“Make It Lean Contest” 2021 – Congratulations to all winners!

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For the third consecutive time, the Startup Incubator Berlin (SIB), the entrepreneurship center of the Berlin School of Economics and Law, presented awards on 02/11/2021 for innovative startup ideas implemented using the Lean Startup method, in the context of the Make It Lean Contest.

More than 30 young startups with an academic background had applied for the three main prizes, as well as two special prizes in the categories “Best Lean Method” and “Best Software”.
The award ceremony was broadcast via livestream from the Startup Incubator Berlin at the HWR Founders Campus in Berlin-Siemensstadt.
Following welcoming remarks from the President of HWR Berlin, Prof. Dr. Andreas Zaby, and the Director of the Startup Incubator Berlin, Christian Gurol, the winning teams were announced:

Main Prizes

Partiri · 1st Place · €5,000
A sharing platform for everyone willing to share items, promoting sustainable consumption and protecting the environment — without a profit orientation.

UrbanFarm · 2nd Place · €3,000
An eco-friendly, mobile production system for nutrient-rich microgreens that uses the recycling of food waste from restaurants for their own on-site needs.

Juriverse · 3rd Place · €2,000
A platform for free learning materials in legal studies that students need for optimal exam preparation, and through which authors can earn money.

Special Prize “Lean”

The Special Prize “Lean” goes to the team that, in the jury’s opinion, applies the Lean Startup method in an outstanding manner for its project and also presents this appropriately in the application video.
Due to the very close vote between two first-placed teams, the jury recommended that, as an exception this year, two special prizes be awarded in the “Lean” category. The Startup Incubator was happy to follow this recommendation and awards both prizes to teams that dedicated themselves to a highly relevant societal challenge — one using software, the other using hardware — and demonstrated their methodological approach in the best possible way:

Novaheal · Special Prize “Lean” · €1,500
A learning app specifically for nursing training and preparation for a successful nursing examination, combining proven learning methods with modern AI-supported learning analytics.

Thing · Special Prize “Lean” · €1,500
A safety robot for seniors who can be supported around the clock within their own four walls with monitoring functions such as fall detection and support within their network.

Special Prize “Software”

The prize goes to the team that, in the jury’s opinion, has implemented or plans to implement a software development (app, web platform, or similar) for its project in an outstanding manner.

Aivy · Special Prize “Software” · €1,500
Detection of professional talents and individual strengths on the one hand, and promotion of diversity, equal opportunity, and sustainability in the workplace through game-based assessments on the other.

The winning teams reflect the breadth of content of the international field of participants, with many innovative solution approaches to relevant societal challenges.

The prize money was funded by sponsors from the Berlin business community and the startup scene, who were also represented on the expert jury and additionally provided content expertise to the participating teams.

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Award Ceremony at the “Make It Lean Contest” 2021

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On Thursday, 11.02.2021 at 5:00 PM, the time has come: Five startup teams will be awarded for their innovative founding ideas. Preceding this was an intensive application phase followed by an exciting vote — more than 30 teams were in the running.

Three main prizes will be awarded based on a large public vote, and two special prizes for the best Lean Method and the best software will be determined by an expert jury — the excitement is growing.

With the Make It Lean Contest, the Startup Incubator Berlin (SIB) promotes and rewards innovative startup ideas that are implemented using the Lean Startup method. This method focuses on product development in fast cycles, with low resource requirements and regular customer feedback, in order to quickly reach market readiness.

Following welcome remarks by the President of the Berlin School of Economics and Law, Prof. Dr. Andreas Zaby, and the Head of the Startup Incubator Berlin, Christian Gurol, host Sina Landorff will guide the audience through the program and announce the winners. The winning startups will present their innovative ideas in a short pitch.

Afterwards, it’s time to celebrate – at a virtual get-together on the successful platform Wonder.me – an alumni startup from our Incubator. From 7:00 PM you can look forward to music, networking, digital icebreakers, and further surprises!

To not miss any further information, all those interested in the award ceremony can register on Eventbrite.
The award ceremony will be broadcast as a livestream, including on the YouTube channel of the Startup Incubator Berlin.
The current links for this, as well as for the subsequent party on Wonder.me, will be sent by email to those registered on Eventbrite.

We look forward to a great event with innovative startups, to the subsequent party, and of course to you, who will celebrate the award ceremony together with us!

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Starting gun for the voting at the Make it Lean Contest!

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The voting has begun!

