10/2018 – Esslinger Zeitung_Winzki awarded as a YOUNG COMPANY in the L-Bank competition

Winzki Awarded for “hörbert”

Frickenhausen – At the 12th State Prize for Young Companies, the firm Winzki from Frickenhausen made it into the top 20: with “hörbert,” the sustainable design MP3 player for children. Company founder Rainer Brang was once frustrated with his son’s short-lived plastic toys. This was the birth of the first “hörbert.” Nine years have passed since the software developer built a wooden box, drilled holes for speakers, buttons, and controls, and assembled everything with a handle and a self-made circuit board. The result is a robust player in a retro look, intuitively operated using nine colorful buttons. It was well-received by friends and relatives, and so Brang founded Winzki in 2011.

Today, 20 employees in Frickenhausen assemble each player by hand across 1500 square meters and develop special models for people with disabilities, among other things. In 2018 alone, the team produced 10,000 “hörberts.” Winzki is targeting 1.5 million euros in sales this year and forecasts an increase of about 30 percent for 2019.

The company also emphasizes the sustainability of the product: The 20,000 “hörberts” produced so far, made from renewable beech, poplar, and birch, bind around 17,500 kilograms of CO2. This corresponds to the biological footprint of 1.5 Germans per year. 92 percent of the player’s components come from Germany, with one-third from Baden-Württemberg.

It remains to be seen whether “hörbert” will make it into the top three at the State Prize. Winners will receive a total of 90,000 euros. The decision will be made on November 8th at the New Palace in Stuttgart. The State Prize for Young Companies is awarded every two years by the state government and L-Bank. They are looking for companies that are economically successful and make a contribution to a sustainable society with responsible actions. This time there were 375 applicants. Red