The Munich startup TRIPSTIX is among the finalists for the Edison Award 2017. The team around founders Stefan and Benedikt prevailed against 400 other applicants.
At the awards ceremony in April in New York, it will be decided whether the startup will take home gold, silver, or bronze in the “Athletics & Recreation” category…
The Edison Award: A major honor for developers and innovators
The Edison Award has honored developers and innovations from around the world since 1987. To mark the 170th anniversary of Thomas Edison's birth, the award will be presented this year at a grand gala in New York on April 20.
What did Tripstix develop?
The two founders, a sports scientist and an engineer, are passionate surfers. From this, the young company developed the idea for a new technology that combines air and vacuum chambers and is ideally suited for inflatable objects such as stand-up paddleboards (SUP). Thanks in part to an Exist grant and the support of UnternehmerTUM The founders are planning to enter the market this spring.
The innovative construction allows for a wide variety of shapes. The vacuum chambers filled with granules are responsible for the surfboard's high rigidity—even surfing is possible with this innovative board construction. Once the air is released, the board can be easily packed up and transported.
Founder Stefan Klare on the award:
"We hadn't even considered the Edison Award at first. Since we wanted to focus on Europe for our market entry, the award, which is primarily known in the US, wasn't particularly interesting to us at first."
But they did apply for the award after all, and being nominated as finalists is an honor for the Tripstix founders. And if they win, they'll definitely celebrate—after all, it's a motivating factor!