Since Sunday night, it’s official – the pitch videos of the participating startups in the Make It Lean Contest are online and voting is already in full swing.
The ideas are diverse and include software developments, sustainable environmental projects, technical innovations, and much more.
During a three-week voting phase, users will decide on the winners of the competition, which not only offers impressive prize money, but also the opportunity to get an up-close look at the comprehensive programs at the Startup Incubator Berlin and ask questions directly about possible scholarship applications.

Voting is still open until February 1st, and of course feel free to share across all channels:
https://www.startup-incubator.berlin/make-it-lean-contest-2020/

“The crowning moment at the end”

In the truest sense of the word, the “crowning” of the winners will take place at the very end — on Thursday, 02/11/2021 at 5:00 PM. Registrations for the exciting awards ceremony for spectators are already open!

At the awards ceremony, five startup teams will be recognized for their founding ideas.

The winners of the three main prizes will be determined by the public vote, and in addition there are two special awards — one for the best Lean method and one for the best software. An expert jury will also be deliberating on the day of the awards ceremony.

Of course, after the official part there will also be celebration with music, networking, digital drinks, and further surprises – on the successful platform Wonder.me – an alumni startup from the Startup Incubator. It’s worth signing up!

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2nd Phase of the Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg

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High time to apply for the BPW! – Submission deadline 16.02.21

More than 2,000 companies have been supported since the beginning in 1995 and over 15,000 new jobs have been created through the founding initiative of the Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg.

The Business Plan Competition Berlin-Brandenburg is Germany’s largest founding initiative, which was once launched by Prof. Dr. Sven Ripsas, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

With around 140 seminar offerings per year, a network of over 300 experts and jurors, as well as numerous networking events, the BPW has since been supporting aspiring founders on their path to self-employment. More than 2,000 successful companies have emerged from this!

The BPW helps startups with the creation of their business concept (business plan or Business Model Canvas), and more than 50,000 euros in prize money is awarded.

Entry is possible at any time, even if you have not participated in previous award ceremonies or events. Participation in the seminar program is also not required, but of course a great added value.

The next important dates:

• Submission deadline: 16.02.2021
  • All requirements for phase 2 of the BPW
• Contact evening: 11.02.2021
• Award ceremony: 23.03.2021

Important requirements for participation:

• The founding is planned or has taken place in Berlin and/or Brandenburg
• The founding has not yet taken place or did not take place before October 2019
• The business concept was created personally by the team members (not created by management consultants, etc.)

Participation is worthwhile for all startups and aspiring founders. The BPW’s offering is free of charge, and you receive detailed feedback on your own startup idea from high-caliber experts. Our teams from Startup Incubator Berlin also participate regularly and have always achieved top rankings.

We wish all teams the best of luck!

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Make It Lean Contest: Applications possible until January 3, 2021

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With the contest, the Startup Incubator Berlin (SIB) promotes and rewards innovative startup ideas implemented using the Lean method. A total prize money of 13,000 euros is up for grabs. Young startups with an academic background that are in the pre-founding phase, as well as companies up to a maximum of one year after founding, are eligible to participate.

The competition requirements are deliberately kept low-threshold to make participation easier for teams at the beginning of their startup journey: A video of no more than three minutes is all it takes to enter the online public vote in January and stand a chance of winning. All information on how to submit can be found here on the website.

Since the kick-off of the Make It Lean Contest, many interested parties have taken part in our workshops, and a toolbox for applying the Lean Startup method remains available here on the Startup Incubator Berlin website. Even those who missed the workshops can still take part in the contest. There is also the opportunity for direct expert feedback from workshop coaches Norman Nemitz and Shai Hoffmann. Upon prior registration, the coaches will be available from December 10 to 15, 2020.

The public online vote in January gives all participating teams the chance to reach a broad audience with their startup idea. The Startup Incubator Berlin will support this voting phase with a communications campaign in traditional media as well as on its social media channels.

The submission deadline for the Make It Lean Contest is Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Among all competition entries received by December 18, 2020, three Amazon vouchers worth €50 each will be drawn as an “Early Bird Prize.”

All details about the competition here: https://www.startup-incubator.berlin/make-it-lean-contest-2020/

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16th of December: Join us for our Digital UX-Testing!

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We are opening our virtual gates for all curious users who enjoy discovering new products, give valuable feedback, discuss original ideas and widen their network. Our startups are showing their prototypes and are presenting their concepts.

So you will get an early glimpse what kind of products are to be launched in the market soon. At the UX-Testing you will meet interesting people with innovative mindsets. They are pleased to receive your feedback and brainstorm their ideas.

