Successful start-up funding at UAS: StartUpLabs register more than 600 Kickstart teams : Date:
More than 600 Kickstart teams were formed since the first StartUpLabs at universities of applied sciences began operations in March 2020. Many of these teams have now successfully developed their ideas into start-ups.
The Kickstart competition at the UAS Future Conference in Leipzig in September 2022 showed just how many exciting and innovative ideas are waiting to be discovered at UAS. Since then, over 600 Kickstart teams have been launched in the 35 StartUpLabs funded by the “Research at UAS” programme, testing and developing their start-up ideas in a safe environment. They range from medical applications and innovative clipless pedals for bicycles to caffeinated lemonade made from coffee cherries or treats and snack toys for horses.
Their success proves the StartUpLab@FH funding programme right: numerous Kickstart teams have made the leap from mere experimentation to founding a company or are well on their way to doing so. The Puray team from the HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, for example, won four start-up awards in 2024 for a catheter that disinfects itself using UV radiation and thus prevents infections caused by multi-resistant hospital germs. Like the Omegga GmbH, which also emerged from the StartUpLab in Munich, Puray was able to acquire an EXIST start-up grant to advance the foundation of the company.
Another medical development originates from the StartUpLab at the University of Applied Sciences Jena: The PERCEPTEC team offers a virtual eye test for ophthalmologists and opticians that is faster and takes up less space than previous testing devices. The concept is based on 3D technology and the test can be carried out independently by the person being tested. This relieves the burden on doctors' surgeries and opticians.
In addition to high-tech medicine, the StartUpLabs also give rise to everyday developments. In Cologne, for example, the ClipClap team came up with the idea of making life easier for ambitious everyday cyclists: Those who cycle fast or for long distances often prefer energy-saving clipless pedals. However, to use these pedals, special cycling shoes with a clipless plate are necessary. These shoes are unsuitable for everyday use because they have a very stiff sole. With the ClipClap click adapters, you can simply strap the click plate under your normal road shoes – and thus cycle long distances with less effort, for instance to get to work via bike.
The StartUpLabs are funded for a total of five years as part of the Bund-Laender programme “Research at Universities of Applied Sciences”. They enable UAS to establish long-term structures for promoting start-ups.