These 10 standout tech startups have been selected for Future Hamburg Award 2019

The German city of Hamburg is buzzing with activity. With headquarters of Facebook, Twitter and Google and one of the youngest German unicorns, AboutYou, all based in the city, the startup scene is thriving. The first Future Hamburg Award aims to pick three selected startups and provide them with immediate access to the vibrant startup scene of Germany’s number one trading hub.

Offering immediate market access to Hamburg, one of Europe’s most dynamic and strongest startup ecosystems, the Future Hamburg Award is directed at pioneering founders from all over the world. As part of the programme, innovative startup businesses are linked up with established companies and receive systematic support in advancing their existing business model. Over one hundred startups applied, now only ten finalists are left.

Wide variety of startups coming to Hamburg

More than 110 startups signed up for the Future Hamburg Award. The ten that made the initial round of judging are a varied bunch. Coming from Norway, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Germany, the selected businesses cover a wide range of markets. They are ready to disrupt the world of hotel bookings, shipping logbooks and glasses. They all have two things in common though. They convinced the jury in Hamburg so far with their groundbreaking products, and they are in the race to become one of three winners of the first Future Hamburg awards.

These are the finalists of the Future Hamburg Award:

• ByHours from Barcelona, Spain, is a booking platform for hotels. The unique proposition is that this startup lets you book a room, you probably guessed it from the name, by the hour. This allows customers to check-in and check-out whenever they want and pay only for their use
• Heptasense from Lisbon, Portugal, has developed smart software that understands motion and movements of crowds. This enables surveillance cameras to automatically detect suspicious and criminal behaviour and alert the relevant security teams.
• Humanising Autonomy is a startup from London, UK which has developed a way for autonomous vehicles to understand those tricky humans on the road in urban areas. Their human-centered software aims to improve the safety and efficiency of autonomous vehicles.
• LignoPure is from the Technical University in Hamburg. They create Lignin: a natural, biodegradable alternative to oil-based industrial products such as plastic microbeads. A great way to improve sustainability of for instance consumer goods.
• Localyze offers all-in-one software that helps international staff when locating to another country. From visa requirements to social integrations, everything is covered. Localyze is already from Hamburg, so no need to relocate themselves if they win this award.
• Berlin startup LoudSteps offers a mobile navigation application for people with visual impairments. The app helps users to find their way in a wide variety of venues and public buildings by offering step-by-step guidance.
• Another Hamburg startup, NautilusLog provides a digital logbook for the shipping industry. The app collects data on board a ship, creating a simple and secure platform for information exchange and collaboration.
• Berlin-based ShareHouse has a marketplace for storage space. They enable logistics professionals to make unused storage space available at short notice, resulting in a more efficient use of available space.
• Whether you have a new website, advert, app or product, Teston makes user testing easy, fast and cost-efficient. The startup from Oslo, Norway helps companies understand how their customers experience a product or service.
• You Mawo make glasses unlike no other. The startup from Konstanz, Germany, designs the frames using a 3D head scanner, after which a 3D-printer creates the customized frame.

All finalists will be expected to pitch their product to an audience of industry experts during the OMR Festival in Hamburg. The winners will be selected by a jury which includes representatives of the Otto Group Digital Solutions, Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR) and smaato.

‘Start me up in Hamburg’

Winners of the Future Hamburg Award will receive an impressive starterkit containing everything they need to accelerate their business in this important Northern European trading hub. This Start me up in Hamburg package contains tailor-made business coaching for even more buzz on the German market, personal consultation through some of Germany’s leading experts, a five-digit media package, free co-working and a place at some exclusive events.

Winning the Future Hamburg Award will do more than getting your foot through the door. It’ll offer some lucky startups that are eyeing the German and Northern European markets everything they need to hit the ground running.

This article is produced in collaboration with Future Hamburg Award. Read more about our partnering opportunities.