FietsAlarmering wins Rabo Entrepreneur Award

Hanze UAS student Joris Koops took home the €10,000 prize yesterday, with his startup company FietsAlarmering. A total of 79 students competed for the Rabo Entrepreneur awards, with three finalists pitching their startup in front of the jury during the Grand Final. University of Groningen student Tristan Hofman came in second with his company Gaiafoods and Hanze student Kenny Nuijens came in third with Buffelbox.

Ons ecosysteem

After seven weeks of preparing, fine tuning, online workshops, coaching sessions and masterclasses on entrepreneurship, the three students made it to the finals, which were supposed to take place in April, but had to be postponed because of the pandemic. The jury consisted of Rabobank Stad en Midden Groningen director Peter Schey, Lusanne Tehupuring from Founded in Groningen and Excap owner Ivo van de Boer.
 

Bike alarm, insect based food and self sustaining storage

Third prize went to Buffelbox, a startup that transforms old shipping containers into self sustaining storage for sports gear, allowing people living in poverty to play the sports they want. Second prize went to Gaiafoods, a startup dedicated to producing healthy and sustainable food made from insects. FietsAlarmering took home first prize, with an alarm system on bicycles designed to help the elderly in case of an emergency or accident. When the alarm registers the bike falling down, designated contacts are notified with a text and the exact location of the bike, as well as directions to get there.