SpinLab startup Prodlane GmbH has reached another milestone with its AI platform MAIA. The seven-figure seed financing round is led by our partner Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) and supported by business angels and a Swiss family office. The funds will be used to further grow the company, expand the sales team and develop additional technical features of the product. The Leipzig based startup began in our Summer School for Diverse Startups, chose Leipzig as their base, advanced through the HHL Digital Space incubator, and joined the 13th SpinLab class in 2021.

Preventio, which merged last year with SpinLab alumni PipePredict has been acquired by Diehl Metering, a global leader in smart metering solutions. This milestone represents the second exit for the Smart Infrastructure Ventures portfolio—following mementor by ResMed, another SpinLab success story.

The CleanTech startup Reverion, which was part of the SpinLab Accelerator program in 2022, has secured €56 million in its Series A funding round—the largest funding round for a SpinLab alumnus to date. Alongside venture capital, the round included grants as well. The funding was led by Energy Impact Partners (EIP), with participation from Honda and the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund). Existing investors, including Extantia Capital, UVC Partners, Green Generation Fund, Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, and Possible Ventures, also participated. This funding will enable Reverion to commence serial production of its power plants and fulfill more than $100 million in customer pre-orders accumulated so far.

The energy transition poses significant challenges for the utility industry, especially municipal utilities. These challenges include the digitalization of networks and infrastructure, the expansion of renewable energy sources, the modernization of business processes, and a cultural shift towards greater innovation. To actively shape this transformation, SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator and Energieforen Leipzig have established a partnership.

SpinLab alumni Reonic has raised €13 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Northzone, with participation from existing investors Point Nine, Puzzle Ventures and several business angels. 

SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator, recently recognized by the Financial Times and Statista as one of the leading startup hubs in Europe, is launching a new round with a record number of over 500 applications. From this pool, nine startups have been selected in the fields of renewable energy, Smart City, and E-Health. Among the selected startups are an AI-based health solution for detecting addictive behavior, a team using technologies for CO₂ removal through underground storage of woody biomass to sequester carbon for the long term, and a technology for direct heat generation from wind energy, which efficiently feeds heat into heating networks, promoting the decarbonization of district heating. SpinLab has already supported more than 160 startups, with a survival rate of 86 percent. By joining the accelerator program, the teams receive an extensive and tailored coaching and mentoring program, as well as access to a broad network of partners and investors.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator and HHL Digital Space are organizing the fourth “Leipzig Summer School for Diverse Startups” to support underrepresented founders. It is designed to support diverse early-stage startups, providing them with a tailored program to develop their business ideas. The primary goal is to empower underrepresented founders, dismantle barriers to success, and foster an inclusive startup ecosystem. This year's summer school program is supported by the EDIH Saxony, City of Leipzig, Sächsische Aufbaubank,DELL Technologies, Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, S-Beteiligungen, Spreadshirt and Germany Trade and Invest. 

Are you tired of the monotony of working from home or bland meeting rooms? Come to SpinLab! We have free office space available in our co-working area and offer flexible desk options. At SpinLab in the west of Leipzig, you'll find a supportive community of startups, creatives and business experts, a fully equipped infrastructure, and a bunch of cool meeting rooms. These rooms are available not only to our tenants but also to external groups for workshops or other gatherings. 

SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator, in collaboration with TU Dresden and TU Dresden Aktiengesellschaft (TUDAG), is opening a new location in Dresden: ExciteLab. The new accelerator for high-tech startups is supported by leading companies from the industry and region, including VON ARDENNE GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, MBG Sachsen, Zeiss Innovation Hub, Forvis Mazars, white Ip, and SAP.

SpinLab and RootCamp are positioned among the top Startup Hubs in Europe, as highlighted in the recent ranking "Europe's Leading Startup Hubs 2024" by the Financial Times and Statista. We have secured the 2nd place in Germany, placing us among the top 3 Accelerators in the Germany. In an international comparison, we achieved 12th place, making us one of the top 15 in Europe.

