Danish Tech Challenge
Denmark's leading growth program for hardware startups
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Participate in Danish Tech Challenge, accelerate your hardware startup - and win DKK 500,000
Danish Tech Challenge is DTU Science Park’s growth program for hardware startups. Out of more than 100 applicants, we select the 15 most promising startups for the program.
The goal is to help you develop your product and your business. You will receive a 360-degree review of your business, strengthening your position with investors, partners, and future customers.
During the program, you will receive over 50 hours of 1:1 meetings with advice from experts, attend relevant weekly workshops, and be exposed to potential investors.
You will also have a mentor team consisting of experienced and skilled mentors from DTU Science Park’s MIT-based mentor program, and you will become part of the DTU Science Park community with more than 300 deep tech companies.
We help you assemble the right team, implement sustainability and impact in your value proposition, and support your product development process to avoid major challenges and friction.
The program is tailored to your business and provides the best conditions to enter the market and raise capital, fostering growth in your company. In short, we help you achieve product-market fit.
Participation in Danish Tech Challenge is free.
Facts about participants in Danish Tech Challenge
They are innovative and have developed over 330 products in the last 3 years.
They create viable businesses – 83% survive beyond the first three years.
They secure funding – the participants in Danish Tech Challenge have collectively raised DKK 2.8 billion through the programs.
They create new jobs and have, over the past ten years, created +1,500 new jobs.
As a participant in Danish Tech Challenge, you get:
- Over 50 hours of 1:1 meetings on various topics, including product development, law, sales, and sustainability. See all disciplines.
- Weekly workshops on various subjects, including presentation techniques to make your pitch sharp.
- A team of strong mentors from our mentor program and sparring and networking with like-minded founders.
- Exposure to attractive investors.
- A thorough 360-degree analysis of your startup.
The leading acceleration program for hardware startups
Who can join the program?
Danish Tech Challenge is for startups working on solutions with the potential to change the world. Over the past ten years, the program has hosted a wide range of companies, including those developing drones, equipment for nuclear cancer diagnostics, female urinals, autonomous robots, new materials for the construction industry, and much more.
- Your company must work with a physical product.
- We expect founders to be fully dedicated to their startups.
- A physical presence at DTU Science Park in Lyngby is expected to occur 1-2 days a week.
If you are unsure whether you qualify to participate in the program, please contact us.
How Danish Tech Challenge works
Out of all applicants, 15 hardware startups are selected to be part of the program. The course takes place in DTU Science Park in Lyngby and lasts five months.
The program begins with an intensive onboarding week, where you will meet the other participants, subject matter experts, our partners, and the team behind the program. In the following months, weekly workshops and ongoing one-on-one advisory sessions with subject matter experts will be held. Therefore, you must be physically present 1-2 days a week. During the program, there will be several pitch events where you can meet and present to investors.
At the end of the program, 10-12 companies are selected for the semifinals, and six companies advance to the finals to pitch their business ideas at a grand award show in March. An external jury chooses the winner, who receives a prize of DKK 500,000.
Key dates in the program
Collaborate with our corporate partners
At DTU Science Park, several corporate partners collaborate with startups through acquisitions, investments, or access to unique knowledge.
We act as the bridge between you and them and can assist in finding the right match for your company.
Corporate partners
We develop and test your business through 10 disciplines
The Danish Tech Challenge is an intensive and ambitious growth program where we develop your business through workshops and 1:1 sparring.
10 disciplines that prepare you for growth
You will learn about ten fundamental disciplines essential for growth and market entry. We will assist, advise, and challenge you to develop your business in the best possible way.
The program is tailored to your company’s challenges and opportunities, with subject matter experts in all ten areas ready to help you.
Every week you will have 1:1 meetings with experts, and therefore, physical attendance is required two days a week during the program.
Winning the Danish Tech Challenge is undoubtedly a significant endorsement of your startup. It has garnered us a lot of attention from investors, as well as from customers and various collaborators. We couldn't be more thrilled!
