At the “Start-up Pitch” event with the Wirtschaftsverein für den Hamburger Süden e.V., six promising start-up teams presented their innovative ideas in Harburg. The event provided a valuable platform for networking and funding. From a real estate app to VR technology for construction projects – the creative solutions of the start-up teams impressed the guests and gave hope for a promising future.
Yesterday our “Start-up Pitch” event took place with the Wirtschaftsverein für den Hamburger Süden e.V. in cooperation with Tutech Innovation GmbH and Hamburg Innovation GmbH as well as the Business Angels Netzwerk Elbe-Weser e.V.. The event in Harburger Schloßstraße attracted numerous interested parties.
Martin Mahn, host and Managing Director of Tutech Innovation GmbH and Hamburg Innovation GmbH, began by welcoming the guests with a brief report on the startup situation in the Hamburg metropolitan region and wished the founding teams present every success, in particular “a big cheque”. Dr. Olaf Krüger from the Business Angels Network Elbe-Weser then made the following introductory statement: 30 percent of all start-ups have an angel at their side to accompany them on their way. If you add pre-seed, seed and follow-up investments, you can say that 76% of startup investments are made by angels”.
The anticipation and interest of the participants was palpable as the six promising start-ups presented their innovative ideas in short, concise presentations:
Alexander Timper from “AreaButler” reported on a real estate app that creates individual location exposés that are precisely tailored to the needs of the target groups. It is now active in 24 countries and available in five languages. “Thanks to our collaboration with the leading real estate and proptech associations, we are always present and have our finger on the pulse,” he said.
Leif Lewinski then presented the start-up “besser zuhause“, which offers a complete service for age-appropriate living in the greater Hamburg area to make life easier for older people. The idea arose from Leif’s personal experience: His grandfather suffered a stroke in 2018 and was suddenly severely restricted. He wanted to stay at home despite his disability. But his home was not suitable. “We founded Better at Home so that older people and people in need of care can live safely at home for as long as possible instead of having to move into a care home. We all pull together to achieve this,” explains Leif.
The startup “Findus Factory” had its very first pitch, which is why three of them competed. Helmut Gallenberger, Timo Schooff and Malte Voigt presented an innovative solution for the automation of CNC machines and production that promises efficiency and precision: their product, the loading box, is designed to relieve people of monotonous and physically strenuous work that a machine can do much more efficiently.
The “Skillbased” job portal specializes in career changers and companies looking for new talent: “We don’t bring skilled workers into the company, but potential who can become skilled workers in the long term,” said co-founder Frederika Fiona Hornef. “Our job matching platform is not about qualifications, but about skills,” added Ben Luca Reimer.
The startup “toern” from Wedel University of Applied Sciences (FH Wedel) offers a software solution for the efficient and resource-saving processing of returns, which is particularly interesting for e-commerce companies. The idea is supported by Startup Port and won an award in the “Start-up Competition – Digital Innovations” organized by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) in 2023. “We are currently in the pre-seed financing round and are looking for angels with smart capital,” reported co-founder Jonas Zeuner.
The VR technology from “VisioPlan” offers user-friendly design planning solutions for private developers. The startup from Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg) overcomes a lack of imagination and creates a realistic sense of space. With the support of the Startup Port and Startup Port @ TUHH, they successfully applied for an EXIST grant last year, which expires in September. According to Kevin Fechner, the future managing director of “VisioPlan”, the task now is to close the looming funding gap – they want to found the company this month.
After the presentations, the event turned into an informal get-together where guests were able to exchange ideas and make new contacts over a snack. The atmosphere was characterized by lively discussions and networking and the innovative ideas of the start-ups were discussed in depth in many conversations.
The “Start-up Pitch” was a complete success and offered the participating teams a valuable platform to present their ideas to a broad audience of investors, entrepreneurs and interested parties. The positive response and high level of interest give hope for a promising future for the companies presented.
