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Rheinland Pitch - Social Impact Special
Published on 20 October 2021
Germany
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Initiated in 2013, the Rhineland Pitch is now the largest start-up pitch competition in Germany. It offers young and innovative start-ups a stage to present their business idea to potential investors, companies, start-ups and interested parties. Up to five start-ups present themselves in a five-minute pitch and then have to answer questions from the expert jury and the audience. The best start-up is chosen by the audience.
With the social impact special, the Rheinland-Pitch offers a platform for impact start-ups specifically. The pitch is open to impact start-ups in all business phases. A week before the public Rhineland Pitch event, there is a “pre-pitch” with all impact start-ups that have applied. There, start-ups receive professional pitch training; a special jury decides which start-ups from the pool of applicants will ultimately be on the stage at the Rhineland Pitch.
The Rheinland Pitch has a number of business partners from different areas, e.g. HDI Insurance, Telekom Techboost, Vodafone uplift, KMPG, etc. Additionally, it is supported by public partners such as 2 Digihubs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Düsseldorf, and the Chambers of Commerce Cologne and Düsseldorf.
The Rheinland Pitch – Social Impact Special offers impact start-ups a stage and brings them in contact with possible investors. Moreover, since the event is open to the public, it also raises awareness of social entrepreneurship.
With the social impact special, the Rheinland-Pitch offers a platform for impact start-ups specifically. The pitch is open to impact start-ups in all business phases. A week before the public Rhineland Pitch event, there is a “pre-pitch” with all impact start-ups that have applied. There, start-ups receive professional pitch training; a special jury decides which start-ups from the pool of applicants will ultimately be on the stage at the Rhineland Pitch.
The Rheinland Pitch has a number of business partners from different areas, e.g. HDI Insurance, Telekom Techboost, Vodafone uplift, KMPG, etc. Additionally, it is supported by public partners such as 2 Digihubs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Düsseldorf, and the Chambers of Commerce Cologne and Düsseldorf.
The Rheinland Pitch – Social Impact Special offers impact start-ups a stage and brings them in contact with possible investors. Moreover, since the event is open to the public, it also raises awareness of social entrepreneurship.
Expert opinion
While start-up pitches are a well-known practice in the business community, the Rheinland Pitch is a great example of how the social economy is given more limelight. By integrating a “Social Impact Special” within the well established and largest pitch competition in Germany, the social enterprises are given a large stage to introduce their social innovation and business models. The recently released European Social Economy Action Plan also states that much is still needed to raise awareness of the concept and potential of social enterprises. Therefore, the practice is essential both for the competing companies (to attract investors and collaboration partners) and the ecosystem in general. Adding a social-economy component to existing business events is an excellent way to bring the social economy from the border areas to the mainstream.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
While there are employees from Startplatz who are organising the application phase, the pre-event and the event, there is a big group of volunteers who are helping implement the event itself.
Evidence of success
Biggest start-up pitch competition in Germany with a top-class audience. The Social Impact Special offers social start-ups the opportunity to present their ideas to a large audience in a low-threshold manner. So far, more than 100 Rheinland-Pitches have been organised with more than 500 start-ups having benefitted from the pitch training and the presentation in front of a big audience of potential investors, policy makers and the public.
Potential for learning or transfer
Easily transferable format that puts start-ups in contact with investors, new partners, co-founders and customers. Publicly accessible and attractively designed event that introduces the concept of ‘social enterprise’ to a wider audience. The event is organised by STARTPLATZ, a Startup-Incubator, accelerator and co-working space with locations in Cologne and Düsseldorf.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Startplatz
Germany
Köln
Contact
Project Coordinator