Three intensive days full of ideas and entrepreneurial spirit lie behind the participants of StartUP Factory 2025, which took place from 13 to 15 November at BioPark Regensburg. A total of 70 participants in ten teams worked flat out for almost 48 hours on business plans and prototypes – including many students from OTH Regensburg and the University of Regensburg.
The event was jointly hosted by TechBase and BioPark and organised by the Digital Start-up Initiative Upper Palatinate (DGO) and the healthcare accelerator BioPark Jump. The aim of the format is to give students and those interested in starting a business a practical insight into the world of start-ups and the opportunity to work their way from the initial idea to a business concept and a prototype.
The teams were supported by a broad network of mentors: representatives of the Regensburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Upper Palatinate/Kelheim, experienced founders from the region, the city of Regensburg, the Krones company and Prof. Dr. Markus Heckner from OTH Regensburg were on hand to advise the participants. The technical equipment of the OTH Start-up Lab – including laser cutters and 3D printers – as well as professional pitch training provided additional optimal conditions.
At the end of the weekend, the jury selected the SitCare team as the winner of StartUP Factory 2025. Four of the six team members, Anja Hachenberg, Moritz Endres, Emily Kolein and Raphael Schätzl, are studying for a master's degree in digital entrepreneurship at OTH Regensburg. Raphael Schätzl was enthusiastic about the weekend: ‘We had exchanged various project ideas as part of our master's programme in Digital Entrepreneurship. Since some of us have people in wheelchairs in our personal circles, it quickly became clear to us that we wanted to develop something that would really help. That's how the idea of a controllable seat cushion to prevent pressure sores came about.’
On the first evening of the StartUP Factory, the team pitched their vision of an intelligent seat cushion that adapts to human needs thanks to its ergonomic design. During the subsequent team-building phase, two more colleagues joined the team: OTH alumnus Felix Hirle and Max Kohler. Over the next two days, the team worked intensively together and, in addition to developing increasingly concrete plans, also developed a strong sense of community and team spirit.
Prof. Dr. Saßmannshausen, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of the OTH Start-up Centre, was delighted with the success of the OTH participants: "I am very pleased that a team from our university has won again this year and that the third-placed team, Safe Box, a start-up team from OTH, has also achieved a great result. The StartUP Factory impressively demonstrates how much innovative power the students have, because creative, practical solutions are developed within a very short time – supported by a strong network, state-of-the-art technology and the enthusiasm of the participants."
