CONTENTshift-Accelerator: Immer.App is the Content Startup of 2022

The Dutch startup Immer.App was named "Content Startup of 2022" at the Frankfurter Buchmesse today. They competed against 39 startups from three continents in the Börsenverein Group’s CONTENTshift accelerator sponsorship programme. The founders' business idea: Immer.App prepares texts in such a way that digital reading becomes both easier and more enjoyable. To do this, the app optimises books for mobile phones or tablets - in other words, the devices we always have with us - according to our usage behaviour. In today's final round, they came out on top with their pitches against the other finalists. First place includes an innovation prize of 10,000 euros.

Jury spokesperson Stefanie Penck (TeNeues Publishing House) explains the jury's decision as follows:
”We are awarding the first place to the startup Immer.App as this business model is convincing, comprehensible and certainly disruptive for the industry. The Immer team went through an impressive learning curve as part of the CONTENTshift accelerator and set a clear focus: together with companies from the book sector, they want to inspire more people to read on their mobile phones or tablets. They have succeeded in doing this by preparing content that offers readers new, meaningful chunks of text that are fun to read and easy to absorb, instead of the previously familiar endless streams of text. Furthermore, we have no doubt that the information they collect about reading behaviour within their app will also prove to be extremely helpful input for our sector.“

In addition to Immer.App, the following startups also made it to the final round and were able to benefit from the individual mentoring of the jury and other experienced experts from the sector:

• ACTitude offers easy-to-understand, online psychological courses based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), providing skills that can be immediately applied.
• Enna simplifies the use of digital applications, such as video calls, digital photo albums or audiobooks via an uncomplicated operating concept consisting of a docking station and different cards for the action the user wants to perform.
• Heimsafari offers treasure hunts for children – combining analogue hiding places with app-based puzzles and adventures.

The accelerator programme is sponsored by companies from the book and media sector, which send members to the CONTENTshift jury. This year's jury includes: Detlef Büttner and Leif Göritz (Lehmanns Media/Thalia Bookstore), Olaf Carstens (Cornelsen Publishing House), Stephan Dietrich (Junfermann Publishing House), Nina Hugendubel and Per Dalheimer (Hugendubel Bookstore), Stefanie Penck (TeNeues Publishing House), Wolfgang Pichler (MANZ Publishing House and Bookstore), Ronald Schild (MVB), Peter Kraus vom Cleff (Börsenverein) as well as Deepa Gautam-Nigge (SAP Next-Gen Innovation Network) as a partner of the programme from outside the sector.

In 2023, the CONTENTshift Accelerator will enter its eigth round. Once again, companies from the book sector will be able to participate. Their representatives will receive a place on the jury as well as direct and exclusive access to the ideas of the startup applicants.

Alongside the CONTENTshift startup club, the CONTENTshift accelerator is part of the Börsenverein Group's CONTENTshift initiative, which promotes innovation and new business models in the book and media sector.

Press photos are available at: www.boersenverein.de/pressefotos. 

Website with further details on the Accelerator programme and the other participating startups in 2022: www.contentshift.de 

Social Media:
Facebook: @Contentshift
Instagram: @Contenshift
Twitter: @ShiftingContent
Hashtag: #cosh22

About the Börsenverein Group
The Börsenvereinsgruppe (Group of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association) represents the interests of Germany's book industry and provides its members with advisory and practical services. The group comprises the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e. V. (German Publishers and Booksellers Association) and its business subsidiaries, which include Frankfurter Buchmesse MVB, Mediacampus Frankfurt as well as the Holding Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Beteiligungsgesellschaft. The Börsenvereinsgruppe supports the book industry and media sector by providing professional services that include advocacy, the organisation of cultural projects, tradeshows, training programmes and publishing and technology services.