INNOVATIVE IDEAS HONOURED IN THE FIT4BUSINESS COMPETITION
- 09.01.2025
- Event Review
The finalists, jurors and initiators of the Fit4Business business idea competition at the award ceremony for the winners in December 2024 in the Tyrol Innovation Space.
A high-calibre panel of experts selected the winners of last year's Fit4Business 2024 business ideas competition, with PredSense GmbH taking first place, followed by The Ministry of Saffron and the Human Place project.
At the final on 12 December 2024 in the Kufstein Innovation Space, seven finalists presented their business ideas and answered the jury's questions.
1st place: Predsende GmbH - Dalibor Mitic
PredSense GmbH, founded in Wörgl in 2024, is an innovative Tyrolean software start-up with the mission of making artificial intelligence (AI) more accessible to the manufacturing industry. Its first intuitive and scalable AI tool enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to optimise processes through condition monitoring and easily implement predictive maintenance. Production managers and technicians can use it to independently identify process errors and monitor their machines in real time.
2nd Place: The Ministry of Saffron - Shashikan Manuraj Nambuhewage
The Ministry of Saffron project aims to revolutionise European and Austrian saffron cultivation through aeroponic technology and IoT (Internet of Things)-supported automation. By overcoming challenges in the traditional saffron market such as import dependency, counterfeiting and quality fluctuations, the company offers sustainably produced, traceable premium saffron. The three-stage business model focuses on scalability and aims to promote regional economic development in Kufstein through new jobs, partnerships and technological innovations.
3rd place: Human Place - Fitness for the Soul - Ines Stark
Human Place is a new programme designed to strengthen mental resilience, prevent violence and promote personal development. Similar to a fitness studio as a space for physical fitness, the aim is to create spaces that support individual and collective development: for example, a music room, a creative space, a space for grounding and self-connection as well as a space for community and networking.
In addition to the winning projects, the other finalists also impressed with their creative business ideas and were thus able to secure a well-deserved 4th place:
Tobias Steiner for NetFad, an innovative start-up company that offers powerful marketing software and tools to improve customer communication
Patrick Funke-Rapp for his project EcoSport Nation, a sharing platform for sports enthusiasts
Markus Gander for CHANCE BEFORE CHANGE - The Opportunity Booster, a programme to promote opportunities and personal development
Máte Szakács and Patrick Funke-Rapp for an innovative loudspeaker system
The jury
The jury, consisting of experts from business, research and innovation promotion, contributed valuable perspectives to select the best ideas:
Carina Berger - Innovationsraum Kufstein
Lukas Hartleif - FH Kufstein Tirol
Jenny Koller - Innovation Network Kitzbühel
Sophia Mayer - Kufstein Chamber of Commerce
Klaus Ossanna-Zala - Sparkasse Kufstein
Selina-Maria Schiller - FH Kufstein Tirol
The initiator of the competition, Dipl.-Kfm. Karin Steiner, university lecturer for Business Management and Entrepreneurship at the FH Kufstein Tirol, emphasised: "With the Fit4Business competition, we not only want to promote entrepreneurial thinking and action, but also make innovative ideas visible that have the potential to positively change the economy and society in our region."
After the competition, the FH Kufstein Tirol offers targeted feedback, practical workshops and individual support from experts. The aim is to further develop the business ideas, facilitate market entry and support the participants with valuable contacts and networks.
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