Event Series


Startup Talk is an event where founders come to share their startup stories and the lessons learned along the way. Attendees get a firsthand look at the challenges and triumphs of building a business from the ground up. The event provides valuable insights into the entrepreneurial process, offering inspiration and practical advice for those looking to start or grow their own ventures. Founders openly discuss their experiences, from overcoming obstacles to achieving key milestones. This is also a great opportunity to engage with founders, ask questions, and connect with fellow participants who are passionate about startups and innovation.
Startup Tour Goes London WS '25/'26
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London is Calling! This semester's HPI Engine Startup Tour took our students straight into the heart of London’s tech and startup ecosystem once gain. Over four packed days, they explored leading VC firms, met founders across fintech, deeptech, gaming, and AI, and reconnected with HPI alumni building international careers.
Day 1
The tour opened at Crane Venture Partners, where students received first insights into venture capital. They then visited Yavrio to hear from the founders about opportunities and challenges in Open Banking. The day ended with HPI alumna Joana Bergsiek at Spitalfields Market, sharing her path to becoming a Software Engineer at Google.
Day 2
At HV Capital, the group learned how one of Germany’s major VC funds operates. A session with Claret Capital Partners offered a closer look at venture debt. Thanks to Lorena Szerman, the students later joined the Deeptech Labs demo day, immersing themselves in pitches, conversations, and networking.
Day 3
A highlight followed at Entrepreneurs First, with insights into their founder-first accelerator model. In the afternoon, Track Titan welcomed the group for technical deep dives and honest stories about building in the gaming and sim-racing space, complemented by investor input from Concept Ventures. The day concluded at Conduct AI, where students tested their SAP chatbot and heard the founding journey of the ex-Palantir team.
Day 4
The final day led to Profound, where Marco da Silva reflected on his path from founder, fresh off his exit at Coalition Inc., to Staff Engineer.

Startup Tour Goes Munich SS '25
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Over four packed days, 16 HPI students explored Munich’s vibrant startup ecosystem, meeting founders, VCs, and tech pioneers up close.
The journey began at 10x Founders, offering a firsthand look into early-stage venture capital. At CareMates, students gained personal insights into the realities of founding and persistence. A visit to UnternehmerTUM and the MakerSpace at TUM sparked ideas through hands-on innovation and inspiring conversations.
Networking and founder stories took center stage at START Munich’s Connect event, while deep dives at First Momentum Ventures and project b. shed light on startup funding and founder experiences.
Highlights continued at Marvel Fusion with a look into nuclear tech entrepreneurship, followed by a live robotics demo at RobCo, and meaningful discussions around purpose and data protection at Kertos.
This tour gave students real-world insights into the challenges and possibilities of entrepreneurship, showing just how diverse, demanding, and exciting the startup journey can be.

Startup Tour Goes London SS '25
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As part of their ongoing Startup Tours, students had the opportunity to visit the vibrant startup city of London, engaging with a diverse range of innovative companies and inspiring people.
The tour offered insights into startup journeys with Diginius, Greentech innovation from OKIPA and OakTree Power, and cybersecurity perspectives from Coalition Inc., Zeit AI (YC S24) gave students a glimpse into early-stage entrepreneurship and the Y Combinator experience.
At Northeastern University London’s Startup Hub, students enjoyed a diverse lineup of speakers and discussions, while QuantCo offered valuable networking opportunities and a look into data-driven business.
The tour also included key insights into the investment world, from Sustainable Ventures’ distinctive business model and co-working concept, to entrepreneurial support from Entrepreneurs First, venture debt perspectives from Claret Capital Partners, and a closer look at investment banking with Carlsquare.
The experience gave students a hands-on understanding of the startup and VC ecosystem, showcasing the many paths available in the world of tech innovation.

Contact
Do you want to dive into the world of innovation and startups, connect with peers and travel through European's startup cities?
Connect with us to become part of Ignite!