Startup accelerator SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is entering the next round with a record number of over 500 applications for its 16th cohort. From this impressive pool of applicants, ten international startups in the fields of energy, smart city, and e-health have been selected. The diversity of business ideas from these emerging entrepreneurs is enormous: ranging from immersive audio technologies, with the founder of the MP3 format involved, to the development of the first AI-powered health platform for lipedema sufferers, and innovative, cost-effective pollutant filters made from recycled plastic. The participating teams benefit from mentoring and access to a prestigious network of companies and investors to maximize their potential and establish valuable partnerships. As an expert in venture clients, SpinLab identifies the global startup ecosystem for innovative solutions as well as potential customers or partners for cooperation.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) Region East. This collaboration combines the extensive financial expertise of LBBW Region East, one of the leading German financial institutions, with the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator. With a total assets value of 324 billion euros, LBBW is among the largest German credit institutions and has a presence in international business centers with 16 locations in 15 countries. Additionally, LBBW has its own venture capital company, LBBW Venture. This funds invests in young companies in the areas of Digital Transformation, LifeScience and HealthTec, as well as Financial Technology.

Our partner Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) announces the exit of SpinLab alumni we-do.ai. The Leipzig based startup, specializing in Conversational AI and developer of speech-based chatbots, has been fully acquired by Immoware24 GmbH from Halle (Saale).

We're delighted to share the news of aidhere, a standout from our 10th SpinLab class, successfully acquired by Reykjavik-based global digital therapeutics provider, Sidekick Health. This strategic move expands Sidekick's offerings into prescription therapeutics and keeps the DiGA app, zanadio, available for prescriptions.

Startup inContalert was part of the 14th SpinLab class.

From July 24 to 28, 2023, HHL DIGITAL SPACE and SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is joining forces to support diverse startups in their early stages with a tailored program to evolve their business idea. The goal of the "Leipzig Summer School for Diverse Startups" is to empower underrepresented founders, break down barriers to success and create an inclusive startup ecosystem. The program is supported by the City of Leipzig, Sächsische Aufbaubank, EDIH Saxony, Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, S-Beteiligungen and Germany Trade and Invest.

Central German, as well as international teams, come together in Leipzig to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills. The professional, free program offers participants interactive workshops on important topics such as sales, marketing, and financing, led by experienced mentors, investors, and coaches. The city of Leipzig supports the program as a cooperation partner and will present the "Digital Award," endowed with 2,000 euros, for the second time during the Summer School closing event on July 27 in the new city hall of Leipzig.

Patron Burkhard Jung, Mayor of the City of Leipzig:

"Openness brings progress and development; in this context, openness is not limited to technical or entrepreneurial aspects. Social and intellectual openness are also in demand. That is what the Digital Award  and Summer School for Diverse Startups stands for. This is exactly what we need in our city."

SpinLab and HHL DIGITAL SPACE create an inclusive environment for diverse startups in Saxony

Eric Weber, CEO of SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, summarizes:

"The Leipzig Summer School for Diverse Startups helps to promote diversity and innovation in the startup scene. The Leipzig startup ecosystem, with its broad network and diverse initiatives, offers valuable support to aspiring founders from all over Europe to successfully implement their ideas in Saxony."

Francie Lange, Incubation Manager of HHL DIGITAL SPACE:

"The Summer School for diverse startups will take place for the third time in 2023. Diversity is in focus with the goal of promoting underrepresented founders and breaking down barriers. It also strengthens the inclusive and entrepreneurial environment in Leipzig. The incubator HHL DIGITAL SPACE and the accelerator SpinLab support the startups in terms of content. In addition, we are very pleased that mayor Burkhard Jung is taking over the patronage of the Summer School."

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, one of Europe's leading startup programs, today announced ten of the most promising startups in the fields of energy, health, and smart city. The selected startups have distinguished themselves with their innovative business models and great market potential, and will now be supported by SpinLab through a six-month program. Startups from Poland, France, New Zealand, and Germany are represented. The innovative solutions range from a digital app for food intolerance to tactile, pressure-sensitive skin for robot grippers and digital twins of power grids that are designed to support the energy transition.

Startup Reverion from SpinLab class 14th secured €8.5 million investment from UVC Partners, Green Generation Fund, Extantia Capita (the 2nd big Extantia investment in our alumni this year), Doral Energy-Tech Ventures and Landwärme GmbH.

