For the second time this year, the Digital Start-up Initiative Upper Palatinate (DGO) held its pitch competition, the ‘Tiger of TechBase.’ The current July edition achieved record participation numbers. Six start-ups presented their ideas to a high-calibre jury in the Vielberth Building at the University of Regensburg. As a curated team of experts from industry and science, the jury not only asked the founders critical questions, but also provided the young teams with valuable feedback on their business ideas. In the end, the audience decided by means of an online vote. Two teams from OTH Regensburg entered the competition – with great success.
The winning team comes from OTH Regensburg: Rocket Mind
Building resilience against mental illness in a playful way while travelling virtually through space? This is the idea behind the prevention app developed by the OTH start-up RocketMind, which is designed specifically for children and young people. The interdisciplinary team from the Master's programme in Digital Entrepreneurship (MDE) at OTH Regensburg impressed the audience with their idea and took home the coveted challenge cup, the TechBase Tiger, as the winning team. The team is thus building on previous successes and international experience in the Northern Bavaria Business Plan Competition and the DanubeCup in Budapest. Particularly pleasing: three team members come from the Female Founders Programme at OTH Regensburg, highlighting the success of the specific support for female founders at the Start-up Centre at OTH Regensburg.
Cup stays at OTH Regensburg
The challenge cup was handed over by a start-up also from the OTH Regensburg Start-up Centre. Tobias Hiebl's team successfully prevailed against strong competition with inclusionsmatch at the TechBase Tiger last February and was now able to pass on the coveted award with RocketMind to another start-up from OTH Regensburg.
Diversity of start-up ideas
From a digital yacht charter platform that combines classic chartering with a community spirit, to an AI-supported digital assistant that helps companies navigate the jungle of bureaucratic and complex ESG regulatory requirements, an app that teaches teenagers and young adults independent financial knowledge before and during their education, to an AI-based learning platform, the audience was treated to a wide range of ideas. The event once again demonstrated how much innovative power there is in the regional start-up scene. With ‘Only Football’, a second start-up from OTH Regensburg also entered the race: the team offers a digital matching solution for the transfer market in high-level amateur football, thereby solving the problem that this agile and dynamic segment – unlike professional football – cannot rely on talent scouts and player agents.
Professor Dr Sean Patrick Saßmannshausen, head of the OTH Start-up Centre, is delighted with the success of OTH start-up teams at the ‘Tiger’: "Thanks to the joint efforts of all those involved, Regensburg has developed into a leading hotspot for start-ups in Germany, and OTH Regensburg's contribution to this with our Start-up Centre is huge, not least thanks to our many start-up teams. This was once again evident at the “Tigers” this year.‘ Professor Dr Sevim Süzeroglu-Melchiors, responsible for the OTH Female Founders Programme, notes: ’OTH Regensburg has strong female founders, including the co-founders of Team Rocket Mind. With the Female Founders Programme, we at OTH Regensburg now offer structured and target group-specific support to provide intensive assistance to female founders from OTH Regensburg."
The pitch event is part of the Upper Palatinate Digital Start-up Support Programme and is organised under the umbrella of TechBase GmbH Regensburg. As a long-standing cooperation partner, the OTH Start-up Centre regularly sends start-up teams into the race. By integrating regional networks such as the ‘Tiger der TechBase,’ the Start-up Centre builds targeted bridges that are intended to make it easier for teams to leave the university and open up new perspectives and sustainable growth opportunities. With numerous opportunities, the Start-up Centre at OTH Regensburg supports spin-offs at the interface between research, science and industry – thus creating the ideal conditions for the successful transfer of innovative projects to the region and beyond.
More information about the OTH Start-up Centre can be found at: Start-up Centre or on social media: OTH Start-up Centre (@start_up_center) • Instagram photos and videos
More information on support for female entrepreneurs can be found at: EXIST-Women
The next edition of the event is scheduled for 18 February 2026 and will take place at TechBase Regensburg.