We will use the platform wonder.me for our virtual fair where you can move around freely in a virtual space and participate in an immersive face-to-face experience.

Here is a sneak preview on a few startups that are presenting:

Forget Finance

Forget Finance is the first digital financial advisor that empowers everyone to plan their financial future holistically from their smartphone. It uses a hybrid model with personal advice from real financial experts and algorithm-based coaching.

DocVox

The intelligent business assistant that revolutionizes the way meetings are documented.
Their goal is to reproduce the entire meeting discussion in a clear yet compact documentation, and to do so without taking notes manually. To reach this, the meeting is recorded and transcribed. With the help of AI the transcription is converted into smart meeting notes.

Thing

Thing deploys robots that help elderly people age at home more safely and for longer. They combine supervisory features, like fall-detection and 24/7 care support, with easy connections to their primary care network & communities.

So enter our digital showroom and the world of startups on the 16th of December. The main language of the event will be English. Please register free at Eventbrite:

https://ux-testing_digital_dec_2020.eventbrite.de

Registration will be open until 1 day before the event (6 p.m.)

Are you keen on presenting yourself? Would you like to show your startup idea?

You are invited to take part at the virtual fair, free of charge. Just send us an e-mail with a brief description of your startup idea to: gruendungszentrum@hwr-berlin.de.

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Pitching Event of the Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

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Pitch perfect!

The pitching events of the Business Angel Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. continue to take place regularly even during the COVID era, and on Thursday, November 12, 2020, the time had come once again. 5 teams competed, and two of our outstanding teams from the Startup Incubator Berlin were also invited to this pitch. They were able to present the current status of their startups to potential investors and face the critical questions of the business angels from the region. At the founding center of the Berlin School of Economics and Law, startups develop their founding ideas to market readiness. With various funding programs and methodical support, the teams bring their companies to the point where their business model is mature enough for the potential entry of investors.

Presenting their pitch deck from the Startup Incubator Berlin:

• Careloop (Healthcare)

Matti Fischer and Alex Gründler are the founders of the online platform Careloop, which connects qualified nursing professionals from abroad with clinics and care facilities in Germany. Careloop is revolutionizing the healthcare recruitment market, as foreign nursing professionals have the opportunity to find their dream job in Germany with Careloop.

• Forget Finance (Fintech)

Konradin Breyer, founder and CEO, presented Forget Finance, a finance app that allows you to holistically plan your financial future on your smartphone. Forget Finance uses a hybrid model of personal consulting and algorithm-based coaching. The app guides users step by step and provides personalized product recommendations. Making finance easy for everyone!

Congratulations!

Over 30 angels were connected to the online event, and the teams had 6 minutes for their pitch. Excitement was high, and the presentations ran very professionally. Afterwards, the business angels asked many detailed questions about the market, the competition, and the business processes. The founders had plausible answers and interesting additional information for every question, and so the teams and their founding ideas were able to make an excellent impression. Several investors have already expressed interest in investing in both teams. This will likely not have been the last pitching event with participation from the Startup Incubator Berlin.

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Make It Lean Contest – Interview: Cabin Experience

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Interview with Cabin Experience about the Make It Lean Contest

Cabin Experience won first prize at the Make It Lean Contest 2019 with the idea of creating a new, more sustainable form of vacation in harmony with nature. To this end, the team developed a digital platform that connects three key players:
1) Buyers and/or co-owners find their perfect tiny house along with an opportunity to finance their cabins through rentals, 2) landowners in nature-adjacent, less developed areas find a way to generate additional income by hosting such cabins, and 3) vacationers find an individual travel experience far from civilization and mass tourism. We spoke with Javier Sanjurjo (JS) about the development of their company at Startup Incubator Berlin (SIB):

SIB: How and when did you come together as a startup team, and how did you arrive at your idea?

JS: We first met privately at a friend’s wedding, and even then we noticed that the chemistry between us was right. From there, the idea of founding a startup together emerged. We both already had experience at large companies and wanted to build something of our own. And in the course of many subsequent conversations, we discovered our shared passion for ecologically meaningful tourism, and our idea developed quite naturally from there.

SIB: How did you find out about Startup Incubator Berlin and the Make It Lean Contest?

JS: We got to know the SIB while still searching for our startup idea — back then at the previous location in Schöneberg. We attended events there such as UX testing and realized it could be a great environment for us. When the Make It Lean Contest was announced there again, it seemed like the perfect way to put our idea out there without taking a big risk.

SIB: What ultimately tipped the scales toward actually participating?

