Walkolution awarded German Design Award 2021

• ‚German Design Award‚ is one of the most prestigious design awards globally and given annually by an international jury of design experts
• Walkolution awarded for "Excellent Product Design" and receiving Special Mention in the categories "Start-Up" and "Eco-Design", beating more than 5.300 entries
• Designer, Grischa Kiefer describes how the curved design was inspired by human motion.

Walkolution, the gate-startup developing a revolutionary treadmill desk for work use, has been awarded one of the world’s most prestigious design accolades for its work on the Walkolution MTD700R "Wanderlust" Curved Treadmill Desk.

The Walkolution "Wanderlust", a sustainable manufactured walking treadmill with an integrated desk, was selected by the German Design Award organization in its 2021 competition. From more than 5,300 entries the international judging panel selected fewer than 1% to receive this award which celebrates the design of novel concepts and products that combine unique design, innovation and universal use.

The Walkolution treadmill was further awarded with Special Mentions in the subcategories "Start-Up" and "Eco-Design".

The award comes just nine months after the Walkolution treadmill was revealed to the public for the first time. The treadmill is central to Walkolution´s plans to provide a sustainable manufactured workplace and smarter and healthier alternative to today’s workplace options. A philosophy of clean and simple design runs through everything Walkolution does, from physical product through to customer experience. With no noise, no buttons and a clean design without sharp edges, the Walkolution treadmill desk embodies this principle as well as balancing functional engineering requirements with aesthetic beauty.

Commenting on the inspiration behind their work, Walkolution designer Grischa Kiefer said: "We wanted to break with traditional furniture design and deliver something the world had never seen before. While it had to fit strict requirements from our engineering team, we also wanted to create something warm, that pleases the users with its design. Round shapes that represent a forward movement express the progressiveness and internal movement of the product. People experience a flow feeling when using it. This is what we want to express with the design."

Commenting on the award, Dr. Eric Söhngen, co-founder and CEO, Walkolution, said: “While we fell in love with the Walkolution treadmill before it even left the drawing board, we are humbled to have had its beauty recognized and validated through this award. Our focus is now on delivering our goal of having the Walkolution treadmill placed in offices, home offices, universities and classrooms around the globe”

You can read more about the unique design of the Walkolution treadmill here.

About Walkolution:

Walkolution GmbH is a Munich-based start-up developing a revolutionary walking treadmill for work use. The company vision is a world where anyone can work in the way evolution and biology shaped us, instead of being forced into a sedentary lifestyle, that bears high risks for long term physical and mental health. Revealed in 2019, the silent and motorless walking treadmill desk is already used by renowned companies, schools, and universities across the globe to improve health and productivity and provide a great work experience.

Co-founded by Eric Söhngen and Frank Ackermann in 2017, Walkolution concepts are based on scientific research and sustainable manufacturing philosophy. All products are engineered and crafted at Walkolution´s eco-certified high-tech facility in Bavaria, Germany. The headquarter is located at the gate – Garchinger Technologie- und Gründerzentrum.

About Grischa Kiefer

Kiefer, a German native, worked for Walkolution in 2019 and is currently completing a Bachelor degree in Integrated Product Design at the Faculty of Design at the Hochschule Coburg.

He has a particular interest in furniture, interior spaces and the role biophilia can play in human centered design.

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About the German Design Award:

The German Design Council, the expert for brand and design in Germany, bestows the German Design Award. Commissioned by the highest authority to represent new developments in the German design industry. Established on the initiative of the German Bundestag (the lower house of German parliament) as a foundation in 1953, it supports the industry in all matters consistently aimed at generating an added brand value through design. As a result, the German Design Council is one of the world’s leading competence centres for communication and brand management in the field of design. The exclusive network of foundation members includes in addition to designers and design associations, in particular the owners and brand directors of numerous renowned companies.

About gate – Garchinger Technologie- und Gründerzentrum

As a business incubator the gate is the first place to go to for high-tech-startups and is located on the research campus in Garching/Munich. More than 50 resident gate startups mainly appreciate the flexibly expandable offices in direct neigbourhood to the Technical University of Munich. In order to become mature entrepreneurs, the founders seek the local coach’s advice and can resort to a network of research and specialists.

Founders who have innovative ideas, especially within the range of CleanTech, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, MedTech, IT, Virtual & Augmented Reality or Robotics, meet passionate like-minded people at the gate.

Since it’s foundation in 2002, gate has supported more than 300 companies. This total package, subsidised by the Bavarian government, makes it „the gate to success for high-tech-startups“.

For enquiries
press@walkolution.com
+ 49 89 6931 14 280