Three days, four teams, 14 startup ideas: From September 4 to 6, 2026, Startup Port’s startup camp brought 19 aspiring entrepreneurs to Schloßstraße in Harburg. What was still just an idea on a Metaplan board on Friday morning was ready as a pitch by Sunday afternoon.
From Post-it to Pitch
Those who spend three days at the camp testing assumptions save months later on. Following this motto, 14 ideas were presented at the camp, teams were formed, and the most important questions on the path to a business model were addressed—proof that the format focuses not only on concepts but also on team dynamics.
At the same time, the format is deliberately tightly scheduled. The most important steps from idea to startup were tackled together between Friday morning and Sunday evening: The aspiring founders worked on business models, financing, and funding, created a prototype, and practiced their pitch. Along the way, they were guided by mentors from academia and the professional world.
Two Founders, Two Realities
A special highlight for the participants: On two evenings, guests who had already walked this path joined them and shared their experiences—from hurdles and challenges to successes.
Tin Lasic, CEO of 10x Autonomy: This Hamburg-based deep-tech startup automates the safety validation of autonomous driving systems. Their solution, the AI Validation Stack, generates highly precise 4D reference data fully automatically for each customer’s specific sensor configuration.
Fynn Engelbrecht, founder of RevolutMedia and alumnus of a previous startup camp: The founder attended the camp as a participant himself a year ago. On Saturday evening, he returned—but this time on the other side. The Lüneburg-based social media marketing agency now works with small and medium-sized businesses.
Two very different paths: on the one hand, deep tech and a focus on hardware; on the other, a bootstrapped service business for small and medium-sized enterprises. Both were instructive for the participants, precisely because the experiences differed and highlighted the range of paths founders can take.
A Mainstay in the Northern German Ecosystem
The startup camp has been organized for several years by Tempowerk, Tutech, Hamburg Innovation, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and Startup Port, and has established itself as a fixture in the northern German startup ecosystem. It offers those interested in starting a business the opportunity to further develop their ideas in a professional environment, receive honest feedback, and network with like-minded individuals.
Armed with new inspiration, reliable contacts, and refined business concepts, the aspiring entrepreneurs are now taking the next steps—the real work begins now.
Looking for support for your own startup project? You can schedule a consultation here.
