Epicure has won the Munich Business Plan Competition 2024. Epicure is developing a novel cancer therapy drug based on epigenetic processes. These processes influence which genes are active in cells without changing the DNA itself. In cancer research, these mechanisms are of great importance as they help to better understand, diagnose and treat cancer. Initially, Epicure’s focus is on treating leukemias.
Second place was awarded to Qualiwise, a startup working on an AI-powered B2B platform to optimize and make quality and procurement of products in industrial companies and their suppliers more flexible.
The team at Audavis also impressed the jury and secured third place. The startup aims to optimize auditing through data automation by developing a globally scalable, AI-powered cloud solution for annual financial statement audits and internal audits.
Increase in submissions recorded
Max Achmedschin, head of the Munich Business Plan Competition at Baystartup, commented on the current round of the established competition:
“This season we were able to record a remarkable increase in submissions compared to a declining previous year. Solutions from the life sciences sector are well represented and performed very strongly in quality. Additionally, the number of startups with AI solutions has increased enormously and reflects the current technology trend.”
Overall, 221 startups participated in the Munich Business Plan Competition, an increase of over 35 percent. The Munich Business Plan Competition offers total prize money of around 50,000 euros and is supported by partners from industry, including the LfA Förderbank Bayern. Through their expertise and networks, they provide valuable support to participating startups.
Matthias Heiß, future managing director of the startup Epicure to be founded, drew a positive conclusion about his competition participation:
“Through our participation, we can optimize our business plan, gain insights into the entrepreneurial requirements for a pharma startup and make valuable contacts – both with potential investors and with partners who can advise us on business and legal matters. We have already successfully integrated feedback from the jury into our planning and made important contacts in the first two competition phases.”
The following startups were also nominated:
- Fluvion from Freising develops bioreactors that enable biological liquids such as milk, toxins or musk, as well as complex pharmaceutical active ingredients or silk, to be produced in a climate-neutral manner and without animals at low cost.
- Onyx from Munich develops a digital platform as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) that makes the development of biopharmaceutical active ingredients more efficient and faster.
- Perian from Augsburg develops a Sky Computing platform that makes the use of cloud services simpler, more cost-effective and more flexible.
- Radical Dot from Munich develops a technology that converts mixed plastic waste into chemical building blocks, helping the plastics industry achieve its recycling targets.
- Vortex Aerotec from Munich is developing a vertical takeoff long-range drone for supplying the mid-mile of the logistics chain.
