Funkenwerk Award 2026: THA and LEW Recognize the Best Startup Ideas from Bavarian-Swabian Universities

From the initial idea to a successful business: With the Funkenwerk Award 2026 powered by LEW, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg (THA) honored the most promising startup ideas from the Bavarian-Swabian University Consortium on Thursday evening, October 29. Out of a total of 30 applications, seven teams qualified for the finals. They presented their business ideas in live pitches to a panel of experts and the audience at THA. Awards were presented in the categories “Innovation & Impact,” “Female Entrepreneur,” and “LEW Future Energy & Smart Infrastructure,” and an audience choice award was also given. 

“Female Entrepreneur”
Award The award in the “Female Entrepreneur” category went to Anna Sigl, Xenia Pietsch, and Nils Kühl from THA. With their business idea “Floevo,” they translate scientifically grounded insights from positive psychology into personalized everyday tasks, known as “quests.” The app takes personal goals and traits into account, as well as the user’s current situation—such as available time and energy—and is designed to help integrate health-promoting habits into daily life.

“LEW Future Energy & Smart Infrastructure”
Award The LEW prize was awarded to “HIMMA,” led by Philipp Ecker and Mahmoud Abuisaac from THA. The team impressed the judges with a software solution for sustainable construction. Digital building models serve as a shared database for architecture, specialized planning, and energy consulting. This is intended to reduce planning errors and duplicate data entry, and to enable better assessment of energy requirements, costs, and environmental impacts even before construction or renovation begins. In addition to the award, the team receives personalized feedback and coaching tailored to its startup project from LEW experts.

“Innovation & Impact” Award
The award in the “Innovation & Impact” category honors startup projects that combine technological innovation with economic potential and social value. Nils Söder, Shabbir Maimoon, Aman Kumar, and Gaurav Singh received the award for “Zahln.” They are developing a digital payment infrastructure for the university campus. Students will be able to pay via QR code or NFC; the cafeteria, vending machines, copy shops, and other campus services are to be integrated into a single system. Audience Choice

Award The audience
also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite. The project “eJugend-Akte” by Lukas Funk, Simon Kalka, Bjarne Koprowski, and Benedikt Holland received the most votes. They impressed the judges with web-based software that digitizes the organization of documents, appointments, and deadlines in child and youth welfare facilities. The goal is to turn a solution designed for a specific facility into a modular product that can be adapted to different organizations.

In his keynote address, patron and Minister of Digital Affairs Dr. Fabian Mehring emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial spirit, innovative strength, and strong regional partnerships.

Minister of State Dr. Mehring: “Tomorrow’s world begins with today’s flashes of inspiration. That is exactly what the winners of the Funkenwerk Award demonstrate. They not only have good ideas, but also the courage to turn them into something great. The best innovations emerge where bright minds meet bold doers. For a spark to turn into an economic fireworks display, academia, startups, and companies must pull together. Our region is a prime example of this: We bring knowledge to the economy, ideas to the market, and innovations into the fast lane. This is how today’s flashes of inspiration give rise to the companies and jobs of tomorrow. Congratulations to all the award winners!”

Through the Funkenwerk Award and their partnership, THA and LEW aim to foster young talent, raise the profile of innovative startup projects, and strengthen the transfer of knowledge between the university and the regional economy. LEW is supporting the 2026 competition for the first time as a partner, offering its own award category and practical coaching opportunities.

“The THA_funkenwerk Award powered by LEW has shown just how much creativity, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit the finalist teams bring to advancing their ideas. This drive to innovate unites us: At LEW, too, we have seen for generations what can emerge when people recognize new opportunities and bring them to life. As a partner of THA_funkenwerk, we look forward to giving these ideas a boost as they move forward,” says LEW Board Member Dr. Dietrich Gemmel.

With its Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the THA_funkenwerk, the THA ranks among Germany’s leading universities for entrepreneurship. The institute supports students, researchers, and those interested in starting a business from the development of an initial idea through to the actual founding of a company. “At THA_funkenwerk, we help startup teams turn ideas into viable projects. With LEW, we have gained a partner that brings practical expertise, regional commitment, and valuable perspectives for the further development of our teams,” says Prof. Dr. Christoph Buck, scientific director of THA_funkenwerk.

The Funkenwerk Award also serves as a showcase for the innovative strength of the Bavarian Swabia university region. In addition to the live pitches, other young teams presented their projects at the Funkenwerk Community Meetup. Among those represented were startup projects from the Funkenwerk Incubator, participants in the EXIST-Women/HerVenture funding program, and already successful THA alumni startups.

Through their collaboration, the THA and LEW aim to sustainably strengthen the regional innovation and startup ecosystem. The partnership builds on the “MittelstandMacher” initiative, which brings together young talent, universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The shared goal: Innovative ideas should not remain confined to universities but should find their way into concrete applications, viable business models, and the regional economy.