Innovation through cooperation: SMEs & start-ups

Our mission is: With cooperation to innovation. We create cooperation between SMEs and start-ups so that new things are successfully created. The SME & Start-up Cooperation 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). Get involved.

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

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
KERLING Kunststofftechnik GmbH,
PCB Arts GmbH,
Portrait von Patrick Schicker BHS Corrugated Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH,
Portrait Ulrich Kaiser Qualiwise,
Portrait von Dr. Sebastian Erdenreich trinnovative GmbH,

"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-up meets SMEs at the B2B DemoDay on 29.06.2026 in Munich

Innovative start-up solutions for medium-sized manufacturing companies
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

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, Nuremberg