KUGU sichert sich 8,5 Millionen Euro für die Dekarbonisierung der Immobilienbranche
With its holistic solution for energy data management, KUGU prevailed in the final of the competition and was honored with a pilot project
As part of the Gewobag Innovation and Startup Program, the Innovation Prize was presented in Berlin on November 25, 2021. The competition focused on innovative features, use cases and ideas for analyzing and processing data that has already been collected in order to sustainably improve Gewobag's CO₂ balance sheet. With its platform for digital building management, KUGU impressed in terms of degree of innovation, feasibility, profitability and strategic fit and was awarded 1st place. 2nd and 3rd place went to Green Fusion and a cooperation between Delta Heat and Green Fusion. The start-ups Building Minds and Leanheat Building were also in the finals.
From 40 applications, five innovative ideas made it to the final
The award ceremony was opened by presenter Tobias Kaufmann, who, together with finalists and jury chairman Sven Harke-Kajuth, broadcasted live from the Gewobag innovation house Bülow90. After a video greeting from Gewobag CEO Snezana Michaelis, Sven Harke-Kajuth, CDO and Head of Digitalization and Group Services at Gewobag AG and Managing Director of Gewobag ID, gave a brief review of the competition and the selection process of the finalists. “From the first round of elimination, the level of all projects presented was particularly high, making the decision more and more difficult for us. All finalists impressed us with their out-of-the-box thinking. ”
The expert jury unanimously awards first place to KUGU's solutions
The five selected finalists presented their proposed solutions in a 6-minute pitch and answered the sometimes critical questions from the jury members who were involved live. The winners were then presented by the expert jury, including Sven Harke-Kajuth from Karsten Mitzinger (managing director of Gewobag ED, energy and service company), Susanne Schmelcher (head of integrated districts and urban heating system dena - Deutsche Energie Agentur GmbH), Peter Burgfried (managing director of Gewobag Mieterberatungsgesellschaft mbH), Beate Albert (head of Smart Cities division at Berlin Partner) and Malte Bädet (division manager of Gewobag Mieterberatungsgesellschaft mbH) Head of Organizational and Personnel Development), determined. An intensive discussion followed, from which KUGU finally emerged unanimously as the winner and the prize was accepted by Christopher von Gumppenberg, founder and managing director of KUGU Home GmbH. With first place, KUGU is pleased to receive an entry fee of 20,000 euros and a two-month practical sprint to further develop the solution. This will be followed by the joint implementation of the pilot project worth up to 150,000 euros. “We are delighted to receive the award and the trust placed in our solutions. We see the upcoming pilot project as a great opportunity to establish the issue of CO₂ balance in building management,” says Christopher von Gumppenberg.
The joint pilot project focuses on greater sustainability
The Gewobag Innovation Prize is part of the innovation and start-up program of the state-owned housing company, which also includes Gewobag ID, Gesellschaft für Innovation, Digitalisierung und Geschäftsfeldentwicklung mbH, founded at the beginning of June. As a municipal housing company with over 72,000 residential units in Berlin, Gewobag is important to provide all tenants with heat, electricity and water efficiently and without interruption. In particular, in order to make the heat supply more sustainable and to reduce CO₂ emissions, Gewobag has placed energy data management and the development of a corresponding platform at the top of the agenda. With KUGU, she has found a professional partner for joint implementation.
