Here we go again - start2grow
On 29 October 2025, the start-up scene met in autumnal weather in the brewery tower of the Dortmunder U to mark the start of the 25th anniversary of the Dortmund U. start2grow Competition. Full house, large stage and palpable energy - a perfect evening for ideas, exchange and new connections. Photos: Andreas Buck / Dortmund Economic Development Agency

The evening in a nutshell
After the opening words of Friedrich-Wilhelm Corzilius and Andrea Schubert made last year's winner Max Krause (Simplyfined) and the mentor Stefan Lieschke (vGreens) made it clear why networking is often the turbo for start-ups: personal connections open up access to experience, honest feedback and genuine partnerships. His conclusion: contacts are not an end in themselves, but pave the way for realisation.

At the Open Stage, founders presented their ideas, business models and initial growth approaches in short pitches. Parallel to the stage programme, the evening was characterised by intensive discussions: direct follow-up talks were held over catering and drinks, and the speed networking offered focused slots to get in touch with founders and coaches.

Also the TechnologieZentrumDortmund was with Dirk Stürmer, Dr Joanna Stachnik, Christoph Gehlen and Marcel Hildebrand represented. And this year, TZDO is once again donating a special prize of €10,000 to support teams with a high level of technical innovation, good scalability and a clear connection to the location and to open up concrete connection opportunities in our ecosystem.

Thanks & Outlook
Thanks to the Dortmund Economic Development Agencyfor the excellent organisation and the successful evening. We are looking forward to the next stages - especially to 6 March, when the TOP teams will pitch and the 25th anniversary of the competition will be duly celebrated.