BARC Start-up Award
for Data & AI 2026
Recognizing innovative software solutions that generate business value from data.
Background
Start-ups are a significant source of innovation in the software market for analytics, business intelligence, data management, and artificial intelligence. They introduce new approaches and solutions to address long-standing industry challenges.
To honor their contributions, BARC established the annual Start-up Award for Data & AI. The winner is selected by an independent jury of academic and industry experts and announced live at the DATA festival in Munich on June 16-17, 2026.
The award honors software product providers for data & AI. Service providers are not eligible to apply.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify, a company must meet the following criteria:
- The business must have been operating for six years or less. This six-year rule also applies to spin-offs and new business units within established companies, such as a new standard software offering from an existing consulting firm.
- The company must be headquartered in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, or maintain an office in the DACH region.
- The solution must be a software product or a software-supported service in the field of analytics and AI, business intelligence, planning and simulation, or data management. The product must exist at a minimum as a functional, demonstrable prototype.
Get Your Start-up the Visibility and Recognition it Deserves
Participants in the BARC Start-up Award for Data & AI get significant visibility among decision-makers across data, analytics, and start-up ecosystems.
Finalists selected by the jury will present their solutions to enterprise users, established vendors, and investors at the DATA festival in Munich. The presentations will be available to both the live audience and virtual attendees via streaming.
The Jury
The jury members includes market analysts, investors, and end users:
- Prof. Dr. Peter J. Mirski, Head of Department & Studies & CIO | MCI The Enterpreneurial School
- Jörg Bienert, President & Founder | KI Bundesverband e.V.
- Wolfgang Beeck, CTO | Staedean Group
- Dominik Lohle, Founding Partner | MAY VENTURES
- Stefan Sexl, Senior Analyst Data & AI | BARC GmbH
- Holger Wagner, Investment Manager | EnBW New Ventures
- Christian Wirth, SVP APAC | IQGeo
- Simone Nierhaus, Chief Commercial Officer | Flyeralarm
- Arthur Michael Seidel, Senior Corporate Community Manager | Fraport
- Markus Roithmeier, Partner Zobito AB & Business Angel | IACD e.V.
- Dr. Thomas Endres, CEO | corporate momentum
- Frank Hoelzle, CEO | Care4 AG
- Prof Dr. Frauke Schleer-van Gellecom, Partner & Professor for Decision Intelligence | PWC
- Tobias Stein, Chief Venturing Officer | AI Hub Frankfurt
- Sören Dreis, Investment Manager | HTFG
- Chairman: Dr. Carsten Bange, Founder & CEO | BARC GmbH
Take the Stage!
The Application Period has ended and the Jury is currently reviewing the innovative ideas.
The finalists, which will have the chance to pitch their solution live to the audience of Jury members and Event Participants at the DATA festival in Munich.will be announced soon.
Final & Ceremony June 16, 2026, live at Muffatwerk, Munich and virtual.
Register for the BARC Start-up Award
Finalist Presentation 2026
Join the livestream on June 16, 2026, at 4:00 pm and watch the five finalists pitch their solutions live at the DATA festival Munich.
As a virtual participant, you can follow the finalist presentations online and vote for this year’s winner. The winning start-up will be announced live on the data.stage.
Please note: This registration is only for the BARC Start-up Award finalist presentation livestream. It does not include registration for the full DATA festival.
Previous winners of the BARC Start-up Award
| 2025 | encentive |
| 2024 | Scavenger AI |
| 2023 | Frontnow |
| 2022 | Veezoo |
| 2020 | 4.screen |
| 2019 | minubo |
| 2018 | Open as App |
| 2017 | Process Analytics Factory |
| 2016 | Inspirient |
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