Laupheim students triumph in the national competition with a smart app!

Laupheim students triumph in the national competition with a smart app!

In the pulsating heart of Berlin, more precisely in the Axel Springer high-rise, an innovative project was brought into the spotlight: the app “Timeable”, developed by a fresh team of young entrepreneurs from Germany, won the “Startup Teens” challenge in the “Apps and AI Applications” category. Jakob Zick from Laupheim and his business partners Ben Tovote, Valentin Hemm and Johannes Schießl were pleased to receive prize money of 10,000 euros, which they now want to invest in the further development of their app. The wise guys in this campaign have a clear goal: to make everyday school life easier for their classmates through intelligent organization of timetables, homework and appointments. This is reported by Schwäbische.de.

Taking part in the challenge was no walk in the park. Over 1,000 projects from more than 5,000 students from all over Germany competed for the best ideas. The “Startup Teens” challenge, which took place for the tenth time this year, is organized by the non-profit organization “Startup Teens”. In addition to the prize money, the founders were also able to win business coaching with Stefanie Senger, the managing partner of the Senger car dealership group.

A team with big plans

All four team members are between 16 and 17 years old and found each other through the career network LinkedIn and the “Startup Teens” Bavaria Challenge. While Jakob attends the Carl Laemmle High School in Laupheim, Ben Tovote and Valentin Hemm go to the Marktbreit High School near Würzburg together, while Johannes Schießl goes to school in Munich. To make “Timeable” a reality, they took on different roles; Valentin and Johannes in particular are responsible for the programming.

“Timeable” aims to avoid the chaos of papers and forgotten tasks in everyday school life. The app automatically assigns tasks by subject, deadline and priority. Particularly practical: It offers AI-supported speech recognition and allows homework to be recorded using a photo. The interface is designed to allow users to customize its design while reducing the effort of daily use to less than a minute.

Space for innovation and support

A look at the overarching “Startup Teens” program shows how important it is to promote tech entrepreneurship for students in grades 7 to 12. The aim is to encourage students to develop their entrepreneurial skills through technology-supported projects. The program offers mentorship and practical guidance in areas such as coding and AI, as well as the opportunity to pitch projects to investors and win prizes. Those who wish can also gain access to internships with global companies.

In addition, there are regular events that serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and ideas. The “Startup Future” initiative organizes free online conferences where interested teachers and student company supervisors can exchange ideas. The target group is just as broad as the topics covered there: from business model development to pitching methods.

In addition to further technical development, Jakob and his team want to use the prize money to set up a GmbH, for which they need share capital. Marketing expenses and attending educational fairs are also firmly planned. A good knack for innovative solutions could make waves for young entrepreneurs not only in the school sector, but also beyond. We'll be hearing more from these creative minds soon!