LOPEC Startup Competition & Award
At the LOPEC Forum, selected founders will present their business ideas in short, ten-minute presentations.
Startup Competition & Award at LOPEC 2026
The top presentations in the categories Best Business Potential and Most Impactful Technology/Product will be honored with the LOPEC Startup Award 2026.
The award ceremony took place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 18:30, directly before the LOPEC Get-together in the LOPEC Forum. Both events were open to all trade fair attendees free of charge.
As special recognition, each winner will receive a Startup Booth Package at LOPEC 2027, provided free of charge, valued at EUR 2,300.
The winners of the LOPEC Startup Award 2026
Highest Business Potential
Kronos Mechatronics GmbH, Germany
Jörg Dickerboom
kronos-mct.com
“Printing the Future in Every Dimension”
KRONOS Mechatronics generates revenue by selling its modular, 5-axis additive manufacturing systems and licensing its proprietary Aion-5X software for multi-material and printed electronics applications. Additional income comes from application development projects, process integration services, and maintenance contracts. In the long term, KRONOS plans to grow through recurring software licenses, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) integrations, and industry-specific solution packages.
Most Impactful Technology
GRAFREN AB, Sweden
Dr. Erik Khranovskyy
grafren.se
"New Generation of E-Textiles Enabled by Ordered Placement of Two-Dimensional Nanocrystals on the Surface of Individual Fibers".
Digital textile materials created by Grafren AB. These fabrics are unique because they fuse classic textiles with the most advanced modern nanomaterial: graphene.
At Grafren, we have dedicated many years to researching and developing seamless integration of nanomaterials into fabrics. Our approach allows us to incorporate graphene nanocrystals at the heart of each textile fiber.
The finalists
- AilArian, United Kingdom
ailarian.co.uk - Greenmetal Solutions, Iran
- Grafren AB, Sweden
grafren.se - KRONOS Mechatronics GmbH, Germany
kronos-mct.com - Tangho Green Canada Inc., Canada
nanopaper.io
Board of Experts LOPEC Startup Competition & Award
A high-caliber board of experts will evaluate the submitted applications and select the startups that will present their business ideas live at the LOPEC Forum as part of LOPEC 2026.
Then, from among the finalists, a jury selects the winners in the categories Highest Business Potential and Most Impactful Technology/Product.
The Startup Competition & Award 2026 Board of Experts will consist of the following members:
Chair: Dr. John Fahlteich, Managing Director, KETMarket GmbH (DE)
- Dr. Kerry Adams, Business Chair LOPEC, Director and Founder, Ventoux Consulting Ltd. (UK)
- Dr. Michael Hack, Vice President of Business Development at both Universal Display Corp. and UDC Ventures (US)
- Sebastian Mähler, Managing Director Business Consulting, FINNOVAL GmbH (DE)
- Dr. Václav Smítka, CTO, Amires s.r.o. (CZ)
- Dr. Anne Umbach, Investment Manager—Industrial Tech, High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH (DE)
Stand packages for startups
In the Startup Area, we give young, innovative companies a unique opportunity to access the global printed electronics community.
The Startup Area is a communal booth located at the heart of the trade fair. Startup exhibitors receive the all-inclusive startup package at a reduced price.