A strikingly large number of applicants for the Hessian Founders Prize applied this year with business ideas based on the use of artificial intelligence and sensor technology.
Two of them were awarded first places on Wednesday evening in the nationwide competition, which produced a total of four winners: the Darmstadt-based start-up PipePredict won the innovation category.
The industrial engineer Christopher Dörner and the physicist Valerie Fehst have jointly developed a technology that can be used to detect leaks in water pipes and thus prevent the loss of drinking water.
The company Fisego from Butzbach also relies on sensor technology for its fire detection and fighting system for small and large electrical devices.
The idea for this arose from a group of students at the Hochschule Mittelhessen. The jury found it to be the best in the category founding out of the university.
Last help courses for relatives
The Dignity Center Frankfurt, which was awarded the founder prize in the social impact category, is not about technology, but all too human. The center was founded in 2006 by Ingmar Hornke and Boris Knopf, a doctor and an experienced nurse, since then they have endeavored with a team of experienced palliative medicine specialists to provide loving care to sick and old people, but also promote social interaction for their benefit who need to be looked after, and give so-called last-aid courses for relatives.
Not only start-ups were honored with the Hessian Founder Prize on Wednesday evening. With the graphic idea textile advertising printing company from the Höchst district of Frankfurt, a company that has been in existence since the late 1980s also made it into the winners of the nationwide competition. In the opinion of the jury, the Höchster did not master the start in an exemplary manner, but rather the succession from one generation to the next.Sebastian Borst has been running the company with a team of ten since last year and is the first address for many sports clubs when team jerseys are needed, for example will.
A total of 167 companies took part in the competition.
According to the organizers, these mostly young companies have already created a total of 1207 jobs, around half of them full-time, plus 37 apprenticeships.