JS: We felt that at that point we could use a little external pressure to finally bring out and make visible all the ideas in our heads. Most importantly: How would we tell our story, how do we want to present ourselves, how do we interact with our customers? Of course, we were also motivated by the fact that we would receive plenty of great support through the workshops at the SIB.

SIB: And how did you specifically prepare?

JS: Oh, it really was like a full-time job! We did so many things: our own user interviews within our circle of friends, gathered lots of feedback, revised everything again and again. Really very hands-on, following the Lean method: Build – Measure – Learn, and that in many, many cycles.

SIB: And what role did your video play in all of this?

JS: That’s probably where we invested the most time in the end! The workshop on it was really super helpful, and then we dove in really deep for 3 weeks: We sourced images and video material from public databases, then took care of the editing and sound ourselves. But all the work was well worth it!

SIB: The video turned out so well that you received over 25% of all votes in the voting?

JS: (laughing) Of course! No, we also put a lot of effort into the voting phase: We made targeted, regular posts on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pointing to the public vote. We also made “cold calls” to multipliers, associations, tour operators, etc. In addition, we specifically approached journalists and got interviews on radio and television — including in Spain and France, where my partner Charles and I are from. When I was on flights, I simply approached fellow travelers directly in the boarding area — so we ended up with many fans and votes from all over the world!

SIB: And after winning the contest, how did things continue?

JS: As I mentioned, we already knew Startup Incubator Berlin beforehand, and we had of course planned to be accepted into their support programs. Things then really unfolded by the book: We first joined the Startup Now program and then successfully applied for the Berlin Startup Scholarship.

SIB: Speaking of “by the book” — was the Lean Startup method (after author Eric Ries) truly meaningful to you, or is it just a nice theory?

JS: We both already knew the method before working together at Cabin Experience. So it came quite naturally for us to revisit the Lean Canvas over and over again. We have gone through several further developments and realignments, and for that, a structured tool like this is absolutely useful for achieving shared clarity about the path ahead.

SIB: What were the best and the most difficult moments in your journey at Startup Incubator Berlin?

JS: Of course, it was very difficult for us that we launched Cabin Experience right into the middle of the Corona crisis. Tourism came to a global standstill, and even the world’s largest travel trade fair in Berlin was cancelled. There was and still is great uncertainty, and the rules of the game in this market are changing massively. Our important collaboration with partners in other European countries became extremely difficult due to travel restrictions. But in the medium and long term, our idea of sustainable, individual tourism in nature will become even more attractive as a result of such a crisis. The truly best part of our time on-site at the SIB was the wonderful collaboration with the other startups. There was no competition — everyone supported each other and willingly shared their experiences.

SIB: And where do you stand today, about a year after winning the Make It Lean Contest?

JS: We have just launched our new website, which clearly explains our benefits for all parties involved (cabin owners, landowners, and travelers). Our new products are aimed primarily at people with a garden or plot of land who are looking for an extra space to work or relax in nature. The models are even more minimalist than traditional tiny houses, but more affordable and very easy to assemble (some of the models can even be self-assembled). For all models we offer a base product with options that can be added on. Unlike larger tiny houses, they are also quick to produce and therefore available within a few weeks. So we have a product on the market that works and with which we can expect to make money. We can hardly believe it ourselves!

SIB: We always believed in you, and we wish you continued success!

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Demo Day 2020: Experience Innovation

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Demo Day 2020: Experience Innovation – 13.11.2020 starting @ 2 pm

During the Career-Week of the HWR Berlin, from November 9th until November 14th 2020, the Demo Day of the Startup Incubator Berlin will take place on November 13th – this year completely remote and still with a full program including three special guest speakers: Arne Schäufele, Ghazaleh Koohestanian, Sebastian Pioch!

Our startups will be presenting an impressive variety from different industries, such as Forget Finance, the first digital financial advisor that makes it possible for everyone to plan the financial future holistically on the smartphone, or Thing, creators of robots with monitoring functions such as fall detection for elderly people or the online platform Careloop, which connects qualified nurses from abroad with clinics and nursing facilities in Germany.
Our Coaches will be near the stage as well, so you can find out more about our programs and which one might fit your career needs.

Get to know our inspiring and award winning Key Note Speakers talking about their carreers and succesful startups:

2 p.m. Ghazaleh Koohestanian, Founder re2you GmbH
Re2you Founder Ghazaleh Koohestanian has more than 15 years of experience in High Tech Solutions and Software Security made in Germany and is very passionate about her product innovation offering extensive technological independency.

