Start-up Cyclize wins Stuttgart Innovation Prize

The jury has made its decision - The 3rd Stuttgart Innovation Award goes to the start-up CYCLIZE. In the “Sustainability & Social Issues” category, the young team of founders prevailed against strong competition. At a festive gala event, Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper, Nobel Prize winner Prof. Klaus-Olaf von Klitzing, astronaut Dr. Ulf Merbold, and Edith Wolf, Chairwoman of the Vector Foundation, presented the prize, which is endowed with 25,000 euro.

"I am delighted with this success! The recognition of our researchers at the Stuttgart Innovation Award underscores the enthusiasm with which we embrace the start-up culture at the University of Stuttgart," says Professor Alexander Brem, Vice President for Science Transfer and International Affairs. Start-ups such as CYCLIZE show that true innovation emerges only when outstanding research meets entrepreneurial courage - and that is exactly what we foster every day at all levels. And, of course, this is an important sign that innovations are being recognized and promoted in our hometown of Stuttgart!”

This team of young entrepreneurs comprising Maike Lambarth, Dominik Novakovic, Jan Stein, and Stephan Renniger, all alumni of the University of Stuttgart, launched their start-up CYCLIZE in 2023. The vision: making carbon circular and thus reducing CO₂ emissions. This is to be achieved through chemical recycling. Using plasma technology, the team recycles waste that cannot otherwise be recycled and makes it available to the chemical industry in the form of pure gas as a new feedstock. The founders are thus making a valuable contribution to de-fossilizing the chemical industry. 

Just this summer, the founding team presented at the Renewable Materials Conference in Cologne and returned to Stuttgart with the “Renewable Materials of the Year 2025” Innovation Award. The conference is a platform for companies and organizations working on solutions and innovations for replacing fossil carbon, for example through biomass, CO2 utilization, or recycling. The winners of the Innovation Award are elected by the audience.

The Stuttgart Innovation Award is presented by the City of Stuttgart in recognition of outstanding innovative achievements. A jury of experts reviews all applications and nominates the best submissions. The award recognizes the importance of innovation for the development of the business location. The prizes are awarded in four categories and are endowed with 25,000 euro each.