Fresh ideas from Düsseldorf
From the smart control app for boats and caravans to the digital competence check in game format to the consulting company for hip-hop culture: VIVID presents three exciting new start-ups from the city.
The charisma that Düsseldorf now has as a startup location was demonstrated, for example, from 7 to 11 June 2021: around 5,000 interested people took part in the 120 events of the 6th Startup Week Düsseldorf - despite COVID-19! This was made possible by mainly digital or hybrid formats, which were further developed and professionally enhanced on the basis of last year's experiences. Since the start of the popular event week in 2015, the number of startups has grown from 135 to 421 in 2021 - and the trend is rising. The Düsseldorf Economic Development Agency has also noticed an increasing degree of maturity among the young companies: so-called ”scale-ups” obviously find good conditions in the state capital to grow and internationalise. In this VIVID, we showcase three very ”fresh” start-ups: Revotion, talent::digital and The Ambition.
Revotion: All-in-one app for boats and caravans
Intelligent, cloud-capable and networked technology has long been standard in new cars or in the SmartHome. But not yet in boats and caravans, which are technically very similar. This sobering experience was made by the two fellow students Jasper Ehmcke and Tim Londong themselves: Jasper while restoring the family boat and Tim while upgrading the family motorhome. Thus, in the summer of 2020, they came up with the joint idea of developing their own, better system - and the business idea for Revotion was born. ”We developed the prototype for an app-based all-in-one system that can monitor, coordinate and control all functions and movements in a boat or caravan via a single display,” Jasper explains.
The Revotion control app can be implemented in boats and caravans regardless of manufacturer.
The interest from other boat owners in this innovation was and is so great that the two decided to pause their studies at the beginning of 2021 to concentrate fully on their start-up. ”It is also important for us that the system can be implemented in both new and old boats and caravans - regardless of the manufacturer,” Tim emphasises. The two have so far received initial support from the start-up scholarship, among other things, and they are currently in the final of the international Arrow Innovation Award's Internet Start-up Programme. ”We are already well positioned in terms of hardware development, which forms the infrastructure. Now it's all about software development. With a number of boat and caravan owners, we are currently testing our innovation very closely to user needs. We are set for growth,” says Tim. •
Revotion GmbH
Duisburger Straße 50
40477 Düsseldorf
www.revotion.de
talent::digital: Playful digital competence check for employees
Scientific findings from educational psychology and neurobiology confirm that playing is the best prerequisite for sustainable learning. The Düsseldorf-based start-up talent::digital, founded in 2019, uses this fact to check the digital skills of employees and, if necessary, to promote them. The cornerstone for this is a cloud-based ”digital empowerment platform” consisting of three components: the game for employees, a ”management cockpit for business management” and a ”qualification marketplace”. In the game, a user assumes the role of a self-selected avatar and has to prove his or her digital skills.
How skilled are employees when it comes to digitalisation? - Talent::digital is a fun way to find out.
The game results are then processed anonymously in the management cockpit for the management or the HR department. ”The results provide valuable information for the corporate strategy and can encourage to become digital (or more digital), to stay digitally up to date or even to actively shape digitalisation,” says Roman R. Rüdiger, CEO of talent::digital. The users, in turn, will receive - if necessary - individual qualification offers based on their final scores. By the way: The data cannot be assigned to individuals. Customers can therefore be sure that all conditions of the data protection regulation (also in the sense of works councils) are taken into account. The cloud platform can be integrated into the respective business operations without installation, and is available to companies for a price of 7 euros per month and user. •
talent::digital GmbH
Rather Str. 25
40476 Düsseldorf
www.talentdigital.eu
The Ambition: Consultant for Hiphop Culture
Two facts to start with: 1. according to studies, the cultural relevance of a brand is one of the most important decision-making criteria for buying a product. 2. hiphop is one of the most important cultural trends of all - almost half of Generation Z in Germany identifies with it, for example in terms of music, clothing, language or attitude. The start-up The Ambition, founded at the beginning of 2021, links these two facts to create an as of yet unique consulting company: ”We are a one-stop shop for rooting companies in hiphop culture. We sell long-lasting cultural credibility with a holistic strategy. To do this, we use a specially developed model to analyse for clients where there are relevant interfaces between their own brand DNA and hiphop culture. And implement measures derived from this with an individual culture playbook,” says CEO Phillip Böndel.
With ”The Ambition”, Tobias Kargoll and Phillip Böndel (from left to right) make hip-hop culture accessible for corporate marketing.
The recognised brand expert (e.g. voted one of the ”Top 100 Heads of 2021” in W&V) was previously a successful consultant to Germany's best-known rappers for many years and helped build the digital department of the creative agency BUTTER. The co-founder of The Ambition is another leading expert on hiphop culture in Germany: Tobias Kargoll is the editor of hiphop.de, Germany's biggest magazine for music culture. ”Through this constellation, we have access to first-hand data and insights and a solid connection to all the talents in hiphop culture. So not only rappers, but of course also designers, illustrators, photographers or music producers,” says Böndel. The Ambition is particularly interesting for internationally operating big brands: for example, Red Bull, Pernot Ricard and the German Basketball League are among the first customers. •
THE AMBITION GmbH
Florastraße 75
40217 Düsseldorf
www.the-ambition.com
Words Tom Corrinth
Pictures Revotion, talent::digital, The Ambition - Patrick Styrnol