OUT OF THE BOX.NRW: Competition for digital start-ups

This year, for the sixth time in total, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is honouring digital start-ups from North Rhine-Westphalia that think and act ‘out of the box’ and thus set new standards. The application phase runs from 4 December 2024 to 28 February 2025 via the website ootb.nrw. The competition is open to start-ups based in NRW that were founded between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024. The prize honours the idea and potential of a scalable digital business model and gives the young start-ups and their ecosystem a stage.

Following the application phase, venture capital investors will preselect the ‘Top25 in 2025’ start-ups. The creation of a ‘Top25 in 2025’ booklet is intended to serve as a calling card for the ecosystem and enable the best start-ups to achieve even greater reach and thus stronger company growth. In order to make it to the OOTB final, these 25 start-ups must collect as many votes as possible in an online voting process and at the same time be assessed by a panel of experts. The ten final start-ups will then pitch in front of a live audience at the internationally renowned start-up conference ‘Hinterland of Things’ in Bielefeld on 5 June 2025. In the final decision, they will compete for the prize money of EUR 50,000 provided by NRW.BANK.

The first-placed start-up Synctive enables manufacturers of machines and devices to offer data-driven services on the Internet of Things, from condition-based monitoring to predictive maintenance. Voltfang produces environmentally friendly battery storage systems that store surplus energy and enable the intelligent use of electricity. arttrade GmbH enables private and institutional investors to invest in art using digital securities.

OUT OF THE BOX.NRW is a competition for young start-ups from North Rhine-Westphalia that are pursuing a digital business model. With prize money totalling €50,000, the OOTB is one of the most highly endowed competitions for start-ups in Germany. The prize also gives start-ups the opportunity to present themselves to high-calibre investors. This also enables them to make a wide range of new contacts.

The prize therefore opens many doors for winning companies. The prize money of €50,000 is donated by NRW.BANK and is distributed among the various winners as follows:

First prize: €25,000

Second prize: €15,000

Third prize: €10,000

Everything you need to know about the competition