We bring innovative ideas and creative minds directly into the spotlight! In our new series “In the Spotlight,” we not only introduce you to the most exciting startups from our Spotlight ecosystem but also the inspiring founders behind them. These success stories showcase how diversity and creative ideas work together to shape the future. Look forward to innovative solutions that bring fresh air to the tech world and redefine our understanding of startups.
As the kickoff of our series, we introduce you to Occtopus today, a startup that promotes the social and emotional skills of children with its innovative idea. In an interview, we spoke with co-founder Anja Daniela Höbel, who, along with her co-founder Emre Celik, is working to transform our society through early support of empathy and social competence. Occtopus is part of our Spotlight ecosystem, and we’re excited to share more about this inspiring startup with you.
Who is the founder of Occtopus? Can we get to know you a bit better?
My name is Anja Daniela Höbel. I am an ethnologist with a master’s degree in communication management and have worked in corporate consulting for 10 years, focusing on strategic communication, change management, and people & culture. Currently, I am a senior consultant at C3, a subsidiary of Burda, where I support companies in transformation processes and building resilient organizations. I became a founder not only to make companies future-proof but also to impact our society. The future of our society lies in the hands of our children. We often talk about physical or mental fitness, but rarely about social fitness. I’m surprised by how often we forget to strengthen our children socially and emotionally in societal developments. Instead of only focusing on the consequences, I want to work with my co-founder Emre Celik on solutions early on.
How would you summarize the mission and vision of your startup in one sentence?
Our vision is a world where all children grow up without prejudice and contribute to a just society through strong social and emotional skills. Our mission is to help children overcome biases, strengthen their social fitness, and promote their mental health with innovative, data-driven educational tools. We aim to provide parents and teachers with resources to engage children playfully with social differences, creating a future where every child has equal opportunities.
What innovation has your startup developed, and how could it change the industry?
Occtopus has developed an app that playfully promotes social and emotional learning in children. The app measures and reduces biases in children aged 4 to 12 and uses gamification elements to make learning fun and effective. A special parent mode makes the children’s progress transparent. This innovation offers a sustainable and scalable solution for fostering social skills and could create a fairer society in the long term, which would also have positive effects on the economy.
What milestones has your startup achieved so far, and what are your next big goals?
We have developed an MVP and presented Occtopus on various stages, including at the Federal Foreign Office. Our goal is to bring this socially relevant topic into politics. Additionally, we are working on using artificial intelligence to provide personalized learning experiences tailored to each child’s individual success.
What challenges have you overcome as a founder, and what have been your key learning moments?
Emre and I have built Occtopus over the past two years alongside our full-time jobs. We had no experience in the startup world or in app development, so we had to familiarize ourselves with many new topics. Through our network, we found developers and financed the app independently. What we’ve learned is that you should never give up and must proceed step by step, even when progress seems slow at times.
How do you see the current development of diversity in the tech industry, and what measures do you think are necessary to become even more inclusive?
Diversity in the tech industry is developing slowly but steadily. It’s important to bring more women into technical professions, starting with targeted support in education. Technology should serve people, but the focus often lies solely on efficiency. Technology can be used to promote human values—especially in health and education. Too little is being done to leverage technological progress for social fitness. This is where we need to focus to promote inclusion.
How has the support from Spotlight advanced your startup, and what advantages would you recommend to other startups considering embarking on a journey with Spotlight?
Spotlight has provided us with access to a vast network of investors, mentors, and industry experts, which has been crucial for our growth. The tailored advice has helped us optimize our business model and make informed decisions. I would recommend every startup to seek the support of Spotlight.
If your startup had a superpower, what would it be, and how would it revolutionize the tech world?
If Occtopus had a superpower, it would be the ability to eliminate biases instantly and sustainably. This superpower would not only revolutionize the social and emotional development of children but also positively impact society and the economy—this is exactly what we’re working towards!