The big pitch parade at the Startup Stage 2019
The Reeperbahn Startup Pitch 2019 really had a lot to offer. Extremely helpful masterclasses, for example, ample opportunity for networking and a lively aftershow party. But above all, of course, pitches, pitches, and pitches. These were provided by the six finalists of the evening and 20 other innovative young companies on the Startup Stage. We took a close look at them, too.
The principle was the same as in the main competition: each startup was given five minutes for its pitch, followed by a panel of experts asking questions for another five minutes. Five different topic blocks, each with four participants, were on the program. The alternating juries were evaluated according to uniform criteria such as innovation, business idea, market maturity, team, and presentation and awarded 0 to 10 points per category. Just how seriously the jurors took their task was evident from the extensive discussions after the end of each round of four. And that was a good thing because in the end there was something to be won. But one after the other.
Media
It started around 12:45 p.m. with four media startups, presented and provided by the next media accelerator. Three participants from the current ninth batch were there, and one from batch number four. Accordingly, Stream Time, which specialized in live streams, already had a few more success figures to show than the other competitors. Nevertheless, they didn't have to hide and convinced the jury with news texts converted to audio (BotTalk), a CRM system for influencer marketing (Casablnca), and the digitization of comics (Tebeox).
Aviation & Space
The Mojo Club, scene of the action, was already well filled in the early afternoon hours and remained so during the entire Startup Stage phase. No wonder, during the pitches, it went blow by blow and in the next block into the skies and up into space. "Aviation & Space" with Airbus BizLab as the sponsor offered a project for which the overstrained attribute "exciting" is genuinely appropriate. One may indeed be curious if and when Die Astronautin will send the first German woman into space and what research findings she will gain there. The pitches from Loud Steps (help for passengers with segregation problems), msquare (repairing plastics with heat), and EchoRing (wireless communication of machines) brought new insights.
Logistics & Mobility
At the "Logistics & Mobility" event, supported by the Next Logistics Accelerator and the Ministry of Economics, Transport, and Innovation, Michael Hötte from Sirum provided an unintentional little slapstick interlude. While trying to explain his complete software solution for transport companies with the help of an adhesive strip and toy parts, he wrapped his hand in it. Small problem, the pitch was still convincing. Of course, the same was true for OPTIMIZ (quick help in case of damage), Tracks (forecasting and reduction of fuel consumption), and Pulpo WMS (optimization of warehouses). Pretty smart solutions that were on display!
Smart City
Like the next pack of four, here "Smart City" was the motto, and Smart City | DB the partner. Whereby logistics and mobility also played leading roles here. With electrically powered bicycle trailers, NÜWIEL offers a modern alternative for short-distance inner-city transport. Angel Last Mile GmbH also takes care of the much-cited last mile. 25ways ensures that employees always find the best way to get to work. Finally, Geospin helps to better design the city of the future with comprehensive data analysis.
Fintech
The Reeperbahn Startup Pitch was officially part of the Fintech Week program, so it was only logical that the Startup Stage concluded with the topic "Fintech" presented by the Sparkassen Innovation Hub. There was plenty on offer once again, such as another unintentional slapstick interlude. Kian Ghanai from Crowdlitoken came storming onto the stage at the last second and still in his coat to present his real estate funds organized by a blockchain. Things were a bit more relaxed at Kentra (working capital optimization) and FLEXVELOP (small and medium equipment leasing).
Custodiex made the biggest impression, as this London-based fintech received the highest jury score of all 20 Startup Stage participants. Yet, it was not at all easy to understand what exactly Custodiex does. "The storage of digital assets with high-security protection" was the shortest possible definition. In any case, this startup was rewarded with a ticket to the SXSW Festival and thus gets to join the Hamburg delegation heading to Austin, Texas, in March 2020. So we will report more about Custodiex here.