Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs honors these five start-ups

Cyber security, AI-based analysis tools and glasses that can be used to control electric wheelchairs: These are the winners of the "Digital Start-up of the Year 2021" award.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection has honored five start-up teams with the "Digital Start-up of the Year 2021" award. The award recognizes start-ups that have implemented digital business models quickly and successfully and that promise further growth.

Sosafe took first place . Founded in 2018 by Niklas Hellemann, Lukas Schaefer and Felix Schürholz, the start-up has developed a platform that trains company employees in IT security and data protection. SoSafe has now received 50,000 euros from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The Cologne-based company recently raised 73 million US dollars from investors.

Munevo won the second prize of 30,000 euros. The start-up from Munich has developed smart glasses that allow users to operate electric wheelchairs. They register the head movements of wheelchair users and send the signals to the control system. The company is a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich.

Two companies took third place: Mediaire and Twaice both received 10,000 euros. The former want to automate the evaluation of radiological images with their product mdbrain. An AI evaluates the images of the brain and compares the image information with standard values. The aim is to better detect Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The company was founded in 2018 by medical physicists Andreas Lemke and Jörg Döpfert. Twaice has been active in the electrical industry since 2018 and offers software designed to analyze the performance, safety and service life of electric batteries. Founders Stephan Rohr and Michael Baumann want to accelerate the transition to green mobility and energy supply.

Credium received the Audience Award, which is endowed with 10,000 euros. 1,500 participants voted for the start-up from Augsburg at the online award ceremony. The start-up founded by Lars Wederhake, Timm Tränkler and Wolfgang Kratsch uses satellite photos and surveying data to evaluate various real estate properties.

"With their successful business models, the award-winning start-ups are decisively driving the digital transformation forward. The innovations of the award-winning teams are arming companies against cyber attacks, strengthening key technologies such as artificial intelligence in our healthcare system, rapidly realizing the transport revolution and making life easier for people with disabilities," says Parliamentary State Secretary Franziska Brantner.