Winner and Jury of Newcomer Challenge 2025
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ALTENPFLEGE Newcomer Challenge

What is the Newcomer Challenge?

For many years, the Start-Up Challenge (Newcomer Challenge from 2026) has been the gateway to the elderly care market for young companies and new players in the care industry. The competition offers nominees the opportunity to present their products, services and concepts to an expert audience over three intensive days and to establish contacts for the next steps. Visitors to the trade fair experience innovative ideas here and can help shape the future of care with their important input.

The Aveneo and Newcomer Challenge area at ALTENPFLEGE Fair

What are we looking for?

The Newcomer Challenge is looking for analogue and digital solutions for care in a wide range of application scenarios, e.g. quality of life for the cared-for, promotion and appreciation of professionals in elderly care, self-determined living, relief and integration of caregiving relatives, shortage of skilled workers as well as process control and management. 

Nominations were made in one of the following categories:

  • Concept & Strategy
  • Documentation & Communication
  • Smart Objects & Solutions
  • Living & Care

The nominees in the category Documentation & Communication

Copetec Produktbild

COPETEC offers a digital health world with certified ICT prevention courses for best agers in accordance with §20 SGB V. The focus is on the areas of exercise, stress management, and resource management. The offering is supplemented by short exercise routines, self-tests for strength, mobility, and balance, a digital community, and practical additional courses, such as first aid for family caregivers.

All applications can be used anytime, anywhere, do not require any equipment, and can be flexibly integrated into everyday (care) life. The aim is to holistically strengthen the physical and mental health of all groups of people, prevent falls and complaints, and thus promote independence and quality of life, which also provides long-term relief for caregivers. 

edoer Logo

eDoer is an AI-powered platform that modernizes healthcare training by automating and personalizing curricula. With its integrated AI assistant, internal protocols or open medical resources can be quickly converted into structured learning modules.

Key features:

Personalized learning: Individual learning paths for caregivers based on competency profiles and roles.

Onboarding & compliance: Efficient training of new employees and automatic updates when guidelines change.

Patient education: Provides patients with understandable, structured content on diseases and therapies. 

Klarocare Teamfoto

KlaroCare is a digital solution for care facilities that records and processes admission interviews. Conversations with clients are recorded in a structured manner in real time and automatically converted into cost estimates, action plans, and other follow-up documents. This eliminates duplicate entries, media breaks, and time-consuming follow-up work.

In particular, upcoming costs for outpatient care can be discussed directly on site with all parties involved and adjusted as necessary. This means that all parties know from the outset of care which services have been agreed upon and what costs will be incurred. 

Pflege-ABC Produktbild

Pflege ABC is a digital learning and support platform: it empowers family caregivers and supports professional caregivers. It closes gaps in care provision by offering easy-to-understand care knowledge, video tutorials, and tools such as a care level calculator. The content is evidence-based, developed with care experts, and available 24/7. Throughout the care journey, Pflege ABC stabilizes home arrangements and reduces overload and escalations. Outpatient services and inpatient facilities benefit particularly during admission, transition, and discharge: family members are better prepared, queries decrease, and time for core tasks increases. As a provider under §45 SGB XI, the service is free of charge for those with statutory health insurance.

Zenkopa Produktbild

Zenkopa is a comprehensive digital solution for organizing nursing training. The software bundles processes such as assignment and training planning, documentation, and communication centrally in one system – in compliance with GDPR and other legal requirements. Training providers, nursing schools, practical instructors, and trainees alike benefit from transparency, time savings, and modern, paperless coordination. 

The nominees in the category Living & Care

Multifunktionales Hochbeet Produktbild

The multifunctional raised bed Frida combines inclusion, design, and functionality. The basic model features stepless electric height adjustment, a wheelchair-accessible stainless steel planting tray with a false bottom and water drainage, and heavy-duty casters with locking brakes for flexible indoor and outdoor use. A contact strip provides reliable protection against crushing and pinching. A storage table and tool bar make work easier.

Frida can be individually expanded with additional elements such as a viewing window, worm vase, grow light, or an orientation aid in the form of a bronze sparrow.

