Participant in growth program: “Of course we want to win, but the most important thing is the journey.”

The Danish Tech Challenge stamp

To obtain the stamp, companies must master 10 disciplines that are crucial for growth and market success – a challenging transition for many startups.

The disciplines include product development, sales, and building a business model, as well as practical areas such as IP rights, law, and accounting.

Each discipline is assessed on a color scale that shows each company's level of development: red means, for example, that the company does not have a solid business model, yellow indicates that the company is well on its way, while green indicates that DTU Science Park considers the discipline to be complete.

Experts in each discipline, including lawyers and accountants, are on hand to help companies get off to a good start. All this is done to strengthen companies' position with regard to investors, partners, and future customers, making it easier for them to enter the market, raise capital, and generate growth.

One example of a company that has achieved precisely this is Rokoko, which develops motion capture systems—technology that digitally records human movements for use in animation, film, and games. The company participated in Danish Tech Challenge in 2014. Since then, it has developed significantly and has now grown into a global player in motion capture and animation tools with offices in Copenhagen, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Athens.

Who is participating this year?

PureMilk is a startup from DTU that has developed a test kit for donor milk, primarily aimed at milk banks and neonatal units.

Pumped breast milk can easily become contaminated due to improper cleaning and prolonged storage under less-than-ideal conditions. The test makes it easier for milk banks and neonatal units, among others, to ensure the safety of milk for vulnerable infants and consists of a paper-based test and an app that provides answers in a few minutes, says Lea Holritz, CEO of PureMilk:

“The solutions currently available on the market are either very expensive to purchase or require a wait of three to five business days for results. We can perform the same analysis in about 15 minutes—and at a price well below what the market is used to.”

The test also works as a home test kit, but is more relevant in countries with brief maternity leave, where mothers often have to pump on the go, such as in the US.

Over the past five years, PureMilk has received a total of DKK 4.3 million in funding for its product development at DTU Bioengineering. The support—from Skylab and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, among others—has made it possible to investigate and clarify the potential for analyzing cow's milk to identify possible contamination.

Once PureMilk had secured its initial funding, the next step was clear: to get the business up and running. Danish Tech Challenge therefore seemed like the natural next step for them:

“The program meets us where we are and shows us what it takes to become a successful company. Of course, it would be fun to be on stage at the finals, and of course we want to win—but the most important thing is the journey itself. We are already using the new knowledge every day and will continue to do so,” says Lea Holritz

The most important thing the PureMilk team wanted to learn when they signed up for the program was how to create structure—and they are gradually strengthening this skill along the way:

“Difficult tasks are not impossible if you structure your work and take one thing at a time. Many of the disciplines have been challenging, but because the program is so concrete and structured, they become easier to manage. And the more disciplines we get under control, the more our business falls into place,” says Lea Holritz.

DTU spinout and startup ERLEtek develops automation equipment for the construction industry. Its first product is a mobile 3D concrete printer - a robot that can build long concrete walls.

The automated printer will be pilot tested as a coastal protection solution around Denmark, where long concrete walls can be beneficial.

One of their future goals is to develop robot printers that can build infrastructure such as roads and parks.

The startup is trying to make physical work easier by reducing the need for heavy lifting. The goal is to make jobs in the construction industry more attractive and thus help alleviate the growing shortage of skilled construction workers, says Pablo Alberdi Pagola, CEO of ERLEtek:

“Our equipment can reduce labor requirements by up to 60 percent and lower costs by 30 percent. With the printer, one person can complete in three days the work that would normally take two people an entire week.”

Before participating in the Danish Tech Challenge, ERLEtek received significant support from DTU Construct and DTU Skylab. This support was crucial for both the technical and organizational development of the startup, helping the team mature the technology, validate their approach, and prepare the company for its next growth phase.

ERLEtek is participating in the Danish Tech Challenge to get help with the transition from startup to established company – a task that, according to Pablo Alberdi Pagola, can be particularly challenging for hardware startups, which currently find it more difficult to obtain support than software and AI companies. That is why ERLEtek was delighted to find a program that specifically supports hardware entrepreneurs:

"We have learned a lot through the program and now have, among other things, insurance, a bank account, and various agreements in place with potential investors. Our direction is clearer, and the plan is more robust and professional than the original one, providing a solid foundation to build on,“ says Pablo Alberdi Pagola, continuing:

”The most important thing I have learned is that a business is much more than you think. There are many practical things to consider. As CEO, I have hardly touched the robot in the last four months because I have been focused on running the company—but I am positive because we are constantly evolving."

The winner of the Danish Tech Challenge will be announced at an award show on March 24.

Click here to read more about the Danish Tech Challenge.