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 Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences

Competition for founding ideas of the WiSo Faculty at the University of Cologne

start up your idea

With a "pitch firework" (jury member Prof. Dr. Christian Schwens) of the five finalists of startup your idea in the RheinEnergiestadion Cologne, the first round of the WiSo Faculty's founding ideas competition came to a festive conclusion.

And the Winner is...

Raketenstart is the name of the winning team, which can now look forward to a start-up contribution of 2,500 euros. With their learning online platform, a digital legal department for founders and self-employed persons, the 8-member team convinced the jury of experts from science and practice.

Second place and 1,500 euros went to the Peaunique team for the invention of a skin cream mixing system in a smart jar. Third place went to the up-and-coming company Perception with an idea that offers people with visual impairments a perspective as a masseur. The team received 1,000 euros to further promote the founding idea.

The jury with the winning teams - 2nd row (from left to right): Simone Hoven (Jury, Founder, Start-up Consultant), Thomas Hodits (Peaunique), Stefan Bassler (Peaunique), Prof. Dr. Jan Recker (Jury, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences) , Marc Kley (Jury, Board of Excellence Start-up Center), Dr. Nils Eiteneyer (Jury, Co-Founder xdeck), Prof. Dr. Christian Schwens (Jury, Board of Excellence Start-up Center) - 1st row (from left to right): Catharina Brühl (Perception), Madeleine Heuts (rocket launch, all following names as well), Laura Madeleine Brommer, Ramin Karbalaie, Tobias Tenbrake, Kira Kossi, Nieki Hashemi

Not an easy decision for the jury: The finalist teams Ψµ AI (pronounced: psi mü AI) with an Influencer Matching software, as well as Vinum Divitiae with an online wine brokerage service, were also convincing. The five competitors were selected from over 40 entries.

With the final event of the competition, the Excellence Start-up Center (ESC) GATEWAY celebrated the official kick-off of its five-year funding phase. Not only the competition participants will find individual advice and support here. With its broad-based funding programme, GATEWAY aims not only to increase the number of knowledge and technology-based start-ups at the university of cologne, but also to promote the culture of entrepreneurial thinking and acting.

Winning Teams 2020

Madeleine Heuts (Raketenstart) with GATEWAY Board Member Professor Christian Schwens

1st place with 2.500 Euro
Raketenstart: Madeleine Heuts, Saskia Neuner, Laura Madeleine Brommer, Tobias Tenbrake, Kira Kossi, Nieki Hashemi, Ramin Karbalaie, Philipp Reinking

Thomas Hodits, Prof. Dr. Christian Schwens and Stefan Bassler (ltr)

2nd place with 1.500 Euro
Peaunique: Victoria Faber, Thomas Hodits & Stefan Bassler

Catharina Brühl with Professor Christian Schwens

3rd place with 1.000 Euro
Perception: Catharina Brühl