Start-ups in HR are shaping both, the HR profession as well as the future of work. Since 2016 the HR Start-up Award is looking for innovations in personnel management, makes tech trends in human resources visible and brings together ambitious founders and experienced HR leaders.

Start-ups in HR are shaping both, the HR profession as well as the future of work. Since 2016 the HR Start-up Award is looking for innovations in personnel management, makes tech trends in human resources visible and brings together ambitious founders and experienced HR leaders.

Start-ups in HR are shaping both, the HR profession as well as the future of work. Since 2016 the HR Start-up Award is looking for innovations in personnel management, makes tech trends in human resources visible and brings together ambitious founders and experienced HR leaders.

Start-ups in HR are shaping both, the HR profession as well as the future of work. Since 2016 the HR Start-up Award is looking for innovations in personnel management, makes tech trends in human resources visible and brings together ambitious founders and experienced HR leaders.

Start-ups in HR are shaping both, the HR profession as well as the future of work. Since 2016 the HR Start-up Award is looking for innovations in personnel management, makes tech trends in human resources visible and brings together ambitious founders and experienced HR leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Award winner receives a cross-media advertisement package worth approximately 5,000 Euros by Quadriga Media to increase the awareness for your product/service in the HR market and beyond. The advertising package includes banners on humanresourcesmanager.de (>100,000 unique users per month), ads in the HR-Personalszene newsletter (60,000 recipients) & HR-Presseschau (10,000 recipients) as well as an ad in the HRM print magazine (circulation: 10,000). Further information on the readership of the newsletters, the website, and the magazine can be found in the HRM media data. In addition, all finalists will be placed on an exclusive start-up event hosted by the Bundesverband der Personalmanager (BPM) to present your product/service to a potential target group. Furthermore, all finalists have the opportunity to receive a business coaching by one of our members of the HR Start-up Award Jury to take your business to the next level.

The HR Start-up Award targets start-ups in the first to fifth year since their incorporation, who offer a ready-to-use product or service marketed towards the HR function in organizations. It addresses organizations with business-to-business (B2B), business-to-customer (B2C) and peer-to-peer (P2P) business models. Start-ups that have already applied in previews years may of course apply again this year.

There is no application fee for the HR Start-up Award. The costs for the congress ticket of the Personalmanagementkongress are also covered for all finalists. Furthermore, there are no additional costs for using the HR Start-up Award brand for your marketing. The only costs that may arise are your travel/accommodation costs for your travel to the Personalmanagementkongress in Berlin when you are nominated as a finalist.

An application is only possible via the online form on our website. The online form guides you step by step through the entire application process. The completed application form must contain the following points:

  • General information about the company
  • Business description in a single sentence
  • Completed application form with general information (e.g. name, company ownership structure, founding team, current management team, date of incorporation, etc.)
Company description:
  • Summary of the company strategy and product
  • Business plan and marketing strategy
  • Description of the product or service and target market
Additional material and links
  • Accompanying materials are limited to three documents
  • Examples of possible illustrative documents are planning documents, press releases, images, presentations (no more than 10 slides) or videos. One document equates to one file
  • In addition, you can specify up to three links to websites, social media platforms, intranet sites, or online videos

It is recommended to amend the application with a short and personal video to give the jury a personal impression of the company, the product or the people behind it. The video offers the opportunity to show how you distinguish yourself from other applicants and why you should be one of the three final candidates. You do not need any extensive production or technical equipment – for instance, you may simply use your smartphone camera. The video should not be longer than three minutes. It is up to you to decide the focus of your video – maybe you just say a few words about your innovative product or give the jury a short virtual tour through your office. It is also imaginable that the founders shortly introduce themselves or some employees. Be creative!

Complementary questions will be found in the actual application form. Moreover, confidential information will not be published at any time.

The deadline for award applications is March 31, 2024.

Applications need to be submitted in English or in German.

Yes, start-ups from all over the world can hand in an application for the HR Start-up Award.

Please understand that we receive a lot of submissions which makes it impossible for us to give individual, content-related feedback to all applicants. Only the finalists will receive individual feedback on their application and presentation.

Please send your application only when all links and attachments are working, and you are satisfied with your application. Submitted applications can only be changed in rare cases.

The jury consists of nine HR experts from companies, associations and educational institutions. Members of the jury are listed on the award’s website.

After the application deadline, the Jury reviews all submissions and determines the three finalists. All finalists are invited to present their product or service offering at the Personalmanagementkongress on June 20 or 21, 2024 (the final date will be announced at least one month in advance) in Berlin to the Jury and the Congress participants. The winner will be selected by the Congress participants, who will vote for the best applicant.

The Jury evaluates the applications in three categories based on the following guiding questions:

Solution offering
  • How good is the quality of the product and/or service offered?
  • What is the benefit/value for the target group(s) and organization?
  • Does the solution address a relevant business challenge?
  • What is the market size for the solution?
Entrepreneurship
  • How sustainable is the applicant’s business model?
  • How does the applicant position itself against competitors?
  • How does the applicant’s brand promise fit its product?
  • How strong is the applicant’s marketing approach?
Innovation
  • How innovative is the applicant’s solution compared to existing products and services?
  • Is the applicant part of a larger market trend or a disruptive innovator?
  • How sustainable is the solution when considering current and upcoming market trends?
  • How flexible is the solution in addressing potential business challenges?

The finalists will be announced at the end of May 2024.

You personally present your product or service to the jury and the Congress participants. You are asked to present your product or service in five minutes, followed by questions regarding your pitch or your product or service in general by the members of the jury. The audience evaluates finalists through a voting procedure to decide upon the winning pitch.

A personal presentation at the Personalmanagementkongress is required in order to be eligible to win the HR Start-up Award

The winner will be announced in a plenary session of the Personalmanagementkongress on June 20 or 21, 2024 (the final date will be announced at least one month in advance).