User Group: Start-up

  • Cyber Valley welcomes four start-ups to the Start-up Network

    Cyber Valley welcomes four start-ups to the Start-up Network

     

    Respeak 

    Respeak provides AI assistants for various functions, including technical service, customer support, quality assurance, and knowledge management. Their platform allows businesses to integrate AI capabilities easily, enabling tasks such as answering questions, generating documentation, and transcribing speech.  

    ISTARI AI 

    ISTARI.AI delivers automated market research and lead generation by analyzing a global database of over 100 million entities. Their platform provides real-time insights, helping companies quickly identify trends, competitors, and opportunities for smarter decision-making. 

    Fara.AI 

    Fara.AI offers AI-Analytics for the fashion industry with data-driven insights from social media and photography, enhancing sustainability and market orientation. Their product helps brands stay ahead of the market by providing insights into consumer preferences and future trends. 

      

    Earlytrace 

    Earlytrace uses specific protein biomarkers to analyze protein patterns in blood samples, identifying early signs of breast cancer. The radiation-free AI-powered analysis delivers highly precise predictions on breast cancer sensitivity. 

    These four companies have joined the dynamic Cyber Valley Start-up Network, becoming part of a thriving AI community focused on advancing technology and fostering collaboration among start-ups, researchers, and industry partners. 

  • Cyber Valley Days: Inclusive, diverse, and innovative

    Cyber Valley Days: Inclusive, diverse, and innovative

    In the following interview, Angelina Jukic, Program Manager at Cyber Valley GmbH, shares her experiences of the three-day event.

    What was your personal highlight during Cyber Valley Days?

    My personal highlight during Cyber Valley Days was The AI Incubator Demo Day. As program manager, I had the privilege of guiding young entrepreneurs and researchers as they developed their AI-driven business ideas, alongside my colleague Paul-David Bittner and three experienced coaches: Ralf Allrutz, Olga Mordvinova, and Michael Raschke. Watching the program participants confidently pitch their innovative solutions during Cyber Valley Days to a diverse audience of our community, such as investors and industry experts, was incredibly inspiring.

    What was the most memorable interaction you had during Cyber Valley Days?

    One of the most memorable interactions I had during Cyber Valley Days was meeting with our Japanese program partners. Our discussions were particularly enriching as we explored various opportunities for collaboration. We delved into potential projects that could benefit both our regions. The unique insights and innovative approaches they shared were not only enlightening but also opened exciting possibilities for future joint ventures. This interaction underscored the value of international partnerships and highlighted the global reach and impact of our AI initiatives.

    In what ways did Cyber Valley Days reveal the innovative, collaborative, and diverse culture of the Cyber Valley Community?

    The variety of sessions and activities, such as the Expo, the investor day, and more, allowed different AI communities within our company to come together and share their projects. The cross-functional interactions emphasized our collaborative spirit. Additionally, the diversity of ideas and perspectives presented throughout the event underscored our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where innovations thrive.

    What was your biggest surprise?

    My biggest surprise during Cyber Valley Days was realizing just how large and diverse our AI community already is. It was impressive to see the range of different AI applications being developed within our community. All in all, Cyber Valley Days showed how our community has the potential to drive significant advancements in AI technology.

    Read further interviews with Alina Benze (Business Development Manager, Corporates), Rebecca Beiter (Director of Communication & Society), Janell Lia-Breitmeyer (Scientific Coordinator), and Paul-David Bittner (Business Development Manager, Start-ups) to discover their perspectives on Cyber Valley Days. 

  • Cyber Valley Days: Innovation through collaboration

    Cyber Valley Days: Innovation through collaboration

    In the following interview, Alina Benze, Business Development Manager at Cyber Valley GmbH, shares her experiences of the three-day event.

    What was your key takeaway from Cyber Valley Days?

