Last Friday, Aachen’s city center turned into a real celebration of startups and new ideas!



With Elisengarten and Münsterplatz as our festival grounds for the highlight event and grand finale of Startup Week Aachen 2026, everyone could get inspired – students, founders, investors, industry experts and curious visitors. No tickets, no barriers – just pure startup energy, great food, cold drinks, and lots of live music.



Over 30 startups shared their visions, founders got real about their journeys, and the pitches brought fresh ideas on stage. We saw school teams compete, had spontaneous chats, and cheered on new connections between founders and investors. The support from local shops, partners, and sponsors showed just how strong and open Aachen’s ecosystem has become.💡🤝



Big thanks to everyone who showed up and made founders.festival a true Startup City Aachen event. We're truly overwhelmed by all the support throughout the past weeks. Aachen has once again demonstrated that there are no limits to build something amazing here!🌍✨



Read the full recap via the attached link.👇



Startup Week Aachen

Main sponsors: Sparkasse, INFORM GmbH - Optimization Software, ASEAG, Aachener Straßenbahn und Energieversorgungs-AG

Sponsors: The Urban Village GmbH, dompatent



Initiated by: digitalHUB Aachen e.V., RWTH Innovation, Gründungszentrum FH Aachen, TVF | TechVision Fonds, AGIT MBH, IHK Aachen, Collective Incubator, AC.E Aachener Entrepreneurship Team e.V., Startup Village Jülich, in cooperation with Stadt Aachen, Wirtschaftsförderung Aachen

Supported by: GründerRegion Aachen