The following text has been machine translated from German.
Each of these startups relies on innovative technologies or compelling ideas to create real added value for companies and individuals alike. At yesterday’s Demo Day, they pitched their concepts in front of more than 150 guests and a seven-member jury, competing for attractive prizes.
The jury selected Micromics as the winner of this year’s three-month Saarland Accelerator program. The team received the main prize of €4,000, provided by the principal sponsor, Sparkasse Saarbrücken. Second place went to Trustec Valley, which received €500 in prize money from Saarländische Wagnisfinanzierungsgesellschaft mbH (SWG). Third place was awarded to Pontem Pro, also receiving €500, sponsored by PwC Saarbrücken. (Brief profiles of the winning teams are provided below.)
In addition, the first-place winner Micromics received a special prize from the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University (YIT) in Zhejiang: founder and passionate scientist Dr. Andre Holzer will be able to take part in a trip to China within the framework of the 15th “Zhejiang Tour of Global Talents.”
A special prize from Ergosign GmbH, in the form of a workshop package valued at €2,000, was awarded to third-place team Pontem Pro. TuneTales received a workshop valued at €500, sponsored by the AWSI – August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute.
Minister for Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke emphasized:
“Innovative and emerging startups are the creative engine of Saarland’s economy. In the context of structural transformation, new and modern ideas are needed more than ever and are actively supported by the state government. The Saarland Accelerator is a prime example of effective support for startups and promising projects. The Demo Day and the teams’ pitches demonstrated this impressively.”
This assessment was echoed by Jens Krück, Managing Director of Triathlon, who summarized the program’s track record in his welcoming remarks:
“Of the 51 teams that have participated in the Saarland Accelerator so far, 35 are still active. Over recent years, these teams have raised around €16 million in funding—an average of €300,000 per startup. This is certainly one reason why so many teams are still operating in the market today and have been able to continue pursuing their business ideas.”
Following the startup pitches, Christoph Sollich, known as the Pitch Doctor, provided special entertainment. With his humorous pitch about the fictional mobility startup ‘Best Pony’, he playfully addressed the typical clichés and challenges of startup pitching—an inspiring moment not only for founders.
Winning Teams of Demo Day within the 7th Saarland Accelerator
- Micromics – Real-time diagnostics of microorganisms
- The biotech startup Micromics develops end-to-end solutions for the rapid analysis of microorganisms from any type of sample, whether water, soil, or blood. The team combines innovative DNA sequencing methods with state-of-the-art AI-based data analysis to revolutionize environmental and health diagnostics. While current technologies often require days or even weeks for evaluation, Micromics’ approach enables analysis within a single day, offering a uniquely deep level of information.
- Trustec Valley – Securing postal delivery through smart letters and parcels. With its solution “LogiHash,” Trustec Valley aims to increase the security of postal communication and protect against fraud in mail delivery. The solution creates a secure, transparent, and environmentally friendly system for verifying the identities of senders and recipients. This is achieved through smart envelopes and parcel packaging, each equipped with a unique, encrypted QR code containing sender identity and shipment information.
- Pontem Pro – E-learning and qualification for migrants in healthcare. Pontem Pro provides a digital bridge for migrants and refugees, enabling them to acquire language skills and system knowledge through online preparatory courses and coaching. Via an e-learning platform on Discord, the startup guides participants toward well-paid jobs and supports their integration into the labor market.
- TuneTales – E-books and e-learning enriched with music and sound effects. In films, music often guides emotional perception, while books rely on words alone. By combining both concepts—enhancing text with tailored music and sound effects—emotions can be intensified significantly. This is exactly what TuneTales offers. Beyond e-books, TuneTales plans to be used in education through a specially developed app to support improved learning and reading experiences.
Jury Members
- Jürgen Barke, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy
- Markus Kühner, Managing Director, Ergosign GmbH
- Patrick Groß, Succession Advisory, Sparkasse Saarbrücken
- Sören Gry, Head of Incubation, AWSI – August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute
- Carsten Palm, Partner Saarbrücken, PwC Germany
- Philipp Grau, Head of Corporate Development, Saarbrücker Zeitung
- Doris Woll, Board Member, SIKB / SWG
Background
The Saarland Accelerator is part of the Impuls project, jointly implemented by Triathlon – Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transfer at Saarland University and FITT – Institute for Technology Transfer at Saarland University of Applied Sciences (gGmbH). The Impuls project is funded by the Saarland Ministry for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy, as well as by the European Union.
Sponsors’ Prizes (awarded by the jury)
- €4,000 main prize from Sparkasse Saarbrücken
- €500 cash prize from SWG – Saarländische Wagnisfinanzierungsgesellschaft mbH
- €500 cash prize from PwC Saarbrücken
- €2,000 workshop credit from Ergosign GmbH
- €500 workshop credit for sales coaching from AWSI – August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute
Special prize (awarded by the Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University): a trip to China as part of the 15th “Zhejiang Tour of Global Talents.”
The media partner of this year’s event is the Saarbrücker Zeitung.
About Triathlon: Triathlon brings together and continuously develops all activities of Saarland University (UdS) in the fields of technology transfer, patent commercialization, and entrepreneurship. It is conceived as a comprehensive, integrated ecosystem for entrepreneurship, innovation, and transfer, providing broad support for startup, technology, and knowledge transfer ideas and guiding them toward economic and operational implementation.
www.uds-triathlon.de
About FITT: FITT gGmbH, the Institute for Knowledge and Technology Transfer at Saarland University of Applied Sciences, is an innovative and application-oriented research organization. FITT offers a wide range of advisory and support services in research and development, entrepreneurship, and qualification, making it a reliable partner for companies, municipalities, public institutions, and founders as well as startups.
www.fitt.de
