Innovation through cooperation: SMEs & start-ups

Our mission is: Innovation Through Collaboration. We foster partnerships between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to create successful innovations. The “Cooperation between SMEs and Startups” project is carried out by Bayern Innovativ and BayStartUP and is initiated and funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy (StMWi). Join us.

Whether it's recruiting skilled workers, optimizing processes or using new technologies: There is a lot to do in the SME sector. Have you ever thought about tackling these tasks together with up-and-coming young companies? Bavarian start-ups offer creative, state-of-the-art solutions - also for your specific requirements.

If you are curious to get in touch with start-ups and benefit from their dynamism, then you have come to the right place. As a medium-sized company, we can help you find the ideal partner and develop new technologies together.

Seize opportunities for growth

  • Targeted and individual matching of start-ups and SMEs
  • Tailor-made offers for successful cooperation projects
  • Making technological start-up innovations visible and usable for established companies
  • Personal exchange enables transparency in entrepreneurial challenges
  • Cooperation processes accompanied by experts

Start-ups as a Driver of Innovation for Bavarian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Minister of State Hubert Aiwanger also sees great potential for Bavaria as a business location in the “Cooperation Between SMEs and Start-ups” project. The project, funded by the State Ministry of Economic Affairs (StMWi), is particularly close to his heart, as he sees it as a major opportunity to sustainably strengthen the competitiveness and innovative capacity of Bavarian SMEs. Through mutual exchange and the combination of diverse experiences, perspectives, and expertise, all participants can benefit significantly from one another.

Minister of State Aiwanger also highlights the importance of targeted support for this collaboration for Bavaria in a press release from the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy.

Added value for SMEs

New technologies and technology transfer for SMEs

  • Explore specific solution approaches to suit your own technical challenges
  • Get to know innovative start-ups and gain access to pioneering technologies
  • Gain greater flexibility in the development of products and processes
  • Expand existing processes in collaboration with start-ups

Benefits for start-ups

Find sales channels, scale companies and create market entry

  • Cooperate with established companies and build sales and cooperation structures
  • Gain valuable access to relevant resources, expertise and networks
  • Benefit from the exchange of experience with established companies
  • Validate your solutions in real fields of application

"The cooperation project with Qualiwise is intended to help companies and students to help shape the production world of tomorrow - with a focus on networked, flexible and safe production."

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Braunreuther
Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering | Production Technology Center, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences

Dates & Events

Start-ups Meet Small and Medium-Sized Businesses at the B2B Matchmaking Event on September 17, 2026, in Munich

Innovative startup solutions for Bavarian SMEs
Register now!

Further information

B2B Demo Day - a cooperation format for SMEs & start-ups

Enabling targeted innovation

Targeted networking between SMEs and start-ups creates innovation partnerships - through selected B2B solutions tailored to industry requirements, pitch formats and application examples.

Sharing knowledge & learning from each other

Exchanges between SMEs with similar challenges and insights into successful collaborations strengthen mutual understanding.

Strong together in the ecosystem

Cooperation with Bavarian partners such as chambers of industry and commerce, start-up centers and clusters ensures regional anchoring and broad impact.

Project overview in the webinar

SMEs & start-ups - new technologies and innovation for SMEs
Watch the recording of our webinar here:

Partner

Logo BayStartUP GmbH BayStartUP GmbH,

Supported by

Logo von Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Landesentwicklung und Energie Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Landesentwicklung und Energie,

Your contact

Viktor Becher
+49 911 20671-653
Funding and start-up pilot, Project Manager, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nuremberg
Christian Loewke
+49 911 20671-548
Innovationsmanagement, Projektmanager, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nürnberg
Porträt von Peter Steidl
Peter Steidl
+49 911 20671-245
Materials, Project Manager, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nuremberg
Tanja Würthner
+49 911 20671-262
Innovationsmanagement, Projektmanagerin, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nürnberg