With special antibodies, the biotech startup Opsyon improves the efficacy and tolerability of cancer therapies. The new therapies allow cancer cells to be targeted even more specifically and permanently eliminated. Second place goes to DividendThe company's platform helps private investors easily and digitally reclaim foreign withholding taxes on dividends. Sewts In third place, innovative control and image processing software enables robots to perform more sensitive motor functions. This technology is used for easily deformable materials, such as those found in the clothing industry.
The winning teams will advance to the final competition phase after two judging rounds with around 80 participating teams from across Southern Bavaria. They will receive prize money totaling €30,000. The final sponsor is the LfA Development Bank Bavaria.
Close cooperation with universities
Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of Baystartup, says:
"Many of the nominees and winners in the competition are developing new technologies from universities. Baystartup works closely with them through workshops and startup consulting to further advance startup activity in the university landscape. Especially considering the breadth of Bavaria, there is still considerable potential to be tapped here."
The Munich Business Plan Competition 2021 is now in its 25th year. The competition focuses on sharpening business ideas through expert feedback and preparing young startup teams for challenges in the market environment and in financing. A good competition placement is often the starting point for inquiries from investors and industry.
Hans Peter Göttler, Deputy Chairman of the Board of LfA Development Bank Bavaria, says:
"The Munich Business Plan Competition is a success story. The past 25 years have impressively demonstrated the many innovative ideas, the great talent, and the courage of Bavarian founders. And this is paying off, as many startups from past competitions are now successful companies. Of course, this requires the right financing. The LfA provides sustainable support to founders with further optimized and specifically tailored development loans, risk assumptions, and venture capital."
The winners at a glance:
1st place: Opsyon
Opsyon develops innovative, multifunctional antibodies with reduced side effects to improve therapeutic options for cancer patients. Opsyon's antibodies directly target cancer cells and the so-called immune checkpoint, leveraging the full spectrum of the immune system to specifically and permanently eliminate cancer cells. With these novel therapies, Opsyon offers patients with, among other conditions, acute myeloid leukemia and pancreatic cancer the possibility of longer survival with a high quality of life.
2nd place: Divizend
Divizend is developing a software platform that allows private investors to reclaim foreign withholding taxes on dividends. The goal is to make the refund process as digital and barrier-free as possible for the customer. The digital tax assistant guides end customers intelligently and purposefully through the process. The use of open bank API interfaces, such as the EU standard PSD2, is a key prerequisite for this. To this end, the company is establishing connections with international tax authorities for the seamless digital transfer of tax data.
3rd place: Sewts
Sewts is a provider of innovative control and image processing software that enables robots to perform more sensitive motor functions when processing easily deformable materials. Its technology uses high-precision finite element method simulation to efficiently train machine learning algorithms. This intelligent software solution enables numerous applications in industrial automation, such as textile processing in industrial laundries or clothing manufacturing.
