News week 48-2023

Dr. Kevin Yam takes over the role of CITO at the coeo Group. Organifarms and EBZ Group enter into partnership for the development of harvesting robots. Samed Yilmaz strengthens RIDE's position in professional tax optimization. Oribi and Bouwpas merge. Robert Haydecker joins Policen Direkt broker group in Frankfurt. Saxon State Prize for Founding 2024: application phase opens.

Dr. Kevin Yam takes over the role of CITO at the coeo Group

Dr. Kevin Yam joins the coeo Group as Chief Innovation and Technology Officer (CITO) and Managing Director on January 1, 2024. With a background in physics and theoretical physics as well as extensive experience in senior positions, especially in data analytics & AI in the financial industry, he will be responsible for technological innovation. His focus will be on the integration of advanced AI technologies such as chatbots, voicebots and AI platforms that have the potential to shape the industry. The appointment is seen as a decisive step towards a technology-driven future for the coeo Group.

Organifarms and EBZ Group enter into partnership for the development of harvesting robots

The Constance-based robotics startup Organifarms announces a partnership with the EBZ Group from Ravensburg. As a strategic partner and investor, the EBZ Group will support Organifarms' product development and long-term growth. Organifarms, which specializes in harvesting robots for strawberries, has already supplied its first customers with its autonomous harvesting robots. Funding from Startup BW Pre-Seed, BMEL and Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank has enabled the development of the first fully autonomous harvesting robot in the last three years. The partnership aims to open up new markets and raise production to an industrial level thanks to the expertise of the EBZ Group. For both companies, the focus is on scaling the harvesting robots and ensuring their reliability, as farmers with labor shortages rely on this technology. This collaboration relies on advanced robotics and AI to create solutions for the labor shortage in agriculture and to continuously provide consumers with fresh produce.

Samed Yilmaz strengthens RIDE's position in professional tax optimization

Samed Yilmaz, former CEO and board member of FXFlat Bank AG, takes a central role in the development of new regulatory products as the new Managing Director at RIDE Capital. His focus is on transforming RIDE from a fintech for tax-optimized wealth accumulation to a securities institution. With 20 years of professional experience in banking and brokerage, he brings his expertise to successfully expand the niche of professional tax optimization together with RIDE. His responsibilities include the low-tax broker specializing in corporate clients as well as leading the legal and operations team, while aiming to bring innovative products to the market in accordance with strict regulatory standards.

Oribi and Bouwpas merge

The Oribi Group has strategically acquired Bouwpas to strengthen its position in the Identity & Access Management sector. Bouwpas specializes in registration and access control on construction sites and offers a digital platform for workers in the Dutch construction industry. This acquisition expands Oribi's solution offering, particularly in the construction sector, and enables it to offer compliance and access control solutions that meet the increasing security requirements and compliance in the construction industry. This addition, together with the previous acquisition of Certwell, underlines Oribi's position as a provider of identity and access management solutions. Both Main Capital Partners and the co-founders of Bouwpas are optimistic about the future and expect growth opportunities in the construction industry and related sectors. Oribi's CEO looks forward to working with the Bouwpas team to better meet customer needs.

Finstep strengthens development through expert advisory board for targeted financial education

Hamburg-based FinTech start-up Finstep has strengthened its team with an experienced advisory board to support the development of its financial companion app for young people. The advisory board, consisting of industry experts such as open banking expert Lars Markull and EdTech specialist Dr. Diana Knodel, will support the company in implementing planned steps more precisely. Finstep focuses on teaching young people aged 12 to 18 basic financial knowledge in a fun way and providing them with useful tools for handling money. The app combines educational videos, gamification elements and practical features such as a virtual piggy bank and a spending analysis tool to help young people achieve their financial goals. This move marks a strategic direction for the company to address an important educational gap while building a sustainable business model, with an experienced advisory board guiding the company along the way.

Robert Haydecker joins Policen Direkt broker group in Frankfurt

The Policen Direkt broker group in Frankfurt is expanding its team with the addition of Robert Haydecker. With extensive experience on both the insurer and broker side, including many years at Allianz and Aktiv Assekuranz as a corporate customer consultant and managing director, Haydecker brings valuable know-how to the table. Most recently, he worked as a trainer and coach for the VEMA Academy and acted as the main contact for VEMA brokers in the area of company succession. This reinforcement underlines the Policen Direkt broker group's efforts to build up a medium-sized broker group operating throughout Germany.

Saxon State Prize for Foundations 2024: Application phase opened

The Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport is launching the 24th edition of the Saxon State Prize for Entrepreneurship and opening the application phase for the Saxon Entrepreneurship Award 2024. This award recognizes innovative business ideas and start-up concepts in Saxony and offers participants the chance to win up to 50,000 euros in prize money as well as valuable networking and support services from the futureSAX network. The competition is open to founders and young companies planning to be based in Saxony and supports them from the idea to the growth phase. In addition to the jury assessment, participants also have the opportunity to take part in the futureSAX audience award, which is decided by public online voting during the Saxon Innovation Conference.