The student team Feram convinced the jury with their program that automatically finds software errors and were selected as the winner of the fourth Business Plan Competition of Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). For the first time, the competition was held in cooperation with the HPI Seed Fund. On the afternoon of 13 September, students Adrian Sieber (24) and Benjamin Karran (28) received the award of seed capital and support totaling € 100,000 to implement their business idea.
The founder duo pitched a user-friendly and open program that automatically finds and fixes errors in software. “Many errors that occur in software today cost companies money, time, and nerves, although this situation could be prevented with automated error detection and correction,” says Adrian Sieber. Feram’s advantage, when compared to other software, is found in a simple integration. “We want to use the award to implement more modules in the program and to acquire our first customers so that Feram becomes known,” says Benjamin Karran. Both founders studied IT-systems engineering at HPI.
Altogether 27 founder teams associated with HPI took part in the competition. Three of them made it to the finale after several selection rounds.
“Despite the very good job offers for IT professionals in all sectors, many students have the desire and the will to attempt to make their own business ideas a reality and set off on the path to self-employment. It is our goal to support their promising ideas,” says the HPI Institute Director and CEO, Professor Christoph Meinel. Together with other the jury members, Yair Re'em, Managing Partner of Hasso Plattner Ventures, Christoph Hartmann, HPI alumnus and co-founder of VulcanoSec, and Dr. Manuel Effenberg, Head of the E-School, Meinel congratulated the winners and handed over a symbolic check for € 100,000.
