153 applications for the Saxon State Prizes 2025
153 applications for the Saxon State Prizes 2025
This year's application phase for the Saxon State Prizes for Founding, Transfer and Innovation has been completed. 153 applications from all over Saxony were received for the three state prizes, awarded by the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection (SMWA).
Until March 10, 2025, founders, transfer players and established entrepreneurs were able to submit their innovative ideas, business models, projects and technologies for the three Saxon State Prizes 2025. The submissions will now be formally reviewed by futureSAX, the innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony, and passed on to the jury for further evaluation.
"We have received many great applications that clearly show that Saxony is a state full of innovative spirit - in the city and the state and across all sectors. The Saxon State Prizes are a perfect instrument for making outstanding developments, great start-ups or successful technology transfers visible to a broad public. They are now an integral part of Saxony's innovation culture and the award ceremony as part of the Saxon Innovation Conference on June 25, 2025 will provide Saxony's innovative minds with a great stage."
Susanne Stump, Managing Director of futureSAX GmbH
The results of the competition submissions in detail
While the Saxon Start-up Prize is awarded annually, the competitions for the Saxon Transfer Prize and Saxon Innovation Prize take place every two years.
The Saxon Founder Award honors innovative business ideas. Saxon start-ups or teams that want to turn their innovation into a start-up in 2025 can apply.
Saxony-wide, 85 applications were received from all districts. The cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz accounted for over 70%.
The regional distribution in detail:
- Dresden (28)
- Leipzig: (27)
- Chemnitz: (7)
- Central Saxony district (5)
- Zwickau district (4)
- Bautzen district: (3)
- Erzgebirgskreis (3)
- County of Leipzig (2)
- District of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (2)
- County of Görlitz (1)
- County of Meißen (1)
- District of North Saxony (1)
- Vogtland district (1)
The submissions can be assigned to 13 industry sectors, with the majority of start-up ideas and concepts once again coming from the information and communication technology and software sector (25). This continues the trend of recent years in the start-up scene. The services sector (19) and life science/medicine/health (13 applications) are also strongly represented.
Of the start-ups and start-up ideas received, 22 (26%) are in the pre-foundation phase, while the others have already been founded between 2020 and 2025.
37 of the concepts (approx. 44% ) were submitted by female founders or teams with at least one female team member.
As a pilot project, the special prize for social entrepreneurs was awarded for the first time this year as part of the Saxon Start-up Prize. Innovative, commercially active social enterprises based in Saxony are eligible to enter the special prize. The prize is endowed with a total of up to 10,000 euros.
Across Saxony, 14 applications were received by the application deadline, primarily from the cities of Leipzig and Dresden. Almost two thirds of the concepts were submitted by teams with at least one female team member.
Here too, most of the submissions were from the information / communication technology / software sector (4 applications).
For the Saxon Transfer Award, 25 applications were submitted jointly by knowledge and technology providers who have made a special contribution to the success of a transfer process from science to industry.
The applications submitted by the research institutions are distributed among the cities/districts:
- Dresden (12)
- Leipzig (4)
- Chemnitz (4)
- the district of Central Saxony (4) and
- the district of Görlitz (1)
The focus areas are spread across nine sectors, with applications from the following sectors this year
- Energy/ Environment (5)
- Chemical/materials technology (4)
- Information/ communication technology/ software (4)
are most strongly represented.
Six applications were submitted by researchers with at least one female team member.
The Saxon Innovation Award received 29 applications from SMEs throughout Saxony. Saxon companies that have been on the market for more than 5 years are eligible to enter the competition.
The submitted innovations are distributed among the cities/districts:
- Dresden (9)
- Chemnitz (7)
- District of Bautzen (4)
- Zwickau district (3)
- Erzgebirgskreis (2)
- Görlitz district (1)
- County of Meißen (1)
- District of Central Saxony (1)
- District of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (1)
The focus areas are spread across nine sectors, with applications from the following sectors this year
- Information/communication technology/software (10)
- Mechanical/plant engineering (5) and
- skilled trades (4)
are most strongly represented.
Eleven innovations were developed and submitted by companies with at least one female team member.
What happens next?
In the next step, the approved applications are handed over to the expert jury, consisting of around 150 experts from Saxony and Germany. They examine and evaluate the submissions. The nominees for the Saxon State Prizes will be determined from the scores submitted and will be publicly announced in mid-April.
To determine the award winners, the nominees pitch at the jury meetings and answer questions from the panel - these events take place in May. The special award of the Saxon Chambers of Crafts (Saxon Innovation Award) will be decided at the jury meeting.
The three Saxon State Awards will be presented at the Saxon Innovation Conference on June 25, 2025 at Messe Dresden.
Background: The Saxon State Prizes 2025
In 2025, futureSAX, the innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony, is once again organizing the Saxon State Prizes for Founding, Transfer and Innovation on behalf of the SMWA. The three prizes, including the special prize for social entrepreneurs, are endowed with a total of up to 160,000 euros. With these competitions, the Free State of Saxony honors the best start-up concepts and ideas, transfer achievements and innovations.
At the same time, sustainable ideas and innovations from Saxony's economic and scientific landscape are to be made visible and accessible. All prizes will be awarded at the Saxon Innovation Conference on25. June 2025.
Further information can be found at www.futureSAX.de/wettbewerbe
Your contact at futureSAX
Tabea-Elice Hantsche
Projectcoordinator
Awards and Calls
Connecting people, telling stories and triggering emotions - these were the goals that motivated Tabea-Elice Hantsche to train as an event manager and then pursue a more in-depth dual course of study in business administration service management/event and sports management at the State Academy of Studies in Riesa.
The native of Lusatia was able to gain professional experience not only in the organization of various events, but also in marketing and public relations as well as in personnel management. In addition, the insight into different corporate structures sharpened the sense for diverse perspective.