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Press Release from 2021-10-29 / Group

Circunomics GmbH is the national winner of the KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award, HEYHO GmbH receives the Special Award for Social Entrep

Since 1998, KfW has presented annual awards to companies that distinguish themselves on the market with their business ideas. One company from each of the German Federal States is presented with an award. These 16 winners compete for the national prize. This year it goes to Circunomics GmbH from Mainz, and the prize comes with EUR 9,000. HEYHO GmbH based in Lüneburg received the Special Award for Social Entrepreneurship and EUR 5,000 in prize money. The award was presented at a ceremony in Berlin on the evening of 28 October.

The German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy said, “We need a dynamic start-up environment to keep the German SME sector strong and vibrant into the future. Today’s winners of the KfW awards share a will for change – for intelligent and innovative work and sustainable business ideas. My most sincere congratulations go to the winning teams. They are a role model and an inspiration for others.”

Dr Ingrid Hengster, member of KfW’s Executive Board said, “The KfW Entrepreneurs' Award has established itself throughout Germany as a mark of quality for innovative, creative and socially responsible new business models. The award-winning teams are role models for entrepreneurship and determination. This is particularly true for the founders of Circunomics and HEYHO, and I would like to offer them my warmest congratulations on their wins.”

The clean-tech start-up Circunomics was founded in 2019 as the first cloud-based Internet of Things marketplace for the re-use and recycling of batteries. Relying on artificial intelligence, the platform simplifies and optimises the return and re-sale of electric car batteries to sustainably conserve resources. This can reduce the carbon footprint of batteries by up to 50%. The company is thus tackling one of the biggest challenges of the booming market for e-mobility and renewable energies: sustainable use of battery resources. The battery is the most valuable component of electric cars and energy storage systems but is also the most emission-intensive. The re-use and recycling of batteries is crucial for sustainable use of materials. However, the re-use rate of electric car batteries is currently still very low, despite the fact that used batteries can be employed in an energy storage system for up to another 15 years.

Patrick Peter, CEO of Circunomics said, “All automotive manufacturers and energy companies are sending the same signal: they need a comprehensive platform solution like Circunomics. By giving every battery a digital identity and automating the sales processes, we prove that sustainability does not necessarily have to mean higher costs – on the contrary, sustainability can also mean higher profitability. The KfW Entrepreneurs' Award is evidence of the overall social relevance of sustainable batteries, which is why we are so pleased about the recognition as a leading start-up in this area.”

HEYHO GmbH from Lüneburg was presented with the Special Award for Social Entrepreneurship. The company was founded in 2016 by Stefan Buchholz, Timm Duffner and Christian Schmidt, and produces granola mixes. In the process, the company relies on more than just high-quality organic ingredients – it also, and in particular, relies on a strong and diverse team. HEYHO! employs people who are often marginalised and stigmatised because of their life history. Thus HEYHO! sets an example by offering prospects to everyone – regardless of whether they were previously in prison, had addictions, or suffered from mental illness. There are currently around 30 people with various backgrounds working at HEYHO!, and one third bring a troubled history with them. Together they produce various granola products in the company’s own organic roasting plant. The products are sold in their own online shop as well as in organic stores, gastronomy outlets and retail food shops. The company concept transcends well beyond the manufacturing of products: it tackles a social imbalance and enables people who are otherwise overlooked to earn a fair wage and participate in society.

“We don’t employ people to make granola, we make granola to employ people. Through the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award, we are able to show an even larger circle of people that a modern organic manufacturing company can produce outstanding products while at the same time taking the radical step of placing people in the focus of its business. Social entrepreneurship is fun! Our long-term goal is to inspire other companies to do the same,” says Christian Schmidt, co-founder and Managing Director at HEYHO GmbH.

Around 500 companies from all industries, founded during or after 2016, entered the competition. In a multi-stage process, the award winners were selected by a panel of judges made up of experienced representatives from KfW, promotional institutions, and the worlds of business, politics and media. They assessed the business ideas on their level of innovation, their creativity, and their social and environmental responsibility.

More details are available at KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award and at www.peperonihaus.de/kfw.

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Portrait Wolfram Schweickhardt