On March 20, 2018, 30 funding grants were awarded to young start-up entrepreneurs from Hessen’s higher education institutions. Science Minister Boris Rhein congratulated the first awardees of the new grants program for university start-up entrepreneurs entitled “Hessen Ideen Stipendium”, and is delighted that a total of 14 start-up projects are to receive funding. One of the start-up teams is from our university.
The Ministry for Science has supported the “Hessen Ideen” competition for almost three years now and as of April 1, 2018, this will be supplemented by the “Hessen Ideen Stipendium”, a funding scheme for young start-up entrepreneurs. Each aspiring university start-up entrepreneur will receive 2000 Euros of funding per month for a period of six months. In addition to the financial support the awardees will also receive professional support in the form of a personal coach. There will also be a mentoring program provided by experienced entrepreneurs.
The winning ideas are rich and varied: they include everything from social and ecological innovations to technical innovations. Hochschule Geisenheim University’s winning contribution is the project “Nico Tico – Quality Convenience Wine-Cocktail”.
The project members, Fabian Schütter and Manuel Fischer, both completed their Bachelor degrees at Geisenheim. Schütter studied International Wine Business and Fischer Beverage Technology. “We are driven by the conviction that wine as a basis for cocktails is completely underestimated and misunderstood. Our experience has enabled us to develop an unconventional concept with which we intend to bring about a radical change in how wine cocktails are perceived” says Schütter. In addition to wine they use fresh, natural citrus juices from yuzu and calamondin fruits, for example. “We import untreated fruits from all over the world to create a high quality product which delivers a new taste experience and satisfies the requirements for a cocktail”, he adds.
When asked how they came up with the project’s name and what it comprises Schütter explains that they brought together components that were simply meant for each other. “Ingredients that have traditionally been considered incompatible, but which actually work well together to produce something original and exciting. Hence the logo. A mythical creature made up of all kinds of different parts, which, although incompatible, ultimately create an interesting overall image. But we also want to bring people together. With humans this only works through the hormone oxytocin, which could be called the ‘interaction hormone’. It creates trust. Read backwards it sounds like Nico Tico.” The first 12000 bottles were filled in mid April and sales are now commencing via the catering trade and at events.
Hochschule Geisenheim University congratulates the winners of the Hessen Ideen grants and wishes all of them the very best of luck for the realization of their projects!
The Hessen Ideen initiative is financed by Hessen’s Ministry for Science and Art under the patronage of Minister Rhein. The initiative is coordinated and implemented by the University of Kassel in cooperation with the Technische Universität Darmstadt. You can find further information at: www.hessen-ideen.de
