A green transition requires a holistic approach that combines technological, economic, political, and organizational perspectives. Together with the City of Münster's Climate Office, Münsterland e.V., Strong Partners GmbH and REACH , we at Open Innovation Münster (OIM) are launching the inaugural "Münster Green Innovation Award" this year.
The award highlights Münster's diverse green startups and scale-ups, each offering unique and innovative solutions to accelerate the green transition. The organizers have selected three categories, each representing a crucial pillar in the fight against climate change: Global Impact, Software, and Agriculture.
In each category, a startup will compete against a scale-up in a live pitch battle in front of an audience and a jury. Following a Q&A session, the jury will select three winners, each receiving the following prizes:
- Office space for up to 6 months
- Professional pitch training
- High media visibility in the context of climate & innovation
- Retreats and networking formats
The categories and teams
Global Impact
Competing in this category:
Seads, a start-up that has developed the world's first autonomous robot for harvesting seagrass seeds to enable large-scale seagrass restoration and carbon sequestration.
They are competing against Eeden , a scale-up specializing in the chemical recycling of mixed textiles (e.g., cotton-polyester blends)
Software
Competing in this category:
Comuneo, a startup whose platform links municipal climate measures with their impact, enabling cities to transparently track progress toward their climate goals.
They are competing against Syte , a scale-up that uses AI, LiDAR, and satellite data to create digital twins of land and buildings. These provide real-time analysis of development potential, economic viability, building regulations, and energy requirements, making decision-making processes more transparent and data-driven.
Agriculture:
Competing in this category are:
NURICOS, a startup that produces chitosan-based plant strengtheners (e.g., from crab shell waste) to make crops more resilient to drought, heat stress, and disease.
They are competing against Stallgrün , a scale-up that develops indoor farming systems, allowing former pig farmers to grow vegetables and herbs year-round in climate-controlled environments.
Experience this exciting and inspiring pitch battle on August 28th at 5:30 PM on the Climate City Stage during the NRW-Tage 2026!
