Where innovative startups and SMEs solve (global) challenges of large organizations
Starthubs specializes in Challenge Based Innovation. Through various types of challenges, we connect large organizations with a problem or (global) issue to 50,000+ innovators with a solution. On our open innovation platforms, demand and supply come together!
Do you have a challenge or a solution?
Starthubs specializes in Challenge Based Innovation. Through various types of challenges, we connect large organizations with a problem or (global) issue to 50,000+ innovators with a solution. On our open innovation platforms, demand and supply come together!
Do you have a challenge or a solution?
1. Together we create the right challenge
2. We promote it through our community
3. You select the best submissions
1. Find the challenge of your preference
2. Pitch your solutions before the deadline
3. Win innovation budget, a pilot or contract
50.000+ Startups, SMEs and inventors with solutions
700+ Successful challenges facilitated by Starthubs
10+ Years of development in challenge and hub software
93% Success rate with found en selected solutions
With our current partners we have launched innovation hubs, branded challenges and single challenges, check out the examples!
"Collaborating with a large organization such as the province forces your company to mature faster. It really made us stronger."
"The challenge led to a substantial acceleration of our innovation project because the solution to our problem already appeared to exist."
"We learned a lot from the workshops offered by the challenger and used their connections with local partners tod quickly set up a pilot."
We offer 3 challenge packages, supplemented with open innovation services, community access and optionally a custom open innovation program.
✔ Page on Starthubs
✔ Consult for briefing included
✔ Promotion in community
✔ Clever review module
✔ Project management included
✔ Website in own brand colors
✔ Choose your own domain (url)
✔ Combine multiple challenge
✔ Custom promotion campaign
✔ 24/7 support included
✔ Platform in custom (new) design
✔ Unite your innovation partners
✔ Launch challenges continuously
✔ Reach 50.000 startups and SMEs
✔ 24/7 support included
The challenges on Starthubs are generally aimed at startups, scaleups, SMEs and (individual) innovators, entrepreneurs or researchers. Sometimes the challenge is aimed at a broader target group and large companies, knowledge institutions and students can also participate.
You may discover that many challenge briefings on Starthubs are written in Dutch, but these challenges might still be open for international participation! You can check the specific application and participation terms in the briefing of the challenge you are interested in. So just make use of your browser's translation tool and respond in English or ask any remaining questions via the Q&A module. Heads up, in some cases it is necessary to demonstrate an official company registration (Chamber of Commerce number) or your company needs to be registered in the Netherlands.
A specific challenge briefing has been written for each challenge. In this briefing you will find detailed information about the problems, wanted solutions and conditions. You will also find more external links or documentation with relevant background information here. Do you still have questions? Then ask them via the Q&A module (you will find this as a tab on the relevant briefing page) or visit the online Q&A session (also called: info meetup) to talk to the challenge organizer. Participation in the Q&A session is not mandatory, but it does provide insights to create a better pitch. To ensure a fair competition, questions must be asked and answered publicly via the Q&A module. A report of the online session is often also published.
Participating in an innovation challenge has many advantages. As an entrepreneur or business, submitting a pitch takes relatively little time and the chances of winning are high! On average, 15-30 solutions are submitted for a solution-oriented business challenge and 25-100 entries for open calls or ideation challenges. When you get selected as one of the winners, you will collect your reward and further explore collaboration opportunities with the challenger/client. The prizes and rewards for each challenge are clearly described in the briefing. In general you can win:
In almost all cases, the intellectual property rights (IP) remain yours as a participant or company. The basic conditions for participating in a challenge via Starthubs can be found here. Be sure to read point 10, where you will find all information about intellectual property rights as a participant in a challenge. In some cases the process may be different. Therefore, always carefully read the specific briefing and additional challenge conditions that have been added to the briefing as a link or PDF. Are there no additional documents to be found on the briefing page? Then our basic conditions apply.
We try to communicate as transparently as possible about the winners of challenges in consultation with our clients. Of course we would also like to put the selected participants and their innovative solutions in the spotlight! We do this in various ways, so that everyone who is interested can stay informed. As soon as the winners are known, we will communicate this via:
Do you want to solve a problem faster, scout new technologies and startups, or boost your (open) innovation program by launching a challenge in our network of more than 50,000 entrepreneurs and innovators? Contact us!
+3130-2270982 | info@starthubs.co
Starthubs, Europalaan 100, 3526KS Utrecht