Become part of one of our projects!
Rivopump
Sustainable river power pump
The 3 core problems:
1. Climate change leads to unpredictable rainfall and prolonged droughts, especially in subtropical and tropical regions.
2. As a result, farmers rely on diesel engines, which are expensive, environmentally damaging, and require high maintenance.
3. Additionally, there is a significant problem of plastic pollution in Kenya.
The vision/solution:
The vision:
We enable small-scale farmers in Kenya to have easy access to irrigate their fields with river water. This ensures their livelihoods during times of drought and climate change and contributes to overall food security in Kenya.
The idea:
A mobile water wheel that drives a simple pump to extract river water into an irrigation system or a water tank.
Founded: 2022
Location: Cologne
SparkVision
Innovative products to support visually impaired people
The 3 core problems:
Everyday barriers:
Visually impaired individuals encounter numerous obstacles in their daily lives, hindering them from leading a comfortable lifestyle.
Communication hurdles:
They either rely on abstract and complex communication methods to understand the world around them or are forced into isolation, leading to further complications.
Disadvantage in education and career:
Visually impaired individuals often have less access to education and career opportunities, limiting their full potential.
Vision:
We enable individuals with limited vision to experience the world around them through various elegant, discreet accessories that are state-of-the-art.
Idea:
Glasses and related products with an integrated technical solution that assist visually impaired individuals in recognizing various objects, reading texts, handling data, etc., enabling them to lead a fulfilling and independent life through an interactive medium.
Founded: 2024
Location: Cologne
Leaf & Coast
We preserve the Gabes-Oase with innovative products made from dates
Background:
In the Gabes oasis in Tunisia, hundreds of families make their living from 300,000 date palms. The farmers harvest dates, while women make handmade bags from palm leaves.
Problems:
Many families are giving up their palm gardens because the business is no longer profitable. There are three reasons for this:
- The dates from Gabes have many nutrients but do not taste as good as other dates. Two-thirds of the harvest is thrown away.
- The products made by the artisans are no longer modern and they earn little money.
- Neither livelihood nor retirement can be secured.
Solution:
- Leaf & Coast offers environmentally friendly products made from palm leaves with modern designs and sustainable materials at fair prices on the German market.
- Leaf & Coast develops nutrient-rich energy bars from unsold dates. Traditional organic coffee is made from the remaining date pits.
Founded: 2024
Location: Cologne
Innovation Phase
Put your own idea into action!
Every semester, we conduct our idea phase. There, you can develop ideas for sustainable and social startups and exchange ideas with other motivated students. Every field of study is welcome, and you'll receive important skills from us!
In the innovation phase, you can develop on a personal level and promote your creative and entrepreneurial thinking. Get a first glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship!
Founded: 2024
Location: Cologne