With an innovative manufacturing process for flow sensors, the Munich-based startup VECTOFLOW has won the WECONOMY start-up initiative. Over the weekend, the founders cashed in the first part of their prize: In intensive discussions with top managers and entrepreneurs from the German economy, they further developed their business model. Among those present were Susanne Klatten, shareholder and chairwoman of the supervisory board of UnternehmerTUM GmbH, and Dr. Guido Rettig, CEO of TÜV NORD AG. Katharina Kreitz and Florian Wehner accepted the WECONOMY award from Bosch supervisory board chairman Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the Knowledge Factory steering committee.
The Wissensfabrik, a platform of more than 120 companies and foundations, organizes WECONOMY in cooperation with the business and financial newspaper Handelsblatt and UnternehmerTUM, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich. Beyond the WECONOMY weekend, the winners of the startup competition will receive active support for a full year in implementing or further developing their business idea. This includes, for example, two topic-specific events at and with WECONOMY partner companies, tailored to the needs of the startups. A coach intensively prepares the young entrepreneurs for these WECONOMY days. Thus, WECONOMY becomes an interactive platform between startups and established companies, promoting mutual understanding and laying the foundation for potential collaboration.
"With WECONOMY, the members of the Knowledge Factory support young founders and promote entrepreneurship within our own companies. Everyone involved benefits from this," explains Fehrenbach. "We are delighted about this award and the support from WECONOMY. The prize strengthens our path and motivates us to further develop our technology," says Florian Wehner, one of the three founders of VECTOFLOW. The spin-off from the Technical University of Munich uses a 3D printing process to manufacture multi-hole pitot tubes. This offers several advantages: The one-piece construction makes the tubes, which are used in wind tunnels of car manufacturers, for example, more robust and easier to clean. This also enables series production. The printing process also allows for a greater freedom of choice in shape and materials, so that the tubes can be optimally adapted to their specific application. VECTOFLOW can even produce particularly small tubes with a diameter of just one millimeter. Proprietary software evaluates the flow data. The founders have already acquired several customers. In addition to VECTOFLOW, nine other start-ups were honored at WECONOMY this year.
About VECTOFLOW
The Vectoflow GmbH is a young innovative technology company from
Munich. It offers customized flow measurement technology based on the
Multi-hole pitot tube principle. Customers receive products and measuring systems tailored to their needs that are flexible, robust and
are easy to use. They use an innovative 3D printing process that allows for the production of the finest structures.
