The Science4Life Venture Cup can report a record number of entries for the business plan phase: This year's anniversary round saw 82 business plans submitted from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, a record high in the history of Germany's largest industry-specific business plan competition. Two Munich-based startups also made it into the top ten.
The patrons of the Science4Life Venture Cup, the Hessian Minister of Economic Affairs Tarek Al-Wazir and Prof. Dr. Jochen Maas, Managing Director of Research & Development at Sanofi in Germany, were also pleased that with 1,049 business plans submitted during the entire competition period, the thousand-strong mark was exceeded.
Looking at things from a different perspective
However, not everyone was able to win: The founding teams with the ten best business plans were honored at the headquarters of the Deutsche Bundesbank in Frankfurt am Main.
"We need more knowledge-based, technology-oriented startups that create jobs and stimulate the economy. We need their innovations in many areas, from climate-friendly energy supply to the healthcare system. The Science4Life competition helps identify promising startups and support them in their launch."
said Tarek Al-Wazir.
International companies can also learn a lot from young founders, explained Prof. Dr. Jochen Maas during the award ceremony:
"High-tech founders can breathe new life into companies because they teach us to look at things from a completely different perspective. For 20 years, Science4Life has been the perfect platform for learning with and from each other."
The special prize for the best business plan in the energy sector was awarded by Minister of Economic Affairs Al-Wazir and Dr. Markus Pfuhl, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at the Viessmann Group.
"Through the Science4Life Energy Cup, we can promote interesting start-ups. In this way, we support the energy transition with smart energy solutions,"
so Dr. Pfuhl.
Two winners from Munich
Among the winners were two startups from the Munich area. Kumovis from Taufkirchen near Munich, which aims to produce a new generation of medical products using an innovative 3D printing system. Using the Kumovis system, plastics already proven in medical technology can be customized, decentralized, and processed into medical products, such as implants, with a high degree of design freedom. This simultaneously improves patient well-being and reduces healthcare costs. The startup was delighted to receive a prize of €10,000.
ScintHealth also made it into the top ten. With its product Cellurad, the Munich-based startup offers a new method for personalized therapy of difficult-to-treat tumors, thus significantly improving the life expectancy and quality of life of those affected.
Next competition round from 1 September 2018
The Science4Life Venture Cup consists of three phases: the idea phase, the concept phase, and the business plan phase. Teams can either complete all phases or apply for individual phases. Throughout the entire business plan competition, startup teams can win prize money totaling €82,000. The next competition round starts on September 1, 2018.
