Since 2016, the HR Start-up Award has served as a platform for innovation in personnel management, highlighting emerging technologies and trends that shape the future of work. The award aims to connect ambitious founders with experienced HR leaders, providing visibility to promising start-ups that offer solutions for HR professionals and employees. It is an initiative designed to showcase innovations, foster learning within the HR community, and collectively shape the evolution of the workplace.
Application Criteria
• Company Focus: The start-up must provide solutions, such as tools or tool-based services, for human resource management and/or employees.
• Founding Date: To be eligible, the start-up must have been founded after July 1, 2021, making it no more than five years old at the time of the pitch on June 25, 2026.
• Market Readiness: Applicants must offer a product that has already been introduced to the market or a tool-based service that is currently available.
• Location: There are no geographical restrictions; international applications are explicitly welcomed.
• Application Period: Submissions are accepted between February 2, 2026, and March 31, 2026. Applications may be submitted in either German or English.
Benefits of Participation
• Winning Prize: The award winner receives an advertising budget worth €5,000 and an article in Human Resources Manager magazine.
• Jury Exposure: Every participating start-up gains the attention of all 14 distinguished jury members.
• Finalist Showcase: All finalists are presented during the award ceremony at the Personalmanagementkongress in Berlin and receive tickets for both days of the event.
• Professional Development: Finalists receive a pitch checklist and can request a coaching session with a jury member.
• Brand Awareness and Validation: Participation increases brand visibility and provides market validation.
• Market Access and Growth: The award offers direct access to HR decision-makers, investors, and multipliers.
• Networking and Product Development: Finalists can interact with their target audience, fostering opportunities for networking and product feedback.
• Employer Branding: The platform enhances recruiting efforts and strengthens the employer brand.
Award Process and Timeline
• Pre-Application Phase (Until February 2): The process begins with a kick-off meeting to structure the application process, define evaluation criteria, and plan marketing activities.
• Application Phase (February 2 to March 31): Interested HR start-ups submit applications detailing their business model, team, and financing. The award committee collects and structures these submissions.
• Application Preparation (April 1 to April 15): The committee clusters start-ups by business model, consolidates information into one-pagers, and performs a preselection based on defined criteria before forwarding applications to the jury.
• Jury Voting Phase (April 16 to May 3): The jury evaluates applications based on Solution Offering, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, using a scoring system. Any questions are clarified via phone calls with the start-ups.
• Finalist Selection (May 8 to May 13): The jury discusses the top 10 start-ups, considering industry variety and current trends, and nominates the finalists for the award.
• Finalist Announcement (End of May): The three finalists who will pitch at the event are announced and receive a pitch checklist.
• Award Ceremony (June 25): Finalists pitch at the Personalmanagementkongress in Berlin, followed by a live Q&A with the jury. The winner is determined by an audience vote.
• Compliance Guidelines: Throughout the process, a strict code of conduct is followed. Jury members with investments or close relationships with a start-up must disclose them and abstain from voting or discussion related to that start-up's eligibility. The final winner is selected exclusively by the audience.
Key Dates for the 2026 Edition
• Application Phase Opens: February 2, 2026
• Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
• Finalist Pitches and Award Ceremony: June 25, 2026, at the Personalmanagementkongress in Berlin
The Jury
• Frederik Nyga: Publisher, Magazin Human Resources Manager & Lead Product and Business Development, Quadriga Media Berlin
• Åsa Lautenberg: CHRO, DKV Mobility
• Andra Rupietta: CHRO, Schwarz Digits
• Dr. Jochen Wallisch: Executive Vice President People & Organization, Siemens
• Prof. Dr. Christian Gärtner: Professor for HRM & Digitalisation, Munich University of Applied Sciences
• Inga Dransfeld-Haase: CHRO and Director of Labor Relations, TÜV NORD
• Erika Rasch: Head of Corporate People and Culture, Bosch & Head of People and Culture, Bosch Mobility Solutions
• Jens Frederik Bender: Initiator of HR Angels Club & Founder & Managing Director of WorkTech Advisory
• Dennis Blöcher: Senior Vice President HR, STIHL
• Dr. Thomas Otter: General Partner, Acadian Ventures
• Dr. Katharina Herrmann: former Board Member, Hubert Burda Media, & Vice President, BPM
• Holger Jungk: Partner Strategic People Advisory, Mercer, a Marsh business
• DDr. Thomas Kreiter: Managing Director of Finance, Personnel, Operations, ÖBB-Operative Services, & Committee member, BPM
• Oliver Kasper: Group Head Strategic People Analytics & People Planning, Swiss Re
Award Initiators
• The Federal Association of Human Resources Managers (BPM): The leading professional association for HR managers in Germany, focused on building a community to develop solutions for the future workplace.
• Mercer, a Marsh business: A global consulting firm dedicated to transforming the world of work, improving retirement and investment outcomes, and promoting health and well-being.
• Quadriga Media Berlin: A media and training company that facilitates professional exchange through continuing education, association management, industry events, and specialist publications.
• Human Resources Manager: The leading magazine for HR management in Germany, serving as a knowledge-sharing platform and a source for discovering industry trends and innovators.
The HR Start-up Award continues to be a significant event for identifying and celebrating the next generation of HR technology and services. By bringing together innovators, established industry leaders, and the wider HR community, the award fosters a dynamic ecosystem for collaboration and growth. For further details about the program, its history, and past winners, interested parties can refer to the official channels managed by the HR Start-up Award organization team.