The startup GoLexic was named "Content Startup of 2023" at the Frankfurter Buchmesse today. A total of 44 startups from three continents applied for this year’s sponsorship programme including founders from the USA, France, the Netherlands, Rumania and the Philippines. In today's final round, GoLexic came out on top with their pitch against the other finalists and can now look forward to receiving the innovation prize of 10,000 euro. The app offers short, fun training sessions for children of primary school age to promote reading independently at home or at school.
Jury spokesperson Per Dalheimer (Omnichannel Book Retailer Hugendubel) explained the jury’s decision as follows:
“GoLexic impressed us with its basic principle: to provide individual support for children with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. In doing so, it addresses an issue of great social relevance, namely the growing deficits in reading skills among children. By using the app, children learn to understand and deal with texts on their own, at their own pace and in small chunks. The accessible and playful nature of the app enables children to enjoy using it and to find a connection to reading and books. This makes the app an excellent support for children, parents and teachers.”
In addition to GoLexic, five other startups also made it to the final round and were able to benefit from three months of coaching and mentoring from members of the jury and other experienced experts from the sector. Those other startups were:
The accelerator programme is sponsored by companies from the book and media sector, which send members to the CONTENTshift jury. This year's jury includes: Martina Fiddrich and Olaf Carstens (Cornelsen Publishing House), Nina Hugendubel and Per Dalheimer (Omnichannel Book Retailer Hugendubel), Detlef Büttner and Leif Göritz (Lehmanns Media/ Thalia Bookstore), Colin Hauer and Magia Ramm (Hörbuch Hamburg), Wolfgang Pichler (MANZ Publishing House), Jasmin Ahluwalia and Philipp Neie (Schweitzer Fachinformationen), Stefanie Penck (TeNeues Publishing House), Ronald Schild (MVB) as well as Lennart Schneider (independent strategy consultant) as a partner of the programme from outside the industry.
The CONTENTshift Accelerator will continue in 2024 and companies are invited once again to participate in the ninth round of the programme as investors. Their representatives will receive a place on the jury as well as direct and exclusive access to the ideas of the startup applicants.
Alongside the CONTENTshift startup club, the CONTENTshift Accelerator is part of the Börsenverein Group's CONTENTshift initiative, which promotes innovation and new business models in the book and media sector.
Press photos are available at: www.boersenverein.de/pressefotos
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