2026 German AI Award: Prof. Frank Hutter (TabPFN) and Robert Bosch GmbH Honored for Innovation and Technology Transfer

On Wednesday evening in Berlin, the media brand WELT presented the German AI Award in three categories. The AI Innovation Award went to Prof. Dr. Frank Hutter of the University of Freiburg (TabPFN). Robert Bosch GmbH received the AI User Award for scaling AI in hardware and industrial applications. Dunia Innovations won the AI Startup Award via a live audience vote.

In front of an audience of about 120 invited startups and key players in the European AI economy, and in the presence of Federal Minister of Economics Reiche, the focus was on accelerating the transfer of deep tech into industrial applications and on the framework conditions.

The award winners:

AI Innovation Award: Prof. Dr. Frank Hutter (TabPFN)

TabPFN is revolutionizing the way we work with tabular data. Its machine-learning algorithm learns causal relationships from synthetic data and delivers highly accurate predictions based on small datasets-which is crucial for medicine, supply chains, and financial statements. SAP is acquiring Prior Labs, a spin-off founded in 2024, to establish a world-leading AI lab for structured data.

AI Implementer Award: Robert Bosch GmbH

The company is being honored for its consistent integration of artificial intelligence into commercial and industrial processes. Bosch has developed AI solutions and integrated them into the production processes of thousands of manufacturing machines, among other applications.

The AI Startup Award: The Nominees

The winner of the Young Talent Award was selected by a jury of audience members following live pitches. Three players from the European ecosystem were in the running:

• Black Forest Labs: This Freiburg-based unicorn develops generative AI for image synthesis using its "Flux" models, which are among the world's best in terms of quality and are used by Adobe and Meta.
• Dunia Innovations: Founded in 2022, this Berlin-based company uses AI and robotics (the IRIS platform) to radically accelerate materials research and bridge the gap between simulation and physical reality.
• Opus: The company focuses on agent-based automation and transforms complex business processes into auditable workflows.

Moritz Seyffarth, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the PREMIUM-GRUPPE's editorial departments: "What Prof. Frank Hutter and his team have accomplished is the blueprint for modern technology development. From publication in Nature to integration with SAP in less than two years: This shows that Europe isn't just capable of conducting research. We can also commercialize ideas quickly. And that's why he absolutely deserves the German AI Prize."

Mathias Sanchez, CEO of the PREMIUM-GRUPPE: "The German AI Prize is more than just an award-it's a snapshot of the German AI economy. This year's winners prove that we in Germany have what it takes to drive deep-tech innovations when politics, research, and industry work together."

About the AI Award:

The German AI Award has been presented since 2019. Past winners include Aleph Alpha, DeepL, and n8n, among others. The jury is composed of leading figures from the fields of science and business.