INCUBA Awards: Here are the Startup of the Year and Investor of the Year 2024

Pitching and networking took place when INCUBA hosted the annual gathering of investors interested in Aarhus and East Jutland on Thursday. Here, 15 exciting local startups looking for capital got to present their concepts to an audience of over 200 potential investors and partners.

At the end of the day, the Startup of the Year and Investor of the Year were also announced.

The finalists for Startup of the Year were Battman Energy, Kanpla, Norfalk and Teitur Tropics, while the finalists for Investor of the Year were Christian Vinther (Founderment), Pernille Lynggaard Frandsen and Stefan Rosenlund.

And Startup of the Year is…

Startup of the Year was cleantech startup Battman Energy, which has quickly made a name for itself in the industry with groundbreaking energy storage solutions. With a focus on sustainability, they have already established several energy parks, secured key partnerships and funding to support future growth.

“We are super proud to receive the Startup of the Year award. The field of startups is strong and we couldn’t have imagined this just a few years ago,” said Alexander Kaae, CFO of Battmann Energy, when he received the award.

Startup of the Year 2024 – Battman Energy, CFO Alexander Kaae and CEO Daniel Kappelgaard. Photo: INCUBA.

The jury tasked with finding the final winner among the finalists wanted to highlight companies that have both high ambitions and great scaling potential.

“Battman Energy represents the best in cleantech. They inspire with their innovative solutions and their ability to create sustainable change. They are a role model for the cleantech sector, bringing an important vertical in the city into play and an important part of the region’s startup community,” says jury member Jan Snogdal, partner at DLA Piper.

Investor of the Year elevates the local ecosystem

Investor of the Year was Christian Vinther, an experienced Aarhus investor with a keen sense for spotting the potential in early stage startups. He is affiliated with the Founderment fund, which has played an important role in the development of the Aarhus startup ecosystem. Over the years, Founderment has supported several promising startups and helped realize their growth ambitions.

“I would like to thank the entire ecosystem in Aarhus, which has come really far and developed a lot. So I would also like to send a thank you to all the great startups and all those who support the ecosystem,” said Christian Vinther from the stage when he received the Investor of the Year award.

Christian Vinther and Founderment’s work with investing in and promoting local startups was highlighted by the jury.

Christian Vinther (left) in a panel debate with Anders Thorup-Jensen, EIFO (center) and Stefan Rosenlund (right), who was also nominated for Investor of the Year. Photo: INCUBA.

“Christian Vinther has made a remarkable effort to lift startups in the region. He excels at identifying promising companies and helping them scale to new heights. His commitment to the startup community and the investments he makes in Founderment create significant value, not only for the individual companies, but for the entire ecosystem,” says jury member Søren Grønbæk Nielsen, Associate Director at EIFO.

The INCUBA Prize, founded and run by INCUBA A/S, was first awarded in 202. The winner receives a travel grant of DKK 35,000 for a study and networking trip to one of the world’s leading innovation centers in late summer 2025. The winners are selected by a jury consisting of representatives from the startup ecosystem in Aarhus.

15 startups pitched at Aarhus Investor Summit

Never Another

Multi Biopsy

TeamDriver

O-Robotics

Relift

Vebu

Re-Claim

Kripthonite Therapeutics

Cernel

Attender

Phonestamp

Fauna

Grow Grounds

Zeta Diagnostics

MediQuant

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