GFFU
New perspectives

Since 2017, the GFFU granted a contest in favor of an outstanding startup idea in realizing this idea. It was named the “GFFU Startup Contest”. After seven successul contests, in the years 2024 and 2025, however, there was no contest due to organisatoric reasons. 

Now, in 2026 the contest is disclosed: The GFFU is planning some new ideas for startups around the HHU.
For details of these upcoming projects, please refer to the German information pages.

Scrolling down this page you can find some information about former “GFFU Startup Contests”.

The winner team of the 2023 GFFU Startup Award is: Team Steuerboard. Team member Jakob Brandt (middle) and Matyas Sebastian Heins are here next to GFFU President Eduard H. Dörrenberg and HHU President Prof. Anja Steinbeck (Photo: GFFU / Dieter Joswig).

GFFU STARTUP CONTEST GRANT HOLDERS

The winners of the GFFU Startup Contest 2023, Team "Steuerboard", impressed with an innovative business idea: Their Steuerboard app is a new  development of a digital platform in the tax advice field which makes coworking more easy.  The Steuerboard founders and team members Jakob Brandt and Matyas Sebastian Heins are delighted to receive the €50,000 prize money from the GFFU.

The annual funding, spread over 12 months, is intended to enable the concept to be transferred to the application and post-founding stages. The goal is to inspire the startup spirit at HHU as well as to strengthen Düsseldorf as a location for innovation and business.
 

Winners of the Founder Scholarship from 2017

innoMMT (2017)

The winning team of “innoMMT” (innovative, mobile, modular telemedicine) around Lena Ehrenpreis, Fabian Meyer and Christiane Schüle
has developed a mobile hand-held breath test device at the ENT Clinic of the University Hospital Düsseldorf, which can be used for
various diseases such as asthma, lactose intolerance or carbon monoxide poisoning for immediate diagnostics in clinics or doctor's
practices thanks to the “Plug & Pust” approach.

Valvofon (2018)

With the Valvofon, the founding team consisting of Elric Zweck and PD Dr. med. Ralf Westenfeld presented a small phonocardiography
device with built-in microphone and innovative algorithm. It complements the classic stethoscope in the detection of relevant and
treatment-worthy heart valve diseases. The Valvofon is clearly superior to the hearing ability of the human ear and increases the
diagnostic accuracy significantly.

Royal Red Claw (2019)

The founding team Bioneers, consisting of Lucia Donath, Dennis Teutenberg and Victoria Bartholomai, is revolutionizing the farming of freshwater crayfish using an innovative and novel aquaculture method. 

Krauts & Sprouts (2020)

The winning team impressed with the production of a complex fertilizer using microorganisms. With its help, industrial companies should be able to reduce emissions and waste by recycling waste heat, CO2, phosphate-containing wastewater and liquid manure in production.

The research team: Dr. Nicolas Schmelling, Lutz Berwanger, Maximilian Dietsch

Team DNTOX (2021)

The winning team of the 2021 contest impressed with a new alternative testing formula for chemical / pharmaceutical products: With its help, industrial companies should be able to reduce tests with / using animals.

The startup-Team: Dr. Stefan Masjosthusmann, Dr. Katharina Koch and Kristina Bartmann
 

Team SUITCASE (2022)

Team „SUITCASE“ is the winner of the 2022 GFFU Startup Contest. Suitcase is the acronym for „Dispute resolution suitable to your case“ and is innovative digital platform for settlement of legal disputes. Die three founders / team members „Macher“ behind the as „Suitcase UG“ branded Startup are: Tim Fischer, Tim Kniepkamp und Philipp Hertel. 

Team Steuerboard (2023)

in 2023, Team „Steuerboard“ is the winner of the GFFU Startup Contest. Steuerboard is an innovative digital platform for faster and easier coworking in the tax advice field. The two three founders / team members behind this Startup are: Jakob Brandt and Matyas Sebastian Heins. 

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CONTACT

 

Irene Schrader

Managing Director

Gesellschaft von Freunden und Förderern der
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf e.V.

Haus der Universität
Schadowplatz 14
40212 Düsseldorf

Phone + 49 (0)211 8693976-12
Fax + 49(0)211 8693976-19
info@unifreunde-duesseldorf.de

 

Christina Beckmann

Management Assistant

Gesellschaft von Freunden und Förderern der
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf e.V.

Haus der Universität
Schadowplatz 14
40212 Düsseldorf

Phone + 49 (0)211 8693976-10
Fax + 49(0)211 8693976-19
info@unifreunde-duesseldorf.de

New perspectivesGRANT HOLDERSWinners of the Founder Scholarship from 2017CONTACT