The Competition

Want to participate in the Startup Impulse Competition? Great! Here’s everything you need to know:

 

Application

Register now and submit your business concept by December 15, 2025, at 12:00 a.m.:

  • What makes your idea special?
  • Who are your target customers?
  • What does your competitive landscape look like?
  • What problem are you solving for your customers?

Key evaluation criteria include feasibility in the Hanover region, your approach to the problem, your unique selling proposition, and your market strategy (pitch deck, summary, resume). You’ll find details in the application guidelines.

 

Support During the Competition

If you’re unsure whether your submission sufficiently meets the competition criteria, we’re here to help. From September 26 to December 15, 2025, we’re offering the following:

  • Kickoff of the competition as part of the “Einfach Gründen” consulting day at the Economic Development Agency
  • “Ready for Contest” (open consultation hours) via Zoom from October 1 to November 19, 2025
  • Free, personalized coaching sessions for your pitch deck (scheduling: gruendung@hannoverimpuls.de)
  • A review of your application materials on three different dates

Evaluation Process

Submission is followed by a multi-stage process:

Preliminary Judging Phase (January 6–30, 2026)
Review of formal requirements and evaluation of content. The top 5 entries in each category advance to the next round and will pitch to a preliminary jury on January 28, 2026. Two entries from each preliminary jury will be nominated for the main jury following the pitch.

Jury Phase (approx. 3 weeks)
The eight nominees will receive pitch training, promotional videos, and press photos, and will present their projects again on March 9, 2026—this time before the main jury.

 

The awards ceremony will take place on March 16, 2025.

 

Are you ready to present your innovative idea? We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions, we’re always here to help.

Your Startup-Impuls Team

 

 

Contact

hannoverimpuls
Project Manager for Start-ups and Entrepreneurship
Anke Pawla
Project Manager for Startup and Entrepreneurship
hannoverimpuls GmbH
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