AND THE
WINNERS ARE...
The winners represent a new generation of brands that turn bold ideas into real traction and first attention into lasting customer relationships. Selected by a diverse jury of industry leaders and powered by data and AI, they set the benchmark for what tomorrow’s brands look like.
THE TOP 7
Introducing Germanys best Startup Marketers for the year 2026
KAtharina
Founder
nevernot GmbH
___________________________
I move fast, think intuitively, and decide while others are still analyzing. I iterate instead of waiting. My gut sets direction, data decides if I stay. I may overquestion, but I don’t accept “good enough.” My team fuels me and makes it feel like a trip, not work. Chaotic, but effective.
ABOUT THE WORK
With a modest budget, we created a standout viral moment for Super Nice Foam through targeted PR packages sent to our creator community, driving strong organic reach and impressive sales. The highlight was a joint creator event inside a dm store, which resulted in a highly viral video and extended visibility beyond our own channels.
Next up is the launch of Vajelly, our intimate wash lotion. The campaign takes a bold and unusually honest approach by openly stating that the product is not actually necessary, challenging conventions and building authenticity. Supported by PR packages to creators and press, the visual identity leans on playful cat imagery as a charming and memorable symbol, designed to spark conversation and stand out.
For the SOOO GOOD Gleitgel Collection, we faced the challenge of communicating intimacy on social media without triggering restrictions. Our solution was a refined, high-quality design approach that captures attention while staying platform-safe. Combined with targeted PR packages, this enabled strong organic reach for a topic that is typically difficult to make visible.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Dennis Ahrling
& Niklas Schwab
As a media-for-equity fund, we support many startups in building strong brands, making it all the more important to recognize the people behind them.
This year’s Startup Marketer of the Year winner represents exactly that: bold, honest, and humorous marketing. She dared to bring a often-taboo topic confidently into the mainstream and built a brand with remarkable creativity and consistency, one that performs both on social media and at retail.
Her work proves that great marketing doesn’t require huge budgets, but strong ideas and the courage to constantly challenge the status quo.
CEO
Pick’em GmbH
___________________________
Founder and CEO of pick’em, the viral brand turning flavored toothpicks into a Gen-Z lifestyle product. Through storytelling, social media, and creators, he built a cultural accessory with millions of views and rapid retail growth across Europe.
ABOUT THE WORK
We launched into Scandinavian retail with a campaign built around the story that chewing gum companies were trying to keep us out of stores. The narrative mobilized thousands of customers — not only buying the product when it first hit the shelves, but also showing up in the hundreds at the pop-ups we hosted across Scandinavia.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Leo Ginsburg
When people talk about strong brands today, one word comes up almost automatically: community. But real community doesn’t just happen, especially not around a product like flavored toothpicks.
Pick’em proved the opposite. Through smart storytelling and a playful David vs. Goliath narrative, they turned an everyday product into a story people want to share. On social media, this became an active community that doesn’t just watch, but takes action.When it mattered most, attention turned into real demand and followers became customers. The result: millions of products sold and a brand that shows what modern marketing can truly achieve.
Head of Marketing
Bloomwell GmbH
___________________________
Christian combines performance marketing with long-term brand strategy. Focused on sustainable growth over short-term gains. Mission: destigmatize medical cannabis in Germany through data-driven insights and bold, human brand experiences.
ABOUT THE WORK
With a modest budget, we created a standout viral moment for Super Nice Foam through targeted PR packages sent to our creator community, driving strong organic reach and impressive sales. The highlight was a joint creator event inside a dm store, which resulted in a highly viral video and extended visibility beyond our own channels.
Next up is the launch of Vajelly, our intimate wash lotion. The campaign takes a bold and unusually honest approach by openly stating that the product is not actually necessary, challenging conventions and building authenticity. Supported by PR packages to creators and press, the visual identity leans on playful cat imagery as a charming and memorable symbol, designed to spark conversation and stand out.
For the SOOO GOOD Gleitgel Collection, we faced the challenge of communicating intimacy on social media without triggering restrictions. Our solution was a refined, high-quality design approach that captures attention while staying platform-safe. Combined with targeted PR packages, this enabled strong organic reach for a topic that is typically difficult to make visible.
