8 international startups, 20 weeks of work, and 1 accelerator: last week, Techfounders, the entrepreneurship accelerator, presented its latest batch at Demo Day. In addition to the startups, around 250 VCs, business angels, and industry partners were also present. Two well-known entrepreneurs also made their way to the Munich Isarpost: Frank Thelen and Felix Haas.
Frank Thelen, CEO of the venture capital firm Freigeist, presented a total of 11 relevant future technologies that he believes will change our world in the future: cloud computing for everyone, artificial intelligence, 3D printing as an everyday application, ultra-fast robot technology, blockchain, super-cheap sensors, virtual reality in industrial production, augmented reality (AR), the control of applications via voice instead of touch, and electric mobility.
Last week, eight international technology startups from the current Techfounders program demonstrated how these technologies can be applied commercially. The startups presented their business ideas live to over 250 entrepreneurs, investors, and journalists. Regarding the quality of the startups that took the stage after his keynote, Frank Thelen:
“I have rarely experienced such a high level of startup pitches.”
Datev becomes new partner of Techfounders
Also Heiko Huber, Managing Director at Techfounders, had positive words to say about the participating startups at Demo Day:
"Over the past 20 weeks, the startups have worked intensively with our industry partners ADAC, Festo, Knorr-Bremse, and Miele. At the same time, the founders benefited from a comprehensive coaching program and access to the unique entrepreneurial network. Today, they impressively demonstrated to the public the added value of the Techfounders program: the professionalization of innovative technology startups through individual coaching and mentoring, as well as a pilot project with one of our leading corporate partners."
During the Demo Day, Huber also introduced Datev as a new Techfounders partner.
Felix Haas, co-host of Bits & Pretzels, moderated the subsequent panel discussion. Together with Frank Thelen and serial entrepreneur Thomas Bachem, founder of "Code University", Bastian Nominacher, co-CEO of Celonis and Florian Bachheibl, Co-CEO of the Techfounders startup Volabo, he discussed how more German technology startups can take on a leading role worldwide.
Innovative startups and concrete applications
These eight startups presented themselves at the Demo Day:
AR Experts presented their training app Gini: Trainers of industrial fitters can use it to offer simple and intuitive AR-based training.
Beamler from the Netherlands connects engineers to a global 3D printing network and promises that manufacturing companies can use this platform to produce any part in under an hour — no matter where in the world.
Blink, a travel app for millennials, is visually simple and appealing, making it easy to find the best experiences at your destination.
Insight Perspective Technologies (IPT) enables engineers to combine their human experience with artificial intelligence to optimize manufacturing processes, significantly reducing rework and scrap.
Machines With Vision from Scotland is a precise, cost-effective and fast localization solution that complements existing position sensors and provides accuracy, reliability and safety for the rail industry and autonomous vehicles.
The Israeli software experts at Vayavision combine raw data collected by autonomous vehicle sensors to accurately capture the driving environment. This makes driverless driving safer and more reliable.
Volabo uses a new and unique technology to produce the world's most efficient and safest electric drives, promising up to 25 percent greater range without additional (battery) costs.
Remberg supports device manufacturers with secure data acquisition, connectivity, integration and automation to enable new digital business models based on the Internet of Things (IoT).
