To mark its 15th anniversary, the EDISON ideas competition shone with new categories and the return of the EDISON Junior. The EDISON once again brought Upper Austria's clever minds and their innovative ideas to the fore.
"Innovations create new companies with high growth potential. This makes an important contribution to ensuring that Upper Austria remains on course for success as a business location. With the EDISON ideas competition, we have now put the best ideas for promising start-ups on stage for the 15th time and want to encourage other founders to believe in their innovation and lead it to success," explained Markus Achleitner, Provincial Councillor for Economic Affairs and Research.
The best ideas were awarded the coveted EDISON prize in the categories "PIONEER/INNES", "GREENTECH" and "MEDTECH", "HIGHTECH" and "JUNIOR". Two new award categories were added in the anniversary year. The "EDISONCHANGEMAKER" is awarded to a young company that has been able to develop its idea into the greatest international success in recent years. The "EDISONALVA" is awarded to the idea that has led to an outstanding collaboration between a start-up and a leading Upper Austrian company. Industries of the future on the rise: In addition to the fields of information technology and digitalization, which continue to play an important role in our society, the medical technology and green technology sectors are on the rise.
"The EDISON ideas competition therefore sets out every year to find the best ideas in these areas in order to strengthen Upper Austria as an innovation hotspot and contribute to our competitiveness in the future. Because the innovative idea providers of today are the successful entrepreneurs of tomorrow," emphasized Achleitner.
The most marketable, promising and innovative concepts were honored. This year, there was one winner per category and prizes with a record total value of € 57,600 . Almost 80 entries were submitted to the EDISON ideas competition this year. The winners were judged by a high-caliber jury.
"The EDISON Award not only celebrates innovation, but also the courage and determination to break new ground and shape our world in a positive way. For us at tech2b, the many excellent submissions are a confirmation of our mission to support startups that really want to make a difference with their ideas and technologies," emphasized Raphael Friedl, Managing Director of tech2b Inkubator GmbH.
This year's EDISON event was officially certified as a Green Event Upper Austria!
Through its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, tech2b has managed to fulfill important criteria to receive this award. From reducing its carbon footprint to promoting environmentally friendly event practices, tech2b is committed to ensuring that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.
A big thank you to all participants, partners and supporters who helped make the EDISON event a green event.
The award winners at a glance
Category PIONEERS powered by Poloplast GmbH
- INDIMA SkillBridge GmbH (Emin Vojnikovic, Linz):
INDIMA is developing an advanced AI platform that makes it possible to precisely analyze and compare foreign qualifications with the Austrian education system. Innovative technology ensures accurate and efficient recognition of international qualifications, facilitating the integration of skilled workers from abroad into the Austrian labor market. Indima thus promotes diversity and strengthens Austria's economic competitiveness.
The winners will receive prize money of € 5,000, a non-cash prize worth € 1,000 and the opportunity to publish a guest article in a diversity podcast worth € 2,000. Unicorn sponsor: Poloplast GmbH / Additional sponsor: hali
Category GREENTECH powered by Siemens AG:
- Cirqular (Daniel Höller, Linz): Revolution in building analysis through automated point clouds
Cirqular automates the analysis of point clouds and specializes in understanding building data and transforming these point clouds into editable digital 3D models and plans. Cirqular's advanced technology enables precise and efficient capture and processing of building information. This makes work in architecture, construction and heritage conservation much easier. By digitizing and automating complex processes, Cirqular is setting new standards in building surveying and documentation. Prize money of € 5,000 and a non-cash prize worth € 1,000 were awarded. Unicorn sponsor: Siemens Upper Austria / Other sponsors: Sparkasse Upper Austria, hali
MEDTECH powered by Greiner AG & Greiner Bio-One International GmbH:
- Thumbclip (Stefan Eicher and team, Attersee): Ergonomic support for a healthy thumb
thumbclip offers an innovative "neck support" for the thumb that protects it from overloading and relieves strain. Designed for everyday use, thumbclip ensures that your thumb is protected when using smartphones, tablets and other devices. With its ergonomic design and ease of use, thumbclip is the perfect companion to support your thumb anytime, anywhere. Prize money of € 5,000 and a non-cash prize worth € 1,000 were awarded. Unicorn sponsor: Greiner & Greiner Bio-One / Additional sponsor: hali
HIGHTECH powered by KGG UBG & OÖ Hightechfonds:
- APICHAMP (Dominik Rampelt, Linz): Automated interfaces for efficient data transfer
APICHAMP (Dominik Rampelt, enables users to automatically create interfaces for data transfer between digital systems and data sources in just a few seconds. Supported by advanced AI for data analysis, APICHAMP simplifies the process of integration and communication between different IT systems. With its user-friendly interface and fast implementation, APICHAMP is the ideal solution for efficient data management. Prize money of € 5,000 and a non-cash prize worth € 1,000 were awarded. Unicorn sponsor: KGG UBG & OÖ Hightechfonds / Other sponsors: SCCH Software Competence Center Hagenberg, hali
EDISON JUNIOR powered by Flow Factor:
- Knockout drop detection methods (Franka Eder, Felix Pirimeyer, Wels)
Development of detection methods for knockout drops (GHB, GBL) in various beverage mixtures. These methods are based on color reactions or the use of an IR spectrometer to ensure reliable and rapid detection. The prize money of € 2,000 was awarded to the entire school class. In addition, the winning team received a free account including a card, free pitch training and a free workstation for one year at the Sparkasse Startrampe in the Tabakfabrik. Unicorn sponsor: Flow Factor GmbH / Additional sponsor: Sparkasse Oberösterreich
CHANGEMAKER powered by WKO OÖ:
- Fivesquare, Hans-Peter Pichler (FiveSquare, Linz) and Patrick Haidinger (FiveSquare, Linz)
FiveSquare, an Austrian startup, is shaping the future with human-centered AI solutions that both create added value for society and position Austria as a leading AI location. With innovative products such as EPILEPSIA, a system for predicting epileptic seizures, and KARLI, a platform for Enterprise Large Language Models, FiveSquare is setting new standards in the technology industry. In 2023, the company achieved its breakthrough on the international market with the acquisition of its first customers in the USA. These successes underline FiveSquare's potential to become a global leader in artificial intelligence and bring about positive change in various areas of life. The winners received a PR package worth around € 20,000. Unicorn sponsor: WKO OÖ / Further generous support came from: Creative Region Linz and Upper Austria, Kunstuniversität Linz, Liwest, Oberösterreichische Versicherung AG andTechcenter Linz-Winterhafen.
EDISON ALVA powered by PIER4:
- PIERER Innovation GmbH, Andreas Kreiner (PIERER Innovation GmbH, Wels)
The EDISON ALVA award category for companies recognizes particularly outstanding collaborations between start-ups and leading companies from the PIER 4 network in Upper Austria. Eight successfully implemented projects were submitted. The jury, consisting of 6 external experts from science, business and the media, evaluated the individual anonymized projects. Among the cooperation projects submitted, the "Interactive, streamed 3D configurator" project by PIERER Innovation with Startups received the highest number of points from the jury. The product offers PIERER Innovation's customers (KTM, Husqvarna, Gasgas, etc.) a photorealistic and interactive experience in the configuration of motorcycles. The configurator was successfully implemented thanks to innovative solutions from start-ups in Upper Austria and Munich. More than 20,000 two-wheelers are now configured by potential customers every month using this tool, and the trend is rising sharply. A prize of around € 10,000 was awarded in the form of a PR package. Unicorn sponsor: PIER4
