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FRANKFURTER GRÜNDERPREIS

RECOGNITION AND VISIBILITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Innovation, entrepreneurial courage and exceptional commitment - these are the qualities that characterise successful start-ups and deserve recognition.
Since 2001, the Frankfurter Gründerpreis has honoured personalities who actively shape the start-up scene in Frankfurt with their wealth of ideas and drive.

Whether sustainable business models, technological innovations or creative services - the award is aimed at anyone who has had the courage to found a company.
The award is presented by the Frankfurt Economic Development Agency on behalf of the City of Frankfurt.

It honours founders and start-ups that impress with their entrepreneurial quality, social relevance and creative approaches. The aim is not only to make entrepreneurial achievements visible, but also to encourage the courage to become self-employed.

Three outstanding start-ups are honoured each year in a festive ceremony. In addition, the competition offers all participants access to a strong network, public attention and valuable impetus for the further development of their business model.

LOCAL, INNOVATION & IMPACT FOUNDER

The 3 categories of the Frankfurter Gründerpreis

Local Founder

In the LOCAL FOUNDER category, we would like to recognise start-ups that are helping to shape Frankfurt - on both a large and small scale. The prize is awarded to start-ups that make a special contribution to the development of the city or individual neighbourhoods through their idea or offer.

Whether through cultural impulses, social offerings or economic revitalisation: these founders strengthen togetherness, create identification and have an impact far beyond the local area - as ambassadors for a diverse, sustainable and liveable Frankfurt.

Innovation Founder

In the INNOVATION FOUNDER category, we would like to honour all those who are doing real pioneering work with technological foresight and entrepreneurial courage. We are looking for founders who have solved existing challenges through the targeted use of innovative technologies or have created completely new business models.

Whether digital disruption, smart processes or pioneering products - the prize is awarded to those who master complexity, shape change and set new standards for progress and innovation. These entrepreneurs not only think ahead - they think ahead.

Impact Founder

The IMPACT FOUNDER category honours those founders who are striving for more than just economic success with their business model. We are looking for innovative minds whose ideas make a tangible difference - for people, society and the environment.

Whether locally rooted or globally connected, the award recognizes startups that drive real change with entrepreneurial courage, social responsibility, and sustainable action. They demonstrate that impact is not a trend, but a mindset – and that business and the common good can go hand in hand.

Your contact

[Translate to English:] Team-Mitglied Hans-Joachim Wolff

Hans-Joachim Wolff
Head of Trade Counselling, Urban District Management & Start-Up

+49 69 212 36224
hans-joachim.wolff(at)frankfurt-business.net

Jannis Ade
Project Manager Competence Center Business Start-Ups

+49 69 212 40909
jannis.ade(at)frankfurt-business.net

Thi Kim Chi Mai
Project Manager Competence Center Business Start-Ups

+49 69 212 32402
thi-kim-chi.mai(at)frankfurt-business.net

JURY

Each year, an independent jury selects the winners from the applications received for the Frankfurter Gründerpreis. This jury is made up of leading figures in the field of local politics and business as well as from Frankfurt Economic Development, and they also are joined by a number of the previous year’s winners.

Frankfurt Business Awards

The future of awards in Frankfurt

The Frankfurter Gründerpreis is part of the Frankfurt Business Awards. The Frankfurt Business Awards are the new platform for outstanding honours in Frankfurt. Their mission: to make top performance visible.

Born out of the desire to give existing and new awards a unified, powerful identity, the Frankfurt Business Awards stand for progress, networking and maximum visibility in one of Europe's most dynamic metropolises.
The Frankfurt Business Awards are more than just a new label - they are a beacon for excellence in business, culture and society. As a unifying platform, they create visibility for quality and open up new ways of communicating about awards in Frankfurt. Companies, organisations and personalities are given a stage to present their successes in a sustainable way and increase their appeal.

Whether established competitions or innovative new formats - the Frankfurt Business Awards offer a flexible, growth-capable brand umbrella under which current and future awards are positioned in a sustainable and meaningful way. Under this umbrella, an ecosystem is created that bundles the awards of the City of Frankfurt and leads to joint strength.