Yachting Ventures and European Boating Industry (EBI) are expanding their partnership at boot Düsseldorf 2025, with the introduction of a ‘Start-up Day’.
The dedicated day will take place on Tuesday, January 21 2025 and provide a platform for innovative start-ups to show their solutions to key players in the leisure marine industry.
The Blue Innovation Dock (BID) was launched in 2023 by EBI and boot Düsseldorf, and is a key point of the event, promoting advancements in innovation, sustainability, and ocean protection within the leisure marine sector.
The BID brings together experts and stakeholders to discuss sustainability in boat building, propulsion systems, marina management, and marine tourism.
Following the success of pitch competitions at the Blue Innovation Dock in 2023 and 2024, Yachting Ventures and EBI are now responding to industry growth by expanding the program into a full-day event.
Expanded collaboration
The expanded collaboration aims to offer more opportunities for start-ups to connect with investors and industry leaders, emphasising the growing importance of innovation and sustainability in the yachting sector.
The 2025 edition of ‘Start-up Day’ will begin at 1pm with a keynote address, followed by the Start-up Pitch Competition.
Five start-ups will have the opportunity to present their innovations to a panel of industry experts and investors.
Investors will also engage in reverse pitches, offering start-ups insights into investor priorities.
The program will conclude with a panel discussion on current investment trends and challenges followed by a Start-up Happy Hour at the BID Lounge.
The event defines start-ups as companies that have been operating commercially for less than five years and/or have an annual turnover of less than €1 million
boot Düsseldorf is the world’s largest yacht and watersports exhibition, annually attracting more than 214,000 visitors and more than 1,500 exhibitors from 67 countries across 16 exhibition halls.
