LOPEC Startup Competition & Award
At the LOPEC Forum, selected founders will present their business ideas in short, ten-minute presentations.
Startup Competition & Award
For many years, startups have been an integral part of LOPEC. Through the Startup Competition, LOPEC actively supports young and innovative companies, helping them bring their ideas to market and accelerate business growth. In doing so, the event contributes to the advancement and adoption of printed and flexible electronics across a wide range of industries.
The Startup Competition
As part of the Startup Competition, selected founders will present their business ideas and innovations in a seven-minute pitch at the LOPEC Forum.
The Competition aims to connect promising startups with potential partners, customers, and investors. An expert jury, consisting of industry leaders and investors, evaluates all submitted applications and selects the most promising startups to compete in the final round.
Competition Categories
- Best Business Case
- Most Impactful Technology / Product
The LOPEC Startup Award
The nominated startups will showcase their concepts and innovations to an international audience of industry professionals at the LOPEC Forum. The winners will then be honored with the LOPEC Startup Award during the LOPEC Get-together.
As a special prize, the winners will receive a complimentary exhibition booth at LOPEC 2028, valued at approximately EUR 2,400.
Who Can Participate?
Applications are open to legally independent and innovative companies that, at the time of application:
- are no more than ten years old, and
- employ fewer than 50 people.
Take this opportunity to present your innovation to an international audience of industry experts, investors, and potential business partners.
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.
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 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)
*) As of February 2026
The winners of the LOPEC Startup Award 2026
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.
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
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.