The start-ups Vectoflow and CQSE of TU Munich are in the finals of the German Founders Award 2018. On September 11, the winners will be chosen in the ZDF Capital Studio Berlin. Interested people can follow the live stream of the award ceremony.
Behind the young company Vectoflow is Katharina Kreitz, who had the idea during her mechanical engineering studies to develop small, stable and individually adaptable flow sensors. For them, the solution was obvious – 3D printing. This is the only way to design and manufacture sensors according to customer requirements.
A great demand for sensors
What at first glance sounds unspectacular has great effects. This is because the demand for flow sensors is high. Car manufacturers, for example, use the sensors to measure the aerodynamics of their prototypes in the wind tunnel. But they are also used in air conditioning systems, extractor hoods and drones, where currents must also be measured. It is not always just air flows that are analysed. The sensors are also used to determine the flow behaviour of gas, water or oil.
Katharina Kreitz not only recognized the need but also found the right solution with the probes from the 3D printer. Together with the TU graduate Dr. Christian Haigermoser she founded Vectoflow in April 2015. Another partner was the engineer Florian Wehner. Seven permanent employees now work for the young company. They look after customers worldwide and are even suppliers for Formula 1.
Vectoflow was supported by the TU Munich and the Center for Innovation and Foundation, the UnternehmerTUM. This enabled the founders to use consulting services and office space in the incubator as well as MakerSpace, a high-tech workshop. With the help of the Xpreneurs program, they prepare for market entry. Techfounders, another TUM tool for founders, brought them together with potential investors and customers.
Kluge Software
The second TU start-up, which is nominated for the German Founders Award, is called CQSE. The focus of the company is on the development of the “Teamscale” analysis program, with which the further development of software and its adaptations can be monitored. A clever idea, since software is generally subject to fast lifecycles and must always be adapted to new tasks. However, unexpected problems often occur when updating. With Teamscale this can be prevented.
The analysis program does not start with the installation, but with the programming. It monitors whether the new components are compatible with the existing software. This allows conflicts to be localized quickly and resolved immediately. With Teamscale, vulnerabilities in a program quickly become apparent. Even before the installation is clear if something is not right. This not only saves time but above all money.
CQSE is founded by Florian Deißenböck, Martin Feilkas, Benjamin Hummel and Elmar Juergens. All four are graduates of the TU Munich and got to know each other during their doctoral studies. The start-up was founded in 2009 and now employs 33 people. CQSE has been on a rapid growth course since 2014. The company was able to increase sales by up to 30 percent per year. The next step is to establish a subsidiary in the USA.
(Photo: Jooß / TUM)
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