Young businesses at 15th Eurobike Award - Start-up pitch event on first day of show - Support for entry onto bike market
Friedrichshafen - What will be the next big thing on the bike market? Which innovations will have the potential to shape the industry after the e-bike boom? For answers to these and similar questions, young, innovative start-ups are a good place to start. Eurobike (4 to 7 September 2019), the leading international trade show for bike mobility, is again offering young businesses a big stage with the Start-Up Award and is also providing opportunities to smooth their path to market.
About twelve months ago, Finn Süberkrüb and Markus Rothkötter were in the middle of exam stress as mechatronics students at the University of Magdeburg in Germany. Simultaneously, they were working on a project to develop a folding cycle trailer that stores out of the way on a bike when not in use, like a carrier rack. The young engineers found themselves posed with a difficult question: was their trailer just a university project or did it have the potential to launch on the market as a real product.
The answer was provided by their participation in the Eurobike 2018 Start-Up Award. "Winning a Eurobike Start-Up Award was a decisive moment for our company," says Finn Süberkrüb. "It showed us that there were people who believed in our product," adds the young entrepreneur. After winning the Eurobike Start-Up Award, the two founders moved quickly set up their own business - Trenux GmbH. The first cargo trailers are being distributed to customers for the start of this season. "Eurobike gave us an enormous boost, in particular when it comes to market presence," reflects Süberkrüb.
This year, young bike industry businesses and university projects once again have the opportunity to see their ideas and designs evaluated by the judges at the Eurobike Start-Up Award. For start-ups, winning a Eurobike Award is more than just a design contest that confirms the market potential of their products, as Messe Friedrichshafen also provides comprehensive support to help young businesses develop their products and bring them to market.
Young companies less than three years old by the deadline - the date of the judges' panel meeting (6 to 7 August 2019) - or student projects from research institutes and universities can apply. Entry for the 2019 Eurobike Start-Up Award is from 2 April to 10 July. Once registration has closed, a twelve-member expert panel selects the Eurobike Start-Up Award finalists from all the entries during a two-stage process. The Eurobike Start-Up Award overall winners are then chosen at the final judges' panel meeting.
"Different to last year, the Eurobike Start-Up Awards winners are going to be decided on during the final judges' panel session. Due to the new date for the Start-Up Award, now on the first day of the show instead of the day before the show opens, the finalists will be able to present their ideas and designs to an even bigger audience," explains Julian Pfeiffer, Project Coordinator Eurobike Award Messe Friedrichshafen.
On day one of the Eurobike trade show, i.e. 4 September 2019, the main Eurobike Stage in Foyer East is dedicated to start-ups. Following a keynote address and podium discussion about innovation and start-up culture on the bike market, the 20 start-up award category finalists will present their businesses and innovations in a start-up pitch. At the Eurobike prize-giving ceremony the same evening, visitors and award participants will find out which products the panel of judges have selected to win an award, and also if one of the start-ups has maybe won a prestigious Gold Award. All Eurobike Award winners will be once again on display to visitors during the entire show in a special exhibition. Following the award ceremony, Eurobike is also hosting the Start-Up Lounge Bodensee for an evening of exchanging information and networking in a relaxed atmosphere.
Eurobike Start-Up Award winners will continue to benefit from a strong tailwind long after the end of the show. The selected young businesses will be supported by Messe Friedrichshafen all-year round with numerous media services in diverse channels, and also benefit from a free exhibition area at the VELOBerlin show in spring 2020.
"The importance of young companies for the future of an industry is something that cannot be emphasized highly enough. Drive and inspiration for the market often come not from established players, but from young start-ups with their unconventional, fresh thinking. Yet, entry onto the bike market is far from straightforward for young businesses. Against the backdrop of a booming industry, established companies often pay start-ups little attention. This is another reason why we are especially delighted that the Eurobike Award, now in its 15th edition, is once again providing an important platform for young entrepreneurial businesses on the market and continuing to bring their innovative products to the attention of the industry and its consumers," says Dirk Heidrich, Eurobike Show Director.
This year's Eurobike takes place from 4 to 7 September 2019 on the Messe Friedrichshafen show grounds. The first three Eurobike days are devoted exclusively to industry professionals, trade visitors and the press, while the last day of the show is open to all bike enthusiasts.
For more information please visit www.eurobike-show.com and www.eurobike-award.com.
