Users can adapt the innovative prosthetic socket to changes in their upper limbs themselves – without the help of a prosthetist. Their solution is optimized for dynamic movements and sports and flexible enough to keep up with a child’s growth. The founders accepted the Founder’s Prize, worth 10,000 euros, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from State Secretary Guido Wendt and the Chairman of the Board of Directors Sparkasse zu Lübeck AGFrank Schumacher.
Cara Ammann and Lisa-Marie Frühauf win the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize 2025
Cara Ammann and Lisa-Marie Frühauf win with a clear result with their innovative idea Softletics (formerly SoftSocket) received the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize for a prosthetic socket – around 40 points separate them from the second-best team. Ammann is a medical technology engineer and Lisa Marie Frühauf recently completed her master’s degree Entrepreneurship in digital technologies at the University of Lübeck (UzL).
The inspiration: the Chinese finger trap
The idea for the prosthetic socket emerged from Cara Ammann’s master’s thesis, which she completed as a biomechanics student at the ETH Zurich wrote. The aim was to develop a forearm sports prosthesis for children. Ammann worked with a teenager who was born without a left hand. Her goal: to practice sports she loves – rowing, cycling, climbing. All of this without pain. Existing prosthetic frames slipped, pinched, caused pain and were not up to the demands of these sports. The solution: a textile part, combined with six 3D printed objects and the heart of the idea – a mechanical system that adapts to the applied tension. The founders have already applied for a patent for the process.
My colleague and friend Cara Ammann came up with the idea as part of her master’s thesis. In the laboratory, she and her working group asked themselves, what could withstand the tensile stress in these sports? The answer: the Chinese finger trap. She then built a large prototype out of paper and wood so that the affected person could hang on the pull-up bar herself. Comfortable for the first time
says Lisa-Marie Frühauf, who accepted the award on behalf of her team. The prize money is intended to pay for the certification as a medical device and the employee who gets the whole thing started. We want to finally finalize the prototype
concludes early.
Six teams made it to the final
For the start-up award, scientific teams were asked to submit their innovative concepts for potential or already implemented start-up projects. An eight-person jury consisting of members of the Sparkasse zu Lübeck, the TH Lübeck and the University of Lübeck Lübeck Chamber of Industry and Commercedes Lübeck technical centerthe Hanse Innovation Campus GmbHdem AIHE Academic Institute for Higher Education GmbH and a member of the winning team of the last Founder’s Prize evaluated the submitted ideas. 12 teams submitted concepts, and the following projects were nominated (in alphabetical order):
- Campus Möbius: Campus Möbius offers practical and interactive support courses for particularly interested and talented students whose needs are often neglected in everyday school life.
- femCycle: The team is developing a medical app for menstrual cycle problems, with which those affected can independently reduce their symptoms and improve their medical treatments.
- HLOX GmbH: Development, production and trading of equipment for safely switching off energy sources during maintenance and repair activities in order to prevent a machine from restarting unintentionally.
- Softletics: The founders are revolutionizing the prosthesis industry with a self-adjustable, lightweight and cost-effective socket.
- Triple Acoustics: Triple Acoustics develops and produces innovative accessories and diagnostic solutions in Lübeck, the center of German hearing acoustics. The portfolio includes stethoscopes, microphones, drying stations, otoscopes and measuring systems that make everyday life easier for acousticians, doctors and hearing aid wearers.
- vJourney: vJourney enables people who can no longer travel to experience real 360 degree travel experiences with virtual reality glasses. The glasses are pre-installed, ready for immediate use and work without the Internet or prior technical knowledge.
High-profile guests from science, business, politics and public life took part in the ceremony on November 18, 2025 in the Audimax of the University of Lübeck and the Lübeck University of Technology. The event was hosted by TH Lübeck Vice President for Innovation and Regional Cooperation, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Frank Schwartze.
Diverse start-up culture at the Hanse Innovation Campus Lübeck
The State Secretary in the Ministry for General and Vocational Education, Science, Research and Culture, Guido Wendt, congratulated the award winners. The prize makes spin-offs visible and that is also a success for the university and the technical college. There is a diverse and lively start-up culture at the Lübeck campus. The universities began a long time ago to build a functioning infrastructure for knowledge and technology transfer and to consistently develop it further. This promotes entrepreneurial thinking and action and strengthens innovation.
Capital, network and advice for young entrepreneurs
The chairman of the board of Sparkasse zu Lübeck AG, Frank Schumacher, says: With the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize, which comes with prize money of 10,000 euros, we would like to send a clear signal to the innovative minds in our region: We firmly believe that courageous start-up and business ideas form the backbone of a vibrant and sustainable economy. At a time when digital transformation, sustainability and social added value are becoming increasingly important, founders not only need capital, but above all a reliable network, competent advice and an environment that rewards the willingness to take risks. Our prize is therefore intended not only to provide financial support, but also to serve as a platform on which young companies can present their visions, make valuable contacts and benefit from the experiences of established business partners. We are proud that with this commitment we can strengthen regional innovative strength, create jobs and secure the long-term competitiveness of our business location. Together with the award winners, we look forward to writing the next success stories and actively shaping the future.
Innovations as lived care
The President of the University of Lübeck, Prof. Dr. Helge Braun says: In an aging society, life science innovations across all age groups are more than progress – they are practical care. They give patients time to live, quality of life and self-determination. Prevention for health can also make a contribution to keeping our health system affordable – starting with young people and continuing into old age. However, all innovations only reach patients if they can be put into use quickly. A strengthened start-up culture is crucial for this.
Applied research improves people’s lives
The President of the TH Lübeck, Dr. Muriel Helbig says: The founders show how important applied research is for our society. Passion and a good idea come together at Ammann and Frühauf and create an unbeatable product that can improve the lives of people without upper limbs.
About the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize
The Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize, donated by Sparkasse zu Lübeck AG, awards a total of 10,000 euros to attractive start-up concepts from the Lübeck University of Technology, the University of Lübeck and the UKSH Campus Lübeck. It is important to the Sparkasse to support young academics with their groundbreaking ideas and to promote the entrepreneurial thinking and actions of the founders. The Sparkasse has therefore been sponsoring the Sparkasse zu Lübeck Founder’s Prize since 2008. For the ninth time, not only attractive start-up concepts from the University of Lübeck and the… UKSH Campus Lübeckbut also from the Lübeck University of Technology.
This year the jury was composed as follows: Dr. rer. pole. Moreen Heine (University of Lübeck), Dr. rer. pole. Karen Cabos (Lübeck University of Technology), Markus Kasten (Sparkasse zu Lübeck), Dr. Sabine Hackenjos (IHK zu Lübeck), Nils Eckhardt (Technikzentrum Lübeck), Julia Sarre (Hanse Innovation Campus GmbH), Prof. Andrea Gensel (AIHE Academic Institute for Higher Education GmbH), Ruben Hammerle (EcoCheck – winner of the Founder’s Prize 2023).