The Bayern Challenge, a Bavaria-wide ideas competition for students between 14 and 19 years old, has found its winning teams. First place went to Fypto from Lower Franconia, which impressed the jury and the audience with its business model of a company comparison platform for trainees. Second place went to the team from Ageassist from Planegg with an app for older people to help them stay at home for as long as possible. Third place went to Apricity from Starnberg with 'I love who I am,' a diary for children to prepare them for their future. Corinna Tappe, Managing Director Bavaria at Startup Teens, explains:
“The prize money is intended to support the young people in moving their projects from the theoretical development level to the practical implementation level.”
All five teams that reached the final of the Bayern Challenge had to prove themselves with a pitch in front of a high-profile jury and an invited audience. A combined audience vote and jury evaluation made the decision. The judges, Alex Giesecke and Nico Schork from Simpleclub, Gabriele Böhmer from Munich Startup, Magdalena Oehl from Talentrocket, Johanna Strunz from Lamilux, Svenja Lassen from Gateway Ventures and Robert Richter from Werk1 also evaluated the projects in terms of feasibility and degree of innovation.
Creative ideas of Generation Z
"Bavaria is well positioned as a startup nation, given how many creative ideas lie dormant in the minds of Generation Z. This potential needs to be specifically fostered and paths into entrepreneurship need to be shown for their own professional future. That's why initiatives like Startup Teens are so important,"
said juror Johanna Strunz from Lamilux after the award ceremony.
For Hubert Aiwanger, State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, early youth development is crucial:
"We support founders while they're still in school. Startup Teens awakens young people's curiosity about entrepreneurial thinking and action, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit."
The Bavaria Challenge took place this year for the first time explicitly for Bavarian pupils and is the national Business Plan Challenge upstream.
