The DESIS Lab and ERA Chair in Social Innovation at Nova SBE along with the Nova SBE Haddad Entrepreneurship Institute are thrilled to announce the awardees for the Spring 2024 Prototyping Fund! This program, funded by the European Union, empowers students to shape the world through innovation. The Prototyping Fund provides teams of students with up to €600 or €2000, in case they are reaplying for a second round, to bring their ideas to life by building prototypes.
We are excited to share that this semester, we received a total of 19 applications and we have awarded funding to 13 teams. Among them are 12 new teams, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the table, as well as 1 team continuing their journey from the previous cycle.
Over the semester, these awarded teams will dedicate their time to exploring, testing, and iterating on their prototypes. The kick-off of this 2nd cycle of Prototyping Fund kicked-off on February 19th. Projects span a wide range of areas, including innovative materials sucha as biochar and graphene, environmental product solutions such as reduce bread waste or water wastage, social impact ventures focused aimed at empowering marginalized communities, supporting migrant women, and facilitating access to resources for chronic skin conditions and smart devices for home energy efficiency control and chronic health condition management.
Stay tuned for updates on the progress of these teams and mark your calendars for the final showcase event, scheduled for Monday, April 22nd, 2024, from 12.30 pm to 2 pm at the Nova SBE Food Court. Join us to witness the incredible prototypes crafted by these talented teams!
Spring ‘24 Prototyping Fund Awardees
Rehome – All-Star Awardee: Streamline the energy consulting and house sustainability process for German homeowners by automating building data collection, offering quicker results and insights. Team: Henning Löbbert (Nova SBE), Lea van den Berg (Nova SBE).
QietCotton: Sustainable sound insulation panels with unique design for customers. Team: Nicolo Renzi (Nova SBE), Vittorio Ferretti di Castelferretto (Nova SBE).
Graphouse: Development of compact, graphene-infused floor heating system, aiming to outperform traditional underfloor heating solutions.. Philipp Jeff Girardi (Nova SBE), Gianluca Giorgio (Nova SBE), .
Charmony: Development of a plaster that contains biochar for construction. This material has properties that support air purification, moisture retention and insulation. Team: Dedde Gombert (Nova SBE), Emilia Miia Marika Kinnunen Finnian (Nova SBE), Tobias Ottinger (Nova SBE), Lena Henke (Nova SBE).
Live Water Meter: Add-on device that measures water flow and display the real-time numbers, addressing the immediate challenge of tracking water usage. Team: Daniel Patraboy (Nova SBE), Cathy Boegli (Nova SBE).
Wasted Gin: Tackles the bread waste problem by giving overproduced bread a second chance to shine transforming it into Gin. Team: Dang Thuy Ly Pham (Nova SBE), Ingo Schällig (Nova SBE), Paul Goller (Nova SBE).
Barra Concept Shower Bars: Production of shower bars, crafted in cold process and small batches to create formulations incorporating Brazilian Clay and essential oils for specific benefits. Team: Anton Scholz (Nova SBE), Giovana Kornfeld (Nova SBE), Lea Hueck (Nova SBE).
CareCompass: Ecosystem workshop designed to simulate a “center for excellence” for breast cancer patients. Team: Helena Theresa Maria Ritterpusch (Nova SBE), Rhea Nebgen Dias da Cunha (Nova SBE).
Rampup: Sales accelerator for impact driven startups. Team: Carolina Anguiano Paredes (Nova SBE), Finn Langpape (Nova SBE), Jakob Lischka (Nova SBE).
Project Homelore: Craft capacity-building workshop for migrant women who want to work by uplifting their skills. Riddhi Varma (Nova SBE).
Cascara: Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a pioneering caffeinated, healthy lifestyle refreshment drink based on Cascara, the often-overlooked pulp of the coffee plant. Team: Amelie Lemmen (Nova SBE), Daniel Engler (Nova SBE), Lucas Obermeier (Nova SBE), Luis Warkentin (Nova SBE), Merten Precht-Rümenapf (Nova SBE).
HEAL: AI-powered mobile app that helps individuals with chronic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis gain control of their condition by accessing support on mental health, nutrition, lifestyle, and physical health. Team: Borebardhe Mazreku (LSE), Brian Shkodrani (LSE), XHENI SHEHAJ (LSE).
Fermenterra: Mission to enhance overall wellness by leveraging the natural benefits of fermentation to support gut health and its vital connection to mental well-being. Team: Arthur Jaremtschuk (external), Saif Khan (Nova SBE).