JOIN THE JOURNEY

National Startup
Competition

National Startup Competition is a competition for the best and brightest university startups from the Danish Universities. All startups compete for cash prizes, receive feedback from experts on how to improve their startup, and become a part of a network of like-minded entrepreneurs! 

The next National Startup Competition will take place on June 21st 2023. Apply before deadline on 2nd of May 2023 using the link below.

Check out rules and application guidelines.

What's in it for you?

Cash Prizes

100,000+ DKK is awarded to the winners to help boost your startup.

Extensive Network

Be part of the Venture Cup community! We will keep you informed about the best offers in the ecosystem.

Experts Help

All participants will get  help through feedback with our appraised Venture Cup Experts.

Promotion

All finalists are promoted on Venture Cup Denmark channels and at the Award Show.

Master Classes

We offer several online and physical workshops which will help you accelerate your application and your startup.

Meet Peers

Meeting peers in the startup community can give you a valuable network of people who know about the challenges you face when running a startup.

Categories 2023

Making our planet and society more sustainable
and environmentally
friendly.

Solutions that help
people locally and
globally. Improving
society and our lives.

Everything from
softwares, financial
services, and new
platforms.

A physical device /
prototype that
improves functionality
or helps customers.

Optimizing health
industry, saving more
lives & creating better
well-being.

Timeline - NSC 2023

1st February
2nd May
22nd - 26th May
20th June
21st June

Overall and Social Winner of the National Startup Competition 2022

humAId

At humAId we translate deaf peoples lives. By providing a digital AI based sign language translation service which can be used directly on the deaf persons smartphone.

University of Southern Denmark

Category Winners of 2022

StaySeat ApS

Green

Screenshot 2022-05-02 at 20.50.03

Intelligent heated seats to replace the inefficient heating lamps at restaurants and cafes.

Technical University of Denmark 
Website

Hydrovertic

Product

Hydrovertic2021

Tailor-made solutions for starting vertical farming, in rooms or greenhouses of all sizes.

University of Southern Denmark
Website

Yuman

Health

IMG_6345

 We develop innovative robots to assist nurses as their own “transport buddy” by facilitating the delivery of food, laundry, and medicine in hospital wards.

Technical University of Denmark
LinkedIn

Innolidix

Digital

Innolidix_Team (2)

Innolidix is innovating the mining industry drilling and blasting operations with the application of sensory technology in combination with machine learning.

Technical University of Denmark
Website

National Startup
Competition

National Startup Competition is a competition for the best and brightest university startups from the Danish Universities. All startups compete for cash prizes, receive feedback from experts on how to improve their startup, and become a part of a network of like-minded entrepreneurs!

The next National Startup Competition will take place on June 21st 2023. Apply before deadline on 2nd of May 2023 using the link below.

Check out rules and application guidelines.

What's in it for you?

100,000+ DKK is awarded to the winners to help boost your startup.

Be part of the Venture Cup community! We will keep you informed about the best offers in the ecosystem.

All participants will get  help through feedback with our appraised Venture Cup Experts.

We offer several workshops both online and physically which will help you accelerate your application and your startup in general.

All finalists are promoted on Venture Cup Denmark channels and at the Award Show.

Categories 2023

How can we optimize human’s health? The category Health covers everything from medical processes in the health sector or platforms that generate more awareness of diseases and symptoms among the general population. In other words, if your purpose is to save more lives or create better well-being, you have come to the right place.

Our world is changing and people are changing with it. What can we do to make our planet better for future generations? The category Green consists of ideas that make our planet and society become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This could for example be in industries of Energy, Recycling, Packaging, Food and Beverage or other related industries.

Do you have a physical and tangible device, a sketch or prototype of a machine, robot, new component, or consumer product, that improves functionality or help reduce costs or time for your customers? If your answer is yes, then the Product category is for you.

The world is becoming more digitalized. The category Digital consists of ideas that are not specifically green or for health purposes, see green/health categories. Do you have an idea for a new platform that could make it easier for customers? Then this category covers everything from software as a service, financial services, and new platforms in all industries.

Globally, locally we all live side by side and we not only face environmental challenges but also societal challenges. Does your solution help people locally or globally? Does it improve society and our lives? Are humans centered around your solution? Then this is the category for you!

Overall and Social Winner of the National Startup Competition 2022

humAId

At humAId we translate deaf peoples lives. By providing a digital AI based sign language translation service which can be used directly on the deaf persons smartphone.