    One of the standout moments for me was Thomas Reith’s (Site Lead Biberach, Boehringer Ingelheim) speech at the Finale of Cyber Valley Days. He highlighted that Boehringer Ingelheim is already generating 50% of its innovation through external collaboration. This proved the success of a key message I’m always sharing with new or existing members of the Cyber Valley Community. The topic of AI and robotics is so dynamic and development cycles are so short that it is important to partner up with other players to stay ahead in the game.

    Was there a particular moment during Cyber Valley Days that you found especially inspiring?

    Hearing Yann LeCun’s (VP and Chief AI Scientist, Meta) talk was overall a very impressive moment and for sure something extraordinary. Apart from the interesting perspective he shared on the current status of intelligent systems and its limitations, I found the following call-to-action very inspiring: He asked us not to be scared but to appreciate both the people and machines working for us that are also in fact smarter than us. I think this is a very unique attitude from a lead scientist at a global technology company. This should inspire the many others who are leading big and small teams in all forms of organizations – from research institutes, start-ups, SMEs to global corporates.

    Read further interviews with Rebecca Beiter (Director of Communication & Society), Janell Lia-Breitmeyer (Scientific Coordinator), and Paul-David Bittner (Business Development Manager, Start-ups) to discover their perspectives on Cyber Valley Days. 

  • Cyber Valley Days: Building a better future

    Cyber Valley Days: Building a better future

    In the following interview, Noora Zech, Chief of Staff for Cyber Valley GmbH, shares her perspective on this three-day event.

    What was your biggest surprise during Cyber Valley Days? 

    It was not the number of visitors but the quality, as well as the international, diverse, and clearly thriving community, which I found impressive and inspiring.

    What did you learn about the Cyber Valley Community?

    I was amazed at how big our community is. It is one thing to talk about what we are and what we do on an abstract level but seeing it in real life made me realize how much we have achieved and how we’ve grown. Our community spans the excellent research from the Max-Planck Institutes, and the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen; post-docs and students establishing start-ups; partners from industry enabling transfer; worldwide collaborations with institutions and companies such as Silo AI, Seoul AI Hub, AIIS, and the University of Tokyo who are expanding and maximizing our potential. All these ultimately benefit society. 

    I love it when people come together to create something for the better! 

    What was your personal highlight from Cyber Valley Days and what were your key takeaways?

    I had the chance to listen to Sepp Hochreiter’s interview, which was both exciting and funny. To see the person who invented LSTM (long short-term memory) felt a bit surreal. 

    Even though there were many high-ranking scientists present, it was reassuring how smart yet normal they were, and I felt I could relate to them.

    On the other hand, they also pointed out what we still lack and what we need to work on in the future to achieve our vision of using AI for the greater good of the world. As an example, we need more pragmatic and realistic regulations to enable innovative research and spin-offs. We should encourage scientists to stay in research and support them with the resources they need.  We must rethink and recreate the current system if we want innovation and solutions.

    Read further interviews with Angelina Jukic (Program Manager), Alina Benze (Business Development Manager, Corporates), Rebecca Beiter (Director of Communication & Society), Janell Lia-Breitmeyer (Scientific Coordinator), and Paul-David Bittner (Business Development Manager, Start-ups) to discover their perspectives on Cyber Valley Days. 

     
  • Cyber Valley Days: Bringing together AI visionaries

    Cyber Valley Days: Bringing together AI visionaries

    In the following interview, Paul-David Bittner, Business Development Manager at Cyber Valley GmbH, shares his perspective on the three-day event. 

    What was your personal highlight from Cyber Valley Days? 

    The Demo Day for The AI Incubator was my personal highlight. It was amazing to see eight teams pitch their start-up ideas to such a large audience and a top-notch panel of judges. I was really proud to see their progress and how everyone outdid themselves on the day.

    Which session did you find most inspiring?

    The Investor & Deep Tech Day really brought the crème de la crème of the investment world to Cyber Valley. It was inspiring to hear their panel discussions and opinions on the AI start-up scene in Germany and Europe. Their presence and interest clearly demonstrated the high potential of these promising young deep-tech start-ups coming out of our community.

