The Strascheg Award is open to everyone who brings an entrepreneurial mindset. Eligible participants include students, alumni, professors, lecturers, and research staff of HM, as well as individuals from the broader Munich ecosystem.
New this year: In the category Best Business Ideas with First Market Proof, external teams (non-HM teams) are also welcome to participate.
Content
Competition to recognize innovative business ideas in three categories – with total prize money of €30,000, including a coaching package and a wildcard for our SCE Incubation or Accelerator Program.
Application requirements (in German or English): a convincing presentation, a short video, and the CVs of all team members.
Here's what our Strascheg Award winners have to say about the award.
The Strascheg Award provided us with a stage to pitch our project to a large audience. This gave us helpful feedback and enabled us to make valuable contacts. As a result, we are using our prize money specifically for further product development.
Participating in the Strascheg Award was a big step towards our foundation. The prize money gave us the opportunity to optimize our product and further boost our Kickstarter campaign. The event was super fun and offers the opportunity to make many new contacts in the start-up scene.
The Strascheg Award was the starting signal and driver for the successful development of our start-up.
HM and SCE are the perfect environment to develop your idea into a real product. With the Strascheg Award, you get honest feedback on what your idea is still missing to be successful in the future.
About
The Strascheg Award is the idea competition of Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) and the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE), recognizing innovative business ideas in three categories.
We’re looking for the best ideas:
from students at Munich University of Applied Sciences (Category 1)
from practice, research, and HM employees (Category 2)
with first market proof (Category 3)
All students, professors, staff, and alumni of Munich University of Applied Sciences are invited to apply with their ideas, projects, and academic work driven by entrepreneurial motivation.
Key evaluation criteria include:
Solution approach
Degree of innovation
Market potential
Implementation planning
The ideas submitted will be evaluated by entrepreneurship experts at the SCE and Munich University of Applied Sciences as well as an external jury of experts. The award is endowed with a total prize money of 30,000 euros.
Students, alumni, professors, lecturers, academic staff, and employees of Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM)
Students and alumni from other universities, provided they have participated in SCE programs or events
Startup teams from the greater Munich area with first market proof
Important: For Category 3, external teams from the greater Munich area that are not affiliated with HM are also eligible to apply.
Award Categories:
1. Best Business Idea from Studies For HM students with an innovative idea and a clear intention to found a business. The idea must be future-proof and marketable. At least one team member must be enrolled at HM. No EXIST or FLÜGGE funding at the time of application.
2. Best Business Idea from Research and Practice For HM students, staff, or researchers with an entrepreneurial idea. No EXIST or FLÜGGE funding at the time of application. The idea must demonstrate clear market potential. 3. Best External Business Idea with First Market Proof For young startups from the greater Munich area with a functional MVP, interested test customers, and a scalable business model. No EXIST or FLÜGGE funding at the time of application. Only initial small-scale funding of up to €10,000 is permitted.
The winning teams in each category will be selected from five nominated teams by an external jury of experts. In addition, there will be a public vote: the team with the most votes across all three categories will receive a special audience award.
Funding and prize money
The Strascheg Award comes with a total prize pool of €30,000. Across three categories, nine winning teams will be awarded.
The three top-ranked ideas in each of the three categories will receive €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000, respectively. In addition, all participants will receive a personal consultation and qualified feedback on their business idea, as well as the opportunity to receive support during the six-month SCE Incubation. This program includes intensive consulting, exclusive seminars/workshops for founders, a prototype budget, workspaces in the incubator and more.
Julia Zipf joined the SCE team in November 2022. As start-up consultant and incubator manager she accompanies students and startup teams from ideation till go-to-market strategy.
After her studies in Business Administration at EBS (European Business School) in Oestrich-Winkel and diverse stays abroad, she established marketing and sales department for several startups. Next to start up consulting in the marketing field she founded her own start up in the adventure park segment. In the SCE Startup Support she now supports students and start ups in starting their own business from ideation till going-to-market strategy. Besides she organizes ideation workshops as well as soft skill trainings and manages the incubator.
