Tœrn and 5pectre Optix in final of Female StartAperitivo

2 September 2022

More venture capital for female founders in north Germany

The Hamburg-based Tœrn and 5pectre Optix start-ups will pitch their businesses to potential investors in the finals of the Female StartAperitivo in Knust Hamburg on Thursday (September 15, 2022 ). The two were among eight female finalists from north Germany to qualify on August 31, 2022 as part of the Female Founders scheme, launched by the City of Hamburg. Female founders accounted for a share of only 18 per cent in 2021 despite rising figures and frequently have less developed networks especially for financing, according to the Female Founders Monitor 2020 (FFM).

Founders to meet potential parntners and investors

The founder of Tœrn, Eva Aumüller, is tackling the rate of returns in online retail which has reached up to 50 per cent in some industries. In many cases, returns could be sent to other customers without being sent back to the online retailer first thereby saving costs, effort and emissions. The start-up is now in the pilot phase and seeks companies that would like to try out the procedure with Tœrn.

Fakes or genuine products

Dr. Ekaterina Zapolnova, founder of 5pectre Optix has developed the "world's smallest broadband spectrometer". (A spectrometer is a device that can be used to examine whether, for instance, a vegan lipstick is actually vegan or to distinguish real and fake diamonds from each other.) Her spectrometer costs significantly less than conventional devices and offers a wide range of applications in a growing market.

The Female StartAperitivo scheme gives female entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet investors and business angels and to grow their network and knowledge of financing. First held in 2021 by the Hamburg Investors Network (HIN), this year's event features workshops and master classes. Free tickets for the final are available here. The scheme also foresees a dinner with investors later on.
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