Text og photo: Thomas Møller Christesen

Entrepreneurship thrives among students at Aalborg University (AAU), and a record number of students have applied for admission to the AAU Startup Program this year. Over the next four years, the most promising ideas and solutions from this program will receive a financial boost to bring them to fruition.

"The AAU Startup Grant - Supported by the Obel Family Foundation" is a new startup grant aimed at assisting AAU entrepreneurs in taking their startups to the next level and creating a viable business. Over the next four years, a total of 33 promising startups will receive the grant, valued at DKK 250,000.

- One of our core tasks is to support tomorrow's startups, and with 'The AAU Startup Grant - Supported by the Obel Family Foundation,' we have the opportunity to strengthen our efforts. This is not only important for the success of the entrepreneurs but also for AAU's desire to promote development and bring value to society, says Marie Fallgaard Mortensen, head of Student Entrepreneurship at AAU Innovation.

The grant has given a significant boost to the startup
One of the AAU startups that received a financial boost is Site-Tech. They have developed a robotic joint scraper that automates the labor-intensive task of removing joints from masonry.

The concept for this startup arose when AAU student Emil van der Bijl witnessed a mason manually scraping joints on an AAU building. Emil believed there was a more efficient way to do this, so he embarked on building the initial prototype of the joint scraper robot.

The grant has provided much-needed support, accelerating Site-Tech's progress.

- This grant has had a profound impact on our startup. We utilized the funds to develop a second version of our joint scraper robot, which we've successfully tested in the market with our partners, explains Martin van der Bijls, co-founder of Site-Tech alongside his brother, Emil.

- Furthermore, we are naturally delighted with the recognition this grant affords us. We have always believed in the merit of our idea and its smart solution, and the grant confirms that others share this perspective. We are extremely pleased and grateful."

The jury's rationale for choosing Site-Tech highlighted the potential for their solution to "achieve business success in both Denmark and internationally" and to "address potential health concerns on construction sites and similar environments.