The top ten startups from the first phase of the Munich Business Plan Competition have been announced. From shared mobility solutions for companies to innovative energy generation using kites to digital twins of the human lung—the top ten startups showcased innovative technologies and digital solutions. A total of 129 teams applied for the first phase.
“At the Munich Business Plan Competition, founders receive market-oriented expert feedback at a very early stage,”
says Dr. Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of BaystartupHe continues:
“It is also a springboard for the first rounds of financing, especially for technology-oriented teams that rely on venture capital to build their company.”
Comprehensive support on the road to success
Of the 12 competition finalists from the last four years, 11 teams successfully completed a financing round through the competition and the accompanying offers. Competition alumni include companies such as Flixbus, Magazine or Toposens.
The Munich Business Plan Competition is aimed at innovative founders in three phases. It is accompanied by free workshops and coaching programs and has a total prize money of €48,500. In addition to the prize money for the winning teams, all participating startups will receive expert feedback on their business concepts.
Portraits of the ten winning teams
Ebenbuild aims to optimize patient ventilation using a digital twin of the lungs. Until now, doctors have manually adjusted the artificial ventilation of patients on ventilators, and these settings are based on preliminary assumptions. However, this has been proven to contribute to a high mortality rate of around 40 percent of patients. The technology of Ebenbuild is intended to enable, for the first time, an individualized and precise prediction of optimal ventilation for patients suffering from acute lung failure. The concept is implemented using patient-specific computer models based on a combination of medical imaging, artificial intelligence, and physics-based simulation.
EpiQMAx measures changes in DNA. So-called epigenetic modifications can be influenced by environmental factors and simultaneously form an individual molecular fingerprint. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry technology and innovative software solutions, EpiQMAx quantifies the modifications quickly, precisely, and reproducibly for private industry.
Selectively acting peptides (short-chain proteins) have the potential to replace collateral chemical substances such as antibiotics and pesticides. Currently, they are not yet used on a large scale because their production is complex and costly. Mk2Biotechnologies has developed a biological process that allows the synthesis of any highly pure peptide in mass applications.
There are still no optimal treatment options for liver cirrhosis because the liver is not capable of regeneration in old age. Pathox plans to market a patented method that allows liver cells to regenerate in a laboratory outside the body, together with cells from the pancreas. The goal of the procedure is to avoid liver transplants.
Kite power develops innovative wind turbines based on a tethered electric flying device—a kite. The system replaces conventional wind turbines and uses only their most effective component, the blade tips. Instead, a kite connected to a ground station by a cable is used. This flies in the shape of a horizontal figure eight and generates electricity with eight mini-rotors. This reduces the materials used for wind power by a factor of 10 while harnessing stronger, more consistent winds at higher altitudes. This enables renewable energy at extremely low costs.
M-Bee develops power electronics for a modular design of battery storage systems, which are considered key components for the integration of renewable energy generation and electromobility. M-Bee technology makes central inverters for connecting to the power grid obsolete. Their traditional design, consisting of problematic high-voltage batteries with complex battery management systems and a central inverter, is fundamentally changed by M-Bee technology. M-Bee transforms previously static, passive batteries into dynamic, active components. Inverters are used, among other things, to ensure the feed-in of environmentally friendly electricity into the grid.
B2Ride offers a shared mobility concept that companies in Germany and Austria can already use. The basic idea is carpooling for company employees. To generate a critical mass of participants and rides, neighboring companies can join forces via the platform. In addition to community features, B2Ride also offers digital parking reservations for participants and a mobility guarantee in the event of an emergency or breakdown.
Levaru develops digital tools to optimize elevator assembly. The startup focuses on the guide rails along which the car travels. These must be adjusted to within 0.2 mm to ensure a vibration-free ride. Among other things, Levaru's solution aims to reduce the labor effort from one week per shaft to a fraction of that. Elevator manufacturers save significant costs while simultaneously delivering higher-quality products.
Presize.ai helps online fashion retailers reduce returns by suggesting the right size to users. Users simply spin around in front of their smartphone camera while wearing their clothes and upload a short video of the process. Presize creates a 3D model based on the video and extracts the body measurements using computer vision and deep learning.
Tjiko is developing a production concept for prefabricated bathroom modules made of wood. A two-stage configuration software enables customized floor plan planning and 3D visualization of the interior design of bathroom modules. The modular bathrooms are delivered like Lego bricks and are ready for use immediately after assembly.
