As the central point of contact and service for the economy, the EWG - Essen Economic Development Agency promotes entrepreneurial commitment in Essen. With our range of services, we help to secure and create jobs in Essen and to constantly improve the framework conditions for the commercial success of Essen's economy. Whether for investment or expansion projects at the location, official approval procedures, questions about public subsidy programs, the establishment of international cooperation or when looking for real estate and land - we advise and support you with your projects - competently, confidentially and quickly. Numerous partners from business, associations and institutions, politics and administration are at our side. Together we form a strong network for your entrepreneurial success.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, focus on key issues that define the future: we are pushing ahead with the digital transformation of state government services and support businesses on their path into the digital age. When it comes to the energy transition, we are banking on innovation and technological advances in the pursuit of our aim to turn North Rhine-Westphalia into Europe’s most modern, climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable centre of industry. North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populous state and also the most densely populated region. In 2021 the state in west Germany generated 21 percent of the national GDP, topping all other states. The economy of North Rhine-Westphalia is extremelly well connected internationally with a global focus.

NRW.BANK is the state development bank of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its mission is to support its owner – the state of North Rhine-Westphalia – in the completion of its structural and economic policy tasks. For this purpose NRW.BANK uses a wide range of promotion tools – from lowinterest promotion loans to equity financing to advisory services. It cooperates with all banks and savings banks based in NRW on a competition neutral basis. The clients of NRW.BANK benefit from favorable conditions as well as from long maturities and fixed interest periods. Regional seed funds and the “NRW.BANK.Venture Fund” support early-stage financing in NRW. Young high-tech companies are promoted with up to five million euros. In addition to that the NRW.BANK provides contacts to private investors within the “win Business Angels initiative”. Furthermore there is the “NRW.BANK.Venture Center”, a unit specialized in advising technology-oriented founders in universities and research institutions.

Bryan, Garnier & Co is a European, full service growth-focused independent investment banking partnership founded in 1996. The firm provides equity research, sales and trading, private and public capital raising as well as M&A services to growth companies and their investors. It focuses on key growth sectors of the economy including Technology, Media & Telecoms, Healthcare, Smart Industries & Energy, Consumer, Brands & Retail and Business Services. Bryan, Garnier & Co is a fully registered broker dealer authorised and regulated by the FCA in Europe and the FINRA in the U.S. Bryan, Garnier & Co is headquartered in London, with additional offices in Paris, Munich and New York. The firm is a member of the London Stock Exchange and Euronext.

Evonik stands for attractive business and innovative prowess. Our corporate culture is geared toward results, profitable growth, and increasing the value of the company. Operating in over 100 countries, we benefit from close customer relationships and leading market positions. Over 32,000 employees are united by the understanding that no product is so perfect that you can't make it better.

KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung – the Economic Development Agency of Cologne – is a subsidiary of the City of Cologne. We are an enabler and supporter for all companies, founders, investors and project developers in Cologne. We were newly founded in 2019 as a municipal company and have been market-oriented and service-oriented from the very beginning. KölnBusiness is the link between the city administration and the business community. At the same time, we actively network together academic and research bodies with companies locally and in the wider region. With the Agenda for Cologne as a Business Metropolis, we set concrete priorities for our work. Together with the City of Cologne and our partners, we are tackling six strategic goals to ensure that the economic metropolis remains attractive to the national and international business community.

The RAG-Stiftung is a private foundation that was established in 2007. At the beginning of 2019, the RAG-Stiftung took over the responsibility for financing the perpetual obligations of the German hard coal mining industry in the Ruhr and Saar regions and in Ibbenbüren. In addition, the RAG-Stiftung supports numerous projects in the areas of education, science and culture in order to promote progress in the former mining regions. Further information on the RAG-Stiftung is available at: www.rag-stiftung.de

Zaz Ventures helps high-impact deeptech startups raise EU and Swiss funding. With their pure success fee model, they have established themselves as leaders for the most competitive funding instruments—with over €1bn funding raised for 140+ startups since 2021 and consistently market-leading success rates. Their focus is on the EIC Accelerator & Transition, the Innovation Fund and the Swiss Accelerator & Startup Innovation Projects.

D2XCEL is a collaborative pan-European scaling programme, bringing together a top-tier industry network of 300+ investors, public and private lead customers, and innovation hubs to support deep tech and digital ventures. We holistically mentor the selected ventures and connect them with investors, lead customers and other growth opportunities to strengthen Europe's leadership and sustainable growth in key sectors such as Transport, Logistics, Trade, and Smart Cities.

CO2 Value Europe (CVE) is an international non-profit association representing the Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) community in Europe and beyond with a mission to promote the development of a circular carbon economy based on CO2 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to move away from fossil. The Association brings together 100 organisations worldwide from diverse sectors (including industries, start-ups, universities, research and technology organisations, and regional clusters), and develops a large network of many more organisations and individuals who share the belief that CCU technologies are necessary to help the EU reach climate targets. CO2 Value Europe is engaged in the communication and dissemination work in six EU-funded projects, within the framework of the Horizon 2020 and the Horizon Europe research and innovation programmes. In addition, it is a member of the Advisory Boards of several EU and national projects. Its Scientific Advisory Committee comprises scientists covering a wide range of expertise related to CCU and ensures that the association’s messages and activities are based on solid and objective scientific evidence.

Solingen.Business offers the end-to-end solution for company start-ups - from the idea phase to location-oriented growth and exit. As an Economic Development Agency and Start-up and Technology Center in Solingen, we are the central municipal contact point for companies and startups and offer an all-round service in all company-relevant areas. We support startups and founders as sparring and networking partners with the help of our diverse support offers. Regardless of whether it's the idea phase, early stage or seed phase - with our nationally known programs such as the bergsteiger-accelerator and the berg-pitch, we promote innovations and take startups to the next level!

Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is a global innovation platform dedicated to advancing the energy transition and climate technology sectors. Led by the German Energy Agency (dena) and in strategic partnership with the World Energy Council, SET is also supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWK). The platform is committed to tangible action, empowering innovators and entrepreneurs to develop real-world solutions for a climate-resilient future. SET operates with the firm belief that a sustainable future is inextricably linked to innovative business models and strong political will. Through its initiatives, SET aims to foster a global community of energy and climate technology innovators and support them in creating impactful solutions that address the pressing challenges of climate change.