The German climate tech startup MAGNOTHERM, working on sustainable refrigeration technology, has just closed its seed funding round with an impressive €6.3 million. Funds will be used for the mass production of the world's first sustainable refrigerator, which already has a paying customer base. Extantia Capital led the round, with Hessen Kapital, Lauda Dr. R. WOBSER Beteiligungs-GmbH, and Revent also investing, along with four investors from the Better Ventures Angel Club. They're now planning to expand into the commercial refrigeration market, which is worth $37 billion.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator is part of the European initiative "Womenture", which aims to create an international support program for female founders. In cooperation withDesign Terminal(Hungary), Tehnopol(Estonia) and DEX Innovation Center (Czech Republic), a female founders program is being developed.

1.6 million people in Germany suffer from dementia and gradually lose their mental abilities. At the beginning of the disease, short-term memory and ability to remember are affected. In this pre-dementia stage, there are no approved medications in Europe yet. However, a combination therapy of exercise, memory training, social participation and a balanced diet can positively influence the course of the disease.

UBI Global, the Stockholm-based innovation intelligence company and community known for the assessment and mapping of business incubators and accelerators, have released the top lists and top challengers as assessed by the World Benchmark Study 2021-2022. SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator from Leipzig is the only German accelerator among the best in the World Benchmark Study. This was announced on Tuesday by UBI Global. SpinLab was listed as a top challenger in Europe, placing it among the top eight European startup accelerators and among the top 23 in the world.

European VC fund Atomico led the round. The fund joined previous investors byFounders, Gradient Ventures, and Partech. Atomico Principal Andreas Helbig will join Digitail's board as part of the investment. According to Dealroom it is one of the largest Series A rounds in recent years in Romania’s young startup ecosystem. Digitail works with over 750 clinics worldwide, serving around 1.4 million pets.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator gains Actemium Germany, the VINCI Energies brand for industrial process solutions, as new innovation partner. Actemium is a powerful worldwide network with 400 Business Units located in 40 countries across the world. Operating throughout the entire industrial life cycle, from design to maintenance, Actemium innovates in order to support the long-term development of industrial customers, sustainably.

The partnership strengthens SpinLab's ecosystem and startups participating in the accelerator program will benefit from Actemium's expertise, resources and network. This also includes the planned allocation of a coworking space at Schkeuditz near Leipzig. In the new premises, the development of market-specific solutions will be driven forward together with Actemium employees. Moreover, the partnership facilitates the industrial service provider's access to smart solutions from highly innovative young companies. In this way, practical use cases can be developed even better - and applied directly in customer projects. 

Prodlane, the SaaS platform for data-driven product management in the manufacturing industry, has raised an EUR 760,000 pre-seed funding round. The round is led by a Swiss family office with an industrial background, with participation from S2S Ventures AG and several business angels from the industry, product management and HR. Prodlane will use the funding to expand its sales and development team and to enter the market.

Prodlane was part of the 13th SpinLab class and first SpinLab Summer School for diverse startups. Photo: Fabian Thüroff

With around 400 applications from all over the world, we reached a new record. The freshly incoming 14th class startups are as diverse as they are promising: a mental health lifestyle app for Gen Z, a chip like the human brain, road reconstruction through radio waves, or the production of hydrogen only from sunlight and water. Like 118 other startups before them, the new class is supported in scaling their their business by an extensive program. Clear numbers prove that the SpinLab ecosystem works: Over 1000 new jobs have been created by the startups that have already gone through the program. A total of 10 startups from SpinLab, such as mementor, Rhebo or Infrasolid, managed a successful exit and were acquired by international companies. Exciting pilot projects will also follow in the future - not least due to a recently concluded partnership between SpinLab and Leipzig University Hospital. 

More than any other service sector, the healthcare industry is facing the challenges of demographic and digital change. The impact of innovations in healthcare on society is enormous. This was recently demonstrated very clearly during the corona outbreak. In this context, startups are increasingly gaining relevance. However, strict regulations, complex systems, and long time-to-market bring specific hurdles for e-health startups. Given this background, University of Leipzig Medical Center and SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator have agreed on a partnership.

