The winners of the first competition phase in the Northern Bavaria Business Plan Competition 2021 have been announced. The business ideas of the top 10 – from biotechnology to app and hardware solutions – show how broadly positioned the startup scene is in Franconia and the Upper Palatinate.
The solutions of the founding teams are intended, for example, to reduce the volume of traffic, clean water from environmental pollution or digitalise and simplify communication channels via a cloud application. In addition to the variety of topics, there is also a wide geographical distribution: the nominees and winners cover most of the northern Bavarian regions between Regensburg, Bayreuth, Würzburg and Erlangen.
The total of 88 business concepts submitted in the first competition phase speak for ambitious startup activity in the region. This means that the number of submissions is only slightly below the record figures of the previous season despite economic challenges in times of the pandemic. For the first time, BayStartUP selected the winning teams in a joint large online award ceremony with the best teams from all four Bavarian business plan competitions. In addition to numerous written feedbacks from the expert jury for all participants, the ten winners also received bonuses with a total amount of 5,000 euros.
These are the winning teams
- 5FSoftware from Regensburg is a cloud-based communication platform for auditors, tax consultants and lawyers. The high-security system makes it possible to communicate comfortably with each other, with clients as well as with third parties and to systematically work through joint work processes: from message exchange to document management to digital signatures.
- BD-4 from Erlangen uses a patented coating technique to make the electrochemical properties of boron-doped diamond electrodes available to dentists. This enables disinfecting radicals to be formed directly in the root canal and in the gingival pocket from harmless saline solution. Dentists and patients benefit from more treatment safety and lower revision rates for root canal treatments and gingivitis.
- CONNECT Mobility from Erlangen aims to use the app uRyde to significantly increase the current occupancy rate of 1.2 people per car in commuter traffic, reduce emissions in mobility and strengthen rural mobility. With the solution, drivers are matched with carpoolers on demand via in-app navigation.
- HIVE Systems from Nuremberg offers a comprehensive range of technology and services for the operation of autonomously operating drones. The focus of the system as well as the company is the production, operation and distribution of the drone hangar "HIVE" as well as continuous further development of the software for controlling the drones and individual, simple adaptation of the missions to customer needs.
- Magnetic Water Cleaning from Erlangen uses specially developed, inexpensive and non-toxic superparamagnetic nanoparticles for sustainable water purification. The particles interact preferentially with organic contaminants such as hydrocarbons (including petroleum) and micro- and nanoplastics. They combine with the contaminants to form agglomerates that can be removed from the water with a magnetic field.
- NACOMAG from Erlangen has succeeded with its iron oxide-based nanoparticle formulation, in contrast to earlier products of its kind and also in comparison to currently used preparations based on gadolinium, in producing MRI contrast media that are significantly more compatible for the organism. At the same time, their product shows promising imaging properties in pilot tests.
- NanoStruct from Würzburg aims to produce innovative biosensors for the SERS analysis method in order to establish the industrial application of the method. SERS makes it possible to clearly identify the smallest residues of certain substances, such as pollutants, explosives or viruses.
- OnSiteAnalytics from Zirndorf is developing an intelligent analysis method to reliably and quickly detect mould contamination in indoor air. With the help of artificial intelligence and an innovative analysis network, the company will enable its customers to carry out objective and unambiguous mould analyses of the indoor air in their own homes themselves.
- PCB Arts from Fürth is developing the edge AI integrated system "MULE". The hardware component serves as a complementary product to the NVIDIA Jetson computing units Nano and Xavier NX. The special feature is the modular structure, which allows maximum adaptation to the software developer's requirements
- Web Inclusion from Würzburg has developed the Eye-Able® software in close cooperation with people with disabilities. This software uses specially developed algorithms to adapt the view of a website to the individual needs of the user. This is intended to ensure equal access to information for everyone and to improve accessibility on the internet.
Dr. Carsten Rudolph, Managing Director of BayStartUP:
The broad regional distribution of the startup teams clearly shows how the northern Bavarian ecosystem has continued to strengthen in recent years, also in the area. This was precisely the intention when the Businessplan Wettbewerb Nordbayern (Northern Bavaria Business Plan Competition) was set up in 1998: as the first startup competition in Germany, it was intended to specifically address startups in the region. The goal was and is to support the founders in their business development and to prepare them for market entry.
Business Plan Competition Northern Bavaria – Phase 2 underway
Startups can still register for phase 2 in the Northern Bavaria Business Plan Competition on the BayStartUP website and submit their business plans until 16 March (www.baystartup.de). In addition to participants from the first competition phase, newcomers are also welcome - they have the same chances as everyone else. Five winners will win a total of 9,000 euros in prize money. In addition, every single participant will again receive feedback from the expert jury. The focus of the second competition phase is on marketing and sales strategy.