See you again in Berlin. Falling Walls Venture 2021 will take place on 7 November 2021.

After a fully digital Falling Walls Conference in 2020, we look forward to welcoming the people who are finding solutions to the greatest challenges of our time and thus contributing to a better world back to Berlin on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Please save the date: 7 – 9 November 2021. As the pandemic has taught the scientific community to put more emphasis on dialogue with society, we have decided to add a full day of debates and encounters to our conference. Here is our new schedule:

7 November: Falling Walls Pitches

A day of live pitches in the following categories: Emerging Talents (Falling Walls Lab) for the next generation of outstanding innovators. Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage) for inspiring science engagers. Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture) for the science start-up community.

8 November: Falling Walls Circle – Challenges and Foresight

Our new format to connect science and society. Researchers, policymakers, and business leaders, and society discuss the biggest challenges we face and the foresight that scientific breakthroughs can offer.

9 November: Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year

On the anniversary of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall, the grand finale provides a stage for outstanding research presented in inspiring presentations. For the 13th time, “the brightest minds on the planet“ (BBC) will showcase their work.

Falling Walls Venture is a platform to showcase the entrepreneurial potential in science. We provide an exclusive stage for selected pioneering founders who have successfully turned science into business, creating entrepreneurial solutions for today’s most pressing challenges.

What can start-ups win?

• Grow your network with investors, VCs and business partners.
• Extend your global reach and be spotlighted across our online platforms.
• Get coached on pitching.
• Win a trip to Berlin and pitch to a distinguished jury and online audience on 7 November.
• Become the Falling Walls Science Start-Up Breakthrough of the Year 2021.
• Present your start-up in front of an audience of global leaders at the Falling Walls Conference on 9 November.

Falling Walls Venture is a platform to showcase the entrepreneurial potential in science. We provide an exclusive stage for selected pioneering founders who have successfully turned science into business, creating entrepreneurial solutions for today’s most pressing challenges.

Why should you join Falling Walls Venture as a nominating institution?

• Boost your spin-off and your institution’s entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Amplify the reach and visibility for your institution or university.
• Join our network of leaders from science, industry and politics, and meet entrepreneurs and innovators from across the world.

• Falling Walls Venture is open to entrepreneurs and scientists whose start-ups are based on scientific research.
• Applications are open to all scientific disciplines (biotech, data & AI, cleantech, new materials, engineering, healthcare, food & agriculture, …).
• Each start-up must be endorsed by a nominating institution. This can be a university or a research institution.
• The company must be founded (incorporated) by the time you apply and cannot be older than 5 years (after 1 January 2016)
• If you have already participated in Falling Walls Venture as a presenter on stage, you cannot apply again.
• Start-ups should at least have a prototype/proof of concept and should already have received some funding.

1. NOMINATIONS. Before you can apply: Ask your university or research institution (i.e. VP Innovation, Director Technology Transfer, Head of university accelerator or a professor) to nominate your start-up as the Science Start-up Breakthrough of the Year 2021 here (Category 9: ‘Science Start-Ups’) by 25 June 2021 at the very latest.

2. APPLICATIONS. After you have been nominated we will ask you to:

• fill out the application form (preview here),
• send us your pitch deck (PDF) and
• upload a pitch video (video requirements and recommendations here).

You will receive further details on the necessary application materials after your nomination was submitted. Then, you do have about two weeks to submit your application.

3. FINALISTS. The applications are reviewed and evaluated. Should you make it to the next round you will be able to call yourself a Falling Walls Finalist and you will be announced as such on our website.

4. WINNERS. Our selection committee will screen the applications of all Finalists. The 25 most promising start-ups will be invited as Winners to Berlin to pitch their start-up to a distinguished jury and global online audience on 7 November.

5. SCIENCE START-UP BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR 2021. The jury will select the Science Start-Up Breakthrough of the Year from all Winners. He or she will present their start-up live on stage at the Falling Walls Grand Finale in front of global leaders on 9 November.

Falling Walls Venture is committed to science based start-ups, i.e. new companies that are founded by researchers and based on new research insights.

The criteria are:

• Level of innovation
• Scope of impact
• Commercial potential
• Business planning and presentation skills

Start-ups should at least have a protoype/proof of concept and and should already have received some funding.

The participation at Falling Walls Venture is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Therefore, participation is allowed only once. By applying, the candidate confirms that she/he has never participated in Falling Walls Venture as a presenter on stage before.

Please contact the Falling Walls Venture Team in Berlin at venture@falling-walls.com.