The Spirit of AIConnects 2025: Collaboration, Insight, Momentum
On April 23, 2025, the second edition of AIConnects brought together the vibrant AI ecosystem of Hesse at Centralstation Darmstadt – welcoming participants from research, startups, industry, and the PyCon DE & PyData 2025 community.
The Finalists Are Set – and the Winners, Too
Six startups took the stage at the AI Startup Competition Finals, presenting innovative approaches and demonstrating how diverse and practical artificial intelligence can be today:
- AutonomIQ – autonomous CAM systems for the manufacturing industry
- BrAIniacs – generative AI solutions for SMEs
- DataNXT – multi-agent systems for real-time financial data analysis
- Deep Golf – AI coaching for the perfect golf swing
- Exoheal – AI-powered rehabilitation gloves for home use
- MediEm – voice-controlled AI-based patient call system
After a close jury decision, the winners were announced:
🥇 1st Place: MediEm
🥈 2nd Place: AutonomIQ
🥉 3rd Place & Audience Award: Exoheal
Kenza Ait Si Abbou: Real Talk on Scaling, Data & Diversity
Kenza Ait Si Abbou, a renowned AI expert and advocate for ethical and diverse tech, shared her hands-on insights about the real challenges startups face when scaling AI products. Her key message: Many startups build “plug-and-play” solutions, but often the “plug” is missing on the company side – meaning infrastructure, data quality, and standards are not in place.
“Startups sometimes spend more time consulting than developing their product. Choose customers who are truly ready for your solution – and don’t be afraid to say no.”
In addition to technical excellence, she emphasized the importance of diverse teams: different perspectives and skill sets are essential for creating meaningful and user-friendly products.
Accelerator Panel: Insights from the Field
During the panel discussion with teams from the AI Startup Rising Accelerator – including daidream, dianovi, chamelaion, and deep LS – founders shared lessons learned around go-to-market strategies, team building, and current market dynamics.
Key takeaways included:
- Identifying the right stakeholder within a company early on is crucial.
- Personal customer interviews and clear feedback loops drive validation.
- “Understand your own processes before building your team.” (dianovi)
Strategic Partnership: hessian.AI and Futury Join Forces
A major highlight of the evening was the announcement of a new strategic collaboration:
The Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.AI) and Futury have joined forces to create a seamless path from AI research to market success.
By combining the research-driven approach of AI Startup Rising | hessian.AI with Futury’s industry-focused programs, the partnership strengthens the continuous support system for AI startups in Hesse – from scientific idea to international scaling.
Key components of the partnership include:
- A coordinated funding process – from early validation to growth financing
- Access to powerful infrastructure – including one of Europe’s leading AI clusters and a modern innovation hub in Frankfurt
- A focus on the targeted use of AI tools to support startups
This marks a strong step forward for innovation and startup development in the region.
Acknowledging All Who Made AIConnects 2025 Possible
The hessian.AI team would like to thank everyone who contributed to making AIConnects 2025 a success:
The startup finalists, the AI Startup Rising team, moderator Meike Neitz, all speakers, the jury members Kevin Bauer, Nina Heiler, Melissa Ott, Eduard Singer, Inna Vogel, and of course Kenza Ait Si Abbou for her inspiring perspective on the challenges and opportunities in AI.
Special thanks also go to the additional participants of the AI Startup Competition:
dost, Fit with Hit, Implyt, mitra labs, museful, MyoMod, pi_optimal, RentenNavi, Status.ai, Talero AI – the hessian.AI team is proud to have these promising projects as part of the growing ecosystem.
Photo: Yasemin Sevincli
