Awards, Challenges and Programs

Use our proven formats and cooperate with startups.

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What formats are available?

Octorank offers proven formats for established companies to cooperate with startups. Guided by your objectives, we recommend various formats that have proven successful with many customers already:

Award

A startup award with Octorank primarily creates visibility for your organisation or theme in the startup ecosystem and delivers new inspiration. With the right mix of communication and incentivisation, startups also benefit from participating.

Challenge

A Startup Challenge with Octorank is a public call for startups that can solve your unique business challenge. Successful startups partner with you in an agile customer relationship and with paid pilots (POC). Important: Your decision makers are involved from the outset.

Program

With Octorank, you can also implement a more complex program, interacting and negotiating with startups at multiple touchpoints. Attention: Only recommended for experience startup units or with external support!
Why have your own startup program?

The advantages

Solve real problems

Particular relevant for the ”Challenge” format, you can formulate urgent calls to arms and get startups to solve real challenges facing your business units.

Drive innovation

With our ”Challenge” and ”Program” formats, you can pilot new solutions and technologies with speed and agility. In this way, you become an internal driver of innovation.

Become visible

A reputation as an innovative partner can only be earned. With a well-designed and visible format, you position your organisation (and possibly yourself personally) as an active player in the startup ecosystem. Startups will gradually begin to approach you themselves.

How we work

A Case Study

Digital Challenges
A Campaign with BASF

With the ”Digital Challenges”, chemical company BASF and Octorank defined six startup challenges for various BASF business areas with an overarching theme of ”digitalization”. These were promoted across several channels in the startup ecosystem.

Very specific and diverse themes were addressed, such as corrosion detection, employee feedback and ”smart surfaces”. Out of a large batch of applicants, suitable startups were selected for pilot projects with budgets of 50 - 100,000€ each.

What we do

Our modular offer

We provide each client with a tailored approach, always addressing your specific goals and expectations individually. However, a startup program with Octorank usually consists of some of the following proven modules:

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CONCEPT CREATION

Octorank will work with you to create a concept defining your goals and how the program will work. You benefit from our heaps of experience with previous awards, challenges and programs.

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DESIGN & TEXT

We are happy either to create a new corporate design or work with existing templates. We select images and write the appropriate copy for a website.

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MARKETING & PR

To make your startup program known in the startup ecosystem, we can organise light or extensive PR and marketing - primarily through our existing network as well as other online channels such as startup mailing lists, Google, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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STARTUP SCOUTING

A startup program can often be complemented very well by our startup scouting and direct approach offerings.

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DOCUMENTATION & REPORTING

During the application phase, and at the end of a campaign, we create statistics and reports for your internal communication.

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KICK-OFF & CLOSING EVENT

To round off your program, we also offer to organise appropriate events. You will benefit from our broad network in selecting suitable locations or keynote speakers (especially relevant for “Award" formats).

Or take the shortcut

Join an existing program

Octorank is the organiser of various startup programs that are run in partnership with various corporate companies and investors. By participating in these existing initiatives, you don't have to worry about the process and can devote all your time to the startups.

Thinking Tomorrow
The startup initiative for education, health and environment.
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Thinking Tomorrow supports startups that make a positive social impact in the areas of education, health and the environment. The initiative was launched in the spring of 2020 during the outbreak of the Corona pandemic and is a contribution by Octorank and Capacura to the advancement of the startup ecosystem.

Startups can apply online to receive cash, material prizes, and diverse support from our partner network.
Our sponsorship packages also offer established organisations in education, health, and the environment the opportunity to co-create Thinking Tomorrow. The initiative is 100% online, making it suitable for the continuing pandemic situation.

Buy it!
The sales pitch for B2B startups (in partnership with ALDI Nord, Deutsche Telekom, and many more)
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Buy it! is a campaign that helps established companies discover the hottest B2B startups. It’s conducted online by Octorank once or twice a year and is a perfect entry point to Octorank’s offerings. After a bespoke scouting, we arrange personal half-hour to one-hour (online) meetings for you with suitable founders allowing you to evaluate the best technologies and solutions in more depth.

Buy it! is a campaign that helps established companies discover the hottest B2B startups. It’s conducted online by Octorank once or twice a year and is a perfect entry point to Octorank’s offerings. After a bespoke scouting, we arrange personal half-hour to one-hour (online) meetings for you with suitable founders allowing you to evaluate the best technologies and solutions in more depth.

Our Customer Base

Who we work with

Corporate Companies

Corporate Companies

NGOs and Public Organisations

NGOs and Public Organisations

Investors and Incubators

Investors and Incubators

Reference

Thomas Paschkowski

Octorank designed the “Digital Challenges” startup program and accompanying campaign with us and launched it in the startup ecosystem. Through this, Octorank made a significant contribution to exciting a huge number of startups worldwide about our BASF topics. As a result, we are conducting pilot projects with very capable startups with the aim of a global rollout with BASF.

Thomas Paschkowski
Digital Innovation Developer | BASF
 BASF

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