California-based medical equipment company ResMed today announced the acquisition of  mementor. The first product "somnio of the e-health startup is Germany’s first and only permanently approved Digital Health Application (DiGA) in the field of sleep medicine. It’s also compliant with the European Union’s data protection requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). With somnio, mementor has developed a scientifically based, digital solution for the treatment of sleep disorders that can be used on the smartphone. 

In a follow-up funding, SpinLab partner Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS) increases its investment in the AI startup from Leipzig. Since 2018, TGFS has been supporting we.do-ai as financing partner. With Foodcall, the founders Dr. Sebastian Hecker and André Naumann created Germany's first intelligent voice chatbot for the gastronomy industry, which can take orders, reservations or other requests from callers in one fluid conversation.

The founders Philipp Omenitsch and Manuel Kraus first launched in 2019 with a chatbot for the US market, and then switched to an app certified by German health insurers: just 3 years later, the e-health startup successfully exited. Stresscoach app has been sold to KGA Inc. The US company helps organizations to create and sustain a healthy, engaged and productive workforce. Both parties have agreed not to reveal the acquisition price. Mental health problems are unfortunately still a taboo in our society and people have to wait very very long until they get professional support. That is where Stresscoach comes in - the first psychological chatbot in Germany. The app guides users through interactive, conversation-based therapy programs in which they develop the skills to cope better with anxiety and stress.

The next Summer School For Diverse Startups will kick off soon! This time we teamed up with the incubator HHL Digital Space. Diversity drives company success. That’s a result many studies have shown. Yet, diverse startups still lack access to networks and resources like funding. Our mission: more diversity, equality and inclusion in the startup world. Of course this cannot be achieved alone. It’s a major challenge that we must tackle together. We are extremely happy to have strong partners who support our important mission. As a partner we could win the city of Leipzig, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen.

EIT InnoEnergy, the world’s largest sustainable energy engine, has invested alongside Vireo Ventures and Raakwark Kaptaala in the energy startup suena to support the development of the trading platform for energy storages and renewable energies. The fresh capital will enable the team to rapidly increase the pace of product development and pilot project implementation to address the urgent need for innovative energy storage deployment solutions.

Today's energy system, which is largely based on the combustion of fossil fuels, is facing profound changes worldwide. The necessary technical solutions for implementing the energy transition, such as renewable energies and storage capacities, are already available. Currently, the greatest challenge is to optimise the interaction of these solutions. This is exactly where Suena comes in: Its cloud-based software uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methods to network energy systems with each other. In concrete terms, this means that they calculate an optimal schedule for each plant. The optimisation software suena opt makes it possible to use energy plants for multiple applications and to operate in different markets.

The startup takes a multi-use and multi-market approach here to maximise profit: "suena opt is a real-time operation and trading software that optimises the schedule of the energy plant portfolio for different applications and markets," explains co-founder Dr.-Ing. Lennard Wilkening. Applied to battery storage systems and energy parks (incl. wind & solar energy), the software optimises the deployment of the assets in real time based on forecasting models. This enables energy suppliers to react flexibly to market dynamics and facilitates the integration of renewable energies. This not only increases efficiency, but also cost-effectiveness, with the aim of accelerating the energy transition.

The fresh capital comes from Smart Infrastructure Ventures ('SIVentures'), who invested alongside neoteq ventures, Rivus Capital and well-known business angels. This is an important sign in the fight against the climate crisis. We are pleased that the participation in the SpinLab program has helped the team to reach this great milestone. The founders of Planted participated in our startup program in 2021. During the 6 months they gathered important know how from mentors and coaches as well as valuable contacts like to the venture capital funds Smart Infrastructure Ventures. At the HHL SpinLab Investors Day they were able to convince the jury of their important vision and won the best of pitch award with 2000€ prize money, sponsored by the city of Leipzig. Less than a year later, pre-seed funding has been secured.

SpinLab Alumni eCovery has closed another round of funding. The insurtech fund 1750 ventures, adesso ventures as well as further business angels invested a seven-digit amount in further growth of the ehealth startup. In the course of the capital increase, eCovery also completes its product in the field of prevention: OPT - Online Physiotherapie GmbH will become part of the company and will operate under the common umbrella in the future. From now on, eCovery offers certified preventive services in addition to the physiotherapy app for back, hip and knee pain.

