Special prize for the 5th edition of the state-wide start-up competition Überflieger. This time, young companies from Schleswig-Holstein can win start-up trips to Silicon Valley in two categories.

The state-wide start-up competition Überflieger is entering its 5th round. As of now, young companies from Schleswig-Holstein once again have the chance to win a start-up trip to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The starting signal was given by Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen and the three associations StartUp SH, The Bay Areas and Marketing Club Schleswig-Holstein on 10.05.23 at the San Francisco Start-up Day as part of Digital Week Kiel. Early-stage start-ups (up to 3 years old) once again have the chance to spend a week in Silicon Valley.

Special prize for later-stage start-ups

The organizers are also offering a special prize for the 5th anniversary. "The reports and experiences of the high-flyers show how important this format is and how valuable a trip to Silicon Valley is for our start-ups. This time, the special prize also gives later-stage start-ups the opportunity to get to know the cradle of the world's most successful young companies. They can even immerse themselves in the spirit of Silicon Valley for two weeks and thus use the trip even more intensively to build up contacts for themselves," said Madsen.

Door opener for young companies

The trip of the current high-flyers took place at the end of March. Marc Hager was there for the Lübeck-based start-up Naotilus, which has developed digital solutions for controlling and optimizing heating networks on the supplier and consumer side. "The spirit of Silicon Valley was really tangible: an innovative ecosystem that is attracting more and more creative minds and the associated culture of networking and support, even among competitors. Everyone tries to open a door for you. That really impressed me," reports Hager. "I also perceive this creative environment in Schleswig-Holstein, the support from a dense network, the political will for change, the exchange of knowledge between start-ups and the established economy, for example on the topic of AI. We are on a very good path here."

Networking in Schleswig-Holstein and Silicon Valley

"In our start-up consulting and support, we see start-ups every day that use the services of our network to implement great and innovative ideas in Schleswig-Holstein," confirms Dr. Anke Rasmus, 1st Chairwoman of StartUp SH e.V., "With the high-flyer competition, we are creating a stage to present these business ideas to a broad audience, to get inspiration in Silicon Valley and to establish new contacts." For Axel Schulz from The Bay Areas association, the trips to Silicon Valley also show: "Start-ups develop particularly successfully when they not only have access to research and capital, but also to experienced entrepreneurs and established companies." The high-flyer competition makes this possible not only on the other side of the Atlantic, but also in Schleswig-Holstein. At the networking event "Überflieger Business Lounge", all applicants can make contact with companies from Schleswig-Holstein. "Young companies should definitely take advantage of this opportunity," emphasizes Börrje Schneider from the Marketing Club Schleswig-Holstein, "Good marketing means bringing your forward-looking products and services to the right target group, in sales as well as for cooperations. With the high-flyer, we want to make these good ideas fly." Both The Bay Areas and the Marketing Club Schleswig-Holstein are giving each of the six final teams a one-year membership to support the networking of the start-ups in the business community in Schleswig-Holstein and California in the long term.

And so it goes to the high-flyer competition:

The following can apply

• "Early Stage" category for start-ups that were founded between January 1, 2020 and June 18, 2023 and are based in Schleswig-Holstein. Prize: 3 x 1 week in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

• "Later Stage" category for start-ups that were founded between January 1, 2015 and June 18, 2020 and are based in Schleswig-Holstein. Prize: 3 x 2 weeks in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Application deadline is Sunday, June 18, 2023.

By then, the young companies must submit a short letter of motivation and a pitch deck. All information can be found at: https://startupsh.de/ueberflieger-2023/.

The jury of representatives from the sponsors, the three associations and the Ministry of Economic Affairs will then select six start-ups per category to pitch for the coveted tickets for a customized trip to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The three winners per category will be announced directly at the final on September 7, 2023 at the state government guest house in Kiel.

In addition, all applicants are invited to network with entrepreneurs from Schleswig-Holstein at the "Überflieger Business Lounge" on June 27, 2023.

All previous winners of the high-flyer competitions and the winners of the Schleswig-Holstein StartUp Camps are excluded from applying. Legal recourse is excluded.