Start-up unvarnished

The seventh InnovationNight took place on 19 March under the motto “Start-ups unvarnished ... how does founding really work?”, this time in the Markthalle Rottweil. Around 110 founders, companies and people interested in innovation came together to gain authentic insights into the world of start-ups. It was organised by the “Gründergarten SBH”, the start-up network in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region, consisting of the start-up consultancy “startUPcampus” of Furtwangen University, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, business development, Volksbank, bwcon, Team Schulz and the regional agents, among others.

A highlight right at the beginning of the evening was the Open Stage, where founders shared their personal stories. They talked about their ups and downs and gave in-depth insights into their everyday life as founders − from setbacks to the valuable lessons they have learned along the way. This fostered a genuine and open atmosphere.

The traditional highlight of the evening was once again the 5x5 startup pitches, in which five founders presented their ideas in five minutes each. The clear winner of the audience award was the “HeartGate” project by Dr. Florian Meißner and Manuela Schön (funded by KickStart@HFU, among others). They are developing an implantation set that makes heart operations faster and safer. Florian Storz won the jury prize with “Ventco” - an IoT solution for rental apartments that helps tenants and landlords to prevent and combat mold and mildew.