Startup debuts at the elektrotechnik 2027 in Dortmund: A new Startup Area sees the exhibition offering a central stage for start-up entrepreneurs and young companies for the very first time. The Founders Fight Night is set to be a special highlight. Adjudicated by a panel of experts and visitors, this entertaining pitch format highlights innovation and progress and promotes dialogue among trade, industry and planning stakeholders. The emphasis lies on digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and new solutions for carbon-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

Dortmund, 3 March 2026 – Following the great success of the elektrotechnik 2025, which attracted some 400 exhibitors from 15 countries, the industry is now looking ahead to the next fair showcasing building, energy, and industrial technologies at the Dortmund Exhibition Centre. Set for 16 to 18 February 2027, and focusing sharply on innovation, knowledge transfer, and business development, the elektrotechnik is poised to be a buzzing hub of inspiration for the electrical trade, industry, and wholesale sector, and the place to be for planners, architects, energy suppliers, and local authorities.

Startup Area – A stage spotlighting entrepreneurial spirit and technological innovation

For the first time, the elektrotechnik 2027 will be featuring a Startup Area dedicated to offering young companies and start-up entrepreneurs a central stage. The new platform has been jointly developed by the Founders Fight Club and the SME initiative Mittelstand-Digital to create a high-profile forum for cultivating fresh ideas, driving marketable applications, and forging new alliances. The aim is to further instil the need for innovative technologies and business models in decision-makers in the e-commerce sector and to boost engagement and interaction at the show.

“The Startup Area at the elektrotechnik is going to be a real hotspot. It's compact, curated, face-to-face, and the quickest shortcut visitors can take to spark new inspiration. The Area offers guidance on major challenges facing businesses that will determine their future competitiveness and resilience, from digitalisation and AI to IT security and automation. For start-ups, the stage is where visibility drives market opportunity, with genuine demand, immediate feedback, and contact with decision-makers from the trade, industry and planning sectors. The Founders Fight Night doesn't just explain innovation, it turns it into a live experience, making it far easier to remember,” said Jan C. Küster, Director of the Founders Fight Club.

The Startup Area takes a win-win approach; for small and medium-sized enterprises, collaboration with start-ups can lend significant impetus to innovative digitalisation and climate protection solutions to their mutual benefit. On the other hand, cooperating with established companies allows start-ups to gain valuable insight to drive the further development of their business models and market presence.

“Good ideas need a sounding board. And the best place to find one is where practical, market, and technology stakeholders interface. The elektrotechnik is where these perspectives converge to highlight solutions with the potential to advance digitalisation and climate protection,” said Prof. Erich Behrendt from the WertNetzWerke Digital Centre for SMEs.

Founders Fight Night – Pitching with substance

The Founders Fight Night is scheduled as a real highlight, allowing selected start-ups to do battle in an entertaining and classy pitch format. The start-up entrepreneurs will be presenting their business ideas before a live audience and a jury of experts. This format presents a lively mix of entertainment and relevant content, and delivers swift, tangible, and comparable innovation insights. Which concept can best tackle a certain problem? Which technologies are mature enough for the market? And which solution is best suited to practical use in the trade, industry, or planning sectors?

Dialogue on equal terms – Lectures, panels, networking

Beyond the Pitch Night, participants can look forward to a multi-faceted supporting programme. Specialist talks and panel discussions are scheduled to encourage dialogue between start-ups, industry representatives, skilled trades, and other industry experts. Content will focus on digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and consequently on how new solutions can advance the carbon-efficient planning, construction, and use of buildings and other infrastructure. The scope ranges from smart building technology and data-based optimisation to practical tools for planning, installation, and use.

This exhibition sees the elektrotechnik building on the vigorous response to the 2025 event, where AI, smart building technology, and resource-efficient energy solutions already enjoyed wide attention, with around 93% of exhibitors at that time expressing their intention to return.