www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

1. Market Assessment: Pitch your Idea!
Heidelberg Innovation Forum
FITT
– Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

2. What is the Heidelberg Innovation Forum?
Since 2005, the Heidelberg Innovation Forum offers a
unique matchmaking platform for new business development
and technology transfer in the ICT sector. Patron of the event
is SAP co-founder Dr h.c. Klaus Tschira.
Objectives:
 Testing business ideas in front of potential investors,
customers and partners
 Pooling best technology based ventures
 Matchmaking of researchers, start-ups, investors
and entrepreneurs
 Initiating business deals: joint research, licensing, start-
up financing
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3. The Concept (1)
 The Heidelberg Innovation Forum is organized annually by MFG Baden-
Württemberg and the European Media Laboratory as a one-day event
 Every year, a different ICT focus is chosen, e.g. “Cleantech & Green IT”
(2010) or “Immersive Technologies” (2011)
 Researchers, developers and start-up companies present up to 30
business ideas and close-to-market research findings to an audience of
experts and investors in eight-minutes pitches
 Participants benefit of a well-balanced format that combines qualification &
coaching (focus: business modeling & pitching skills), team building,
matchmaking & networking sessions
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4. The Concept (2)
Team Building
Qualification Matchmaking & Networking
& Mentoring
Training Seminars Heidelberg Innovation Forum Team Building &
Presentation of approx. 30
Mentoring
Individual training sessions
for researchers and business ideas in eight-minutes pitches Personal coaching sessions
entrepreneurs in preparation High-quality keynotes for the winning team „Best
of pitching their business Business Idea“ by high-level
“Early Stage Ventures”, “Innovation
ideas to investors managers and businessmen
Matching” & “Meet the Panellists”-
Focus: improvement of Sessions Focus: e.g. evaluation of
presentation skills, Reception & Dinner business concepts,
sharpening the support in the acquisition
bwcon Award: Best Business Idea
business model of funding
Sponsored by the
business initiative
Baden-Württemberg:
Connected (bwcon)
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5. Facts & Figures
 1.300 participants from 10 countries presented more than 325 business
ideas at 9 events
 More than 100 submitted innovative ideas per year
 50% of the participants had direct contacts to investors and industry
representatives  20% of these contacts led to concrete technology
transfer actions
License/
Sales
17%
Joint
Research
44%
Start-Up
39%
 Internationalisation: The Heidelberg Innovation Forum served as a role
model for the New Brunswick Innovation Forum in Canada
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6. A Glimpse of Success Stories (I)
suitSearch – Averbis GmbH
Innovator: Dr Phillip Daumke, University Medical Center Freiburg / Averbis GmbH
SuitSearch is an intelligent search solution for multilingual document archives from the
health sector. In contrast to traditional search engines, it systematically integrates linguistic
knowledge.
• Contacts with business consultants and investors at the Heidelberg Innovation Forum
• Successful start-up of Averbis GmbH in 2007
• Reference: Bertelsmann GmbH
Heidelberg Mobil International mbH (HDM-I)
Innovator: Dr Matthias Jöst
In 2005, Dr Matthias Jöst presented Heidelberg Mobil, a mobile information portal for
pedestrians at the Heidelberg Innovation Forum. Today more than 20 employees from
HDM-I are devoted to further development as well as the transfer of the portal and the
technology into other cities and areas. The Deep-Map Technology of HDM-I was used e.g.
at CeBIT, Hanover 2010.
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7. A Glimpse of Success Stories (II)
S2I – Security to Image Technology – Epyxs GmbH
Innovators: Prof Bernhard Wirnitzer & Slavi Bonev, Mannheim University of Applied Sciences
S21 is a barcode technology that provides protection against counterfeit products.
• The innovators were introduced to several sponsors and investors at the Heidelberg
Innovation Forum
• Successful start-up of Epyxs, run by Dr Mario T. Cameron
• Winner of enable2start, Financial Times Germany's startup competition, and "Place of
ideas" in the "Germany – Land of ideas" initiative 2008
• S2I Fingerprint, the predecessor product presented back in 2006, was licensed and
distributed via the Austrian subsidiary of TRODAT, the world’s premier manufacturer of
stamp products
Insight Image Technology
Innovator: Prof Hans-Peter Meinzer & Hannes Kenngott, German Cancer Research Centre
Insight Image Technology includes 3D segmentation of lesions, computer aided
operation planning in liver surgery, volumetric and functional cardiac analyses, diagnostic
techniques, therapy planning and monitoring of cancerous affections of the lung.
Negotiations are currently taking place with Aeris Capital AG with the aim of securing
financial backing for Insight Image Technologies.
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8. Heidelberg Innovation Forum: In Practice
10th Heidelberg Innovation Forum
12 April 2011 / Immersive Technologies
Immersive Technologies are novel products and services that help
blur the boundaries between real and digitally created user worlds.
Virtual environments which users can influence actively in real time
by means of movements or acoustic signals – like a flight simulator
– or augmented reality applications where digital information is
overlaid on the viewer’s real environment. The Forum will cover a
wide range of potential uses at the interface between creative and
traditional industries – from production, prototyping, training and
entertainment to visualisation techniques in advertising and
marketing.
8 | March 2011 Market Assessment: Pitch your Idea!