INNOVA STARTUP COMPETITION SERIES

BerliN
2025

The yearly INNOVA Europe Competition is a premier pan-European startup challenge for student and alumni ventures committed to responsible entrepreneurship. Each year, top teams from our member institutions compete through national selection rounds, culminating in the INNOVA Grand Final, our flagship event showcasing Europe’s most impactful early-stage ventures.

Environmental
Transition

Healthy
Living

Empowerment
& Inclusion

YOUNG HOPES CATEGORY

The idea stage is designed for visionary entrepreneurs in the early conceptual phase. Perfect for creators and innovators with groundbreaking ideas or emerging technologies, this category invites proposals that define the core concept, explore its potential impact, assess feasibility, and outline a strategic roadmap for bringing it 
to life. 

RISING STARS CATEGORY

The startup stage is for ventures that have moved beyond the idea phase and developed a functional prototype or an early-stage product or service. Submissions should showcase core features, user experience, initial feedback, and potential for scalability. 

TIMELINE

Berlin 2025

SEP 5th

Attend 
the Grand 
Finals Event

Celebrate with us and connect to founders 
and investors from all 
across Europe

Winning INNOVA Europe was a great challenge for us and it was an achievement of months of work. It was a great recognition as it was a fierce and serious competition among the best innovation centres in Europe.

Aziz Kaouech, Co-Founder & CEO of DOODA, 2023 INNOVA Winner

It was super impressive to see the impact that all the startups that joined will have on society and the future of our generations. The INNOVA Challenge was really motivating and inspiring.

Hendrik Stotz, INNOVA Young Hopes Winner 2024, from ESMT Berlin

I feel responsible, I feel proud, and I feel privileged to hold this prize and implement this in my project.

Mariia Alipatova, CEO Tova Industries, INNOVA Rising Stars Winner 2024, from Kyiv Schools of Economics

This whole journey ending at INNOVA has shown me how relatively easy it is to acquire all the skills necessary to get to a point where you have the confidence to be able to go out and say “I’m gonna start my company”.

Hendrik Stotz, INNOVA Young Hopes Winner 2024, from ESMT Berlin

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INNOVA Europe stands as the ultimate gateway for those who dare to excel, scale, and blaze the way forward.

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