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For Startups

Topics

About us

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Innovators Challenge

TOPIC

Transformation for
Medium-Sized Businesses

Transformation for
Medium-Sized
Businesses

SUITABLE FOR

Already founded Startups, MVP available

Already founded Startups,
MVP available

LOCATION

Frankfurt am Main

PROGRAM DATES

September - October 2025

LANGUAGE

German

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Closed

Program Partners

Program Benefits

What is it about?

In a collaboration with WIBank, we are offering a five-week program for medium-sized companies from Hessen, designed to support you in navigating structural change by purposefully connecting you with innovative startups.

Participating companies define specific internal challenges, and startups apply with innovative solution approaches. Guided by an experienced mentor, you will collaborate with the most promising startups over a five-week program to co-develop tailored solutions. The results will be showcased at the EDITH Innovation Day on 3 September.

>> Read: "TechQuartier and WIBank Celebrate Successful Innovators Challenge"

How we support you

01 Personalized Mentorship

Collaboration is strengthened through a dedicated mentoring program that provides intensive guidance throughout the process.

02 Know-How

We equip you with practical knowledge and tools around venture clienting to lay the foundation for effective partnerships.

03 Scouting & Matchmaking

Our targeted scouting and matchmaking process connects startups and companies based on their specific challenges and innovation goals.

Topics

The challenges of our corporate partners are related to these topics:

Digitalization

Process Optimization

Sustainability

R&D

Automation

Digitalization

Process Optimization

R&D

Automation

Sustainability

Digitalization

Process Optimization

Automation

R&D

Sustainability

Our challenges

01 Automation and standardization of third-party management specifically for service providers.

02 Automating and digitalizing standard
processes in order management.

03 AI-based video content creation and marketing workflow automation for e-commerce.

04 Building a modular, AI-ready digital
infrastructure without relying on a complex
ERP system.

05 Development of an e-commerce platform with integration into the ERP system for small businesses.

06 Building a data cube solution for
analyzing and standardizing invoice data.

07 Implementing a tool to enhance SOC capabilities for real-time threat detection, monitoring, and incident response.

08 Asset Management.

Network Partners

Program Recap 2025

From Challenge to Change

The second edition of The Innovators Challenge, by Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen (WIBank) in collaboration with TechQuartier concluded with impressive results and a celebratory dinner in Frankfurt. Over the course of eight weeks, six small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) partnered with six innovative startups to co-develop tailored solutions that are already showing strong implementation potential.

Designed to strengthen regional innovation capacity and foster practical startup–SME collaboration, the program helps companies navigate digital and structural transformation. From automating order management and third-party processes to building AI-ready infrastructures and modular e-commerce platforms, participating SMEs defined real business challenges that startups addressed through concrete, scalable solutions. Following a virtual kickoff and Match Day, seven active collaborations were formed — all supported by mentors.

Read the Recap