First place, worth EUR6,000 in prize money, was won by PartikelART. The group led by managing directors Dr. Ronny Zwinkau and Roman Möhle from the Institute of Production Systems (IPS) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering has actually established a mobile particle analysis system that evaluates the tidiness of production procedures. The start-up offers companies digital solutions for keeping track of the contamination of crucial components and resources. The team’s pitch persuaded not only the specialist jury however also TU capital, the venture capital seed fund of TU Dortmund University, which awarded PartikelART this year’s special reward.
The social style app Grwm. won second place and EUR4,000 in cash prize. GRWM is the acronym for “Get ready with me”, a popular social media pattern where content creators show their fans how they use their makeup or choose their attire. This is exactly where the app is available in, which aims to create a seamless user interface in between creators, brand names and shopping by connecting attire showed on social networks directly to where users can buy them and by offering an individualized, AI-curated style feed. The start-up’s founders, Ben Richter, Niklas Toporysek and Tom Zulbeck, participated in CET start-up programs with their service idea. For its persuading concept, the team won 2nd place and the audience award worth EUR1,000.
The third reward, to the value of EUR3,000, went to the start-up Rivopump, which has developed a self-dependent water pump based on a physical operating principle. The objective is to provide smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa a sustainable option for watering their fields, which are threatened by dry spell. Unlike diesel pumps, the Rivopump is driven by hydropower and built from recycled materials. Anton Güntheke, a member of the Rivopump team, is presently studying for a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at TU Dortmund University.
Other finalists were the start-ups PottPilz, Ziya and SemanticMap, which are establishing sustainable construction products as well as AI services for business and market researchers.
Info and networking
The expert jury for the competition made up the following members: Professor Tessa Flatten (Professor for Innovation Management and Vice President International Affairs, TU Dortmund University), Dr. Thomas Seidensticker (CSO, Simplyfined), Dr. Martin Oettmeier (Global Director R&D Strategy, Development and Research Study & Predevelopment, Wilo Group), Hendrik Schabsky (CEO, ATLAS Safety Shoes) and Dr. Hans Schulze Schwienhorst (Handling Director, Jaeger Gruppe, and member of the Investors’ Board Of Advisers, TU capital). Dr. Thomas Seidensticker, who was part of the winning group in the previous year, encouraged all the start-ups in presence to attend to obstacles with passion and perseverance. In a keynote speech, Hendrik Schabsky reported on modernization in a household service and recommended how young business can create sustainable structures for long-term growth.
Together with presentations and the pitch competition, the event additionally provided different opportunities to acquire additional info on how to release a start-up and to network: Throughout the night, 20 other start-ups were able to introduce themselves and discuss with guests. Business and financiers were likewise shown on a kind of noticeboard called the “Partner Wall”. With prospective partnership in mind, QR codes helped the participants to connect with each other.