Innovative startups can apply for the 14th SpinLab class until 05 July 2022. An intensive program, long lasting contacts to established companies, a broad investor network, access to exclusive technologies and funding of up to 15,000 euros are available for startups in the six-month program.

Very good news for SpinLab startup IO Dynamics and the Smart Infrastructure Hub Leipzig. The e-mobility startup has successfully closed its seed financing round and is planning a second base in Leipzig. IO-Dynamics offers smart energy management for electric fleets and charging infrastructures. Their fully automated and easy-to-use charging software is vendor-agnostic, grows with the fleet and adjusts to clients requirements. The team is currently part of the 13th SpinLab class. Participating in our program has already paid off.

After a very successful startup phase in 2021, in which strategic partnerships were established with well-known industry players and additional customers were acquired, the Flensburg-based startup was able The private venture capital fund Smart Infrastructure Ventures invested alongside High-Tech Gründerfonds, be10x Capital as well as strong industry experts as business angels. Leipzig is one of the most innovative regions in Europe, we are pleased that the founders have recognized this and the city of Leipzig has gained an innovation driver in the energy transition. 

The newly acquired capital is also to be used to build up the new location in Leipzig. Especially in the areas of sales and development, the team aims to grow.

Johann Olsen, CEO and co-founder of IO-Dynamics states: "Leipzig is an energetic city with many startups, where we always feel very comfortable. What we like about Leipzig is its proximity to the university. There we have met many people who want to make a difference. We have a strong network on site around SpinLab, our accelerator."

Björn Bauermeister, co-founder of venture capital fund Smart Infrastructure Ventures, adds: "We very much understand IO-Dynamics' decision to also want to build up business in Leipzig. As a young early-stage investor, we appreciate the dynamism and talent pool in the city. We are pleased to be able to actively support the IO-Dynamics team as an active investor in the coming years."

The newly acquired capital will be used to establish the software IO-ELON on the market, an intelligent charging and energy management for the operation of electric fleets. In 2018, Johann Olsen, Nabil Imran and Felix Kruse founded their e-mobility startup with the idea of making electric mobility in fleets more economical, sustainable and easier. Over the past few years, they have developed a software that optimizes energy and charging management in vehicle fleets. Data from charging stations and electric cars - but also building data, flexible electricity prices and solar forecasts are taken into account and used to create charging plans.

👉 Startups who want to benefit from our strong ecosystem like IO-Dynamics should apply now for our accelerator program. The deadline ends on July 5th. Check out our application site for more details.

The round was led by Partech and byFounders and backed by existing investors capacura and Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (BACB). Aumio will use the fresh capital to triple its team and expand across Europe and in the US. Founded by Jean Ochel, Tilman Wiewinner, Felix Noller and Simon Senkl, Aumio is a meditation and sleep app for children. Aumio app provides multi-day courses and individual exercises, on topics such as “hyperactivity” or “impulsivity”. It uses short audio journeys to teach mindfulness exercises.

MotionsCloud raised around US$ 2 million with its AI insurance claim solution in the latest round. The startup was backed by investors from all around the world, co-lead by SOSV (US) and Net Insurance (IT), followed by AI Startup Incubator (CZ), ParticleX (HK), Artesian (AU), Excon Services (GER), Global Insurance Accelerator (US) and individual angel. MotionsCloud empowers insurance companies with an automated property and vehicle inspection, making the process faster and more efficient. Established in Germany, the startup already cooperates with European, US, and Asian firms.

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator acquires BITROAD and strengthens its management team: as of today, SpinLab has grown by a top-class team of management consultants and from now on also offers strategy and organization consulting around the topics of digitalization and innovation. The acquisition gives a strong boost our ambitious growth plan.

With more than 300 applications, the run for the 13th class was huge. Ten promising startups were welcomed to the historic area of the Baumwollspinnerei in early March. The range of business ideas of the new entrepreneurs is enormous: founders are releasing the first therapeutic app for dementia prevention, a physician from Chemnitz is developing an app against the underestimated and often undiscovered disease endometriosis, and with the help of a digital marketplace, the direct path to emission savings should save time-consuming processes. International startups from Poland and Austria are also part of the new class.

Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, a Swiss sensor specialist and part of the Endress+Hauser Gruppe announced the majority acquisition of Infrasolid. Our partners TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, VNG Innovation (VNG AG) and SpinLab mentor WEGVISOR® (Titus Lindl) had invested in the Dresden based startup. The team was 2018 part of the 6th SpinLab class.

Eric Weber about the exit: "With two partners and one mentor invested, our fifth alumni exit Infrasolid once again shows that our ecosystem works pretty well."

Congratulations to the team Marco Schossig, Benjamin Buchbach and Tobias Ott for this amazing achievement!

Together with Basislager Coworking Leipzig and Startup Mitteldeutschland we present to you the brand new Werkbank Podcast "Startup Update". The hosts are Marina Chkolnikov  (SpinLab Project Manager) and Stephanie Wettmann (head of editorial Startup Mitteldeutschland).

The startup Replex is acquired by the US IT corporation Cisco. The world market leader in network infrastructure and security acquires the entire shares of the Leipzig-based startup, which develops solutions for optimizing cloud applications.

FlyNex recently closed another financing round worth millions of euros to develop new business areas and expand its current business. Stihl Digital, the venture capital arm of the well-known power and garden equipment manufacturer, is investing in FlyNex together with High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen (TGFS), GPS Ventures and Snowflake Ventures. The newly formed partnership is intended to support customers in forestry, gardening and landscaping in particular with data generated by drones.

SpinLab, one of the top 3 accelerators in Germany, is once again opening its application phase for startups. Ambitious founders who want to accelerate their innovation can apply from now until November 16. 2021 and benefit from the 6-month program. Startups from the fields of e-health, smart city and energy as well as cross-sectional technologies that are related to these topics and are in the pre-seed, seed or growth phase can apply.

SpinLabs own digital learning platform

The partnership contract between the Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL), SpinLab-The HHL Accelerator and SachsenEnergie was signed yesterday as part of the East German Energy Forum. The collaboration provides for SachsenEnergie to get into strategic exchange with relevant startups over SpinLab-The HHL Accelerator. In addition, SachsenEnergie will advise the startups on the implementation of promising innovation projects. For the SpinLab startups, the partnership is highly valuable in optimizing their promising business idea for major customers and gaining access to the target market.

With the motto "Let's collaborate. Innovate. Act." this year's Impact Festival will be held from 16th to 17th September in Offenbach/Frankfurt am Main. Together with RootCamp we will be at the event with an own exhibition. You can also meet our startups Carbonauten, Think RE and Planted, as well as SmartCloudFarming from RootCamp.

We are happy to announce that we recently cracked the €100 million mark! So far, our startups have raised more than 100 million euros in venture capital and grants from renowned national and international investors. The average funding per SpinLab alumni amounts to 1.270.644 euros. Another reason to celebrate: In the last five years, capital has increased more than thirty times. In 2015, the funding amounted to 1.25 million euros. Currently, we stand at approximately 38.5 million Euro mid of the year 2021. With the help of VC investments, public grants, and price money, our startups have access to a large pool of capital to build quality products and teams.  We are proud of all the founders we have accompanied to this point and thank all investors and partners for the years of great cooperation. 

The first SpinLab Summer School for diverse Startups is over and we are still overwhelmed by all the impressions. From the 12th to the 16th of July, six diverse startups from different industries (meet them further down in the article) completed an intensive week covering the topics of financing, marketing, sales, HR and leadership. The mentoring program was fully packed with different workshops, professional pitch training and individual sessions with leading experts from practice. The highlight of the week was on Thursday evening, when the founders presented their business ideas to the public. Again, congratulations to Mentessa and Yance Sports for winning the pitch event! We will see both teams additionally at the selection days, where they will have the chance to become part of SpinLab’s main program. 

Today, the SpinLab team already welcomed its 12th class in Leipzig. Many of the entrepreneurs found themselves back on site due to the prevailing situation. Ten new startups will participate in the multi-award winning Accelerator program over the next six months. In total, the startup hub now counts 95 startups that have participated in the program so far. These ten new startups were selected during the Selection Days in early June in consultation with corporate partners: MeinDoc, Think RE, Pocketcoach, Deftpower, Planted, nex, EnergieDock, enaDyne, CallPima, NAECO Blue. 

