Finance Summit 2025: Final of the Female Founders Pitches

In addition to discussions on capital market trends, AI and blockchain, there is another highlight on the program of the Finance Summit 2025: the Female Founders Pitches. Five particularly promising young female entrepreneurs from Baden-Württemberg will pitch on the big stage and have the chance to win a grant of 10,000 euros as well as valuable visibility in front of investors and potential customers.

We present the finalists

Biowerkz

Sustainable materials made from wood waste

The Karlsruhe-based start-up Biowerkz is a KIT spin-off and is developing NEWood, a genuine alternative to conventional wood-based materials such as MDF or chipboard. The approach is to combine industrial wood waste and agricultural residues using mycelium, the root network of fungi, to create stable, recyclable boards. These are completely free of formaldehyde and synthetic resins and offer a high degree of design flexibility. The potential is enormous, as millions of tons of wood waste are incinerated in Europe every year, while energy-intensive materials continue to dominate. Biowerkz provides a circular solution that conserves resources and reduces CO2 emissions. Over the next few years, the company plans to increase its production capacity, supply industrial customers and expand throughout Europe.

Telmednet

Telemedicine in real time

Telmednet is revolutionizing outpatient care by bringing specialists directly into GP practices via teleconsultation. At its heart is a combination of a web-based SaaS offering and smart glasses that allow doctors to be connected during examinations. The result: faster diagnoses, higher quality of care and lower costs for health insurance companies. The first pilot projects are already underway and the team is working with several health insurance companies. The goal: to reach millions of insured persons within a few years and redefine the standard of outpatient care.

Raqcoon

Edge computing for genomics

Raqcoon is a high-tech start-up entering the competition to develop an energy-efficient edge computing engine specifically for genomics and health research. Until now, sequencing data has required enormous computing resources and is often dependent on external cloud servers, which leads to high costs and long processing times. This is where Raqcoon comes in: the solution combines optimized hardware and software so that analyses can be performed in real time directly at the point of data generation. This not only increases speed, but also improves data security and energy efficiency. Initial pilot projects are underway and the company aims to launch a market-ready product within two to three years and expand partnerships with laboratories and clinics.

Sonora

A new approach to early breast cancer detection

Around 20,000 women die of breast cancer in Germany every year. Every eighth woman is affected in the course of her life, but existing screening programs detect up to 40% of cases too late. Sonora is therefore developing a mobile, AI-supported solution for painless and efficient early detection. The business model is based on a monthly subscription with performance-based revenue sharing for gynecologists. In the coming months, the focus will be on patent applications, clinical studies and certification as a medical device. The long-term goal is to make the early detection of breast cancer more precise, more affordable and easier for all women.

Opterra

Funding for regenerative agriculture

Opterra is a start-up that wants to rethink the financing of sustainable agriculture. Although regenerative methods are attractive to many farmers, they often fail due to financial risks and a lack of flexibility. At the same time, banks and food companies want to achieve their sustainability goals, but have limited budgets. Opterra is therefore building a marketplace for co-financing models: banks, companies and farmers are brought together in a digital system that simplifies contract processing, compliance and impact reporting. This will make it possible to efficiently implement programs for regenerative agriculture. Initial pilot projects are planned in Spain and Sweden, with the platform launch scheduled for 2026.

The five Female Founders finalists impressively demonstrate the breadth of the innovative strength of the female start-up scene in Baden-Württemberg. They cover everything from sustainable materials and digital health to high-tech for research and agriculture. The winner of the scholarship will be decided on September 18, but it is already clear that these start-ups will help shape the future.