ACHEMA Start-up Award 2027
By DECHEMA
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Quick Answer
Business-plan competition for chemistry, process engineering and biotech founders: EUR 15,000 (about ₹16.4 lakh) for the winner. Business plans due 30 November 2026.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Competition
- Provider
- DECHEMA
- Application deadline
- 25d — 30 Nov 2026
- Location
- International
About this competition
The ACHEMA Start-up Award (ACHEMA-Gründerpreis) is a business-plan competition run by DECHEMA together with the Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, ahead of ACHEMA 2027, the large process-industry trade fair in Frankfurt (14–18 June 2027). The winning team receives EUR 15,000 (about ₹16.4 lakh), and complete business plans must be submitted by 30 November 2026.
What the program offers
The cash prize is EUR 15,000 (about ₹16.4 lakh) for the winning team, handed over on stage at ACHEMA 2027. It is a competition prize, not a loan and not an investment, so the source mentions no equity being taken. If the business has already been started, the prize is paid to the company. If the entrants are still an informal team, the team's contact person may receive it on behalf of the others.
Money is only part of it. Every entrant gets individual feedback on their business plan. Entrants whose business plan is finished are put in touch with mentors and venture capitalists from the start. Up to ten finalists get a place in the Start-up Award section of the ACHEMA exhibition to show their technology or product, and all finalists pitch in the Start-up Award session on 16 June 2027. The organisers also say that access to private investors such as the Business Angels or the High-Tech Gründerfonds can be arranged if you ask, whether or not you win, under those investors' own conditions.
Who can apply
The award is for teams or individuals who want to enter a company concept or business plan for a future venture in chemistry, process technology or biotechnology. Companies in these fields founded after 1 January 2024 can also enter. Your product or service must be a market innovation that gives a significant advantage over competitors, and you have to explain what that advantage is. At least one real person must be named as the originator or entrepreneur, and a team picks one contact person to represent it.
The rules do not restrict entry by country, and the entry forms can be completed in English or German. For an Indian founder this means you can apply from India, but you should be ready to present in Frankfurt if you become a finalist. It suits early-stage deep-tech and industrial founders. It does not suit software-only or consumer startups outside these three fields, or older companies founded before 1 January 2024.
How to apply
Register for the competition on the ACHEMA registration page. Entry is possible at two phases, company concept and business plan, but the terms say a complete business plan following the competition's specifications is required to be considered for the award. The concept deadline was 31 August 2026, so for a new entry the date that matters is 30 November 2026. Write the plan in English or German and explain your innovation and competitive advantage. A practical tip: read the full Terms and Conditions PDF before you start, since it is the binding document.
How applications are judged and what happens next
A jury reviews the business plans. Up to ten finalists are chosen in January 2027, and they pitch to the jury in February 2027. All finalists then pitch on stage on 16 June 2027 at ACHEMA, where the winner is announced. The jury's decision is final and cannot be contested.
About DECHEMA and the partners
DECHEMA is the German society behind ACHEMA, the trade fair for the process industry. The award has been running for several editions; winners named on the page include re.solution (2024), Semodoa, Pipe Predict and Lumatix Biotech (2022) and plasmion (2018). The Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and the High-Tech Gründerfonds are the investor partners.
Things to check before you apply
- Finalists must agree to be present at the Start-up Award stand and in the pitch session at ACHEMA 2027 in Frankfurt. The source does not say that travel costs are covered, so plan for that.
- Your documents are passed to the jury and to mentors, who are bound by a confidentiality agreement published on the award website.
- A practical tip based on the terms: the organisers recommend registering patents and property rights before submitting, because any non-confidential publication can complicate or rule out later protection.
- The source does not state an entry fee. Check the registration page.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Organizers
Prizes & Awards
What You Get
The winning team receives EUR 15,000 (about ₹16.4 lakh) in prize money and the award on stage at ACHEMA 2027. If the business has already been started, the money is paid to the company; otherwise the team's contact person can receive it for the team. All entrants get individual feedback on their business plans, entrants with a finished plan are connected with mentors and venture capitalists, and up to ten finalists showcase their technology in the Start-up Award section of the exhibition.
- Disbursement
- Lump Sum
- Cohort size
- 10 startups
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
A jury reviews the submitted business plans and selects up to ten finalists in January 2027. The finalists pitch to the jury in February 2027, then pitch on stage at ACHEMA 2027 in Frankfurt on 16 June 2027, where the winner is announced. The jury's decision is final.
Application Process
- 1
Register
Register for the competition online.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 2
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Program templates & documents
Files the program publishes for applicants — download these and apply in the prescribed format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can enter the ACHEMA Start-up Award 2027?
Teams or individuals with a company concept or business plan for a future venture in chemistry, process technology or biotechnology can enter. Companies in these fields founded after 1 January 2024 can also take part. The product must be a market innovation with a clear competitive advantage.
Can Indian startups apply for the ACHEMA Start-up Award?
The terms do not limit entry to any country, so an Indian founder or team can apply. The entry forms are in English or German. If you become a finalist you must present in person at ACHEMA 2027 in Frankfurt.
How much is the ACHEMA Start-up Award prize?
The winning team receives EUR 15,000 (about ₹16.4 lakh) in prize money and the award on stage at ACHEMA 2027. The source does not mention prizes for runners-up.
How is the prize money paid?
If the business has already been started, the prize is paid to the company. If it has not, the team's contact person is allowed to receive it as a representative of the other team members. The source does not say in which currency or how fast it is paid out beyond that.
What is the deadline for the ACHEMA Start-up Award, and what if it has passed?
Complete business plans must be submitted by 30 November 2026. The earlier concept deadline was 31 August 2026. The source does not say whether the award will be repeated after ACHEMA 2027, so a missed deadline means waiting for any future edition.
Is the ACHEMA Start-up Award a grant or equity?
It is a competition prize. The source describes no equity being taken in exchange for the prize money. Separately, you can ask to be put in touch with private investors, whose own conditions would then apply.
What documents do I need to enter?
You need a business plan that follows the competition's specifications, written in German or English, and it must explain your market innovation and competitive advantage. Concept-stage entries were possible until 31 August 2026, but a complete business plan is required to be considered for the award. The source does not list further documents.
Do I have to travel to Germany?
Only if you are one of the finalists, of whom there are at most ten. Finalists agree to be present at the Start-up Award stand and to join the pitch session at ACHEMA 2027 in Frankfurt on 16 June 2027. The source does not say whether travel costs are covered.
Is it free to enter the ACHEMA Start-up Award?
The source does not state an entry fee, so check the registration page before you submit. What it does say is that every entrant receives individual feedback on their business plan.
When are the ACHEMA Start-up Award finalists and winner announced?
Finalists are selected in January 2027 and pitch to the jury in February 2027. The winner is announced at the Start-up Award session on 16 June 2027 during ACHEMA 2027 in Frankfurt.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
