Demo Day Winter 2026

Six startups, a packed Audimax, and one clear message: innovation thrives on ambition, speed, and a strong ecosystem. At Demo Day Winter 2026 on 16 February, the latest accelerator cohort presented their ventures to investors, mentors, and leading figures from business and technology at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

Demo Day is the grand finale of the accelerator programme of Frankfurt School's Entrepreneurship Centre, and is far more than a pitch competition. It is a dynamic meeting point for entrepreneurial drive, strategic capital, and meaningful collaboration – a place where connections are forged that extend well beyond the stage.

1st Place: €30,000 for UpGrid (Energy Tech)

UpGrid secured first place and €30,000 for its decentralised energy market infrastructure. The company is building the operating system for local energy ecosystems and enables communities to coordinate, trade, and monetise clean energy. With more than 1,300 registered users, over 80 energy communities, and CHF 100,000 in first-year revenue, UpGrid is currently raising CHF 1.2 million, with 90 percent already committed.

2nd Place: €20,000 for LILY (Frontier Tech)

Second place and €20,000 went to LILY, a next-generation decentralised computing platform. LILY replaces traditional cloud complexity with a logic-native architecture that unifies software, AI, and hardware into one seamless system. Following a validated proof of concept and a confirmed enterprise pilot, LILY is now raising its pre-seed round.

The Winter ’26 Cohort

Alongside the winners, four additional startups presented their progress and vision:

• LeadRep AI (Sales, AI) automates the full B2B outbound sales workflow, from lead sourcing to personalized outreach and meeting booking.

• Sidetracked Day (EdTech, AI) is a hyper-personalised learning platform that adapts explanations and exercises to each student through long-term learner modeling.

• Talero AI (HR Tech, AI) is a gamified AI platform that measures real behavior to generate data-driven personality and career-fit insights.

• Cellyn (Enterprise AI) provides an AI execution layer for financial teams and automates workflows across valuation, deal flow, and corporate finance.

Throughout the accelerator program, each team demonstrated remarkable growth – refining their products, validating their business models, and sharpening their investor narratives. Their pitches combined technological depth with strategic clarity.

More Than a Competition: The Power of Community

Demo Day is not only about the startups on stage. It is about the ecosystem behind them. It is about mentors who challenge founders to think bigger, experienced operators who share practical insights, partners who provide resources and trust, and investors who support bold ideas at their earliest stages.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all mentors and partners who made Demo Day Winter ’26 possible. Your guidance, dedication, and belief in early-stage innovation enable these startups to reach the final stage of the accelerator and confidently pitch on Demo Day. 

The strength of this programme lies in its community. When ambitious founders and experienced leaders come together in one room, innovation accelerates and the next generation of companies begins to take shape.