Online voting for Saxony's start-up prize begins

Once again this year, people can decide online which of the five finalists should receive the "Sachsen gründet - Start-up 2021" prize. The winner will receive 60,000 euros in prize money.

From today until July 4, people can vote online for the "Sachsen gründet - Start-up 2021" prize. The jury has selected five finalists from 27 applicants in advance, who will present themselves on the website in 45-second videos and promote their idea. The winner will receive 60,000 euros and take part in the award ceremony on July 9 at Volkswagen's Transparent Factory in Dresden.

The finalists include the start-up Ecovery, which offers a therapy app developed with professionals for training at home after knee surgery, for example. Casida, which sells 70 products based on medicinal plants and was founded by pharmacist Alexander Helm in 2016, is also dedicated to the body. Doctor Adrian Fischer wanted to offer his patients medical cannabis with the Made in Germany seal and founded the start-up Demecan in 2017; today, plants for medical use are grown on 30,000 square meters.

The last two companies in the round-up are making the world a little more sustainable: Ligenium has developed wooden means of transportation that are flexible to use and much lighter than conventional transportation materials such as metal. RWC Factory recycles discarded containers for the safe and secure storage of bicycles, which can be used by companies and local authorities.

The prize is awarded as part of "Saxony's Entrepreneur of the Year", initiated by companies such as KPMG and Volkswagen as well as media companies such as MDR and Sächsische Zeitung. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the jury selected the winner of the start-up prize live.