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ABOUT THE WORK
We brought Bloomwell into the physical world by transforming a BVG bus into the matte-black “black beauty of cannabis”—a mobile hub with lounge areas, info screens, and a podcast studio. Touring events like MaryJane, CSD, and Reeperbahnfestival, it boosted awareness, enabled direct interaction, and helped destigmatize medical cannabis in an approachable way.
In parallel, a provocative Christmas campaign used the familiar setting of a tense family dinner to address generational prejudices. By turning conflict into honest dialogue, it generated strong attention and positioned Bloomwell as a culturally relevant, fearless brand.
To expand access, especially for female audiences, we launched the Omura vaporizer with a discreet, design-led campaign. By focusing on ease of use and aesthetics, we lowered barriers to entry and made medical cannabis more approachable.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Stefanie Unger
Christian Paffhausen represents marketing that goes beyond campaigns, he changes perception. As Head of Marketing at Bloomwell, he navigates a complex, highly regulated space with clarity and long-term thinking instead of short-term hype.
With projects like the Bloomwell Bus and the “Christmas Clash” campaign, he makes a sensitive topic tangible and sparks real societal conversations, balancing medical credibility with human connection.His work stands for education, destigmatization, and rethinking health.
Management Associate
LIQID GmbH
___________________________
What actually matters hasn’t changed: curiosity over certainty – and a strong belief that great marketing starts with understanding people. Leads, customers, partners, colleagues. What shaped me most are the people I’ve worked and communicated with. At its best, marketing isn’t about campaigns – it’s about building things that resonate and actually matter.
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ABOUT THE WORK
We brought Bloomwell into the physical world by transforming a BVG bus into the matte-black “black beauty of cannabis”—a mobile hub with lounge areas, info screens, and a podcast studio. Touring events like MaryJane, CSD, and Reeperbahnfestival, it boosted awareness, enabled direct interaction, and helped destigmatize medical cannabis in an approachable way.
In parallel, a provocative Christmas campaign used the familiar setting of a tense family dinner to address generational prejudices. By turning conflict into honest dialogue, it generated strong attention and positioned Bloomwell as a culturally relevant, fearless brand.
To expand access, especially for female audiences, we launched the Omura vaporizer with a discreet, design-led campaign. By focusing on ease of use and aesthetics, we lowered barriers to entry and made medical cannabis more approachable.
ABOUT THE WORK
We brought Bloomwell into the physical world by transforming a BVG bus into the matte-black “black beauty of cannabis”—a mobile hub with lounge areas, info screens, and a podcast studio. Touring events like MaryJane, CSD, and Reeperbahnfestival, it boosted awareness, enabled direct interaction, and helped destigmatize medical cannabis in an approachable way.
In parallel, a provocative Christmas campaign used the familiar setting of a tense family dinner to address generational prejudices. By turning conflict into honest dialogue, it generated strong attention and positioned Bloomwell as a culturally relevant, fearless brand.
To expand access, especially for female audiences, we launched the Omura vaporizer with a discreet, design-led campaign. By focusing on ease of use and aesthetics, we lowered barriers to entry and made medical cannabis more approachable.
ABOUT THE WORK
With a modest budget, we created a standout viral moment for Super Nice Foam through targeted PR packages sent to our creator community, driving strong organic reach and impressive sales. The highlight was a joint creator event inside a dm store, which resulted in a highly viral video and extended visibility beyond our own channels.
Next up is the launch of Vajelly, our intimate wash lotion. The campaign takes a bold and unusually honest approach by openly stating that the product is not actually necessary, challenging conventions and building authenticity. Supported by PR packages to creators and press, the visual identity leans on playful cat imagery as a charming and memorable symbol, designed to spark conversation and stand out.
For the SOOO GOOD Gleitgel Collection, we faced the challenge of communicating intimacy on social media without triggering restrictions. Our solution was a refined, high-quality design approach that captures attention while staying platform-safe. Combined with targeted PR packages, this enabled strong organic reach for a topic that is typically difficult to make visible.
ABOUT THE WORK
We positioned LIQID as a calm, reliable counterweight in a noisy, crisis-driven market environment with “Noise Cancelling for your wealth,” focusing on long-term strategy over short-term hype and delivering consistent, market-leading returns.
