March 24, 2020
All ten finalists of the Jacobs Startup Competition impressed with their business ideas, in the end Custom Surgical came first. The startup, headquartered in Munich, Germany, has developed a mobile platform that enables the screening of diabetes using only a smartphone and a patented optical system. Images of the retina in combination with an app allow a diagnosis of the disease. This innovation was honored with 3000 euros.
Second place and a prize money of 1000 euros went to an app that makes cheating more difficult. The software, developed by ValidApp, checks the authorship of submitted papers, essays or other written material using forensic linguistics and language processing. Medical Cooling, a startup from Hamburg, was pleased with the third place and 500 euros. It has manufactured a ventilator that improves the chances of survival in the event of a stroke.
A total of 140 teams took part in the Jacobs Startup Competition, which was run by the students of the international university on their own initiative. Experienced mentors supported the teams in their presentations.