On the AmCham Germany shortlist

On 10 June 2026 in Munich, the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany) presented its Female Founders Award for the seventh time. The event was hosted by Microsoft Germany. Lucie Töpfer, co-founder and managing director of pyropower GmbH, was on the shortlist together with two other founders and received an Honorable Mention.

At a glance

• The AmCham Germany Female Founders Award honours women founders whose innovations can have an impact beyond their home market.
• The 2026 award ceremony took place on 10 June in Munich.
• Lucie Töpfer was shortlisted for pyropower and received an Honorable Mention.
• The award winners were Miriam Corcoran (MiViA) and Ghazaleh Madani (CanChip).
• Also shortlisted: Stephanie Pfeil-Coenen (Phaeosynt) and Dr. Jana Maria Weinand (leitspalt).

An award for women founders with international ambitions

With the Female Founders Award, AmCham Germany aims to make women entrepreneurs more visible and to connect them. Founders whose company has been on the market for two to five years, is growing and has won customers are eligible to apply. The team must have at least five people, and the company must already have received media coverage. The jury pays particular attention to whether an idea can also work outside Germany.

A transatlantic perspective that suits pyropower

Residual wood from forestry and industry is not only found in Lusatia. Back in 2024, pyropower won second prize in the Lausitz Goes International competition for the idea of introducing the Pyro-ClinX in the USA together with a partner. The AmCham shortlist confirms this path: technology from Cottbus that can also be used in other markets.

A founder in energy technology

Lucie Töpfer co-founded pyropower in 2022 with Sebastian Kießling and is responsible for brand, communications, financing and operations. She has worked on pyrolysis and biochar for around ten years. She passes on her experience as a juror, for example as jury chair of the Female Energy Award 2026, and as a mentor in the EXIST-Women programme at TH Wildau.

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