We look back on a successful fourth edition of the SintLucas Startup Festival with more than 2,000 visitors!
On Wednesday 12 April, the fourth edition of the SintLucas Startup Festival took place. 54 Startup student companies presented themselves with their own product designs. There was also our very own Startup Town shopping street including food trucks, shops and an action stand for Turkey and Syria.
The festival is a meeting place for entrepreneurs, students, parents and relations from the region where students present their own startups. This ties in with SintLucas’ vision of connecting creatives. During the festival, while enjoying a snack and a drink, visitors were inspired by the ideas of our upcoming talents and there was room for networking. Guest speakers included comedian Rob Urgert, who gave food for thought with great humour on how to get a creative idea in a completely different way. VT wonen stylist Eva van de Ven gave an insight into life as an interior stylist on TV. Singer Nigel Sean was also present who sang his song “Ode to MBO”.
Buddy Bags winner 2023
Four student companies were nominated for the SintLucas Startup 2023 award. Startup Buddy Bags emerged as the winner after the expert jury’s report and won 500 euros to start their company. They also get to exhibit during Dutch Design Week (DDW). Students from the startup Buddy Bags designed a multifunctional and stylish bag with a flexible bracket that can be easily attached to a wheelchair, so that the person in the wheelchair can easily operate the bag himself. A great example of meaningful creativity!
Meaningful ideas
Other great examples were: a light system that allows people with dementia to recognise the part of the day and calendar by the colours (Day to day light), a cup with slots that you can screw onto a bottle to easily swallow your pills in it (Swallo) and a travel/toilet bag for children with divorced parents to easily move around all the time (Move ID).
Creativity connects
Linked to the SintLucas Startup Festival was also a relationship and alumni evening. Organiser Vivian van Lier told visitors to this evening more about the Startup project, entrepreneurship exams and the Startup Festival and our own platform for NOW for all entrepreneurial activities. After the break, students and alumni enthusiastically pitched their companies on stage. During the closing networking drinks, the discussions continued and nice assignments emerged.
Winner Buddy Bags
“With Buddy Bags, we are solving two problems. Problem 1: the difference between wheelchair bag and backpack. This is because there are lots of cool backpacks that you can’t use as wheelchair bags. Also, wheelchair bags are less modern. Besides, with this backpack you have a combination, so you can carry the bag conveniently even after your wheelchair use. Problem 2: The use and handiness of the bag. In fact, we came up with a system so that you can easily and weightlessly pull the bag forward. So you can easily put stuff in or take stuff out. This is how we help wheelchair users with an extra bit of independence.”
