The Swiss venture capital company, Investiere, the Hamburg-based IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH and the Business Angels network invested around EUR 1.6 million in Sympatient in a seed financing round in June. Under its business model, patients with anxiety disorders can undergo digital therapy from the comfort of their home using VR headsets and an app. Founded in 2017 by Christian Angern, Julian Angern and Benedikt Reinke, Sympatient won the 2019 Founder's Award presented by the City of Hamburg.
The Hamburg-based e-health company, Sympatient, has been named Germany's fastest growing start-up in a nationwide study published in June by the Glassdollar agency in Berlin. Six Hamburg-based companies featured in the top 100 including Express Steuer GmbH (13th) and the Stadtsalat GmbH e-commerce firm in 51st place.
VR used to fight anxiety
Five more Hanseatic start-ups in top 100
Other Hamburg-based start-ups in Glassdollar's top 100 (June 2020) include Express Steuer GmbH. Founded only last year, the legal start-up ranked 13th and is developing AI-based software to automate the submission of German tax returns. The travel start-up Travelsation UG (20th place) offers a platform for private group travel. Stadtsalat GmbH ranked 51st with its delivery service for bowls of salads in Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt. Meanwhile, the Localyze start-up for relocating, international employees came 72nd with its all-in-one software solution. The Bio-Lutions start-up in 100th place offers sustainable packaging and disposable tableware solutions made from plant residues.
Criteria - growth and new hires
The study is based on 16,000 German companies with a start-up character, technology business model and that have been in existence for less than 20 years. According to Glassdollar, growth based on size and new hires are the determining criteria. Financing, website hits and the number of social media followers are also accounted for in the index value.
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