Maviance PLC , a Cameroon-based fintech, announced today that it has closed its Seed investment round of USD 3 million from the pan-African digital payments hub MFS Africa, which comes on board as a strategic investor. Maviance will use the new funding to increase its footprint in Cameroon and to expand into other countries in the central African economic region (CEMAC).   

Our CEO was invited by Florian Kandler to join his "Gründer + Zünder" Podcast to talk about how to go about B2B sales in startups and why it is so crucial to find your product-market-fit.

Scaling your sales is tough, but with proper preparation, a good pitch and a thorough conversation guide, you will be able to convert your leads into customers.

If you want to learn more about sales personalities, essentials to consider and what makes or breaks deals, listen to the newest podcast episode here:

Swiss utility Landis+Gyr has acquired 100% of the shares in our class 2 alumni startup Rhebo for a low double-digit million sum. Landis+Gyr announced this in a press release.

Million EXIT for IT startup Rhebo from Leipzig.

The Leipzig-based startup aims to ensure cybersecurity and stability of OT and IoT infrastructure in the industrial, energy and water sectors. To do so, Rhebo uses an innovative technology that enables real-time detection of cybersecurity threats and other anomalies in network control systems.

memoresa, one of SpinLab's alumni teams from class 10, secured a six-figure investment round: Ophthalmologist Dr. Felix Kiese joins memoresa with his investment company KFA. With his versatile experience and extensive network in the healthcare industry, we were thus able to gain not only a financial but also a strategic partner for the further development of memoresa.

What is it like to work for a startup?

LeipGlo organizes the series "Leipzig Career Hacks". In the third session of this series, SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator and Startup Mitteldeutschland will be part of it. At the online event we will talk to startups about what it's like to have a startup job and what open positions are currently advertised.

If you've ever thought about working at a startup, this is your chance to ask questions and get a personal impression!

In January, the SpinLab team once again welcomes ten new startups to the award-winning Accelerator program. Among them are names already well-known in the startup scene, such as Aivy, the personnel selection platform, or Oxford Immune Algorithmics, a spin-off of Oxford University, which uses artificial intelligence to deliver a solution for location-independent patient monitoring and testing. These ten new startups were selected in consultation with corporate partners during Selection Days in late November: Meshmerize, Aivy, PipePredict, INSONE, Advanced Infrastructure, minus CO2 by carbonauten, tenac.io, HY2CON, Oxford Immune Algorithmics, thinkers.ai.

97 startups participated at the Science4Life competition which awards the best business ideas in life sciences, chemistry and energy. The three best teams were PV2plus, innocept and DieEnergiekoppler, a SpinLab Alumni. They developed a new generation of virtual power stations which are used to connect small energy producers, storage devices and consumers to stabilize the energy supply and sell excess capacity.

Last week, BonVenture Group announced its investment in Myo, a SpinLab Alumni startup focussing on digital communications for the benefit of senior citizens in nursing homes. 

The Myosotis GmbH offers the first Software-as-a-Service solution for direct digital communication between caregivers, relatives and the ecosystem of service providers in nursing homes. The innovative app enables intuitive exchange through photos, videos, voice messages and video telephony. "We want to make the self-sacrificing and impressive nursing work visible and simplify administrative processes," says Jasper Böckel, founder and managing director of myo. This is the second major round of financing for the Digital Health Company founded in 2017. The nursing home operators Agaplesion and Carpe Diem as well as the venture capital funds Axel Springer, Plug & Play, Think Health, Mountain Partners and Round Hill Ventures, which have all been stakeholders already, invest another seven-digit amount in this round.

If you are interested in working at a startup, don't miss the chance and get to know us! Once again, SpinLab will join the Leipzig Glocal Job Fair at Werk 2 in Connewitz.
The job fair is for everyone who wants to work at an international-minded company. 

The digital health startup mementor GmbH and SpinLab Alumni has completed a financing round in the higher six-figure range. Seed investors include Smart Infrastructure Ventures and several business angels, among them former CFO of Spreadshirt and founder of smow Michael Petersen.

