Ten start-ups have made it to the final round of the ACHEMA Start-up Award 2021. The spectrum is as broad as the variety of topics in the process industry and ranges from sustainability analyses, point-of-care tests, electrosynthesis and antibody isolation to transport systems for oligonucleotides and an active ingredient platform for previously untreatable diseases to artificial intelligence for process optimization, real-time analytics in chemical processes or predictive maintenance solutions for pipe systems. At ACHEMA Pulse, the young companies will present themselves to a global audience.
Over thirty start-ups applied for the ACHEMA Founders' Award. Based on the business plans, ten companies were selected that could demonstrate both a very high degree of innovation and a particularly convincing business model. They will present themselves to a global audience at ACHEMA Pulse and a pitch session on June 15, 2021. A jury of experts will then select the three winners of the competition in a separate presentation. They will be announced at ACHEMA in April 2022 and will each receive 10,000 euros in prize money.
And these are the finalists:
Carbon Minds is a sustainability startup with a focus on chemicals and plastics. It uses a digital model of the global chemical industry to create transparency on the environmental impact of global supply chains.
Cenios is focused on developing the next generation of point-of-care testing (POCT) kits for absolute quantification of analytes. The kits are used as an alternative for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and can significantly reduce costs and testing times compared to standard methods.
ESy-Labs GmbH is a pioneer in the electrification of the chemical industry and develops processes for the electrosynthesis of organic chemicals using high-throughput screening and artificial intelligence.
Lumatix Biotech is working to increase the availability and affordability of antibodies by developing an effective isolation method based on a light-driven affinity matrix. It is intended to replace the classical enrichment method using protein A chromatography.
Phaidra develops control systems for industrial processes based on artificial intelligence. The "no code" software enables industrial experts to select which performance indicators they want to optimize and provides the operating parameters for this.
PipePredict offers a predictive maintenance tool for reducing energy and media losses in pipe networks (water, district heating, chemicals). Existing sensor data is analyzed using a digital twin and machine learning algorithms to prevent pipe bursts.
PRAMOMOLECULAR has developed a particularly simple technology with which therapeutic oligonucleotides such as siRNAs can be transported efficiently and tolerably into the target cell in order to silence disease-causing proteins in the lungs, heart or pancreas.
Pro-AspectX is developing a process robust sensor for real-time analytics in chemical production plants to increase process efficiency and improve process safety by predicting critical situations.
PROSION is developing a platform of highly innovative chemical building blocks that makes it possible for the first time to address a range of disease-relevant target proteins that were previously considered undruggable.
Semodia offers software solutions for the modular process industry that transfer the Plug&Play principle of the printer driver in IT to the Plug&Produce medium Module Type Package in the modular process industry.
Entrepreneurial scientists, future founders and owners of start-ups were invited for the third time to apply for the ACHEMA Founder Award.
The ACHEMA Founders' Award is sponsored by DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V., DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH, Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain and High-Tech Gründerfonds. Clariant is a Premium Partner of the Founder Award. The ACHEMA Start-up Award is also supported by the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), the AiF FTK and the Business Angels Network Germany.
