STAR*PARADE FINALE a complete success: Lusatian start-up scene grows together
The atmosphere on the final evening was great. Economics Minister Steinbach called the event a glimmer of hope and the right way forward to turn inventions into innovations. "When I hear that 50 pitched here, it's amazing!" said Minister Steinbach. For Lord Mayor Tobias Schick, the STAR*PARADE is an important sign of structural change: "It gives me courage today that we can manage the structural change because you exist."
A total of around 80 applications were received for this year's Lusatian start-up competition. Almost 50 pitches took place in ten categories at various locations throughout Lusatia. The STAR*PARADE is a great example of what is possible when people in Lusatia work together towards a common goal. In total, over 50 organizations took part in STAR*PARADE 2024 - in juries, as sponsors and in the organizing team.
Ten founders honored as LAUSITZ*STARS
- Pupils category (two first places): The student company Parlicka (jewelry and candles made by hand according to Sorbian / Wendish tradition) from Niedersorbisches Gymnasium Cottbus and the students from Augustum-Anne-Gymnasium from Görlitz with their idea Peddys (app for the placement of pets through animal shelters)
- Students & researchers: Johann Paul with his functional handbag
- Innovation & sustainability: Sebastian Kießling and Lucie Töpfer with PyroPower
- Crafts: Sarah Ochsner with her piano-making workshop
- Services: Robert Jannusch with Bond-Ing
- Gastronomy & Tourism: Christin Jarick & Martin Libutzki with Eisvogel
- Health & Social Services (two first places): Maria-Liisa Bruckert with IQONIC.AI and Lisa Schultchen with Pension Spreewald Lächeln
- Culture & Creative Industries: Cornelia Kusyk with Kambium
- Digitalization: Abdullah Zeyn Hassan with Museful
- Misch*Pitsch: Jonas Krenz with Nijo Bike
SHOOTING*STAR and LUCKY*STAR
The SHOOTING*STAR audience award went to Sebastian Kießling and Lucie Töpfer from pyropower GmbH, who are working on innovative CleanTech solutions for decarbonization and thus green energy from Lusatia. In addition, the LUCKY*STAR was drawn from all participants. This was won by Jonas Krenz from Nijo Bike.
A milestone for the Lusatian start-up ecosystem
A particular highlight of the evening was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the Startup Lausitz start-up ecosystem. With this step, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg as the initiator and other regional players are reaffirming their commitment to strengthening Lusatia as an attractive location for start-ups. In addition to BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and the start-up consultancy PULS e.V., the initial signatories of the MoU include Wildau University of Applied Sciences, Industriepark Schwarze Pumpe e.V., Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Cottbus Chamber of Crafts,
Wirtschaftsinitiative Lausitz and EGC EntwicklungsgesellschaH Cottbus mbH.
A strong network
This year's STAR*PARADE was only possible thanks to the close cooperation of various regional players, including Startup Lausitz, Wirtschaftsinitiative Lausitz, IHK Cottbus, IHK Dresden, HWK Cottbus, HWK Dresden and the BTU projects Energy Innovation Center, Startup Community, creative.open.lab andBTU Founders' Service. Together, the STAR*PARADE team has managed to build a lively network of founders, supporters and funders.
The Lausitz Science Park also provided support with the organization, as coaches and in various juries, represented by André Röhrig, among others: "The quality of the pitches has improved greatly this year. The workshops that the founders were able to take part in at the start of STAR*PARADE 2024 certainly helped. This gave me the chance to get to know many great people and their ideas, both as a workshop leader and as a jury member, which went beyond the deep tech sector this year thanks to the ten competition categories. The Lusatian start-up scene has received a considerable boost in attention thanks to STAR*PARADE 2024. At best, this will encourage more people with innovative ideas to set up a company in our region."
His LSP colleague Orest Chaikowski, also a member of the jury, added: "I was impressed by the great cooperation between the various institutions from the Lusatian start-up ecosystem. This made STAR*PARADE 2024 the perfect stage for the pitchers and their exciting ideas and strong entrepreneurial spirit. This has once again been demonstrated: The Lusatian start-up ecosystem offers the best conditions for driving innovation forward."
After the STAR*PARADE is before the STAR*PARADE: Would you like to take part in the STAR*PARADE 2025 as a sponsor or application? Then get in touch with: mail(at)star-parade.de.
Contact us
