Covestro recently announced that Marc Schreiber, Anna-Leona Breidbach, Axel Schmidt and Holger Mundstock are the winners of its Start-Up Challenge. The team of employees is now reportedly released from their jobs for one year and can work within the group. To do so, they will receive up to €1 million (approximately $1.2 million) in support. With the program, Covestro aims to promote creativity and entrepreneurial thinking among its nearly 16,000 employees.

The team, consisting of members from different business divisions, prevailed in the final against five other teams. At the start of the Start-Up Challenge, around 600 projects were submitted worldwide. Ideas for more sustainability and new digital business models were predominantly focused on. 

“We were overwhelmed by the great innovative power of the ideas and the distinctive entrepreneurial thinking of the applicants,” said Markus Steilemann, Ph.D., who is responsible for innovation, marketing and sales on the Covestro board.