Success Story: Coup x Hypatos

By eliminating linguistic and bureaucratic hurdles and through a user-friendly platform, Coup secured Hypatos more than €2 Mio. in R&D funding, despite an initial rejection.

About Hypatos

Hypatos GmbH was founded in 2018 in Potsdam, with the mission to streamline document processing for large enterprises. By delegating repetitive, bookkeeping tasks and actions to Hypatos AI Agents, organisations can shift focus back to strategic decision-making, enhance human potential, and modernise the workplace. Rita Péter works as a Finance Manager at Hypatos and was therefore the perfect fit to accompany the application process for the research grant. In a conversation with us, she shares her experiences and tips.

Why Hypatos did not just apply for the research grant on their own

Navigating the funding landscape in Germany and the EU can be quite complex. Hypatos encountered challenges in this area, particularly because their application for funding from the European Innovation Council was unfortunately rejected. This outcome, though disappointing, highlighted the inherent difficulties in such complex processes. 

There are two processes involved in applying for the research grant (“Forschungszulage”). The BSFZ ("Bescheinigungsstelle Forschungszulage") requires you to first submit an application; this procedure is only carried out in German. Determining the relevant details and presenting them as accurately as possible are crucial. Naturally, this obstacle is much more challenging in a non-native language. Given that the business mostly operates in English, Hypatos also had to deal with the language barrier. 

The tax office receives a variety of documentation in the second step of the process. The financing amount will be settled, and a variety of documents, including time sheets, contracts, and documentation, are being examined. This process is carried out in German as well.

The creation of the application: Language and bureaucratic obstacles become child's play

Coup came into the picture through a recommendation, leading Hypatos to quickly schedule a call with Arne (CEO and Co-Founder Coup) to exchange ideas and explore potential collaboration. The decision to work together was made swiftly, as there were no significant financial risks involved, as Rita noted. Since Coup's fees are success based, there is no major financial risk and no unpleasant surprises.

As the project progressed, Michaela (Senior R&D Consultant Coup) took the lead in managing the onboarding process for Coup's tailormade platform. “The team at Hypatos was greatly impressed by her attention to detail and accommodating manner, particularly with all the translation work," Rita adds. 

Coup's platform was both easy to use and incredibly helpful. The integrated tips and guiding questions made it significantly easier for Hypatos to identify the appropriate arguments and content for their application. This user-friendly design streamlined the entire process, reducing the complexity typically associated with such tasks.

Combined with Michaela's meticulous management and supportive approach, the application process ran smoothly and the application was sent to the BSFZ. Coup's standardized processes ensured that no important deadlines were missed, and all questions were adequately addressed. This seamless collaboration allowed Hypatos to focus on their core activities, confident that the application was in capable hands.

Surprisingly, the BSFZ rejected the application initially

Shortly before Christmas, Hypatos received disappointing feedback from the BSFZ, as the project was deemed unsuitable and no certificate was issued. However, Coup, in collaboration with Hypatos, thoroughly reviewed the decision and quickly agreed that an appeal should be filed. 

Coup proposed an overall adjustment to the strategy and thus a different perspective for the application based on the feedback from the BSFZ. With the support of Erik (CTO and Co-Founder Coup) and He (CTO Hypatos), Michaela sharpened and deepened the technical details to strengthen the case. Coup's revised approach also included a more precise depiction of the user group which led to a more clear differentiation from previous solutions and also emphasized the risks of the project. These enhancements successfully addressed the concerns raised, and the BSFZ was quickly convinced, resulting in a positive outcome for the project after all.

Ritas recommendation for other companies

Coup’s tailored platform has proven to be an enormous help, particularly during the second phase of the research grant process. As Rita highlighted, "One of the key features is the ability to easily create timesheets, thanks to the integration between Coup and Personio, as well as the calendars in Coup for any required adjustments. Additionally, uploading payroll data from the 'Lohnjournal' payroll journal simplifies the process of stating accurate expenses, avoiding the need for manual data input." This streamlined process saves an enormous amount of time and effort, allowing the team to focus on more strategic tasks rather than administrative details.