HHU Ideas Competition 2026

Good startup ideas often begin with a simple question: How can today’s challenges be better addressed? At this year’s ideas competition at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Düsseldorf (CEDUS), students and researchers have impressively demonstrated just how diverse and creative the answers to this question can be.

1st place: Nabersens
Basil Naber’s ‘Nabersens’ project represents an innovative medical technology approach to the treatment of children with cleft lip and palate. Its aim is to promote long-term functional development following surgical procedures and to optimise the care provided to affected children. In the long term, the concept is intended to help improve speech and swallowing functions, thereby enhancing the quality of life for the children and their families.
Prize: 1,000 euros

2nd place: ResiFlux
ResiFlux, developed by Maruf Khan and Andra Fortner, is a replaceable insert for hospital washbasin drains that reduces risks associated with antimicrobial resistance – so-called AMR-related risks – directly at the drain. Hospital drains collect water, residues, biofilms, bacteria and resistance genes, making them a key interface in clinical hygiene. ResiFlux combines splash reduction with the adsorption of antibiotic and disinfectant residues and inhibits biofilm formation. The system complements existing hygiene routines by providing an additional preventive protective layer.
Price: 600 euros

3rd place: KANT Digital
With KANT Digital, Bingxin Zhao has developed AI-supported immersive training programmes for education, integration and improved care in the healthcare sector. The AEVUS learning platform combines Extended Reality (XR/VR) with AI, enabling international care workers to practise language skills, professional competencies and cultural awareness in realistic, virtual care scenarios. This helps care workers integrate more confidently into everyday working life in Germany and takes the pressure off healthcare facilities.
Prize: 300 euros

‘OVEMO’ secured first place and €1,000 in prize money; second place, with €600, went to ‘PhycoDesign’; and third place, with €300, was awarded to ‘Alzheimer’s Care’. The funds may be used for specific startup and project-related expenses.

1st place: OVEMO
The team led by Dr Knud Esser, Henri Koch, Mihir Tzalis and Dr Dieter Niederacher has developed OVEMO, a single-use system that significantly simplifies media changes in 384-well microtitre plates, such as those used in cell culture research. Instead of the time-consuming manual pipetting and refilling of each of the 384 wells, OVEMO carries out the change using a standard laboratory centrifuge. This reduces the time required and minimises sources of error in day-to-day laboratory work, without the need to purchase expensive robotic systems for full automation. A key advantage is the improved data quality, as all 384 wells are processed in a single step and under identical conditions. This eliminates the systematic variations that arise from the original manual handling. The innovative single-use system is relevant for research groups at universities, non-university institutions and biotech companies.
Prize: 1,000 euros

The audience was also impressed by this innovative solution, and so the OVEMO team also won the audience award.

2nd place: PhycoDesign
Microalgae are tiny powerhouses of the oceans. They produce valuable substances such as the omega-3 fatty acid EPA, making them a sustainable alternative to fish oil. Their industrial cultivation has so far been only partially reliable, as some bacteria can cause algal cultures to collapse, whilst others actually promote the growth of the algae. In the PhycoDesign project, Dr Ellen Oldenburg and Dr Raphael Kronberg are developing a method that uses data analysis and laboratory experiments to identify these beneficial bacteria and bring them together to form stable, high-yield communities. The aim is to make the environmentally friendly production of high-quality algal ingredients more reliable and cost-effective, thereby contributing to a sustainable, bio-based economy. 
Prize: 600 euros

3rd place: Alzheimer’s Care
The team led by Arindam Paul has developed a precision therapy for Alzheimer’s disease that combines a genetically modified therapeutic enzyme with targeted drug delivery. This technology enables localised, minimally invasive administration of the drug. By integrating computer-aided protein engineering and image-guided delivery, the team aims to create a more effective, scalable and cost-effective treatment platform for neurodegenerative diseases.
Prize: 300 euros

The HHU Ideas Competition is designed to raise awareness at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf of the career options of self-employment and starting a business, and to arouse curiosity about exciting alternatives to the typical work biography. In doing so, the competition supports the goal of creating a creative start-up culture and awakening and supporting entrepreneurial thinking and action among everyone at HHU at an early stage. The ideas competition took place for the fifteenth time in 2026.

The HHU Ideas Competition is organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship Düsseldorf (CEDUS). At the CEDUS, all measures of the HHU in the promotion of startups are bundled. Whether during consultation hours, in a classic startup consultation or at one of the numerous events: CEDUS is the contact for all questions concerning self-employment and business start-up.

Authors: Carolin Grape / Simone Rehrmann