70 participants, 329 votes from the audience and 10 innovative start-ups fighting for a place for their product in the online stores of MediaMarkt and Saturn - this was the first Virtual Product Pitch Fight hosted by MediaMarktSaturn on October 6. At the online event, startups from all over the world were able to present their product and compete for the audience's favor in a direct word duel with another product startup. In the end, a winner was determined.  

Embr Wave was the name of the product that ultimately convinced the expert jury and the MediaMarktSaturn employees who took part in the event the most. It is a bracelet that precisely cools or warms the temperature-sensitive skin on the wrist - a kind of thermostat for the body, so to speak. According to its developers, Embr Wave works like a warm cup of tea or a cooling ice cube. When the sensitive skin on the wrist is warmed or cooled, the whole body feels more comfortable with its temperature. Thermal sensations activate the regions in the brain that control well-being and heat regulation. The startup Embr Labs comes from the USA and has already won a pitch competition on the TV station Good Morning America, where Daymond John from the program "Shark Tank" - the American counterpart to the German Vox founder's program "The Lion's Den" - acted as a judge.  

The innovative bracelet, which resembles a fitness tracker, will be listed as a prize in the German online stores of MediaMarkt and Saturn.   

The event was completely digital

The Product Pitch Fight is a special feature: For the first time, MediaMarktSaturn, a retailer in Germany, together with the Founders Fight Club Munich, an expert for virtual events, organized such a format. In concrete terms, this means that the event was completely digital, with all participants connected via webcam and able to submit their comments and votes for the startups via chat.   

The startups competed against each other in a duel, with each company being allowed to briefly introduce itself and its product. In a direct exchange of blows, the startups could then challenge their respective opponents. Finally, a jury of experts asked the start-ups questions about their product and the business model. At the end of the battle, the audience voted on who would emerge as the winner and advance one round. An expert jury then selected the winners from the audience. Finally, in the grand finale, two startups faced each other, from which the audience chose the overall winner.   

But it wasn't only the final duel that thrilled the participants. The other startups also received a lot of positive feedback.   

For example, there was a high-end Bluetooth steak thermometer that can be controlled via app and a cordless stand mixer in which the knives are magnetically driven.  

No chance for burglars

Although the startup Mitipi came away empty-handed in the direct battle, it still managed to score with the buyers in the audience right away. The smart presence simulator, which is designed to deter burglars by casting shadows, playing with light and smart audio backdrops, will probably soon be available in the stores at MediaMarkt and Saturn. "The Kevin product can be installed quickly and, with its focus on prevention, is the ideal complement to smart home cameras for the home, for example", emphasizes Christopher Priess from the purchasing department at MediaMarktSaturn.   

A smart homegardening system also went down particularly well with, which secured second place, as did a learning robot for children with artificial intelligence.    

"The first Product Pitch Fight was a complete success. The startups had a neck-and-neck race and presented exciting and innovative products to a large audience. I really enjoyed the online event. We will certainly hold the Product Pitch Fight again next year", says Sonja Moosburger, Managing Director at MediaMarktSaturn N3XT, the innovation unit of MediaMarktSaturn.