Bio-Gründer 2025 awarded – CLIB – Cluster industrielle Biotechnologie

At the award ceremony of this year’s Bio-Gründer Wettbewerb, seven teams once again presented an impressive variety of innovative solutions for bioeconomic issues. The topics ranged from indoor farming systems, mycelium materials, milk alternatives, enzyme solutions to CRISPR-Cas edited rice plants.

More than 120 invited guests from business, science and politics took part in the award ceremony and were enthusiastic about the visionary ideas of the founders. The event once again showed how crucial creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are for the further development of the bioeconomy and for a sustainable economy.

This year’s winners:

1st place – HEALTHY CROPS

The Healthy Crops project of the founding team from Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf aims to sustainably increase the yields of rice farmers in Africa and Asia. The focus is on the development of disease-resistant rice varieties that can be combined with local elite lines and thus make a direct contribution to food security and the strengthening of regional agriculture.

Team members: Dr. Marcel Buchholzer, Prof. Dr. Wolf B. Frommer, Dr. Eliza Loo, Sarah Hatzenbühler, Melissa Stiebner, Dipl. Ing. Britta Killing

Website: https://lnkd.in/eYbc3Puf

2nd place – TWOGEE BIOTECH

Twogee Biotech develops and licenses innovative enzyme solutions that efficiently convert industrial residues such as biomass into valuable raw materials such as sugar, fiber and lignin. These serve as sustainable alternatives to fossil-based chemicals and enable the production of environmentally friendly products such as bioplastics, fuels or textiles. With their approach, they combine ecological sustainability with economic profitability and thus make an active contribution to climate protection, circular economy and a sustainable bioeconomy.

Team members: Dr. Frank Wallrapp, Helge Jochens

Website: https://lnkd.in/eRhvGGZz

3rd place – CIRCULAR GRAIN

Circular grain is developing a high-quality milk alternative based on brewer’s grains – a nutrient-rich by-product of beer production. The reuse of this raw material creates a protein- and fiber-rich, low-sugar drink that not only convinces with its good taste but also conserves resources and reduces CO₂ emissions. In doing so, you are launching the first circular milk alternative on the market and making an active contribution to climate protection and the circular economy.

Team members: Denise Ilgou, Marina Hijano Moreno, Nathalie Stellwag