STAR*PARADE 2025: Creative minds and visionaries wanted

Entrepreneurs and founders from Lusatia can now submit their business ideas to the region's biggest pitch event. Simply apply in one of the eight categories by 31 August, receive valuable feedback and secure attractive prizes at the final on 5 November!

The STAR*PARADE 2025 kicked off on Wednesday, 19 February 2025. Entrepreneurs, idea holders and founders from Lusatia are invited to submit their business ideas to the STAR*PARADE 2025 application by 31 August 2025.

At this year's largest pitch event in the region, one winner from each of the following categories will be honoured:

  • Pupils
  • Crafts
  • Services & Trade
  • Health & social affairs
  • Culture & creative industries
  • Forestry & agriculture
  • Technology & Digital
  • Social entrepreneurship

STAR*PARADE offers everyone the opportunity to professionalise their business ideas at various workshops and to present them publicly and with media impact at the pitches. Participants receive valuable feedback, can make contacts with key players and have the chance to win attractive prizes.

It does not matter whether the participants have only recently (up to 5 years) founded their company, are at the beginning of their idea, have undertaken an innovative reorientation as an established company or have taken over an existing company as a successor. It is important that the idea has its sphere of activity in Lusatia.

  • Participation in the STAR*PARADE is free of charge.
  • 19 February to 31 August: Application and workshop phase
  • 31 August: Application deadline
  • 01 September to 20 October: Pitch training and pitches
  • 05 November: STAR*PARADE 2025 finale

The STAR*PARADE is a further development of the Lusatian start-up competition (LEX) and has been organised since 2024 as a joint project by a large number of players in the start-up ecosystem of Lusatia, including Wirtschaftsförderung Cottbus, Startup Lausitz, European Digital Innovation Hub, Wirtschaftsinitiative Lausitz, IHK Cottbus, IHK Dresden, HWK Cottbus, HWK Dresden and the BTU projects Lausitz Science Park, Energie-Innovationszentrum Cottbus, Startup Community, BTU Founders' Service and creative.open.lab. The stakeholders are involved in juries, as sponsors and in the organisation team. The common goal of all is to build a lively network of founders, supporters and funders in Lusatia. Further sponsors are therefore very welcome at STAR*PARADE!

You can find further information at www.starparade.info.

Contact us

Julia Raunick
HVP Forschung und Transfer
T +49 (0) 170 36 83 459
julia.raunick(at)b-tu.de
Part of the STAR*PARADE 2025 organisation team: Front (from left): Anja Beck, HWK Cottbus; Madlen Knabe, Startblock B2; Lisa Schultchen, Pension Spreewald Lächeln and LAUSITZ*STAR 2024 in the "Health & Social Affairs" category. Centre (from left): Wiebke Reichenbach, starting block B2, Dr Jakob Pohlisch, Cottbus Energy Innovation Centre (EIZ), Silke Steiniger, Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce. At the back (from left): André Röhrig, Lausitz Science Park; Dr Viktor Zakar, Founders' Service BTU; Marcel Linge, Startup Lausitz
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