It is 2 a.m. in South Korea. Anton Birn, CEO and co-founder of DemensAI, wakes to the sound of his phone ringing. The display shows the name of one of his colleagues. He sleepily reaches for his phone and brings it to his ear. It is DTU Startup Day back home in Denmark, where more than 60 new DTU start-ups give presentations in front of investors and mentors. The day culminates with an award ceremony where DemensAI receives the Sten Scheibye Innovation Award, which is awarded to a start-up developing solutions that tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges.
"I cheer as much as you can when you're only half awake. The award means a lot to us, especially since we were up against a great field of start-ups. So it's great to see that we can compete at that level," says Anton Birn.
While Anton Birn is taking a semester abroad in South Korea in connection with his studies at the Electrical Engineer programme at DTU, his three colleagues have gone full-time in DemensAI. As the company does not make money, the entrepreneurs primarily get by on grants from foundations and organizations. In December 2023, they received a grant of DKK 1 million from Innovation Fund Denmark's entrepreneur programme, Innofounder, which will support the company's work in 2024.
