The Formnext Start-up Challenge

Recognizing new, creative, viable, and above all, sustainable business ideas from the world of additive manufacturing: This year’s Formnext Start-up Challenge once again invites submissions from innovative young companies. New for this year, companies who enter the sixth Formnext Start-up Challenge will also be competing to win the “AM Ventures Impact Award”. Applications are now being invited from companies that are no more than five years old.

Over the past five years, the relevance and profile of the Formnext Start-up Challenge has continued to rise among the international start-up scene. Today, internationally successful companies like 3Yourmind, Dyemansion, Sinterit, Trinckle 3D, Kumovis, and many more have used the challenge as a springboard and accelerator for their firms. Winning the competition has enabled them to raise their profile, find prospective clients, and also establish contact with investors.

“Well-publicized success story”

“The Start-up Challenge is a well-publicized success story that has been rewarding very interesting young companies from additive manufacturing for a number of years. Among other advantages, it has given them the opportunity to showcase their business to a specialist international audience as part of Formnext and get off to a flying start in the AM market,” says Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext at exhibition organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

The five winners all receive an impressive Formnext exhibition and marketing package, which includes, among other things, a fully equipped exhibition booth in the Formnext 2020 Start-up Area and inclusion in all relevant and worldwide marketing and communication activities. In addition, the winners can participate in a pitch event at Formnext, receive an individual company profile from a media sponsor, and benefit from corporate coaching.

The international panel of high-profile representatives from all corners of the industry comprises Dr. Kristian Arntz, Managing Director and Partner at ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing GmbH, Stefanie Brickwede, Head of 3D Printing@DB and Managing Director of Mobility goes Additive, Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer, AM Ventures, Tobias Kuhl, Senior Project Leader, Entrepreneurial Network at UnternehmerTUM GmbH, Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing, Autodesk, and Michael Petch, Editor-in-Chief at 3D Printing Industry. The winners will be announced in September 2020. The submission deadline is 4 September 2020.

AM Ventures Impact Award 2020

This year, for the first time in the competition, a young company will also be selected from the applicants to receive the AM Ventures Impact Award in recognition of approaches to sustainability relating to the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Environmental considerations (such as green energy and resource conservation) and social aspects (for example, education and equality) play an important role in this.

“The potential offered by additive manufacturing for addressing the major global sustainability challenges is significant. The technology can be used to make drives more efficient, minimize material consumption, accelerate repairing cycles, and extend battery ranges," says Arno Held. “In all areas, AM can improve the world if we use the technology correctly. The Impact Award aims to help raise awareness of this.”

Any upcoming company with a product or service that is market-ready in terms of customers, product status, and revenue can take part in the Formnext Start-up Challenge, provided the start-up is not majority-owned by an established company and was founded after 31 December 2014.

Source and photo: Mesago Messe Frankfurt Group