Our company has matured extraordinarily, something we would have never achieved otherwise. In the Danish Tech Challenge, you become part of an impressive community of talented and supportive individuals, which has provided us with an invaluable network.
The most significant benefit of participating in the Danish Tech Challenge is the strong emphasis on building our business while simultaneously developing our product. It's challenging but a necessary discipline to balance.
Danish Tech Challenge has challenged us in areas we had never considered before. The team ensured that we examined all our business hypotheses and created focus in our business. We've learned to step out of our comfort zone and are ready to take IoTBee to the next level.
The Danish Tech Challenge community is fantastic. It has provided us with healthy competition and collaboration among startup founders. We are working toward a common goal - establishing ourselves in the market and creating a positive net impact on people's lives.
The most significant learning experience has been presenting ourselves to investors and other stakeholders. We have been pushed to present all information about our company in a visually appealing but, most importantly, easy-to-understand manner and not overlook anything that could determine whether we secure funding.
Optimize your chances of securing funding
Participating in Danish Tech Challenge enhances your chances of securing funding. Significant funds are raised throughout the program, and we act as the bridge between you and potential investors.
This program makes your company more attractive to investors. We help you build a strong pitch deck and train your pitch for investors alongside you.
- Sparring with our Investment Manager
- Assistance with creating your pitch deck
- High exposure to investors
- Workshops on presentation techniques to make your pitch razor-sharp
- Matchmaking with potential investors
Meet our growth team
When you participate in one of our programs, you receive free mentoring from the subject matter experts on our growth team that you require.
Our growth team is composed of highly qualified experts who guide you throughout the process. Here, you can receive guidance on everything from business development to recruitment as part of the program.
Former Danish Tech Challenge participants
GO-Pen wants to ensure equal access to diabetes treatment: The first investment was secured during Danish Tech Challenge
The startup GO-Pen has developed a low-cost insulin pen for the 15 million people with diabetes who currently dose with a syringe. The startup’s first investor opted in thanks to Danish Tech Challenge, and the...
From nurse to tech-entrepreneur: The road to success is paved with challenges
For Marie Lommer Bagger and her medtech startup Measurelet, the accelerator Danish Tech Challenge laid the foundation for her standing on her own feet as a CEO with an actual business. Now, her company is...
Danish Tech Challenge 2021 winner: Participation was ‘decisive’ for our company
Participating in Danish Tech Challenge meant Simplewire underwent a much-needed professionalization, according to the company’s founders, who managed to attract another participant to the company in the process.
The story of Danish Tech Challenge
In the video, Steen Donner, CEO of DTU Science Park, and previous participants share the story of the Danish Tech Challenge.
Why was the program created, what adjustments have been made, and what have companies gained from participating? All this is answered in the video.
From 2013 to 2023, DTU Science Park ran the program with support from the Danish Industry Foundation.
There is something to look forward to as a participant in Danish Tech Challenge.
FAQ about Danish Tech Challenge
Here, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about the program. If you don't find the answer you're looking for, please feel free to contact us
To participate in Danish Tech Challenge, you need to submit an application and have a Danish CVR number.
Yes, This program is for hardware startups.
Anything that is not purely digital or a service can be considered hardware.
Yes, absolutely. Danish Tech Challenge is open to both new and more experienced startups.
No, but it is advantageous to have two or more team members. If you come alone, we may encourage you to find a co-founder, but you can participate as a solo founder.
No, but you will have a desk in an open co-working space at DTU Science Park alongside other startups.
No, you don’t need to be part of DTU Science Park to participate in Danish Tech Challenge. However, it is advantageous to have two or more team members. If you come alone, we may encourage you to find a co-founder, but you can participate as a solo founder.
DTU Science Park is a secure place where we never share your information without consent. However, the office space where you are located is an open area with many people, so if you have confidential information, you should consider when and how you share it.
No, it is free to participate in the program.
We have an external jury that selects the winner. The jury primarily consists of tech experts and investors. The Danish Tech Challenge team does not influence the selection of the winner.