Around 300 representatives from Germany’s innovation ecosystem gathered today at Investor Days Thuringia (IDT) in Erfurt. Twenty selected startups presented their technologies and business models to investors and innovation stakeholders from across Germany. The goal was to connect startups with the right investors so that the innovations presented could be successfully brought to market and established there on a sustainable basis.
With startups requiring a total of 28 million euros in capital, Investor Days Thuringia once again provided startups with a central platform for growth financing and networking in Central Germany and beyond. The prospects for investment remain strong in 2026: there were three investors for every startup, underscoring the high level of interest in Thuringia as an innovative hub for startups. During numerous one-on-one meetings, business models were further presented, and initial concrete opportunities for collaboration and financing were explored.
Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Colette Boos-John, emphasized the importance of the event for Thuringia as a hub of innovation: “Investor Days Thuringia is a flagship event for our region as a center of business and innovation. It showcases the technological potential of young companies and demonstrates how successfully Thuringia transforms innovations into marketable business models. At the same time, Investor Days brings founders together with capital, expertise, and strong networks—exactly what is needed to turn good ideas into successful companies.”
Christiane Kilian, Executive Director of the Thuringia Foundation for Technology, Innovation, and Research: “Investor Days Thuringia is the most important platform for innovative companies in Central Germany. It is a place where scientific excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and capital come together—a combination that is crucial for successful innovation.”
In addition to the startup pitches, formats such as the InnoMatch networking event and the “reversed pitches”—held for the first time, in which the investors themselves took the stage to present their ideas—provided additional momentum. In addition, Investor Days Thuringia specifically expanded its national networking this year: Together with partner accelerators from across Germany, promising startups were given the opportunity to present their innovations in Erfurt.
With the Investor Days Thuringia, Thuringia is once again underscoring its role as a major hub for innovation and startups in Germany and as a central platform for technology-oriented young companies in Central Germany.
Applause for the Pitch Award winners
At the conclusion of Investor Days Thuringia, the most compelling startup pitches were honored with the coveted Pitch Awards. The winners were selected by a jury of investors and the audience.
The following were honored:
PIKES GmbH
Thuringia Foundation for Technology, Innovation, and Research Award
Cash prize of 1,500 euros
InhalPlus
Awarded by VC Magazine
Prize: Coverage in VC Magazine
tymba GmbH
Award from EY
Prize: Consulting services valued at 2,000 euros
Diamics GmbH
LeoBlu Patent Attorneys Award
Prize: Consulting services valued at 2,500 euros
OhMyV GmbH
Audience Award from the de:hub initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Prize: Access to de:hub and a booth at a trade show