The DESIS Lab and ERA Chair in Social Innovation at Nova SBE are thrilled to announce the awardees for the Spring 2025 Prototyping Fund! This program provides teams of students with up to €600 or €2000, in case they are reapplying 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 27 applications and we have awarded funding to 13 teams. Among them are 11 new teams, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the table, as well as 2 teams 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 4th edition, kicked-off on February 24. The selected projects encompass a diverse range of areas, including health-focused innovations such as smart nicotine delivery devices, therapy engagement platforms, and AI-driven sleep assistants. They also feature environmental solutions like sustainable practices in seafood consumption and biodegradable water purifiers. The projects further address workforce reskilling, business efficiency, and social impact ventures that promote meaningful collaboration between startups and NGOs, as well as initiatives focused on improving emotional awareness and personal development through self-facilitated storytelling.
Stay tuned for updates on the progress of these teams and mark your calendars for the final showcase event, scheduled for Monday, April 28th, 2025, from 12.30 pm to 2 pm at the Nova SBE KPMG Gallery. Join us to witness the incredible prototypes crafted by these talented teams!
Spring‘25 Prototyping Fund Awardees
QUIT: Developing a smart-nicotine-delivery device to battle nicotine addiction. The prototype will integrate a data analytics platform to track nicotine consumption and allow for dosage adjustments via an app.
Team: Vivian Müller, Toni Hofbauer (Nova SBE)
Eezi: Building a functional therapy engagement platform to reduce patient dropout rates and improve therapist efficiency. Features include journaling tools, progress tracking, and secure communication.
Team: Viola di Veroli, Diana Andus, Luca Guerrini (Nova SBE)
BridgeWise: A digital tool to support workforce reskilling and job transitions for employees facing layoffs, using AI to match skills with new job opportunities.
Team: Niklas Josua Kohl, Luca Maximilian Blöcher (Nova SBE).
CauseConnect: Creating a website prototype to connect impact-driven startups and NGOs in developing countries with young professionals for meaningful collaboration.
Team: Constantin Spence, Hanna Haas, Philipp Pause (Nova SBE).
Agora: Designing a period product dispenser for schools, workplaces, and shelters to promote menstrual health awareness and accessibility.
Team: Marie-Chantal Anterist, Hannah Zapf, Jakob Pöttgen, Kristina Martins (Nova SBE)
PillWeb: A B2C platform leveraging AI to provide discounted medicines and reduce inefficiencies in the Portuguese healthcare system.
Team: Tim Holzer (Nova SBE), Pedro Cascalho, Joana Macedo (Nova Medical School).
TapBack Memories: Repurposing NFC cards to store and share digital memories, creating interactive personal memory storage devices with social impact.
Team: Gabriele Inama, Carlo De Luca (Nova SBE).
Detective Mr. P: An interactive storytelling-based approach to teaching primary research methods through games, puzzles, and digital content.
Team: Sofia Bordoni, Sara Leal, Adel Kovacs, Marian Latorre Illanes (Nova SBE).
The Kuza Collective: A platform providing SMEs and freelancers with access to shared resources and services, improving business efficiency.
Isaac Jumba (Nova SBE).
H2iNOVA: A biodegradable gel-based water purifier using natural hydrogels and nanoparticles to remove bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals from drinking water.
Team: Catarina Luís, Jorge Coutinho, Mónica Rosa, João Bonacho, Tiago Frazão (NOVA FCT).
SOMNO: a hands-free, AI-powered sleep assistant designed to help people break free from the cycle of stress-induced insomnia.
Team: Constanza Heymanns, Finn Vladimir Peters (Nova SBE).
Reshell – All-Star Awardee: Recovery and valorization of shellfish waste (mussels, clams, and oysters) to promote sustainable practices in seafood consumption.
Team: Luigi Sbalchiero, Francesco Dorigo (Nova SBE).
Project Unfolded – All-Star Awardee: A conversation card game designed to promote emotional awareness and foster deeper interpersonal connections through self-facilitated storytelling and guided reflection in professional and educational settings.
Team: Jan Kuno Göhler, Julius Kaiser (Nova SBE).