3 p.m. Arne Schäufele, Founder Connfair GmbH
Connfair offers a customized solution for exhibitions and events to a smart and flexible visitor control systems. Due to the corona crisis, Arne Schäufele invented an automatic and synchronized people counting light which enabled him to use corona as a booster for his startup.

4 p.m. Sebastian Pioch, Professor of Digital Entrepreneurship, Author of Startup-Skills and Founder proofler
Professor Sebastian Pioch, successful entrepreneur and author will share his knowledge on digital entrepreneuship and introduce his outstanding new book „Startup-Skills” published 2020 with exciting learnings from 13 influence founders such as Lea-Sophie Cramer (Amorelie), Tarek Müller (About You) and more.

Register now for this special Demo Day of the Startup Incubator Berlin!

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Make It Lean Contest – Interview: Easy Cook Asia

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An interview with Easy Cook Asia

EasyCookAsia won 1st prize at the Make It Lean Contest in 2018 with their idea to deliver Asian meal kits containing pre-prepped ingredients and recipes, combined with interesting food stories. They had found that customers were often confused about what to buy at the Asian supermarket and how to prepare Asian foods at home, so they provide a satisfying and fun way to discover the diverse Asian cuisine. The team then joined the Startup Now program for early startups, and in the following year, they successfully applied for the Berlin Startup Scholarship which secured funding to launch their concept in the market.
We talked to co-founder Minchul Lee (ML) about their journey at the Startup Incubator Berlin (SIB).

SIB: When and how did you meet as a startup team, and when did you first think about your business idea?

ML: When I was a student at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, I attended an Entrepreneurship class where I was introduced to the Lean Startup Method. I was especially impressed with the motto “Done is better than perfect”. Then, a classmate and I decided to set up our own company after completing our MBA.

SIB: How did you hear about the Make It Lean Contest and Startup Incubator Berlin in the first place?

ML: At the school building, I saw a poster advertising the contest. And even though the poster was in German and I didn’t understand all of it, the term “Make It Lean” really struck me, so I thought we should give it a shot.

SIB: What gave you the decisive kick to participate?

ML: It seemed like a good way to really work on our idea, to put the theory into something real and apply the Lean Method. Sure, the chance to win money was nice, but it was not our main motivation. Even if we wouldn’t win, we would have still taken a big step forward with our business idea.

SIB: How did you prepare for your contest entry?

ML: We had tried a crowdfunding for our startup earlier, which wasn’t very successful. But we learned a lot from our mistakes there. And then, we joined the Lean Workshop Series, where we could really develop our own business. That was a key step, but also the Pitch Video Workshop helped us a great deal.

SIB: How much time and money did you invest in your video?

The first big positive surprise was when the coach told us we could produce everything with our smartphone – so it would be really low-budget. And yes, we started out spending quite some time: I think it took us three hours to get the first minute of the video produced. But then we got faster: The second minute took us only two hours, and the third minute was done in one hour, roughly speaking.

SIB: What did you do to boost the voting for your video?

ML: Of course, we contacted all our friends, family, neighbours, schoolmates and asked them to again contact people they knew. That’s obvious. But we also produced flyers, and we held cooking events at the university that we published over Social Media. I think those offline activities really helped us a great deal.

SIB: What is the single most important advice you would want to give any new contestant?

ML: As I said: “Done is better than perfect”, just try something and act like you’ve got nothing to lose. In fact, you can only gain from the experience, learn from mistakes, adapt and get better in every step.

SIB: During your journey at SIB, following your win in the Make It Lean Contest, what were some key moments (positive or difficult) you would want to share?

ML: Starting with the positive, the best experience was the community at SIB with the chance to learn from others who went through similar experiences, and to see that we were not alone with our challenges. Even though each challenge is unique, like ours with many legal regulations in the food business. Some of the toughest times came when we collected feedback for our first prototype products. Germans have this reputation for being honest (laughs), and wow, the responses we got were often brutally honest, even hurtful! But we respected that, it motivated us to improve our product, and we got even better than we previously thought possible.

SIB: Where do you stand with your business today, and what will be the next big news we’ll hear from you?

ML: We officially launched our deliveries in January 2020, and so we were hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic very early in our development. First, we were not sure how this would affect us, but it turned out that we could benefit as more and more people turned to home cooking. And as we always aim to deliver a bit of cultural storytelling along with our food ingredients, we feel we provide a “travel at home” experience that many customers value these days. Our satisfaction ratings have been going up steadily, and we have consolidated our business to a degree that securing outside investment to support our growth will be the next logical step.

SIB: Thanks for your time, and all the best for your journey onward!

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