Deep Tech Award - Terms of participation

The Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Business is awarding the Deep Tech Award 2025 as part of the Deep Tech Berlin campaign.

The Berlin Deep Tech Award honours research-based, application-oriented and tried-and-tested software and hardware products from Berlin that are characterised by a high degree of innovation and great future potential (marketability) and create added value for users.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Photonics & Quantum Technologies
• Robotics
• Sustainable & Social Impact
• Web3 – DLT, Blockchain, NFT & Metaverse

Further information on the individual categories can be found under 2) Categories.

The awards are presented to products that have a connection to Berlin. This means that the products were predominantly developed in Berlin and the submitting company is based in Berlin.

• 10.02.2025 Announcement of the competition call and start of the submission period
• 10.04.2025 End of the submission period
• after 22.05.2025 Announcement of the nominees
• 02.07.2025 Announcement of the winners and award ceremony
   

3) Categories

Artificial Intelligence
In 2024, the topic of artificial intelligence has shaped the Nobel Prize awards – from the foundations of neural networks in physics to protein structure prediction in chemistry. For the Deep Tech Award 2025, we are looking for machine learning-based products that will continue the success story of AI in science and technology!

Photonics & Quantum Technologies
Supercomputing, high-performance, highly sensitive sensors or tap-proof communication: controlling quantum properties and light can change the world.
We are looking for innovative ideas, concepts and products for hardware and software in the field of quantum computing, quantum sensor technology, quantum communication and photonics that meet current challenges and have the potential to shape the future.

Robotics
Set an example from the fascinating world of robotics, an industry that not only moves machines but is revolutionising entire branches of industry. We are looking for pioneering ideas and products that push the boundaries of automation. From intelligent robotic systems that work precisely and efficiently to collaborative robotic solutions that interact harmoniously with human workers, your innovations should make industrial users and competitors alike sit up and take notice.
Robotics is a central part of the digital transformation and we want to understand how your solutions will increase production efficiency, revolutionise the world of work and set new standards for intelligent automation processes. Whether in the manufacturing industry, healthcare or logistics – your innovations should lead the way into the future. Use the momentum and help to spread the strength of the Berlin robotics scene to the world!

Sustainable & Social Impact
In the Sustainable & Social Impact category, we are looking for technical innovations that have a positive impact on individuals, our society and/or the environment/climate. This cross-cutting category of the Deep Tech Awards recognises the mix of innovative technology and a social and/or environmental impact.
If your Deep Tech solution opens up new treatment options in the healthcare sector, if it can contribute to improving the care of humans, animals and plants, if it brings us closer to achieving the climate goals we have set ourselves, or if you can present a solution with a sustainable and/or social impact that we haven’t even thought of yet, then this is the right category for you and your solution!

Web3 – DLT, NFT & Metaverse
Songs of jubilation and reports of the death of decentralised technologies have followed each other closely in recent years. The promises range from the end of the monetary system as we know it to new digital worlds; the reality currently looks very different.
We’re not looking for golden advertising promises, but for innovations in the fields of Web 3 – DLT, NFT & Metaverse, which intelligently solve existing problems and/or form the basis for advancing digital, decentralised worlds.

The winners are selected by an independent panel of experts. For each category, there is a jury of three renowned experts from the fields of business, science and associations.

The Jury:

Artificial Intelligence
o Franziska Weindauer – CEO of TÜV AI.Lab
o Dr. Theresa Züger – Head of AI & Society Labs at HIIG
o Fabian Westerheide – CEO Asgard Capital and Organiser of the Rise of AI
Conference

Photonics & Quantum Technologies
o Dr. Gabrielle Thomas – Group Leader Marketing Menlo Systems GmbH
o Dr. Barbara Wellmann – Director Lead Quantum.Link Deloitte Consulting GmbH
o Dr. Markus Krutzik – Leiter des Joint Lab Integrated Quantum Sensors (IQS) am Ferdinand-Braun-Institut

Robotics
o Prof. Dr Ilona Buchem – Professor of Communication and Media Studies BHT
o Dr. Gregor Thiele – Head of department (process automation and robotics) at the Fraunhofer IPK
o Matthias Ziege – Head of Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus

Sustainable & Social Impact
o Geraldine de Bastion – CEO & Founder at and founder of the Global
Innovation Gathering (GIG)
o Dr. Peter Udo Diehl – CEO & Founder at Aiur Capital
o Prof. Dr. Jochen Schiller – Chairman of the Management Board at Einstein
Center Digital Future

Web3 – Blockchain, DLT, NFT & Metaverse
o Prof. Dr. Ing. Katarina Krüger – Professor at Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik Berlin
o Dr. Christoph Haupenthal – Director/Co-Founder, Institute for Applied
Blockchain at Digital Business University of Applied Sciences
o Regine Haschka-Helmer – CEO, Seedlab GmbH, IOTA Foundation Adviser

The competition is endowed with total prize money of up to 50,000 euros. The title ‘Deep Tech Star’ and 10,000 euros will be awarded in each of the five Deep Tech categories. The winners of the ‘Deep Tech Star’ will each receive a certificate and an award sculpture. They can advertise in their marketing activities with the ‘Deep Tech Star’ logo provided as well as with a reference to the Deep Tech Award, stating the award year.

In addition to the prize money, the winners and finalists (1-3 places per category) can win intangible prizes, including annual memberships with the partners and invitations to exclusive events (e.g. Deep Tech Dinner).

