Pitch Competition, Keynotes, Expert Tables, and Networking: The „Gründungsmesse Niederrhein“ Showcases Regional Startup Talent
A pitch competition with prize money, inspiring founder talks, expert tables, and plenty of opportunities for networking: the joint “Gründungsmesse Niederrhein” impressively highlighted the diversity of the regional startup scene. Organized by Gründungsfabrik Mönchengladbach and HNX, the entrepreneurship advisory team of Hochschule Niederrhein, the event crowned a freshly founded Mönchengladbach startup as the pitch winner: CasenapzZz, which produces suitcases that can quickly transform into children’s travel beds.
The startups showcased at the event combine innovation with sustainability. They link regenerative forestry with their own furniture production, enhance children’s resilience in schools and daycare centers, recycle worn-out sneakers, develop sustainable toilet cleaners, or produce healthy office snacks. The entrepreneurship scene in the Lower Rhine region is marked by diversity, creativity, and courageous ideas from founders of all ages.
At the event, 20 startups and founding teams presented themselves in an exhibition, which also served as a hub for networking. At expert tables on topics such as financing, taxes, and legal matters, aspiring founders gained practical knowledge. The centerpiece of the event, however, was the Pitch Battle, a competition with a total prize of €1,000 sponsored by Stadtsparkasse Mönchengladbach and Sparkasse Krefeld. Eight pre-qualified teams and individuals pitched their ideas in front of around 150 attendees and a distinguished jury.
The first prize (€500) went to CasenapzZz, founded by Fabian and Jana Herzog. Their suitcase-to-child-bed combination, launching on November 15, impressed the jury members: Stephanie Efertz (Chamber of Industry and Commerce Mittlerer Niederrhein), Prof. Dr. Georg Oecking (Senate Chair and Professor of Business Administration at Hochschule Niederrhein), Dirk Peters (Stadtsparkasse Mönchengladbach), and Nicole Janßen (Sparkasse Krefeld). Second place (€300) was awarded to the student company MerClean from Viersen: the 17- and 18-year-old founders, Merlin Dolenec and Anton Palmer, demonstrated their sustainable—and theoretically even edible—cleaning products on stage. Third place (€200) went to Modulyte, a Berlin-based startup developing an innovative façade insulation system for fast and efficient building retrofits, which is increasingly collaborating with the Lower Rhine region.
Friedhelm Lange, CEO of WFMG – Wirtschaftsförderung Mönchengladbach GmbH, praised the founders’ courage and creativity, encouraging the audience to take advantage of the many support opportunities available for startups in the Lower Rhine. “Pioneering spirit has always been at home in and around Mönchengladbach, whether Hugo Junkers, Joseph Pilates, or Hans Jonas in philosophy,” Lange noted. Prof. Dr. Gudrun Stockmanns, Vice President for Teaching and Studies at Hochschule Niederrhein, emphasized the parallel between the entrepreneurial spirit on stage and the university’s mission: “Our graduates should be bold thinkers and creative minds, shaping solutions for future challenges.”
The event was expertly guided by Andy Sacherer (Project Manager, Gründungsfabrik) and HNX team members Stefanie Kutsch (Project Manager) and Vivian Sommer (Startup Coach). Two keynote presentations enriched the program: Artur Steffen, founder of Salino, demonstrated how luck, chance, and unpredictable factors can influence startup success, while Reiner Mantsch, co-founder of textile recycling startup Eeden, highlighted the importance of a strong team and a supportive network.
All participants agreed: after the successes in 2024 (at Hochschule Niederrhein’s Krefeld campus) and 2025, the Gründungsmesse Niederrhein will return in 2026. Meanwhile, numerous free events for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs will take place in the coming weeks, including the Gründungswoche Niederrhein from November 17 to 23.
About Gründungsfabrik Mönchengladbach:
Gründungsfabrik is a structural transformation project in the Rhineland region, funded by the federal and North Rhine-Westphalia state governments, and hosted by WFMG. It includes two components: “Gründungsfabrik Mönchengladbach” and “skillzUP.” Running from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2027, the project is 90% funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with the remaining 10% provided by NRW. The total budget is nearly €3 million. More information: https://gruendungsfabrik.mg/.
About HNX:
HNX is the entrepreneurship and startup advisory team at Hochschule Niederrhein, serving as a central contact point for all aspiring founders. Its mission is to foster a vibrant, open, and practical startup culture at the university. The program offers creative workshops, short talks, and support integrated into teaching, firmly embedding entrepreneurship education into the university’s transfer and development strategy. More information: www.hs-niederrhein.de/existenzgruendung/.
Press Contacts:
Andy Sacherer | sacherer@wfmg.de | +49 2161 82379-766
Stefanie Kutsch | stefanie.kutsch@hs-niederrhein.de | +49 2161 186-3564