“Inspired – The Ideas Competition. In MV.” 2015 – The Best Ideas Received Their Awards

On November 18, 2015, the top teams from “Inspired – The Ideas Competition. In MV.” were honored in the categories “Students” and “Researchers & Graduates.”

Following the ceremonial opening by Prof. Dr. Udo Kragl, Vice Rector for Research and Research Education at the University of Rostock, guests attended an inspiring panel discussion under the theme “Lessons Learned,” featuring, among others, the founders Jan Krog (naon GmbH), Benjamin Maischak (PREPARO GmbH), Karl Kliefoth, and Dr. Carmen Zietz (Innoproof GmbH). The discussion focused on the tips and practical advice the entrepreneurs had for future founders, including what they should keep in mind and what mistakes to avoid. Following this, the competition finalists presented their ideas as an “elevator pitch” and impressed the audience with their creativity and ingenuity.

The top teams can look forward to an exclusive “Berlin Valley Tour.” Not only will they receive a comprehensive coaching package, but they’ll also have the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes look at already successful startups. A special highlight will be visits to “Dawanda,” an online portal for handmade products; Mr. Spex, an online eyewear expert; and “Outfittery,” a company that puts together outfits for men and conveniently ships them to your home.

The three winners of the special prizes in the categories of “Tourism,” “Energy,” and “Healthcare” were also honored by their respective partners.

The award winners: 

Winners in the “Students” category

1st    Place: „VegaNice – Luisa Bertmann, Sabrina Scharf and Martin Gädecke, they will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 1,000 euros, sponsored by ETL STARTUP.

2nd      Place:  Suncruisr – Paul Fuhrmann and Stephan Witte, they will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 500 euros, sponsored by the Rostock Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

3rd    Place: E-Bon - Jan Dornbusch, he will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 250 euros, sponsored by Kaufmann & Kirner – mystery shopping and more.

In the category "Researchers & Graduates"

1st     Place: DHC – Digital Health Companion, John Trimpop, Paul Burggraf, Friedrich Lämmel, Gerald Bieber; they will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 1,000 euros, sponsored by Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH.

2nd      Place: Tweedback – Marvin Davieds, Marcus Szymanski; they will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 500 euros, sponsored by the Rostock Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK).

3rd    place: VestiFi – Till Wollenberg, Robert Ziemann, Christoph Müller; they will receive a comprehensive coaching program and prize money of 250 euros, sponsored by Genius Venture Capital GmbH.

“Special Tourism Award”

Juliane Leitert received the “Special Tourism Award,” worth 1,000 euros and sponsored by “Rostock Marketing Tourismus,” for her idea “Sightrunning Rostock.”

“Special Energy Award”

The “Special Energy Award,” presented by engage Key Technology Ventures, went to the idea “BioDoT – Biogas Downstream Technologies” by Hannes Damro, Andrea Reuters, and Ralf Reuters from Neubrandenburg.

“Special Award for the Healthcare Sector”

Neubrandenburg student Claudia Meier received the “Special Award for the Healthcare Sector,” presented by Biocon Valley, for her idea “Pilz-art.”

The Rostock-based project coordinators for “Inspired – The Ideas Competition. In MV.”—Tino Arnhold and Dr. Martin Setzkorn from the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Rostock—are very pleased with the strong response: “We were particularly delighted by the wide range of submissions. This year’s winning ideas come from a wide variety of fields, such as communication, food development, sports, and network technology. This clearly shows that there are many paths to self-employment. The merger of the three idea competitions in Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, and Rostock, along with the involvement of non-university research institutes, was a complete success.”

Next year, members of the University of Rostock, Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, and the eight research institutes in the Rostock area are once again invited to participate. For more information about the competition, visit www.ideenwettbewerb.uni-rostock.de and www.facebook.com/Ideenwettbewerb.MV.