SOLISTIQ among the Top 10 at the Phase 2 Business Plan Competition Nordbayern 2026

From 94 startups into the Top 10 – that is exactly what SOLISTIQ achieved in Phase 2 of the Business Plan Competition Nordbayern 2026. For us this is more than a ranking: it is confirmation that our vision – to fundamentally improve inventory management with AI – meets real relevance in the market, in the startup scene and among experienced experts.

The evening

On 6 May 2026 we had the opportunity to present SOLISTIQ at the grand awards evening at the Bürgerbräu in Würzburg. In the audience: founders, investors, jury members and representatives of the Northern Bavarian startup community. We showed what we are working on: AI systems that help companies make operational inventory decisions in a data-driven way — from more precise demand forecasts to automated replenishment.

What Phase 2 demanded of us

For us the competition was more than a pitch event. Phase 2 focused on the business model, marketing, sales and strategic positioning. These are exactly the questions that are decisive for us as a deep-tech startup: How do we translate research into a scalable product? How do we create fast value for companies? And how do we communicate a technological innovation so that it does not remain abstract, but is understood as a concrete solution to a real problem?

What we took away

The exchange with other founding teams and experienced entrepreneurs was particularly valuable. The short pitches of the finalists, the insights of successful competition alumni such as snapADDY and NanoStruct, as well as the perspectives of va-Q-tec founder Dr. Joachim Kuhn, showed how different founding journeys can be — and how important it is to have clear feedback, a strong network and entrepreneurial sparring partners early on.

What comes next

For us the evening marked the end of an intense work phase: many conversations, a lot of feedback, new contacts and a once again sharpened view of our next milestones. At the same time it was a starting point for the next round. With Phase 3 of the Business Plan Competition, the team, roadmap and financial planning now move more strongly into focus.