The award winners and their products can also present themselves in articles and interviews on the campaign website of the organiser www.berlin.de/deeptech and the cooperation partners.

The award ceremony is expected to take place on 2 July 2025.

The competition is open to companies based in the state of Berlin that submit a product that was predominantly developed in Berlin. Submissions from small and medium-sized companies are explicitly encouraged.
We are looking for research-based, application-oriented and tried-and-tested software and hardware products from Berlin that are characterised by a high degree of innovation and great future potential (marketability) and create added value for users.

• Degree of innovation: Integration of new and relevant research results and new and relevant technology(ies)
• Purpose and added value of the product for users
• Quality and development potential of the business model

For the Sustainable & Social Impact category, the criterion ‘social and/or ecological impact’ will also be assessed.

From the submissions received, three Deep Tech Finalists will be nominated per category, from which the Deep Tech Star 2025 of the respective category will be selected at the award ceremony on 2 July 2025.

If too few submissions are received for each category, the award organiser reserves the right to suspend the category in question and therefore not award a prize in the category.

A prerequisite for receiving the prize money is the fulfilment of the requirements under state aid law according to the so-called ‘de minimis’ regulation (this will take place after the award ceremony).

Formal framework conditions for submitting the competition entry

• Please note that you can only apply for one of the above categories with your respective competition entry.
• Submissions that have already been honoured with the ‘Deep Tech Star’ title in the past are generally excluded from participating again. An exception applies if the submission has been further developed in such a way that it represents a new product according to objective standards. The assessment of whether a product is new is at the discretion of the organiser, whose decision is final.
• All rights to the competition entry remain with the sender. The submission of several competition entries is permitted. The entrant warrants that his/her competition entry is free from third-party rights. The entrant is liable to the organiser for ensuring that his/her competition entry does not infringe any third-party rights. The entrant hereby assures the organiser of the competition that the organiser will not be liable for any claims or expenses asserted by third parties due to an infringement of rights.
• By submitting the entry documents, the entrant agrees that the submitted work (photographic material etc.) may be used by the organiser as part of the promotion of the competition and grants all necessary rights of use for this purpose. The documents will be deleted by the organiser after six months.
• By submitting the submission documents, the submitter also agrees that the submitted documents may be used as part of the ‘Deep Tech Mentoring Programme’ by the Innovationsnetzwerk für fortschrittliche Materialien e.V., a contractor commissioned by Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises. The declaration of consent includes the examination of the submissions with regard to suitability for the mentoring programme as well as the use of the submissions in the implementation of the mentoring programme (in the event of selection as a programme participant). The documents will be deleted by the organiser and the commissioned service provider after the end of the mentoring programme (31.12.2025). A confidentiality agreement is agreed between the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and the service provider, which contractually guarantees the confidential handling of the competition submissions.
• The organiser of the competition is entitled to pass on the personal data of the entrant obtained in the course of the competition, such as names or photos, to third parties, e.g. the media. If the entrant does not wish the data to be passed on, he/she must inform the organiser in writing at the time of submission which data he/she does not wish to be passed on.
• The meetings of the jury are not public. Their decisions are final. Legal recourse is excluded.
• The data protection regulations published on the organiser’s website apply: https://www.berlin.de/deeptech/datenschutzerklaerung.1037695.php
• The invalidity of individual provisions shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.
• There is no legal entitlement to the award of a prize or prize money.

• Appointment of a contact person for the content, stating contact details including telephone number and e-mail address
• Indication of the legal form of the company
• Description of the company (max. 1,000 characters)
• Presentation of the competition entry from a technical perspective (Which technologies were used? How is the product technically designed?), from the customer’s perspective (purpose and added value of the solution for the user) and with regard to the degree of innovation (integration of new and relevant research results/technology/techniques) (max. 4,000 characters).
• Present the business model for your product and explain what development prospects it offers (for the product and/or your company). (max. 2,000 characters).
• For the Sustainable & Social Impact category: Presentation of the social and sustainable impact of the solution (max. 1,500 characters)
• Description of why you are taking part in the Deep Tech Award (max. 400 characters)
• Indication of team size and year of foundation
• If relevant, photos, pitch decks (max. 5 pages) and videos about the product
• Classification of the innovation according to Technology Readiness Index (TRL 1-9)
• Declaration that the submission was (predominantly) developed in Berlin

Documents to be submitted when winning the category:
Completed de-minimis declaration 2025
The de-minimis-declaration 2025 to be completed will be sent to the winners by email by the organiser after the award ceremony.

Additional note on the de-minimis-declaration: After the award ceremony, the Deep Tech prizewinners must complete the de minimis declaration in order to receive the prize money of 10,000 euros from the state of Berlin as prizewinners and declare that they have not exhausted the amount of 300,000 euros in state aid in three calendar years. Copies of the de-minimis-certificates already received must be submitted together with the de-minimis-declaration to Robin Hempel, Officer, Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises: E-Mail robin.hempel@senweb.berlin.de

The Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises is organising the Deep Tech Award 2024 as part of the Deep Tech Berlin campaign.

Contact person:
Robin Hempel
Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe
Martin-Luther-Str. 105
10825 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (0)30 901- 8347
robin.hempel@senweb.berlin.de
Web: https://www.berlin.de/deeptech