With the NXT family, we democratized access to private markets, offering fully digital, institutional-grade portfolios across Private Equity, Infrastructure, and Private Debt available from €20,000 and designed to deliver growth, stability, and diversification beyond public markets.
To extend this positioning, we launched the “That’s Smart Money” podcast, opening the door to the world of top investors, family offices, and VCs. By sharing real insights into strategies and mindsets, we translate elite investment knowledge into valuable, accessible learnings for ambitious private investors.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Simon Knittel
With the “Startup Marketer of the Year” award, we shine a spotlight on the minds behind strong brands. This year’s winner embodies exactly what we hoped for: curiosity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of people.
Jonas from LIQID is not driven by short-term KPIs or performance hacks, but by the ambition to truly understand how people think and to build meaningful stories on that foundation. This mindset has shaped his work from the very beginning.
The result is marketing that isn’t loud, but smart. With formats like his own podcast series, he creates a content universe that delivers real value offering access to knowledge, perspectives, and expertise without feeling like traditional advertising.
At LIQID, marketing is not an add-on, but part of the company’s DNA. That’s why Jonas succeeds in making even complex, seemingly dry topics feel accessible and engaging.
CMO
1KOMMA5° GmbH
___________________________
Sophia is a leading voice on energy, AI, and digital transformation. With experience at Mercedes-Benz and as former bloXmove CEO, she combines tech expertise with strong stage presence, inspiring audiences on innovation, leadership, and the future.
ABOUT THE WORK
With “NEW ENERGY TALKS,” we repositioned 1KOMMA5° from a hardware provider to a cultural force. Using the podcast as a high-authority entry point, we replaced fear-driven climate narratives with a vision of technological empowerment, making innovations like Heartbeat AI tangible and turning sustainable energy into a lifestyle.
The “Women in Tech & Energy” series brings this mission into the real world, creating spaces for female talent to connect, learn, and grow. Through events and honest conversations, we foster a strong network and position 1KOMMA5° as a hub for the next generation driving the energy transition.
Complementing this, our AI-driven campaign on fossil inflation shows the power of agile marketing. Using generative tools, we quickly produced impactful content reacting to price spikes and political shifts contrasting fossil dependency with energy independence and positioning clean energy as the logical path forward.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Klara Kuhn
Today, I have the honor of recognizing a leader who doesn’t just do marketing, she shapes markets. With a rare combination of deep tech expertise and entrepreneurial vision, Sophia Rödiger has turned 1KOMMA5° from a hardware company into a cultural force for the energy transition.
Through “NEW ENERGY TALKS,” she builds trust and makes complex innovations accessible. With bold, AI-driven campaigns, she reacts in real time and reaches new audiences. And with “Women in Tech,” she creates real spaces for connection and mentorship.Sophia doesn’t follow trends, she defines what’s next. Her work sets a new standard for modern marketing and impact.
CMO
CHEEX
___________________________
Sophie built the foundation of CHEEX performance marketing and now leads the entire marketing team. Working in one of the most restrictive and complex industries, Sophie and her team turn limitations into levers for growth, driving change and shaping a more open, progressive future for adult content.
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ABOUT THE WORK
While headlines around the Olympics focused on so-called anti-sex cardboard beds, RIAB x CHEEX proved the opposite. Former Olympian Matthew Mitcham and several adult creators put the bed to the ultimate test, showing that cardboard furniture is anything but fragile. For CHEEX, joining the campaign was a natural fit: internal audience data shows clear spikes in searches for sporty content and athletes during major sporting events, making the moment highly relevant for its audience. At the heart of the campaign is CHEEX and its mission to promote empowered, ethical, and shame-free sexuality. By sharing exclusive adult content and directing audiences to its platform via social media, CHEEX reinforces its view of sexual wellness as a natural part of life, even in high-performance sports. What was labelled an anti-sex bed became the “sexiest bed alive,” turning a PR myth into a clear statement for empowerment, education, and sexual freedom.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Wincent.AI
There’s marketing that works. And then there’s marketing that changes conversations. That’s what Sophie does.Since 2020, she has helped build CHEEX in a highly regulated space turning restrictions into opportunities and creating a brand with a clear point of view. One that speaks openly about topics others avoid.
