Gründergeist, the startup competition organised by the Wirtschaftsjunioren (young entrepreneurs) of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, took place for the 19th time this year. More than 60 applications were received, seven teams reached the final and pitched their ideas on Wednesday evening at Xperion, which belongs to MediaMarkt in Mönckebergstraße. The top three places went to Aortex, VAARHAFT and TINY Technologies.
Strong startups in places 4 to 7
The winners had been determined in advance by a jury. Among those who reached the final were Renaldo, which aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate the planning and execution of renovation work on houses, and ValueGrain, which turns a by-product of the brewing process into a nutrient-rich ingredient for baked goods. Also in the running were myProtectify, which offers chat support for domestic violence, and SURFACtoBioTech, whose technology makes medical testing and experiments faster and cheaper.
TINY Technologies promises more effective dietary supplements
Third place went to TINY Technologies. Founded in 2018, this startup develops dietary supplements in the form of sprays that are said to work much faster and more effectively than conventional products. The technology used is called TINYSphere and is patent pending. It can also be applied in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. TINY Technologies is therefore aiming to enter three markets that generate high sales. CEO Dr Tobias Meller, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, has the necessary expertise.
VAARHAFT detects fake photos and videos
Deceptively real photos and videos can now be easily created using artificial intelligence. This not only makes it difficult to assess the authenticity of news, but also leads to more attempts at fraud, for example in reports of alleged accident damage to insurance companies. VAARHAFT has developed a software that detects such fakes within seconds. This was rewarded with the second place at Gründergeist.
Aortex helps aneurysm patients
Aortex was the winner of the evening. This was not the first success for the medical startup, which had already won the Health & Life Science Venture Day in June. Then, as now, it impressed with its promise to save the lives of many people suffering from aneurysms, the pathological enlargement of arteries.Tthe stent graft required for treatment often does not fit the individual needs of patients in terms of shape and size. Aortex's patented technology now makes it possible to quickly manufacture such customised medical devices.
