German Startup Awards 2023: Audi Denkwerkstatt honors newcomers of the year
- Audi Denkwerkstatt supports the most important German startup award as an exclusive partner
- Partnering with the German Startup Association to support its commitment to the interests of entrepreneurs
- Denkwerkstatt’s open-innovation approach supports startups and their founders whose products and ideas help establish a digital automotive ecosystem
The most innovative minds in Germany’s startup world met on May 11 at the German Startup Awards in Berlin. Audi Denkwerkstatt was also there this year as an exclusive partner to present the Newcomer Award. Tim Miksche, Head of Audi Denkwerkstatt, and tennis player Sabine Lisicki presented the award to the most convincing newcomers on the German startup scene. Just six years after it was created, Audi Denkwerkstatt has become an established part of the startup ecosystem in this country. It is a catalyst for innovation to support startups and their founders and jointly develop new digital business models in the field of mobility.
And the winner is… Together with tennis player Sabine Lisicki, Tim Miksche, Head of Audi Denkwerkstatt, took to the stage at the German Startup Awards to honor the founders whose new ideas have taken the German startup landscape by storm. Three newcomers were nominated, with the award going to Mona Ghazi, co-founder of Optimo GmbH in Berlin, and Dr. Alexander Glätzle, CEO & co-founder of planqc, based in Garching, near Munich. Mona Ghazi won the jury over with an app for sharing knowledge and continued learning. Alexander Glätzle is developing the first German quantum computer based on neutral atoms.
Audi Denkwerkstatt has been a fixture and patron of the German startup landscape for almost six years. “When Germany is an attractive place for young founders and startups, the whole economy benefits,” says Tim Miksche. “Outside ideas are vital for new digital business models, so as part of the German Startup Association, it’s more than a labor of love to accompany and support innovative and courageous founders. We also pursue that goal with a passion in Audi Denkwerkstatt’s Founder Innovation Lab in Berlin.”
German Startup Awards: 300 nominees, 8 winners
The German Startup Awards are recognized as the most important awards in Germany’s startup scene. The jury chose one woman and one man as the 2023 winners in each category: newcomer, founder, investor, and impact entrepreneur. The recipients accepted their awards at a gala opened by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Tipi am Kanzleramt in Berlin.
Audi Denkwerkstatt: A bridge between tradition and innovation
Audi Denkwerkstatt is a vital part of AUDI AG’s efforts to develop new business areas. The innovation unit is the bridge that connects a company steeped in tradition and a progressive startup network. Its strategic partnership with the German Startup Association and networking with innovators in the startup ecosystem allow the company to gain new perspectives and open the door to innovative business models.
Audi Denkwerkstatt works strategically on the principle of open innovation. Working with the internationally renowned startup accelerator Techstars, the Denkwerkstatt has initiated a program for future founders and early-stage startups. That allows Audi’s innovation unit to tie in with one of the central spheres of activity for the corporate strategy “Vorsprung 2030”: creating a customer-centered digital ecosystem around the car.
The program aims to nurture and promote founders and startups and prepare mobility-oriented digital business models for the market more quickly in a highly competitive field. The focus is on business concepts that will improve the mobility experience through digital products, services, and technologies and offer users real added value in their everyday lives. The Denkwerkstatt is also developing services not traditionally associated with mobility.
