INCUBA Awards 2024: Submit your nominations today
Since 2021, we have had the pleasure of presenting the INCUBA award, which is awarded in two categories: 'Startup of the Year' & 'Investor of the Year'.
The purpose of the award is to give a special pat on the back to the investors and startups that make a remarkable effort to promote the startup ecosystem in Central Jutland. In addition to the great honour, the winners of the award are also rewarded with a predestined travel grant worth DKK 35,000 to one of the world's renowned innovation meccas.
When selecting the winners of the INCUBA award in the startup category, the carefully selected jury emphasises, among other things, whether the company has achieved remarkable results, demonstrates drive & scalable ambitions and whether it has global potential. When deciding on the 'Investor of the Year', the jury also considers whether the investor has made significant new investments within the past 12 months, is an asset to the Central Jutland ecosystem and whether they act as an inspiration to other investors.
Claus Hansen & Nikolaj Zinner, Kvantify, winners of the INCUBA Awards 2023
Startup & Investor of the Year 2023
When Kvantify, today the Nordic leader in quantum and high-performance computing technology, won the 'Startup of the Year' award last year, Søren Grønbæk Nielsen, Business Development Manager at EIFO and a jury member for last year's INCUBA award, justified the jury's choice with the following words:
"Kvantify wins the INCUBA award because they inspire other startups with their inventiveness and innovation. Their business potential extends globally and they have already achieved remarkable results in a short time. Kvantify's young founders are true role models for the Danish entrepreneurial scene, and they show that we in this region can be proud to be a centre of innovation and entrepreneurship."
The title of 'Investor of the Year' went to Claus Hansen, a life science investor and board member. According to Jan Snogdal, who was one of last year's jury members and is a partner at DLA Piper, Claus won the award based on his willingness to take risks in the capital-heavy life science industry and his interest in - and participation in - various events and pitch events for startups:
"Claus Hansen is a remarkable investor who specialises in backing knowledge-intensive startups in the healthcare sector. With his background in this industry, he brings invaluable expertise and experience to the table. Claus Hansen receives the INCUBA award for his hard work and tireless commitment to the entrepreneurial community, where he has found his niche and makes a significant difference in the early stages of the startups he supports. Claus is an investor who inspires others with his knowledge and experience, his advice and perspectives are valued, and when he speaks, people listen. This further emphasises his importance as a prominent investor in the entrepreneurial community, along with the many warm recommendations we received with Claus' name on them," he elaborates.
2022 winners travelled to Boston for an inspirational trip
In 2022, it was the biotech company NMD Pharma - which develops treatment methods to improve muscle function and quality of life for patients with neuromuscular diseases - that won 'Startup of the Year' and business angel Bo Wase, who was named 'Investor of the Year'.
Together they travelled on their winning journey in late summer 2023 to Boston, the capital of the US state of Massachusetts, known for its world-leading ecosystem of tech-based startups. Here they visited exciting locations such as MIT Venture Mentoring Service, MIT Startup Exchange, Cambridge Innovation Centre, The Engine VC fund and got a personal insight into what Boston's impressive startup community has to offer.
Bo Wase & Thomas Holm Pedersen from NMD Pharma, winners of the INCUBA Awards 2022
The awards' first winners
In 2021 - when we presented the award for the first time - it was AI startup Ento Labs, which uses artificial intelligence to identify potential energy savings in buildings based on consumption data, that won 'Startup of the Year'.
The 'Investor of the Year' award went to the experienced business angel, Poul Carstensen, who has been an investor for more than 10 years and is a valuable asset in the Danish business community.
