Mind & Market in Luxembourg is an initiative that aims to create a meeting place where individuals and start-ups with creative business ideas can meet experienced market players and test their ideas and business models against the market reality. Every year, Mind & Market organizes a forum where start-ups can pitch their business ideas and gain traction. This year’s forum, which took place in Maison du Savoir in Belval on 14 November, was a testament to Luxembourg’s increasing focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Both public institutions and private players in Luxembourg are putting a lot of efforts into attracting start-ups and creative minds to Luxembourg, and Mind & Market is a reflection of this. It is impressive to see the quality and relevance of the business ideas that were presented this year. Innovation attracts innovation, so we are confident that this positive trend will continue,” explains Luc Brucher, Partner at Deloitte Luxembourg.

Minds meet market
Around 30 start-ups presented their innovative projects to a curious audience and a jury composed of experienced professionals during the third edition of the Mind & Market Forum in Luxembourg. This year, the projects were organized in two categories: Industry 4.0 and digital technologies. The selected start-ups took the stage, pitched their ideas and were challenged by the jury and the audience alike. This is the Mind & Market initiative in a nutshell: letting creative minds meet experienced market players, to share and learn and make each other stronger.

The projects represented a wide range of new ideas, from connected glasses to be used in healthcare, via technology solutions that offer support to isolated people, to an app for reserving a parking slot in Luxembourg city. Some start-ups are already quite developed while others are looking for advice to improve their business models or marketing approach.

“Some of the start-ups that joined the previous Mind & Market Forums are well-established and successful companies today. Even early-stage projects can quickly turn into reality if you are at the right place at the right time, and meet people who believe in your idea,” comments Valérie Tollet, Partner at Deloitte Luxembourg.

Only a click away
The Mind & Market prize went to Kussbus, a door-to-door shuttle service for commuters, bookable via a mobile app, while the audience prize went to Waow!, an online marketplace where artists and art-enthusiasts can buy and sell affordable art. TAGsparency, a blockchain-based platform ensuring transparent information disclosure over food and beverage products, and Lime, which offers robot-assisted hand and finger therapy, also won awards.

Mind & Market in Luxembourg is an initiative driven by Deloitte, Luxinnovation, the National Research Fund, the University of Luxembourg, Mind & Market Belgium, RTL, Equilibre, Fedil and Paul Wurth InCub.