Rewarded with AI software that calculates precise ingredient costs in restaurants and a rechargeable battery for road construction lights

The first “Inventors & Pre-Incubation Programme” at NOI Techpark has been successfully concluded. It was a support programme for people who aspire to found a start-up and, new this year, also for inventors.
The South Tyrolean technology park has in fact extended its services for start-ups to individuals and teams with an innovative product idea. The space needed to do so already existed: in the Maker Space prototyping laboratory, participants were able to give shape to their ideas and develop an MVP, i.e. a first demonstrable prototype, with the help of experts.
A total of 33 people, with business or product ideas, applied for the first “Inventors & Pre-Incubation Programme”.
Four teams in the Pre-Incubation phase and three teams of inventors were selected and supported at NOI for six months: with coaching, personalized advice from mentors, experts, research of financing opportunities and suitable funding, feasibility analysis, access to technology and expertise and much more. At the final demo day at the Techpark, six teams presented themselves to a specialized jury.

From bitebase a platform to optimize food costs in public establishments

One business model and product idea particularly impressed the jury: the bitebase Pre-Incubation team has developed a platform that uses artificial intelligence to improve order and inventory management in restaurants and optimize food costs. The interesting aspects of this business idea are not only the possibility of working more profitably as a catering company and at the same time offering customers a price based on the actual use of the products, but also the possibility of avoiding surpluses and therefore food waste in the future thanks to artificial intelligence.
Winning the Inventors & Pre-Incubation Programme secures the team an additional six months of free support in the Start-up Incubator at NOI Techpark.

From AVIakku a reusable battery for roadwork signal lanterns

The Inventors team at AVIakku, on the other hand, worked on a rechargeable battery for construction site signal lights, which was not available on the market until now. Manuel Oberkalmsteiner is pleased with the victory and the expert support from NOI:

“The Inventors & Pre-Incubation Programme gave us the opportunity to realise our dream of starting our own company, providing us with support in areas where we didn’t have the necessary expertise. The Maker Space was particularly useful for developing prototypes and getting familiar with new technologies that we may be able to use in production in the future.”

And the four-person AVIakku team can put this into practice right away: the prize for the best Inventors team, awarded to them during the demo day, is a one-year subscription for free use of the Maker Space in the NOI Techpark.

Werner Tomasi: “Pleased with the new service for inventive minds in South Tyrol”

One person is particularly pleased that, for the first time, the NOI is also explicitly supporting inventors: Werner Tomasi, an early South Tyrolean inventor, was the driving force behind this innovation.

“I am very pleased that, together with NOI Techpark, we have been able to create a new service for inventive minds in South Tyrol. This program aims to give inventors and developers the opportunity to receive professional support and guidance along the way. I will always be available with my experience and knowledge,”

said Werner Tomasi, who accompanied the participating teams as an expert during the six months of the program.

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