The winners of "Courage – The NRW Start-up Award" 2024 with Gabriela Pantring (left), Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of Management of NRW.BANK, and Mona Neubaur (right), Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia. (Photo: © Thomas Willemsen)
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1 November 2024
The decision has been made! On October 28, the winners of the "Courage - The NRW Entrepreneurship Award" were honored at a festive awards ceremony at NRW.BANK in Düsseldorf.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection of North Rhine -Westphalia and NRW.BANK awarded three innovative startup teams from North Rhine-Westphalia the " Courage - The NRW Startup Prize " in Düsseldorf . Evaluation criteria included not only the economic success and creativity of the business idea, but also social and environmental aspects, such as work-life balance, social commitment and sustainability, and climate and environmental protection.
And these are the winners of 2024, who can look forward to prize money totaling 60.000 euros (30.000 euros for 1st place, 20.000 euros for 2nd place, 10.000 euros for 3rd place).
Incoretex GmbH was founded in Aachen in 2019 by Dr. Martin Riebe and offers product solutions that effectively integrate sensors , artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) . Its sAIoT platform transforms products such as exercise equipment and mattresses into smart, interactive systems that flexibly adapt to the demands of a digitally networked world.
The platform is already being used in various industries, from real-time monitoring in the mobility sector to automated foot measurement in branches of a renowned shoe retail chain . Thanks to its scalability, it is suitable for both small prototypes and large-scale production runs. With Incoretex's intelligent technology, companies can increase their innovative capacity and successfully position themselves in rapidly changing markets.
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
Since its founding in June 2021, Nicolas Greis has driven the development of Greis Beschichtungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG into a leading provider of high-quality surface coatings through dedication and innovation . Based in Olpe, the company specializes in solutions for corrosion protection , fire protection , drinking water coatings , and other demanding coating processes. State-of-the-art equipment is used, including a novel telescopic drying system that significantly reduces throughput times.
Greis Beschichtungstechnik supplies customers from a wide range of industries, including the nuclear industry , mechanical engineering , steel construction , hydraulic engineering , and the food industry . A team of FROSIO-certified coating inspectors and a quality management system certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 ensure the company's high quality standards. Furthermore, the company continuously strives to improve its environmental standards by using low-solvent and environmentally friendly materials .
When Franziska Brandmann, Marcel Schliebs, and Alexander Brockmeier founded So Done in 2022 , they pursued a clear goal: to protect people who are threatened and harassed online . Studies show how severely online hate affects the lives of politicians, journalists, scientists, and activists. Women are particularly affected, as co-founder Franziska Brandmann has experienced firsthand. While victims of online crime have rights, they are often unable to enforce them. This leads to a harsh online discourse where insults and threats are commonplace.
So Done uses an AI-powered approach to help victims defend themselves against mass insults and crimes. The software identifies legally relevant comments and helps users delete them and file criminal charges . The service is free to use. With this concept, So Done strengthens the rights of victims as well as democracy and freedom of expression in the digital sphere.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Mona Neubaur on the winners: "Strong ideas, strong performance – strong award winners! These founders are driving digital and sustainable transformation , building not only their own economic success but also the future of our state . People like them make North Rhine-Westphalia an attractive location, also for foreign investment. With their commitment and success, they encourage many other founders to break new ground. Respect!"
Gabriela Pantring , Deputy Chair of the Board of NRW.BANK: "The technological innovations and entrepreneurial commitment of this year's award winners are important building blocks for a future-proof business location in North Rhine-Westphalia . With 'Courage - The NRW Start-up Award,' we support the impact of their visionary business ideas beyond the state's borders – so that they inspire many other aspiring entrepreneurs to believe in their ideas."
Courage – The NRW Start-up Award : The " Courage – The NRW Start-up Award " was launched for the 13th time. Entrepreneurs who founded a new business, took over an existing one, or started a freelance business headquartered in North Rhine-Westphalia between 2019 and 2022 were eligible to apply until August 4th . The competition is open to all economic sectors and industries . Innovative craft and industrial businesses have just as much chance of being recognized as sustainable service companies and digital start-ups.
Source: gruendungspreis.nrw; Ministry for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
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