Available in three sizes (S, M, L), the raised bed has been partially tested for structural safety, tilt resistance, and stability. 

kwer Produktbild

kwer makes (no) difference. It is suitable for young and old, for people with and without disabilities. kwer means independence when eating.

kwer is based on the needs of people for whom eating with conventional tableware is a challenge. Whether with motor or cognitive

disabilities – we all want to eat independently. Thanks to the sloping sauce edge, the raised plate rim, and the non-slip underside, kwer makes eating easier to manage.

Otherwise, it is no different from conventional tableware: it is stackable, dishwasher-safe, and suitable for everyday use. 

Lagolift Produktbild

LagoLift is an innovative mattress lift system that significantly reduces the strain of caregiving. The system is easily inserted between the mattress and the nursing bed and uses simple, robust pneumatic technology to gently reposition patients directly in bed. The physically demanding effort required of nursing staff is significantly reduced, resulting in lasting improvements in health, safety, and job satisfaction. At the same time, LagoLift increases the comfort and well-being of those receiving care. Developed from practical experience for practical use, LagoLift combines user-friendliness, high quality, and patient safety.

Sorealert Produktbild

SoreAlert takes a new approach to wound prevention for immobile people. Continuous tissue monitoring and AI-supported analyses enable early warning of developing pressure sores, thereby preventing this serious and avoidable condition. This results in benefits on several levels: effective and personalized wound prevention, improved quality of life, and lower treatment costs. This is because wound care checks only need to take place when necessary. Rigid examination intervals and waking patients every two hours, even at night, are now only necessary in individual cases. In addition to improving the quality of care, SoreAlert also helps to reduce costs – providing relief for everyone involved in care. 

The nominees in the category Concept & Strategy

#DubistPflege Produktbild

#DubistPflege is an automated, overarching social media campaign aimed at attracting nursing staff. It is linked to an application chat that allows applications to be automatically validated and qualified. The facilities receive additional applications from the new target group of returnees. All applications are fundamentally suitable, as set filters and AI-controlled validation perform a pre-check before the application is delivered.

Result: Double time savings for facilities: No campaign management or ad placement and no pre-screening or dealing with unsuitable applications.

Another plus point: additional applications from the additional target group of returnees provide real relief in the face of the shortage of skilled workers. 

Stadthagen Menschengruppe

The Schaumburg Prevention Center is also aimed at people with care level 1 or higher and their caregiving relatives. The aim is to prevent the need for care or provide support at an early stage, maintain independence, and noticeably relieve the burden on relatives. The focus is on low-threshold group activities to promote mobility, balance, everyday skills, and cognitive abilities. The services are barrier-free, relevant to everyday life, and deliberately located in the neighborhood and centrally in the city center. The service times are flexible and based on demand—including evenings and weekends—and create free time for family caregivers. The Prevention Center sees itself as an open system in which concepts are shared according to the open-source principle.  

Sustain2care Produktbild

Sustain2care.ruhr is a regional transfer project for the sustainable transformation of care in the Ruhr region. Together with care facilities, service providers, industry, and scientific institutions, concrete sustainability measures suitable for everyday use are being developed and tested. In interdisciplinary think tanks, approaches are designed in a practical manner, piloted, and tested for their ecological and economic benefits. The aim is to establish a proven best-practice model that provides care providers with a sound basis for decision-making for the low-threshold introduction of evidence-based sustainability concepts. 

Zeitpolster Produktbild

Zeitpolster is a care and provision network. Those who help others today receive time credits that can be redeemed for care in old age. Zeitpolster thus combines the potential of voluntary work with provision for one's own care. Zeitpolster was launched in Austria in 2018 and is now active in seven of the nine federal states with over 1,800 volunteers who have accumulated 120,000 hours of time. In Germany, we have founded a wholly owned subsidiary, Zeitpolster Deutschland gGmbH, based in Munich, and have created all the legal conditions necessary for a launch. Zeitpolster Deutschland gGmbH acts as a partner for regional associations throughout Germany. These associations set up regional Zeitpolster groups (volunteers/care recipients). 

The nominees in the category Smart Objects & Solutions

xplore-studios Produktbild

LEA is an intelligent assistance system in the form of a mirror that supports people who need assistance in their everyday lives. Using an integrated camera, it analyzes clothing for stains, twisted parts, or incorrectly fastened buttons and provides voice feedback. It compares the clothing with the current weather and recommends adjustments.

