The advancing corona pandemic is also hitting the start-up landscape hard. After all, according to a survey conducted by the German Startup Monitor, around 75% of German start-ups see their business activities as being impaired (external PDF link). As a result of the second lockdown decided by the federal government on October 29, other endangered livelihoods are suffering a severe setback. We at “Deutschland starts” want to use the current situation to support start-ups during this difficult time. That’s why we present seven interesting business ideas to you every month. Business start-ups are the engine of society and must therefore be promoted.
Tip: For the (further) development and implementation of business ideas, the creation of a business plan or a Business start-up advice, you can apply for funding – go to our funding check service!
Our business ideas from November 2020
A complete meal in one drink? Beautiful hair with gummy bears? Or bikinis made from marine debris? These business ideas really exist – and we present them. This month there are:
- Bears with benefits: In addition to beautiful hair, these gummy bears also promise good skin and a youthful appearance.
- standing some: Ergonomic desk work with sustainable wooden tops.
- YFood: This start-up offers drinks that are intended to replace a full meal.
- Lanasia: These entrepreneurs make sustainable swimwear from marine litter.
- The Plant Box: The founders of this start-up have set themselves the goal of more beautiful balconies thanks to special plant sets.
- aumio: With this app children can learn to meditate for free.
- Ceregate: This Munich start-up wants to write information directly into the brain.
Beautiful hair with gummy bears
Which woman does not know it? Quickly grab the latest face cream, expensive hair growth shampoo, and popular serum for smooth, wrinkle-free skin. But the constant purchase of these products not only burdens the wallet, but also costs a lot of time. In fact, it can be very simple. The Munich start-up Bears with Benefits relies on a simple beauty booster that combines everything: gummy bears. These contain various ingredients such. B. Biotin, hemp oil and collagen and promise full hair and beautiful skin as well as a youthful appearance. In order to feel an effect, the founders recommend taking their products for at least six to eight weeks. With their business idea, the two founders are backing the right industry, after all, Germans are happy to spend their money on beauty. According to Statista, sales in the German cosmetics and body care market in 2019 were over 15 billion euros. Tendez for this year: rising.
Sustainable wooden tops transform “normal” desks into standing desks
The consequences of office work: back injuries or cardiovascular diseases from sitting for hours. Remedies such as electrically height-adjustable tables already exist. However, these are usually expensive. An alternative is needed, thought the founders Leonard Beck, Dr. Dennis Albert and Michael Grupp. After experimenting with cardboard models in the evenings and at weekends, Standsome was born. A desk made of poplar plywood boards, which offers space for a laptop and keyboard. In addition, the height of the attachment can be easily adjusted thanks to the plug-in system. With its business idea, the start-up not only supports a physiologically good posture, but also attaches great importance to the topic of sustainability. From the selection of raw materials (use of FSC-certified birch wood from controlled timber management) to production (in German handicraft and inclusion companies) to climate-neutral shipping. In 2018, this start-up won the Hessian Founder’s Prize with its business idea.
These drinks replace a complete meal
The start-up from Munich offers drinks that are intended to replace a full meal and can even be kept outside of the fridge. While many livelihoods have already been destroyed by the Corona crisis, the founders of YFood were able to benefit from the pandemic. Because many people were afraid that the food could run out and bought pasta, toilet paper and flour as well as: liquid food. According to the founder, YFood drinks contain proteins, vitamins, fiber, carbohydrates, minerals and important omega fatty acids. On the other hand, preservatives and flavor enhancers are not used. By the end of 2020, the start-up, known from the TV show “Die Höhle der Löwen”, even expects sales in the mid double-digit millions.
Swimwear made from marine debris
With their fashion label Lanasia, the two sisters Lisa-Maria and Anna-Sophia Beck prove that you can not only make a profit with your business idea, but also do something good. Because the company manufactures clothing from recycled material and thus makes a decisive contribution to environmental protection. While, according to the environmental organization WWF, a truckload of plastic (external link) flows into the oceans every minute, there are organizations that fish the garbage out of the water and then use it to make recycled fabrics such as nylon. This is processed into a fine fabric, from which the founding sisters have swimwear made.
Ready arranged plant sets for the balcony
The founders of The Plant Box want to beautify the urban balconies in Germany. To this end, the founders have developed a business concept with which they supply German city households with ready-made flower boxes. The special thing about the finished boxes is that the plant creations are contained in an organic plant sock made of sheep’s wool and only have to be taken out of the box and placed in your own balcony box to plant them. The large number of people who have a balcony or terrace shows that the new business idea can appeal to a large target group. According to Statista, this was around 58 million people in 2019 (external link). But if you look around, especially in the cities, the balconies are mostly dreary and empty. One reason for this is that many city dwellers find it very difficult to access hardware or plant stores, as these are usually located far from the cities. Another obstacle is also carrying the soil and plants. Elderly and disabled people in particular are at a disadvantage here. With their business idea, the founders hope not only to offer everyone the opportunity to beautify their own balcony, but also to make a decisive contribution to climate protection and the cityscape.
Meditation app for kids
Especially during the corona pandemic, meditation and mindfulness are a good way to reduce stress and tension caused by social restrictions and insecurities. Apps, programs and online courses on the subject abound. But what options are there for children? The Berlin start-up Aumio has the solution. With their free app, they want to teach the little ones to meditate in order to master the challenges caused by the corona pandemic. The training, which can be used immediately at home, consists of four courses with a total of more than 50 exercises that are playfully packaged. The offer was developed together with scientists from the field of psychology. According to the founders, the app has another important advantage for children in addition to reducing stress: Regular meditation strengthens the ability to concentrate. The start-up is a spin-off from Freie Universität Berlin. The founders received the Exist start-up grant for the realization of their business idea.
Tip: starting a business for students
App transmits information directly to the brain
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over a billion people worldwide suffer from neurological diseases. At the same time, the market for neurotechnological therapies for such diseases is growing disproportionately fast. The company foundation Ceregate starts here with its business idea by developing a computer-brain interface platform that can transfer different information into the human brain. The company founders from Munich are using their software to further develop a process that has been used in the field of neurology for years: the so-called deep brain stimulation. In this case, hardware is inserted into the central nervous system, which can treat tremors, gait disorders and epilepsy through impulses sent out. This is where the Ceregate software comes in, by reading information from the evaluated data using artificial intelligence and then transferring it to the brain. This technology can help Parkinson’s patients, for example, by providing pulses that enable them to walk. The start-up received funding from High-Tech Gründerfonds for its business idea.