From left to right: Alexander Rötger, Jan Kühni, Noah Lorenz

mementor is one of the first providers of digital medical products in the field of sleep medicine. With its first product somnio, the startup has developed a scientifically based, digital solution for the treatment of sleep disorders that can be used on the smartphone. A clinical study of the University of Zurich proves the effectiveness of the product. In order to reach as many of the more than 5 million people affected in the German-speaking world as possible, mementor has entered into cooperation agreements with the largest health insurance companies in Germany (Techniker Krankenkasse) and Switzerland (CSS Versicherung), which already cover the costs of digital treatment for their policy holders.

"As Techniker Krankenkasse, we pursue the goal of offering our policyholders good and evaluated digital health products. With mementor, we found a competent partner at an early stage to address the issue of sleep disorders," explains Thomas Heilmann, head of the care management department at Techniker Krankenkasse.

With the fresh capital, mementor will primarily use it to promote the distribution and further development of the product. In addition, they intend a comprehensive assumption of costs by all health insurance companies. This is made possible by the new legal framework of the Digital Healthcare Act (DVG), which means that listed applications can be prescribed by doctors and psychotherapists. The digital sleep training from mementor is planned to be one of the first officially certified digital health treatments (DiGA).

SpinLab and HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management once again joined efforts to host a hybrid event format that allowed investors and startups to come together in a safe environment. Around 140 participants came together virtually and locally in the HYPERION Hotel next to Leipzig central station to discuss and listen to keynotes about sustainable responsibility within the investment market. 14 startups, 8 of them from the current SpinLab class, pitched in front of international investors and partners interested in the fields of Energy, Smart City and E-Health.

How can Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics help to build smarter cities? Which technologies help us make smarter decisions based on data such as air quality?

In May, SpinLab was able to win over another partner: Bremen-based PTSGroup brings with it 25 years of experience in innovation consulting and a large network of partners in the field of smart infrastructure.

Just a few days after joining SpinLab – the HHL Accelerator, memoresa launches its new online platform with user-friendly tools for the structured storage of important account and account information.

Despite the global crisis, SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, was able to win a strong partner for itself. The SIGNAL IDUNA Group will provide support for all questions regarding property and personal insurance. As a plus, they will convey important topics through regular workshops. With this cooperation, SIGNAL IDUNA is making a clear statement: Even, and especially, in uncertain times, they can be relied upon. "We are pleased about the cooperation and are very grateful for the trust that is placed in us," says Eric Weber, CEO of SpinLab.

The new class of SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator was received virtually in the rooms of Leipzig’s historical cotton mill today. Within six weeks, the Accelerator team switched their model to a 100% digital format, ensuring that the eight innovative teams can keep on working on furthering their energy, smart infrastructure and eHealth concepts. In the coming semester, and despite the current situation, the current class will profit from the accelerator’s curriculum and new digital service. From air quality sensors, to a "Netflix for (art) exhibitions", to digital inheritance management, to magnetic cooling systems, the current class promises high potential for innovation! 

There's not shortage of awesome startups out there looking to improve the the fitness arena. Our class 6 alumni Mindance is one of them, and they're out there looking to digitalize the mental health landscape for various companies. To help them accomplish this goal, they company has just secured their 7-figure seed financing round.

Another round has arrived. Class 9 arrived this past Monday here in the SpinLab, and they're determined to keep pushing innovation - especially in the areas of Energy, Smart City, and eHealth. This class's concepts contain new concepts such as energy producing algae, virtual therapy that helps combat paralysis, and dashcams for the cyclist market.

We're happy to announce there's a new player in the investment scene, based right here in Leipzig! Smart Infrastructure Ventures officially launched today, and they'll be helping selected startups, operating in the sectors of eHealth, energy, and Smart City, in the region achieve their financing goals. For the full press release and more information, click here.

In the first quarter of 2019 an independent study was carried out by the staff at Venioaire Capital in Austria to determine the rankings of over 50 Startup Accelerators located throughout various countries in the European Union. This report is their second edition of their ranking, and the first time that the SpinLab has been considered in the running.

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DIPAT – Die Patientenverfügung. DIPAT is the inventor of effective online living wills and adjoining documents. Our self-developed algorithm for automated medical consultation provides a solution to the problem, that 90% of all living wills in Germany are medically ineffective, due to their lack of precision and physical unavailability in an emergency.

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