University of Southern Denmark

Category Winners of 2022

StaySeat ApS

Green

Screenshot 2022-05-02 at 20.50.03

Intelligent heated seats to replace the inefficient heating lamps at restaurants and cafes.

Jon Sødergreen

Technical University of Denmark 
Website

Hydrovertic

Product

Hydrovertic2021

Tailor-made solutions for starting vertical farming, in rooms or greenhouses of all sizes.

Iris M. Madsen, Rudy Mandrup Cazelles, Jacob Copeland, Askarbek Pazylbekov

University of Southern Denmark
Website

Innolidix

Digital

Innolidix_Team (2)

Innolidix is innovating the mining industry drilling and blasting operations with the application of sensory technology in combination with machine learning.

Seeyar Amiri

Technical University of Denmark
Website

Yuman

Health

IMG_6345

 We develop innovative robots to assist nurses as their own “transport buddy” by facilitating the delivery of food, laundry, and medicine in hospital wards.

Sara Lopez, Andrei Chirtoaca, Tilia Hasselager

Technical University of Denmark
LinkedIn

Overall winner 2021

AQfeed is able to convert unwanted sludge from aquacultures into a high-quality and sustainable fish feed. Team members are: Andreas Væring, Anton Krogh Petersen, Daria Zahaleanu, Jasmin Hyldborg, Joachim Rådstoga, Thomas Petersen

Technical University of Denmark
LinkedIn

 

F A Q

The application for 2023 will open 1st February, but fill in the pre-signup to get notified. 

All competition activities are hybrid for teams from SDU, AU, and AAU, except for the Award Show the 21st of June. Please note that category finalist must have at least one person attend the award show from the startup.

  • Product
    Do you have a physical and tangible device, a sketch or prototype of a machine, robot, new component, or consumer product, that improves functionality or help reduce costs or time for your customers? If your answer is yes, then the Product category is for you.

  • Digital
    The world is becoming more digitalized. The category Digital consists of ideas that are not specifically green or for health purposes, see green/health categories. Do you have an idea for a new platform that could make it easier for customers? Then this category covers everything from software as a service, financial services, and new platforms in all industries.

  • Health
    How can we optimize human’s health? The category Health covers everything from medical processes in the health sector or platforms that generate more awareness of diseases and symptoms among the general population. In other words, if your purpose is to save more lives or create better well-being, you have come to the right place.
  •  
  • Green
    Our world is changing and people are changing with it. What can we do to make our planet better for future generations? The category Green consists of ideas that make our planet and society become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This could for example be in industries of Energy, Recycling, Packaging, Food and Beverage or other related industries.
  •  
  • Social
    Globally, locally we all live side by side and we not only face environmental challenges but also societal challenges. Does your solution help people locally or globally? Does it improve society and our lives? Are humans centered around your solution? Then this is the category for you!
  •  




  •  

The award show will take place at IDA, Kalvebod Brygge 31, 1560 Copenhagen.

The pitch is 4 minutes long followed by a 12 minute Q&A at the Category Finals.  If you win your category, you’ll pitch live on stage at the award show (4 minute pitch, 6 minute Q&A).

All pitches and all events take place in English.

FAQ

All teams must have at least one cofounder who is a student, faculty member, or recent graduate (within 1 year from graduation) from one of the Danish universities (AAU, AU, CBS, DTU, KU, RUC, SDU, ITU) at the time of submission.

Full-time foreign students and diploma students are also welcome to apply as long as they otherwise comply with the rules.

All applicants participate by uploading their business plan on our submission platform, YouNoodle. 

All teams receive written feedback from our jury on their business plan, the Venture Cup Booster Pack (bundled offers and discounts relevant for Startups) and access to our mentor-programme, Venture Cup Experts.

Yes, you are allowed to participate in the same competition the following year, if you have developed your business considerably since you last participated. Former winners of the categories are not eligible to participate again.

The 5 highest ranked Startups in each category will be selected to participate in the Semifinals.

Semifinals will take place online on 2 and 3. of June. The Final Award Show will happen on the 24 of June. It is mandatory for each team to have one cofounder in the team present during this phase.

You fill in your application on YouNoodle and upload your business plan. The template can be found here.

