Winners of Hamburg's Founder Prize announced

14 September 2021

Haspa and Hamburger Abendblatt present award for start-ups, up-and-comers and lifetime achievement

Beagle Systems drone developer, Ankerkraut spice producer and the packaging entrepreneur Karl-Heinz Hebrok won the Founder Prize 2021 in the categories "Start-up", "Up-and-Coming" and "Lifetime Achievement" Monday (September 7, 2021) during a ceremony in St. Pauli’s Fischauktionshalle. Launched by the Hamburger Sparkasse (Haspa) and the Hamburger Abendblatt daily in 2001, the awards honour entrepreneurial initiative, daring and success across the Hamburg Metropolitan Region.

Beagle Systems proves most successful startup

The most successful start-up award went to Beagle Systems, which develops and operates long-range drones up to 200 kilometres and up to three kilogrammes payload to monitor infrastructure and transport medicines. The firm is among the first to fly long-range and out of sight of the remote pilot. Flights all over Germany are controlled remotely from Hamburg. Four German states have already issued permits after test flights were successfully completed. Founders Oliver Lichtenstein, Jerry Tang and Mitja Wittersheim secured Exist funding from the German Ministry for Economics and Energy (BMWi) and InnoRampUp funding from the Hamburg Investment and Development Bank (IFB Hamburg).

Ankerkraut wins up-and-coming award

The founders of Ankerkraut, Anne and Stefan Lemcke, scooped the prize in the up-and-coming category after convincing the investor Frank Thelen on VOX TV's "The Lions' Den" show in 2016. The spices are now sold in most major food retailers across Germany. The company has four branches near Hamburg and employs over 170 staff in production, shipping, logistics, marketing and sales. Ankerkraut has five stores in Germany's metropolitan regions as well as an online store.

Lifetime achievement award for Karl-Heinz Hebrok

Meanwhile, Karl-Heinz Hebrok, Managing Partner of Cartoflex, accepted the award for lifetime achievement. The company began producing corrugated board packaging in 1979 and now leads the sector in north Germany. In 2012, Hebrok began production with the Lünewell company. Cartoflex consists of five companies based in Lüneburg, Hamburg and Bad Oldesloe and employs over 200 staff and supplies 1,200 customers.
cb/sb/pb