InnoStartBonus Call 14 completed

15 start-up projects receive a positive jury vote in the InnoStartBonus Call 13

The evaluation phase for Call 14 of the InnoStartBonus start-up funding program has been completed. At the meeting of the expert panel on November 26 and 27, 31 teams presented their innovative business ideas. The expert panel gave 22 projects a positive vote on eligibility for funding.

Published on: 23.05.2025

Wide range of applications in Call 13

Interested start-ups with innovative business ideas were able to apply to Call 13, which is open to all sectors, until the application deadline on April 13. A total of 65 applications were submitted. Around 50 percent of the concepts came from female founders or teams with at least one female team member.

The expert committee, chaired by Claudia Weber, Head of the SME Financing, Guarantees and Start-ups Department at the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection, selected 27 teams and individual founders in the regional pre-selection on April 29 and 30. These now presented their business ideas in seven-minute pitches in the second round of judging on May 20 and 21. They then answered questions from the experts. Of the business ideas presented, the expert panel deemed 15 concepts to be worthy of funding. The founders will now submit the formal application to the Sächsische Aufbaubank - Förderbank - (SAB).

Behind the innovative business ideas are 8 planned team start-ups and 7 individual start-ups from all over Saxony. Of these, 10 concepts come from the cities of Leipzig and Dresden and five start-up ideas from rural areas. Seven of the 23 people receiving support are women. The child bonus of EUR 150 per month is claimed four times.

Current Call 14

Since April 14, 2025, Call 14 has been open for applications from all sectors and topics, coaching and consulting are excluded. Founders can submit their innovative business ideas digitally until October 15.

Background: InnoStartBonus

Innovative start-ups are to be promoted in the Saxon start-up scene and financially supported at the start.

The InnoStartBonus start-up funding scheme gives selected founders the opportunity to receive a start-up bonus of 1,050 euros per month for twelve months as part of a competitive process.

futureSAX, the innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony, provides individual support to those interested in founding a company during the application and funding period.

Your contact at futureSAX

Juliane Waidhas

Project Manager

Idea Phase & InnoStartBonus

+49 162 286 03 85

juliane.waidhas(at)futuresax.de

To profile

Juliane Waidhas's career has been shaped by her enthusiasm for business development, innovation, and collaboration between different stakeholders. During her master's degree in Business Administration at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, she specialized in Market-Oriented Corporate Management. She gained professional experience in areas including consulting, business development, and project management. A particularly formative experience was leading the project CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY II, in which she connected creative professionals with medium-sized businesses to unlock new ideas, business models, and innovation potential. She is especially motivated by the opportunity to bring people together, foster exchange, and actively support forward-looking initiatives. In her personal life, she expresses her creative side through painting and sewing, and finds a valuable counterbalance to her everyday work life in jogging, hiking, and cycling.