Lübeck founders win 10,000 euros for innovative prostheses!

Lübeck founders win 10,000 euros for innovative prostheses!

There is reason to be happy in Lübeck: The city is proud of the founders Cara Ammann and Lisa-Marie Frühauf, who won twice with their start-up Softletics. On November 19, 2025, her innovative company was awarded the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder's Prize. This prize, which has been awarded annually since 2008, rewards outstanding start-up ideas and was awarded for the ninth time this year. The two entrepreneurs can look forward to prize money of 10,000 euros, which they would like to invest in their vision for self-adjustable prostheses. These prostheses are designed specifically for active people with missing upper limbs and have the potential to improve the lives of many sufferers.

The adjustable prosthetic socket that Ammann and Frühauf developed not only adapts to the individual needs of the user, but is also optimized for dynamic movements. “With our prostheses we want to reduce the pain and unpleasant slipping that many existing models cause,” explain the founders. This means that children whose bodies are still growing can also be equipped accordingly. The two have already applied for a patent on their process, an important sign for the future of their company.

Successful start in the AXOLOTL Med & Health business plan competition

Already on November 5, 2025, Cara Ammann and Lisa-Marie Frühauf proved at the AXOLOTL Med & Health business plan competition that they have a good knack for innovative health technologies. In the inspiring environment of the “belle étage” in the BioCampus Cologne, they were able to prevail against 42 other participating teams and took first place. This not only means fame, but also prize money of 4,000 euros, given to them by Dr. Ute Günther was presented. This event had a top-class jury who recognized the inventiveness and commitment of the founders.

The competition was organized with a planning phase of five months. Participating start-ups had to present well-thought-out business plans in order to achieve one of the coveted places on the winner's podium. The Softletics founders are now in the company of other innovative companies that are also involved in the healthcare sector, such as the team at Eberlein Health or MESensors GmbH.

Outlook and financing

With the prize money from the Sparkasse Founder's Prize, Ammann and Frühauf plan to certify their prosthetic socket as a medical product, which is another important step on the way to market readiness. They also want to hire another team member to advance their development and finalize the prototype. “We have big plans and are determined to bring the prostheses onto the market,” says Frühauf, who, after completing her master’s degree in entrepreneurship in digital technologies at the University of Lübeck, is now working with full dedication on her vision.

The rapidly increasing number of start-ups in the field of digital health shows that innovative thinking and creative solutions are required to successfully address global health challenges. There is a clear trend towards solutions that offer both comprehensive coverage and an improvement in healthcare. According to Gesundheitmarkt.de, more and more start-ups are ready to be financed in this area and to advance their ideas.

With the award of the Founder's Prize and the success in the AXOLOTL competition, Cara Ammann and Lisa-Marie Frühauf have taken a significant step towards a promising future. Lübeck can be proud of its innovative minds who not only develop technological solutions, but also want to change hearts and lives in the truest sense of the word.