The Prizes

If you make it to the top ten with your digital startup, you’re already a winner. An appearance at the exciting networking event of the PIRATE Summit gives you valuable experience and many networking opportunities. In 2023, the audience again will include well-connected, communicative investors, entrepreneurs, corporates, experts and other potential supporters of your startup. The best three startups will receive a total of EUR 50,000 in prize money provided by NRW.BANK, which you can use to let your startup jump "out of the box".

125,000 euros

1. The winner of the first prize will be the digital startup that manages to completely knock the jury and the community off their feet at the PIRATE Summit 2023. They will take home the biggest prize money of 25,000 euros. Jackpot!

215,000 euros

Even though they didn’t quite make first place, the second best startup out of ten finalists deserves an equal amount of recognition. Here, too, there is a cash prize to be won: 15,000 euros!

310,000 euros

Being among the top three digital startups in NRW is still quite an amazing feat, which OUT OF THE BOX.NRW will be rewarding with prize money of 10,000 euros.