Leonie Risch wins at Startup Platform

The new Startup Platform from the University of Liechtenstein has announced its first winner. According to a press release, Leonie Risch, a handbag brand based in Schaan and founded in 2018, is the victor. The jury praised its conscious choice of raw materials, local production sites, and the timeless design. The brief introduction to the finalists states: “This is how heirlooms are created that promote not only local crafts but also sustainable consumption.” The five finalists also included Treescape, which provides stressed-out city dwellers with a break from their stressful day-to-day lives with its Tiny Houses, Investli, the first supplier of bond savings plans for single values and exchange traded funds (ETF) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Liechtenstein dry gin 32PEAKS, and online art market start-up Alarta. The Startup Platform is the format introduced at the end of 2019 to follow on from the Businessplan Wettbewerb Liechtenstein/Rheintal (Liechtenstein/Rhine Valley business plan competition), which had run for many years. What was a competition over a limited time period has now become a platform that is available all year-round according to the press release. It supports founders in developing their business model with the help of experts throughout the year. In doing so, the Institute of Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein is creating an updraft for start-ups.