In just nine years, JEC Composites Startup Booster has established itself as a global reference for entrepreneurship in the composites industry in 2026. Over 160 entrepreneurs, startups, and university spinoffs submitted their applications, with 20 selected as finalists. On March 10, these 20 finalists will have the opportunity to present their projects before an expert jury on the JEC World 2026 stage.
Launched in 2017, Startup Booster has been organized in three different regions (Europe, USA, and Asia) and has already fostered the emergence of 1,300+ innovative projects from 60+ countries, 158 finalists, and 34 winners, including FibreCoat, Continuous Composites, CompPair, Fortify, Composite Recycling and Vartega.
The competition is opened to entrepreneurs, startups and academic spinoffs building innovative projects in the field of Composites & Advanced Materials.
This year, the competition is being organized with the sponsorship of Airbus, ProxximaTM (An ExxonMobil Product), and Owens Corning as the main innovation partners.
SAVE THE DATE!
Two pitch sessions, each featuring 10 presentations, will take place on the Agora stage (Hall 6):
- Tuesday, March 10, at 10:00 AM for finalists 1-10
- Tuesday, March 10, at 4:30 PM for finalists 10-20
Three winners will be selected by the jury, 1 Grand Winner, 1 Runner-up Winner, 1 Sustainability Winner.
The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, March 11, at 5:30 PM in Agora 6.
The 2026 Jury:
- Jelle BLOEMHOF, Head of Composite Manufacturing Technologies, Airbus
- Aline ROTZETTER, Senior Investment Manager, Emerald Technology Ventures
- Mike SALCICCIOLI, Proxxima Market Development Manager, ExxonMobil
- Chris SKINNER, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and R&D, Owens Corning
- Uday VAIDAY, Chief Technology Officer, IACMI-The Composites Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation