Winning start-up:

“Our concept becomes more relevant every year because the number of business founders in Germany is declining. Although a growing number of people in Germany are making plans to set up their own business and establish a company, in the end, most don’t take the risk of taking the final step. At present there can be no talk of a so-called ‘Gründerzeit’,” explains Roland Schmautz, Vice President of the Bavarian Sparkasse Association. But those who take the plunge into entrepreneurial activity are better prepared than before. “They are more idea-driven, more growth-oriented and more innovative than in previous years. Not only has the internationality and quality of the business equipment increased, but also the level of training and soft skills,” says Schmautz.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this special distinction! Seven years ago, when we set out to develop a forward-looking robotics system that would support people in their work on a sustainable basis and not make them superfluous, our investors and partners believed in this courageous idea and made it possible. Today, we are the global technology leader in the development of smart exoskeletons for the industry,” explains German Bionic CEO and co-founder Armin G. Schmidt. Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Dr. Peter Heiligensetzer adds: “Our approach of combining human intelligence with machine power – thereby making professions that are physically demanding more attractive again upon the backdrop of an acute shortage of skilled workers and demographic change – is really hitting the pulse of the times”.