Feel free to use the platform Jambo for the business plan. It’s free of charge and can help you develop your business plan through integrated helping modules. It is developed by a previous Project Manager for the Venture Cup competitions so it’s tailormade to help you accelerate! Check it out here.

Every university has a incubation hub, that you should contact if you need help with your application

Our judges have strict guidelines on how to judge the business plans. The parameters looked at: The Product/service description, Impact, Business plan feasibility, Team structure, and Implementation Plan.

You must upload your application on YouNoodle by 4. of May.

Timeline

"Winning Venture
Cup was a huge boost
for Blue Lobster."

Blue Lobster

Blue Lobster is an app that connects chefs with low impact fishermen, bringing you the best quality seafood straight from the harbor and paying the fishermen fairly. They were the overall winner of National Startup Competition in 2019 as well as the winner of the Digital category.

All teams must have at least one cofounder who is a student, faculty member, or recent graduate (within 1 year from graduation) from one of the Danish universities (AAU, AU, CBS, DTU, KU, RUC, SDU, ITU) at the time of submission.

Full-time foreign students and diploma students are also welcome to apply as long as they otherwise comply with the rules.

All applicants participate by uploading their business plan on our submission platform, YouNoodle. 

Early Bird special gives you an  access to a Venture Cup employee that will support you on your application for 15-20 minutes.

All teams receive written feedback from our jury on their business plan, the Venture Cup Booster Pack (bundled offers and discounts relevant for Startups) and access to our mentor-programme, Venture Cup Experts.

Yes, you are allowed to participate in the same competition the following year, if you have developed your business considerably since you last participated. Former winners of the categories are not eligible to participate again.

 

The 5 highest ranked Startups in each category will be selected to participate in the Semifinals.

Semifinals will take place online on 2 and 3. of June. The Final Award Show will happen on the 25 of June. It is mandatory for each team to have one cofounder in the team present during this phase.

You fill in your application on YouNoodle and upload your business plan. The template can be found here.

Every university has a incubation hub, that you should contact if you need help with your application

Our judges have strict guidelines on how to judge the business plans. The parameters looked at: The Product/service description, Impact, Business plan feasibility, Team structure, and Implementation Plan.

You must upload your application on YouNoodle by 4. of May.

F A Q

Contact us

Simon_BnW
Simon Ringive,
Head of Projects 
[email protected]
LinkedIn
 

FAQ

The application for 2023 will open 1st of February, but fill in the pre-signup to get notified. 

  • Product
    Do you have a physical and tangible device, a sketch or prototype of a machine, robot, new component, or consumer product, that improves functionality or help reduce costs or time for your customers? If your answer is yes, then the Product category is for you.

  • Digital
    The world is becoming more digitalized. The category Digital consists of ideas that are not specifically green or for health purposes, see green/health categories. Do you have an idea for a new platform that could make it easier for customers? Then this category covers everything from software as a service, financial services, and new platforms in all industries.

  • Health
    How can we optimize human’s health? The category Health covers everything from medical processes in the health sector or platforms that generate more awareness of diseases and symptoms among the general population. In other words, if your purpose is to save more lives or create better well-being, you have come to the right place.

  • Green
    Our world is changing and people are changing with it. What can we do to make our planet better for future generations? The category Green consists of ideas that make our planet and society become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This could for example be in industries of Energy, Recycling, Packaging, Food and Beverage or other related industries.

  • Social
    Globally, locally we all live side by side and we not only face environmental challenges but also societal challenges. Does your solution help people locally or globally? Does it improve society and our lives? Are humans centered around your solution? Then this is the category for you!

The award show will take place at IDA, Kalvebod Brygge 31, 1560 Copenhagen.

All competition activities are hybrid for teams from SDU, AU, and AAU (Vest for storebælt), except for the Award Show the 21st of June. Please note that category finalists must have at least one person attend the award show from the startup.

The pitch is 4 minutes long followed by a 12 minute Q&A at the Category Finals. If you win your category, you’ll pitch live on stage at the award show (4 minute pitch, 6 minute Q&A).

All pitches and all events take place in English.

"Winning Venture Cup was a huge boost for Blue Lobster."

Blue Lobster

Blue Lobster is an app that connects chefs with low impact fishermen, bringing you the best quality seafood straight from the harbor and paying the fishermen fairly. They were the overall winner of National Startup Competition in 2019 as well as the winner of the Digital category.

Contact

Simon Ringive,
Project Manager

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