Technology, creativity and social added value were the focus of the 2025 University Start-up Day at OTH Regensburg. Start-up teams from all over Eastern Bavaria took part in the event. For two years, OTH Regensburg has been the spokesperson university for GründungsHUB Ostbayern, an association comprising OTH Regensburg, the University of Regensburg, OTH Amberg-Weiden, TH Deggendorf, Landshut University of Applied Sciences and the University of Passau. The University Start-up Day is one of the GründungsHUB's key events.
Prof. Dr Sean Patrick Saßmannshausen, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of the Start-up Centre at OTH Regensburg, emphasised the diversity of the projects presented: ‘On this evening, no idea is too artistic or too crazy. The start-up ideas range from high-tech to food trends to social issues. All ideas are welcome at the University Start-up Day.’
This year's keynote speech came from the world of sport: Peter Holmgren, Managing Director of EVR Eisbären GmbH & Co. KG, drew parallels between professional sport and business and inspired the audience with his exciting presentation. The Regensburg Eisbären have recently become cooperation partners of the university.
Sustainability award for STEM experiment kit for children
A total of seven awards were presented at this year's University Start-up Day.
The sustainability award, supported by a donation from VR Bank Niederbayern-Oberpfalz eG, went to the start-up NaWi-Gehts? by Dr Nina Sindersberger from OTH Regensburg. She presented an experiment kit for kindergarten, preschool and primary school children in the fields of natural sciences and engineering. The aim is to familiarise children with STEM topics at an early age and to make it easy for teachers to use. Dr. Sindersberger emphasised: ‘My wish is to reach all children.’ With her kit, she wants to combine high-quality education and equal opportunities.
District Administrator Tanja Schweiger accepted the award for innovative networking on behalf of the Regensburg District Office. ‘Our cooperation with the Regensburg District Office is characterised by a close, trusting and always constructive partnership,’ said Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen in his laudatory speech. The District Office is a reliable partner, source of inspiration and central component of the regional innovation network for start-up support at the university. The university's Start-up Centre has been working closely with various departments of the District Office for many years.
Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen particularly praised the joint commitment to the Bavarian-Israeli Partnership Accelerator (BIPA). In this programme, students from Bavaria and Israel work in small teams to address current issues.
‘Through the diverse and challenging topics, the District Office enables students to work on exciting projects,’ said Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen. This not only builds bridges between science and practice and between ideas and concrete solutions, but also between regions and cultures. In 2022, the BIPA programme gained nationwide attention when it was awarded the prestigious Shimon Peres Prize by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Prof. Dr. Sevim Süzeroglu-Melchiors, head of the Female Founders Programme at OTH Regensburg, presented Sabrina Holzapfel with the Female Founders Award. The mother of two has been part of a research group in neonatology at the St. Hedwig Children's Hospital in Regensburg for three years and is pursuing her doctorate at the University of Regensburg. She is working on the scientific integration of innovative tools into clinical practice, for example, using smartwatches for the early detection of postpartum depression. The combination of technology and women's health led the aspiring founder to the Female Founders Programme at OTH Regensburg. Prof. Dr. Süzeroglu-Melchiors was impressed by how Sabrina Holzapfel juggles her doctoral studies, her career, her family life and her upcoming start-up project.
Nine start-ups pitched their ideas to the audience
Nine teams then had the opportunity to convince the jury and audience in a three-minute pitch. These teams had been selected from a large number of applications in a preliminary selection process. Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen was delighted that, in addition to founders from OTH Regensburg, teams from the GründungsHUB-Ostbayern consortium universities in Landshut, Deggendorf, Amberg-Weiden and the University of Regensburg also took part in the pitch competition. The prize money totalled more than €5,000, sponsored by BHS Corrugated Maschinen- und Anlage.
The RocketMind team from OTH Regensburg took first place in the public vote. The three founders are studying for a master's degree in ‘Digital Entrepreneurship’. They impressed with an interactive app for children that teaches them about their own mental health in a playful way and through hands-on activities. Second place went to LunaFit from the University of Regensburg. The founding team has developed a training planner that is aligned with the female cycle and thus provides individual training units tailored to the needs of the user. Third place went to the start-up Prinity from OTH Regensburg, which presented an automated printing board for 3D printers.
The expert jury was also impressed by the OTH start-up RocketMind, which won both the audience award and the jury prize.
Overall, the University Start-up Day once again demonstrated that OTH Regensburg and the six East Bavarian universities of the GründungsHUB Ostbayern are extremely important drivers of regional start-up activity and showcase a wide range of ideas. At the get-together that followed, the approximately 150 guests took the opportunity to exchange ideas.
