StartUP Factory 2021
From an idea to a viable business model in 48 hours - almost 40 people interested in starting up a company faced this challenge from November 11th to 13th as part of the StartUP Factory 2021. This was organized by the Digital Startup Initiative Oberpfalz (DGO) in cooperation with the BioPark Regensburg.
This started on Thursday evening with a welcome from BioPark Managing Director Dr. Thomas Diefenthal and TechBase Managing Director Alexander Rupprecht. After a keynote lecture by Prof. Sean Patrick Saßmannanshausen from the start-up center of the East Bavarian Technical University (OTH) Regensburg, the participants presented their business ideas to the plenum and formed ten specific teams. The aim was to develop viable business models, so-called "Minimal Viable Products (MVP)", from the ideas in just 48 hours, i.e., to work out the first minimally functional iteration of a product in order to identify a "useful" benefit as quickly as possible. Experienced mentors and coaches from the BioPark and TechBase networks were on hand to help the teams implement this task throughout the entire weekend. From the BioPark, Dr. Ilja Hagen, Project Manager Healthcare Regensburg, Dr. Thomas Schubert, Managing Director of 2bind GmbH and Michael Reinhold, Team Leader Techniker Krankenkasse were also there.
It became exciting late on Saturday afternoon when the ten teams presented their results to the expert jury. The ideas ranged from sustainable milk production in cell cultures without animal husbandry, to various apps that were designed to make visiting the doctor or organizing a wedding easier, to innovative ashtrays and whiskey production from leftover bread. The jury assessed customer validation, market research and business model development. Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, who is also chairperson of the supervisory board at BioPark and TechBase, praised the innovative spirit that helps motivate young people to become entrepreneurs at events such as the StartUP Factory. Together with the two managing directors Dr. Thomas Diefenthal and Alexander Rupprecht she presented the three winning teams with the certificates at the award ceremony.
First place of 1500 Euro was won by the “Signovative” team with an app designed to simplify communication between hearing and deaf people. Sign language is converted into writing and writing into sign language in real time. Second place went to “Park2Be” and secured prize money of 1000 Euro. For their vision of parking space sharing, they developed an app that enables private individuals to make vacant parking spaces available at short notice. The “Find it Green” team was delighted with third place and therefore by over 500 Euro. They want to offer sustainable retailers a platform on which they can offer their goods and reach customers. This is intended to strengthen sustainable retailers against the increasing competition from online retailing.
The StartUP Factory was organized by both the technology and start-up centers of the City of Regensburg, BioPark and TechBase, together with the O / HUB Regensburg, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Upper Palatinate for Regensburg / Kelheim, the Economic Development of the City of Regensburg and the Wirtschaftsjunioren. The company partners Continental, Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen, Krones and Techniker Krankenkasse as well as the two Regensburg universities, University of Regensburg and East Bavarian Technical University of Regensburg, support the start-up weekend with expert know-how and financial sponsorship. The next StartUP Factory is planned for the coming year and will then take place again at TechBase Regensburg.