Wanted & Found: The Degree of Innovation, Relevance, Courage, Market Potential and Exportability
The five of sixty-eight submissions selected by the jury for their business ideas are Anuvad, Specs to go, Varia Instruments, Streax and Petit Mai. The participants are now looking forward to a one-year sponsorship program in which they will be accompanied by coaches and (creative) industry experts to develop their business ideas, bring their products and services to market, and trade them.
Symbiotic and seamless combination of E-textile technology with traditional Indian craftsmanship, an extremely flat pair of reading glasses with a sophisticated case, handmade quality instruments for DJs and music professionals, a mobile eSports platform and fair-produced fashion from Freiburg—these are the five business ideas that the jury selected based on the criteria of innovation, relevance, courage and market potential/export capability. They were selected from 68 submitted applications from all over the country in one two-stage selection process to participate in the Creative Hub grant 2019/2020.
What You Know and Who You Know
“It's no easy task to select the right candidates from the applications,” says Lela Scherrer, jury member and fashion and concept designer from Basel. Scherrer continues, "In addition to the business idea, the human being and team behind it are important. We have drawn our attention to those who have the biggest potential for further development, even if adaptation of the original business idea is required.” The participants are now looking forward to a one-year sponsorship program in which they will be accompanied by coaches and (creative) industry experts to develop their business ideas, bring their products and services to market, and trade them. Creative Hub also provides networking opportunities with the relevant economic players. "It’s not always what you know but who you know", says Daniel Schaffo, president of the Creative Hub.
The five Participants
ANUVAD by Chhail Khalsa - ANUVAD deals with the symbiotic and seamless combination of E-textile technology with traditional Indian craftsmanship. In close collaboration with Bhujodi craftsmen in western India, a series of heated carpets, heating pads and LED stoles has been developed with the circuit integrated into the fabric. The products combine the potential of traditional craftsmanship with the latest technology.
READ ON by Sandra Kaufmann, Monika Fink and Will Lloyd - READ ON is an extremely flat pair of reading glasses with a sophisticated case. Almost every third person uses reading glasses, which are often lost or scratched in their pockets. The product works against this as it is reduced, functional, compact and unisex with a very unique design.
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VARIA INSTRUMENTS by Simon Schär and Marcel Schneider - VARIA INSTRUMENTS produces handmade quality instruments for DJs and music professionals as opposed to that offered by cheap mass production: The Bernese company VARIA INSTRUMENTS stands for the best quality and longevity. Their philosophy—a reduction down to essentials—is reflected in their unique products handcrafted in Switzerland.
STREAX by Flurin Jenal and Qinzhu Xu - STREAX is a mobile eSports platform. The eSports market is growing rapidly, but it is still dominated by complex desktop titles for hardcore gamers. STREAX democratizes eSports by applying competitive tournaments for prize money (sponsored by corporations or by the crowd itself) to the mobile lifestyle: anyone with a smartphone can easily act as either an eSports athlete or tournament organizer.
PETIT MAI by Anne Tu Quoc - Every product from PETIT MAI has its own story: those told when sewing the products. PETIT MAI, based in the Swiss city of Freiburg, not only produces fairly but is also quite exciting. Those sitting beside the sewing machines include the founder’s (Anne Tu Quoc) grandfather, her two sons and a Syrian asylum seeker who led a tailor's studio before his escape as well as a few pensioners and farmers from the immediate vicinity. Not only do the blankets, leather finches, hats and other accessories made of environmentally friendly materials reach out to all customers, but so does the story of Petit Mai and its creators.
