the history of the competition, two teams shared first place: Simplyfined and Octo were each delighted to receive prize money totalling 30,000 euros. The TechnologieZentrumDortmund (TZDO) also awarded the special technology prize of 10,000 euros to Simplyfined. The third prize went to Ziya GmbH, based at the TDZO.
The winners of the start2grow 2024/25 start-up competition on stage. Photo: TZDO / Roland Kentrup
Business models refined
With the nationwide start2grow start-up competition, the Dortmund Economic Development Agency supports start-ups at an early stage with expertise, networks and prize money. More than 410 participants took advantage of the 45th edition of the competition to refine their business models and get to know Dortmund as a centre of innovation at close quarters.
"With start2grow, we have one of the most traditional business plan competitions in Germany in our portfolio, which makes Dortmund visible in the national start-up ecosystem," says a delighted Heike Marzen, Managing Director of the Dortmund Economic Development Agency. And there is a great deal of interest from the next generation of start-ups: "The experts and investors in the start2grow network had a lot to do again this year and scrutinised 88 submitted business plans in the review process."
The 20 start-ups with the best business plans pitched to the start2grow expert jury on 26 February.
Simplyfined is delighted to have won first prize at start2grow and the special prize from the TechnologieZentrumDortmund. Photo: TZDO / Roland Kentrup
Two start-ups in 1st place for the first time
The members of the start2grow jury include representatives of public institutions and universities as well as capital providers such as Sparkasse Dortmund, High-Tech Gründerfonds and NRW.BANK and Dortmund-based companies such as adesso and Materna Information & Communication.
"The variety and quality of this year's award winners are enormous and did not make it easy for our jury," reveals start2grow competition director Andrea Schubert. "For this reason, we decided to award first place to two start-ups for the first time this year."
start2grow competition director Andrea Schubert (left) and TZDO Managing Director Dirk Stürmer are delighted with the diversity and quality of this year's award winners. Photo: TZDO / Roland Kentrup
Octo: Innovative yarn
Octo and Simplyfined are two start-ups that have the potential to revolutionise their respective industries. Alexandra Plewnia, Sarah Neumann, Melanie Jakubik and Maike Vierkötter from Octo Germany have developed a new type of yarn for the production of water-repellent textiles that even stay dry under water thanks to the nature of the Octo yarn.
Heike Marzen, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund (centre left), congratulates Octo on winning first place. Photo: TZDO / Roland Kentrup
Simplyfined: Alternative to fossil raw materials
The start-up Simplyfined is working on a high-quality, economically competitive alternative to fossil raw materials that converts vegetable oils into sustainable feedstock for the chemical industry. In addition to the main prize, the founding team of Maximilian Spiekermann, Jens Ehlhardt, Max Krause and Marén Schwandt also received the special prize from the TechnologieZentrumDortmund.
Dirk Stürmer, Managing Director of TechnologieZentrumDortmund (right), presents the special TZDO prize to the Simplyfined team. Photo: TZDO / Roland Kentrup
Ziya: AI applications for industry
Third place went to Ziya GmbH, which supports companies in their AI transformation with its AI pipeline DatenLabel. Ziya is a tenant in the TDZO.
Further information on the start2grow start-up competition and the winners can be found here.
