Carinthian start-up awarded Phönix Austrian Start-up Prize for 2017

12/01/2017

[Translate to English:] Gruenderpreis Phoenix 2017
The Phönix Start-up Prize was awarded by the Austrian Ministry for Finance and Science on November 29, 2017 in Vienna. Financially successful start-ups, spin-offs and prototypes were rewarded in five different categories.

Exceptional entrepreneurs and committed research institutes alike were suitably celebrated for their fantastic performance as part of Austria’s growing spin-off and start-up community.

Klagenfurt-based company Nilab GmbH came out on top in the category of ‘Start-up International’ with its development of mini electrical motors which are in demand among machine manufacturers. The original business idea was developed in Italy. With the support of the BABEG, the company relocated to Carinthia in 2016 to make the idea a reality.

The other winners are:

The winner in the ‘Spin-off’ category was Graz-based Incubed IT GmbH which, with its software solution, enables a fleet of autonomous mobile robots to move towards a destination in a building without specifying a route. A central entity ensures the optimal distribution of orders to all the robots. This keeps transport costs low due to the maximum flexibility offered.

The Linz-based company Surgebright GmbH was rewarded in the ‘Business’ category. The start-up has developed medical screws made from the bone tissues of human cortical bone. These screws do not need to be removed following a broken bone. Patients are therefore saved additional operations and the potential risk of infection. 

In the ‘Women’ category Bianca Busetti, co-founder of the ‘Journi’ app, came out on top. This is currently Europe’s fastest growing app in the journal and blogging according to their maildrop. Using artificial intelligence, ‘Journi’ is able to automatically identify the optimal layout for photo books or journeys, based on the user data.

The winner in the ‘Prototype’ category was the Technical University of Vienna. The prototypes created by chemist Miriam Unterlass of the Institute of Material Chemistry enable the production of highly crystalline polyamide membranes with a honeycomb structure. These structures can be used in the aviation and automobile industries, in water treatment, in gas separation plants and for fuel cells.

Photo credit: (c) Martin Lusser

12/01/2017

[Translate to English:] Gruenderpreis Phoenix 2017