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WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE MOST INNOVATIVE

START-UPSIN THE NET ZERO TECH SEGMENT

For the sixth time, Handelsblatt and McKinsey are awarding 'The Spark - The German Digital Prize' to exceptional innovators whose ideas have the potential to fundamentally and sustainably change markets.

This year, we are honoring startups that have committed to the mission of "climate neutrality" with Net Zero Tech and are developing technologies for an emission-free future. Digital technologies for generating, storing and transporting energy are just as relevant as new methods for avoiding or capturing CO2 in the manufacturing industry or emission-

reducing technologies in the transport and building sector.

The focus lies on start-ups from the key sectors of energy, transport & mobility, industry and buildings.

With The Spark, we offer you the big stage as digital revolutionaries.Present your ideas to a prominent jury and a top-class audience.

Take advantage of this opportunity and expand your network to include important business contacts.

#TheSpark

WHAT THE SPARK CAN DO FOR YOU… can be found on the following pages.

11th of November

2021

Award ceremony

untilJuly 11th

Application

period

6th of October2021

Jury meeting

THE ASSETFOR THE SPARK-FINALISTS

Finalist ad

in the Handelsblatt

Coaching for

the jury meeting

Reporting

around

The Spark

Finalist icon

for your own

marketing

Presentation of your business

idea at the award

ceremony

Staging at an

exclusive McKinsey

conference with over

1,000 guests

Personal contact

and exchange with the

experts of this year‘s The

Spark jury

Networking with the

The Spark Alumni

Presentation on

the-spark.de

THE ASSETADDITIONAL FOR THE SPARK WINNERS

Animated film about the

winning company

Eye-catching congratulatory

advertisement in the Handelsblatt

The Spark trophy

Honour at the award ceremony

Winner icon for your

own marketing

THE AWARD CEREMONY

On the 11th of November 2021, The Spark will be awarded to 3 winners at a gala event in front of a high-profile audience of representatives from business, media and politics. All 10 finalists will be given stage time to present their ideas and concepts.

During the after-show party, there will be an opportunity to network with the invited C-level guests.

As we plan the award ceremony, we will of course keep an eye on pandemic developments. Should circumstances require it, The Spark will be awarded virtually in 2021.

THE SPARK 2021

Pictures of the Digital Award Ceremony 2020

11th of

November

2021 in Berlin

SUCCESS STORIES WE PROUDLY LOOK BACK ON NUMEROUS SUCCESS STORIES OF PREVIOUS THE SPARK WINNERS AND FINALISTS

relayr, The Spark Winner 2016In September 2018, the company exits with an

estimated enterprise value of USD 300 million.

Munich Re acquires 100 percent of relayr.

Preisverleihung

KONUX, The Spark Winner 2016In February 2019, the company received a further

13 million US dollars as part of an expansion of its

Series B financing round. The total volume of

KONUX therefore increased to a total of 33 million

US dollars.Octimine, The Spark Finalist 2017In November 2018, the founders sell

their company.

The Dennemeyer Group, founded

in Luxembourg, acquires Octimine.

Cassantec, The Spark Finalist 2016The finalist from 2016, a start-up from Berlin,

was acquired by ABB at the end of 2019 and

was thus able to build on the positive result

from four years ago.

Ubimax (now TeamViewer), The Spark Finalist 2019

The third-placed company from 2019 managed a

136 million Euro exit to software company

TeamViewer just 9 months after the award. Before

The Spark, the company had only raised a few

external financings (around 6 million).

INTERESTED? APPLY NOW

To apply, fill in our online form by 11 July 2021 at the-spark.de. Filling out the form only takes about 10-12 minutes.

Our conditions of participation:

Eligible to participate are Young companies in the DACH region that have established business models on the market that use the possibilities

of "Net Zero Tech". The innovation meets the three evaluation criteria of novelty, scalability and customer benefit. The company does not

have more than 500 employees and is not a corporate start-up, i.e., founded from within an established company or with a majority

shareholding by an established company.

