FuckUpNight - Turning missteps into progress

Outside, an early winter darkness already lies over Dresden, while row after row of chairs fills the warmly lit ZEISS Innovation Hub. Between the twinkling lights and curious faces, a very special atmosphere is created on this November afternoon - relaxed, open and a little pre-Christmas. Perfect for our FuckUpNight, which is all about what rarely finds a place on stage: real stories about real challenges.

The event
For the third time, we came together to talk about what really makes start-up stories: detours, wrong decisions, dead ends - and the courage to keep going anyway. Under the motto "Turning missteps into progress", three founders from the life sciences sector shared their personal learning curves.

For SEMECO in particular, which aims to accelerate innovation in the field of smart medical technology and navigates between research, regulation and market maturity on a daily basis, an open look behind the scenes is crucial. FuckUpNight offers a valuable reality check format for this: after all, innovation never runs in a straight line - and that is precisely where its power lies.

The speakers
Emily Hickmann - DORA / ActiveTEP
Emily is developing the medical app ActiveTEP with DORA, which accompanies patients before and after hip surgery, providing them with knowledge, exercises and structure and thus significantly supporting the success of surgery and rehabilitation. Its founding history shows: Digitalization in the healthcare sector requires not only perseverance and expertise - but also a great deal of perseverance in the face of existing structures.

Richard Wetzel - denovoMATRIX
Richard gave a rare and frank insight into the highs and lows of founding a biotech company. His startup denovoMATRIX develops biomimetic coatings that provide human cells with an optimal "home" - as he calls it - in the laboratory, thereby decisively advancing research and cell therapy. Despite its innovative technology, the company is currently in insolvency proceedings - an example of how ambitious and risky the life science sector can be.

Karsten Wendt - sit.institute GmbH
Karsten showed how his company brings data-driven solutions and AI from research into real industrial applications. From analysis to implementation, sit.institute supports companies in making processes more scalable and intelligent. His story illustrated the importance of clear decisions, focus and resilient business models in a market that is constantly reinventing itself.

Time for exchange and discussion
FuckUpNight sees itself as a "space for real stories" - and this space was put to good use. Between questions from the audience, honest answers and joint reflection, a dialog arose that showed how challenging start-ups in the medical environment really are: lengthy, complex, regulated - and yet full of opportunities.

At the subsequent get-together, many took the opportunity to continue the discussion over a drink, make contacts and exchange experiences. The informal part is almost as much a part of the event as the talks themselves - because this is often where new ideas and alliances are formed.

Take-away message
The evening was an impressive demonstration: Missteps are not failures. They are part of the journey. They make us think, sharpen our decisions and often lay the foundation for later successes. It is crucial not to fear setbacks, but to consciously see them as an opportunity for further development.

FuckUpNight thus strengthens a culture of openness, learning and exchange - the basis for sustainable innovation, especially in an environment as demanding as medical technology.

Background / Organizer
The joint project "Q4 Economic Transfer", initiated by TUD|excite, supports the future cluster SEMECO. Together with partners from science, business and industry, SEMECO is working to increase the pace of innovation for smart medical instruments and implants and thus bring pioneering healthcare solutions into application more quickly.