Reminder functions alert the user to missing items before leaving the house or apartment, and remind them to drink and take medication by scanning the medication plan. Fall detection via camera, among other things, increases user safety. It is constantly being expanded with modules, e.g., modules that allow you to read or have the daily newspaper read aloud (also in large print), or video telephony, which is very easy to use. 

Lumova Produktbild

Lumova is an autonomous exercise station designed for spontaneous, daily use in nursing homes. It is installed in common rooms or hallways and encourages short, self-initiated moments of exercise rather than planned activity sessions. With the help of a TV and a smartphone, residents move through picturesque environments on the spot, interact with animals via arm movements, and master playful cognitive-motor tasks. Individual moments naturally develop into shared group challenges, creating social motivation without pressure. The system adapts to different mobility and cognitive levels, switches on and off automatically, works completely offline, and requires no registration or supervision. This enables inclusive use by almost all residents and sustainable engagement even in facilities with limited staff resources. 

rectify Produktbild

Nursing staff miss an average of 6.6 days per year due to back pain caused by incorrect lifting. Aids are available and well known, but are rarely used when staff are under stress. There is a lack of objective clarification of non-ergonomic activities and time for the gym after shifts.  

rectify is the only product in the world that seamlessly tracks ergonomics in everyday nursing care: our FlexTail® sensor in a comfortable undershirt measures posture at 18 points with clinical precision 24/7. Wearers receive vibration feedback in the event of incorrect lifting, an app with ergonomic evaluations, and individual exercises.  

The result: up to 50% better posture and significant pain reduction after 8 weeks. A nursing home with 50 employees saves up to €24,600 per year through reduced absenteeism.  

Von Kai Logo

We care for an aging society by making natural, AI-powered conversations a natural part of everyday life. More than 20 million people aged 65 and over live in Germany – and the trend is rising. One in five seniors feels lonely. Loneliness increases the risk of depression and dementia – but most solutions fall short. VON KAI is based on a secure, GDPR-compliant AI model for voice communication that has been specially developed for natural, empathetic conversations. Our technology enables human-like communication and promotes cognitive stimulation. It is the most accessible voice-based AI for older people (also via landline). 

Zenaris Produktbild

Zenaris is a TV-based assistance system designed to enhance outpatient care and support services. It gives people in need of care access to video calls, care services, and information via their familiar television set – without the need for a smartphone or PC. Intuitive operation via remote control enables communication, reduces loneliness, and relieves the burden on care services. Relatives and caregivers can network directly and actively support the everyday lives of those in need of care. Zenaris thus builds a bridge between professional care and social interaction in the home environment. Thanks to the TV-based approach, we have a very high level of acceptance among those in need of care.

Timeline

  • Start of online voting for the Audience Award: 20 March 2026
  • Jury meeting: 20 April 2026  
  • Award ceremony and AVENEO pre-opening: 20 April 2026, 6–7 p.m. (by invitation only)
  • Presentation of the winners: 22 April 2026, 2:00–3:00 p.m., ALTENPFLEGE ARENA, Hall 7
  • Presentation of the audience award: 23 April 2026, 2:00 p.m., AVENEO, Hall 6

The Jury of the Newcomer Challenge 

Portrait Thomas Althammer
Thomas Althammer 

Geschäftsführung der Althammer & Kill GmbH & Co. KG I Mitglied im Care Venture Circle und im Stiftungsrat der Stiftung Zukunft Altenpflege 
Portrait Melanie Bargemann
Melanie Bargemann 

Geschäftsführung der Stadthagen. Gesunde Stadt. Für alle. GmbH 
Portrait Thomas Eisenreich
Thomas Eisenreich 

Geschäftsführung der Home Instead GmbH 
Portrait Jana Förste
Jana Förste  

COO bei der Cura Unternehmensgruppe 
Portrait Bastian Haase
Bastian Haase 

Strategische Leitung ZQM und Leitung DPM bei der Cura Unternehmensgruppe 
Portrait Thomas Hilse
Thomas Hilse 

Inhaber von Hilse:Konzept 
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Diana Hentschel

Pflegepraxiszentrum Nürnberg, Projektmanagerin

Portrait Till Rehling
Till Rehling 

Produktmanager Design, HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH
Portrait Wolfgang Sattler
Prof. (em) Wolfgang Sattler 

Bauhaus Universität Weimar 
Portrait Olav Sehlbach
Olav Sehlbach 

Berater, Betreiber & Investor und Vorstand des Care Venture Circle e.V.