The nomination as a finalist includes the creation of a short pitch video for the online voting (creation and submission of the video expected

between 05 and 13 August), the personal participation of a member of your management in the jury session on the 6th of October 2021 in

Düsseldorf (including pre-event coaching by an expert) as well as the personal participation in the award ceremony on the 11th of

November 2021 in Berlin. Participation is compulsory. Non-participation will lead to disqualification.

AT THE SPARK 2021 THEMED NET ZERO TECH

01. April bis30. Juni

WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR APPLICATION

REVIEW

THE SPARK 2020

10 EXCITING FINALISTS

„ A great opportunity to present ourselves

to such a high-calibre jury.“

Ekaterina GribCo-Founder KEWAZO

and Finalist of The Spark 2018 ROUTAGO SMARTLANE TWAICEWUNDER

MOBILITY

CHARGE X FAIRTIQ PARK HEREHAWA DAWACHARGERYBIT TECHNOLOGY

SOLUTIONS

3 OUTSTANDING WINNERS

„ Some manufacturers underestimated the battery issue in the beginning, this is where we can help.“

Stephan Rohr – Founder and Co-CEO of Twaice and winner of The Spark 2020

CHARGE X WUNDER MOBILITYTWAICE

FEMALE FOUNDER 2020

Vectoflow produces standardized and

customized flow measurement

technology for every application area.

The probes, which are among the

smallest, most accurate and

temperature-resistant in the world,

come from a 3D printer and increase

measurement accuracy by 45 percent.

International industrial customers from

50 countries rely on Vectoflow’stechnology.

SELECTION COMMITTEESTHE NOMINATION COMMITTEE 2020

In the nomination phase, two topic experts, the Handelsblatt editorial team and a representative of McKinsey evaluated the applications with regard to the three assessment criteria of novelty, scalability and customer value.

At the end of the nomination process, the ten finalists for The Spark 2020 were determined.

The experts for the nominations in 2020 were :

KIRSTEN LUDOWIGHandelsblatt – Head of

Department Company &

Markets

TIMO MÖLLERHead of

McKinsey Center for

Future Mobility

PROF. DR.-ING. HABIL.

ALOIS KNOLLProfessor at the Technical

University of Munich, Chair of

Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and

Real-Time Systems)

MICHAEL DOWLINGProfessor for Innovation and

Technology Management,

University of Regensburg and

Chairman of the Board of the

Münchener Kreis

LUKAS ZANGERCOO Magazino & Winner

The Spark 2018

SELECTION COMMITTEESTHE JURY 2020

All finalists were invited to the jury meeting on 30 September. There they personally presented their innovation in front of the jury members and were also judged by them on the basis of the evaluation criteria.

SAEED AMIDICEO Plug and Play

Tech Center

SVEN AFHÜPPEFormer Editor-in-Chief

Handelsblatt

CORNELIUS BAURFormer Head of McKinsey &

Company Germany

ANKE GIESENBoard of Directors Retail &

Real Estate Fraport AG

FLORIAN PETITFounder Blickfeld and Winner The Spark 2019

MARC BERGCEO FreeNOW

MARKUS SONTHEIMERCIO/CDO and Member of theDirectors Board Schenker AG

DOMINIK WEEManaging Director Global

Manufacturing & Transport Google

PROF. WILHELM BAUERInstitute Director Fraunhofer IAO

HILDEGARD WORTMANNMember of the Board of Directors

Sales and marketing, AUDI AG

ANNA IAROTSKAFounder Robo Wunderkind and

Female Founder 2019

ULRICH SCHRICKELCEO Brose Goup

CHRISTINA REUTERMember of the Supervisory Board

KION Group AG

THE FIRST DIGITAL JURY SESSION

THE FIRST DIGITAL AWARD CEREMONYVIA LIVESTREAM IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH

APPLY NOW

Your contactSusan Koll

Head of AwardsPhone +49 211 8 87-2722 | E-Mail s.koll@handelsblattgroup.com

www.the-spark.de