A perfect example: the Olympic “anti-sex beds.” While others laughed and moved on, Sophie turned the moment into the bold “Pro Sex Bed” campaign transforming a trend into a cultural statement.
She doesn’t think in campaigns, but in moments and knows exactly when to act. Sophie proves that strong brands aren’t built by pleasing everyone, but by standing for something.
Senior Marketing Managerin
Avaay
___________________________
Marketing can change attitudes. Education can change lives. In a regulated market, I find paths no one has taken before – through storytelling that gives brands a real personality and OOH campaigns that bring cannabis into the heart of society. As an experienced marketing generalist, I bring expertise in brand marketing, content, copywriting, community management and KPI analysis.
ABOUT THE WORK
We brought Bloomwell into the physical world by transforming a BVG bus into the matte-black “black beauty of cannabis”—a mobile hub with lounge areas, info screens, and a podcast studio. Touring events like MaryJane, CSD, and Reeperbahnfestival, it boosted awareness, enabled direct interaction, and helped destigmatize medical cannabis in an approachable way.
In parallel, a provocative Christmas campaign used the familiar setting of a tense family dinner to address generational prejudices. By turning conflict into honest dialogue, it generated strong attention and positioned Bloomwell as a culturally relevant, fearless brand.
To expand access, especially for female audiences, we launched the Omura vaporizer with a discreet, design-led campaign. By focusing on ease of use and aesthetics, we lowered barriers to entry and made medical cannabis more approachable.
ABOUT THE WORK
We brought Bloomwell into the physical world by transforming a BVG bus into the matte-black “black beauty of cannabis”—a mobile hub with lounge areas, info screens, and a podcast studio. Touring events like MaryJane, CSD, and Reeperbahnfestival, it boosted awareness, enabled direct interaction, and helped destigmatize medical cannabis in an approachable way.
In parallel, a provocative Christmas campaign used the familiar setting of a tense family dinner to address generational prejudices. By turning conflict into honest dialogue, it generated strong attention and positioned Bloomwell as a culturally relevant, fearless brand.
To expand access, especially for female audiences, we launched the Omura vaporizer with a discreet, design-led campaign. By focusing on ease of use and aesthetics, we lowered barriers to entry and made medical cannabis more approachable.
ABOUT THE WORK
With a modest budget, we created a standout viral moment for Super Nice Foam through targeted PR packages sent to our creator community, driving strong organic reach and impressive sales. The highlight was a joint creator event inside a dm store, which resulted in a highly viral video and extended visibility beyond our own channels.
Next up is the launch of Vajelly, our intimate wash lotion. The campaign takes a bold and unusually honest approach by openly stating that the product is not actually necessary, challenging conventions and building authenticity. Supported by PR packages to creators and press, the visual identity leans on playful cat imagery as a charming and memorable symbol, designed to spark conversation and stand out.
For the SOOO GOOD Gleitgel Collection, we faced the challenge of communicating intimacy on social media without triggering restrictions. Our solution was a refined, high-quality design approach that captures attention while staying platform-safe. Combined with targeted PR packages, this enabled strong organic reach for a topic that is typically difficult to make visible.
ABOUT THE WORK
A nationwide (D)OOH campaign used bold, provocative messaging like “Cannabis neu gedacht” to challenge perceptions and reach a broad audience in everyday environments. This drove 1.3 million contacts and a 130% increase in brand searches, strengthening brand equity and visibility.
Building on this, avaay partnered with 1. FC Union Berlin, becoming the first medical cannabis brand to sponsor a Bundesliga club. By tapping into football culture, the brand reached mainstream audiences and normalized the category. The partnership generated 28.8 million TV impressions, strong digital reach, and major press coverage, further boosting awareness and trust.
SPEAKING JURY
STATEMENT
- Lupo Porschen
Marketing can sell, but great marketing changes perception. And that’s exactly what this work achieves.
In a highly regulated and stigmatized space like medical cannabis, Avaay has built trust and relevance through bold, large-scale campaigns that challenge how people see the category.
By bringing the brand into mainstream culture through out-of-home and partnerships like a major football club they made the topic visible, accessible, and part of everyday life.
This isn’t just about reach, but real impact.Tonight, we recognize not just a campaign, but a mindset one that shows what marketing can truly achieve.
