Scaling Deep Tech
Is your deep tech start-up currently making the leap into the scaling phase through strong partnerships? Then impress our high-caliber jury with your business idea and establish valuable contacts with important business representatives.
Scaling Deep Tech
Deep-tech innovations are increasingly shaping the future of industrial value creation. Start-ups in this field develop new technologies and transform entire industries by translating scientific breakthroughs into market-ready applications. Their contribution becomes particularly relevant when solutions prove themselves not only in the laboratory but also under real industrial conditions.
THE SPARK 2026 focuses on innovation that has proven itself under real industrial conditions. What matters is the idea itself combined with its robust implementation in the market, in operational processes, and across complex value chains.
The award recognizes companies that combine digital technologies, such as AI, with physical innovations. The goal is to measurably strengthen the economic performance, technological capability, and structural resilience of the DACH region.
Emphasis is placed on strategic technology fields such as:
- Advanced computing and quantum technologies
- Critical infrastructure and technological sovereignty
- Health infrastructure and bio-innovation
- Industrial AI and robotics
- Resilient energy and raw material systems
THE SPARK seeks out start-ups that shape the transition into the scaling phase through resilient partnerships with industry, investors, research institutions, and public stakeholders, sustainably anchoring their innovations in markets and ecosystems.
Timeline
Application phase
open untilMay 29, 2026
Nomination
of the Top 10 candidatesJuly 2026
Community
VotingAugust 2026
Jury Session
September 16, 2026
Award Ceremony
November 5, 2026
Selection process
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02
The evaluation criteria
The startups are evaluated by the selection committees using four evaluation criteria. The criteria are:
– Disruptive Innovation
– Scalability & Industrializability
– Sovereignty contribution
– Team & Values
More about the evaluation criteria -
01
Your application
Is your deep tech start-up currently making the leap into the scaling phase through resilient partnerships? Then apply now for The Spark 2026 by May 29.
Apply now -
04
Jury meeting
During the jury meeting on Septmeber 16, 2026 all finalists present their innovation in person to the jury members. Subsequently, the finalists are evaluated by the jury members based on the evaluation criteria. Each jury member has one vote and creates a personal ranking of the finalists. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony on November 5, 2025 in Munich.
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03
Determination of the finalists
As part of the screening process, all applications are reviewed for compliance with the participation requirements, and an initial assessment is made based on the evaluation criteria. In the second
phase all startups that meet the participation criteria are presented to the nomination committee. The nomination committee nominates the 10 finalist startups based on the four evaluation criteria. The 10 finalists are introduced on Handelsblatt.com. The Handelsblatt Online Community has the opportunity to vote for their favourite startup. The voting results are taken into account in the jury’s decision.
Selection committees
Award ceremony
Evaluation criteria
INNOVATION
We seek revolutionary innovations – whether driven by scientific breakthroughs or novel engineering – that provide fundamental solutions to structural global challenges: such as climate change, energy security, technological sovereignty, resilient supply chains, infrastructure protection, healthcare system resilience, and social inequality
SCALABILITY
We analyze the proven maturity of the solution (TRL 6–9) and its ability to scale quickly to an industrial level with viable unit economics. This includes validated use cases, reference customers or partners, viable unit economics, and a credible path to large-scale implementation within established value chains
SOVEREIGNTY CONTRIBUTION
We evaluate the extent to which the start-up’s proprietary technology reduces critical dependencies and strengthens technological autonomy in strategically relevant sectors. The contribution must be tangible, whether through secure infrastructure, resilient supply chains, independent compute capacity, or protected data and energy systems.
TEAM & VALUES
We look for leadership teams with deep domain expertise and complementary skill sets essential for industrial scaling. Furthermore, we prioritize teams building their scaling on a solid foundation of values that combines long-term societal benefit and responsibility with commercial success.
Conditions of Participation
This year, we are recognizing start-ups whose solutions measurably strengthen the economic performance, technological strength, and structural resilience of the DACH region. It is crucial that the solutions are already backed by robust partnerships and that the product has a technology readiness level of at least TRL 6 (technology demonstrated in the operational environment) or higher. We are looking for entrepreneurs with ideas in one of the following areas: advanced computing and quantum technology, health infrastructure and bioinnovation, industrial AI and robotics, critical infrastructure and technological sovereignty, resilient energy and raw material systems.
Eligible to participate are young companies in the DACH region that have established business models on the market, are dedicated to the topic of “deep tech,” and have already proven themselves successfully under real industrial conditions, for example through partnerships or similar arrangements. The innovation must meet the four evaluation criteria of disruptive innovation, scalability, contribution to sovereignty, and a team with diverse perspectives and a focus on values. It is not a corporate start-up, i.e., founded from within an established company or with a majority stake held by an established company. The valuation of the company does not exceed €1 billion before 2026. In addition, the company was not founded before 2016 and has not been in existence for more than 10 years.
Companies can be evaluated in an open online vote. Manipulation of this vote through the use of bots, automated programs, or other improper influence is expressly prohibited and may result in immediate disqualification. In this case, the organizer reserves the right to retroactively revoke or reclaim prizes. The participants concerned will be informed of the reasons for disqualification by email. The organizer also expressly reserves the right to disregard any irregularities in connection with the online voting, to shorten the evaluation periods, and to exclude the voting from the final evaluation of the companies for objective reasons (such as technical obstacles or problems with the evaluation).
Nomination as a finalist requires the submission of a photo and a written introduction for online voting (creation and submission of documents expected between mid- and late July), the personal participation of a member of the founding team or management in the jury meeting on September 16, 2026, in Düsseldorf (including advance coaching by an expert), and personal participation in the award ceremony on November 5, 2026, in Munich. Participation is mandatory. Failure to participate will result in disqualification. Any costs incurred for travel and accommodation will not be covered. This year’s application phase is open until May 29, and applications can be submitted via our application tool.
Data privacy
By filling out the company information and submitting the application, the applicant agrees to the application process and consents to the use of his/her data in the application process.
By submitting the application, the participant agrees that the Handelsblatt GmbH, the partner McKinsey, the nomination committee, and the members of the jury will review and evaluate the submitted contents, and that the Handelsblatt GmbH and the partner McKinsey will publish the company’s participation in a short presentation including images, pitch video (community voting, see also participation conditions) and logo, and include it in further advertising content measures.
The participant grants the Handelsblatt GmbH, the partner McKinsey, the nomination committee, and the jury the necessary rights of use.
We assure that we will treat your documents with the utmost confidentiality. All submissions that do not make it to the final selection round will not be disclosed or published without your written consent.
If the participant still requires a written confidentiality agreement, he/she can request it at the-spark@handelsblatt.com. Just send a short email with your name and the project name. We will be happy to send you a document signed by us.
The Handelsblatt, the partner McKinsey, and the members of the jury reserve the right to exclude submissions that are deemed not suitable or do not meet the application criteria.
Handelsblatt is not liable for the loss or incompleteness of data transmitted by the participants unless the loss or incompleteness is due to intentional or grossly negligent behavior of the organizers or their employees. This also applies to the disclosure of information by third parties due to technical errors in data transmission and/or unauthorized access.
The legal process is excluded.
Contact
If you have any questions about The Spark Award 2025, please feel free to contact us.
Leonie
Gorlt
Manager Concept & Development Awards
The Spark is looking for the most innovative start-ups in the field of DEEP TECH. 
The Spark is looking for the most innovative start-ups in the field of DEEP TECH.
The Spark is looking for the most innovative start-ups in the field of DEEP TECH.
The Spark is looking for the most innovative start-ups in the field of DEEP TECH.
