With innovative biosensors, the Würzburg-based biotech startup NanoStruct takes first place in phase 3 of the Business Plan Competition Northern Bavaria. Second and third place go to the medtech startups BD-4 from Erlangen and inContAlert from Bayreuth.
BayStartUP announced the winning startups together with LfA Förderbank Bayern at an exclusive award event in Nuremberg. The top 3 will receive a total of 22,500 euros. Already in the first two phases of the Northern Bavarian Business Plan Competition 2021, many founding teams came from the life science sector. This focus is now being continued in the final:
Dr. Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of BayStartUP
The winners are working on new technologies for the healthcare sector and biotechnology. The fact that they are all developing solutions from the life science sector highlights the strengths of the northern Bavarian research landscape – and in its different regions.
Partner
A huge thank you to our long-time partner and sponsor of the business plan competitions, LfA Förderbank Bayern.
These are the winning teams
1. Place: NanoStruct GmbH from Würzburg
NanoStruct produces and markets innovative biosensors for the analysis method "SERS" (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) in order to establish its industrial application. SERS makes it possible to clearly identify the smallest residues of certain substances, such as pollutants, explosives or viruses. The NanoStruct biosensors are based on high-precision nanostructures which, due to their accuracy, promise a previously unattainable reliability of the method. This is expected to solve a decades-old problem of SERS to achieve higher efficiency of the analysis process. Applications of the method include medication development or the security field for the identification of illegal and dangerous substances.
2. Place: BD-4 from Erlangen
BD-4 develops and markets a patented disinfection technology for dentists. By means of a special coating technique, the electrochemical properties of boron-doped diamond electrodes are made available to the dentist. The system is used in particular for root canal treatment and implants and leads to higher treatment safety and lower revision rates. In addition to a basic unit, there are application-specific single-use electrodes whose effectiveness has been preclinically proven.
3. Place: inContAlert from Bayreuth
inContAlert is a bladder level monitoring wearable that helps incontinence patients to lead a carefree life again. The non-invasive sensor determines the filling level, reports this to a smartphone or smartwatch and thus prevents uncontrolled urine loss. This enables patients to reduce the use of aids (e.g. catheters, nappies) and, above all, consequential damage (e.g. to the kidneys). This reduces costs, especially for hospitals and health insurance companies, and helps those affected to substantially improve their quality of life.
Dr. Otto Beierl, Chairman of the Board of Management of LfA Förderbank Bayern
Congratulations to the winners of the Northern Bavarian Business Plan Competition for their great ideas. With their courage and commitment, they are actively shaping the future of the Bavarian economy in important future fields for our society. In order for the startup to be successful, it naturally also needs the right financing. Even in challenging times, the LfA provides sustainable support for founders with further optimized loans, risk assumption and venture capital that are specially tailored to their needs.