     
    How did Cyber Valley Days help reinforce a sense of community?

    It was great to see brilliant people from all kinds of backgrounds – start-ups, researchers, corporations, and politicians – mixing and mingling, and sharing ideas and visions. I am sure many of them made new connections that will lead to fruitful collaborations and more in the future.

    Cyber Valley's Start-up Network builds and fosters a community of entrepreneurs. Learn more about the network and apply to join here.

    The next round of The AI Incubator will start on November 7. Learn more about The AI Incubator here. 

    Read our interviews with Rebecca Beiter (Director of Communication & Society) and Janell Lia-Breitmeyer (Scientific Coordinator) to discover their perspectives on Cyber Valley Days. 

  • Cyber Valley Days: Inspiring the AI of the future

    Cyber Valley Days: Inspiring the AI of the future

    How did Cyber Valley Days help reinforce a sense of community within Cyber Valley?

    During the Corona pandemic, it was not possible to meet in person. Even though we made quite a few online formats for the community to meet each other, real dialogue, networking, and exchange are just easier in person. With our Meet-ups and other regular events, we built a sense of community. Cyber Valley Days made it possible for our community to meet and network to an unprecedented extent. It was really great to see how much we have grown over the years and how diverse, varied, and international our community has become.

    What was the most memorable interaction you had during Cyber Valley Days?

    For me, the conversations with Yann LeCun were particularly memorable, along with many great memories. His view of AI is very hopeful and his assessments of the future of AI are based on a broad range of specialist knowledge. Despite his expert knowledge, he manages to explain AI and current developments in a way that is easily accessible and understandable for everyone – this was particularly impressive for me as a communicator. 

    Which session did you find most impactful or inspiring and why?

    Cyber Valley Days had an incredibly dense and top-class program of speakers. Nevertheless, the finale of The AI Incubator remains the highlight for me, because this is where I see young people with new ideas on how technology can make the world a better place. They are all driven by an inner motivation to use AI sensibly, sustainably, and for the benefit of all. Their ideas inspire me each time!

    Read further interviews with the Cyber Valley Team here!

     
  • Cyber Valley Days: Start-ups and scientists connect

    Cyber Valley Days: Start-ups and scientists connect

    In this series of interviews on Cyber Valley Days, we share behind-the-scenes stories and personal experiences of this three-day celebration from the Cyber Valley Team. Our first interview is with Janell Lia-Breitmayer, Scientific Coordinator for Cyber Valley GmbH.  

    What were your highlights during Cyber Valley Days? 

    One of the standout features of Cyber Valley Days was the sheer number of start-ups present. Scientists were genuinely impressed by the diversity and breadth of fields in which these start-ups are engaged. One scientist remarked that the Community Expo during Day 1 felt “almost like a top scientific conference” and found it “very rewarding.” It was especially gratifying to hear our partners praise the event: RHET AI told me, “This expo is so great, you are our hero!”. 

    The visual aspects of the event were equally striking. Unlike typical science conferences where only a few banners are displayed, the Community Expo featured numerous banners, providing ample opportunities for conversations between scientists and representatives from various sectors. Some of the scientists I spoke to were surprised by the number of AI and robotics start-ups in Cyber Valley. This was an eye-opener for many, highlighting the growth and variety of innovative projects underway. 

    What was one of your key takeaways from the event? 

    Bernhard Schölkopf made a poignant comment about the role of technology in addressing global challenges like climate mitigation, emphasizing that climate mitigation “cannot be solved by political solutions alone, but with technological solutions”. This sentiment resonated deeply with many attendees.  

    What surprised you the most about Cyber Valley Days? 

    I was amazed at how much Cyber Valley has grown: there are so many scientists who are part of our community! The diversity of our partners is also impressive, spanning science, industry, and society. This growth is a testament to the collaborative spirit and innovative ecosystem Cyber Valley cultivates.