GUEST FEATURE | Apply now for the Startups@Reeperbahn Pitch 2018!

The sixth Startups@Reeperbahn Pitch is due to take place on 19 September 2018 in Hamburg’s Gruenspan music club. Five start-ups from across Europe will present themselves to a prestigious jury at this competition organised by Hamburg Startups. The winning team will receive the WELT media award – a media budget valued at 150,000 euros – and a trip to the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. The deadline for applications is 10 August.

Innovative candidates from Baden-Württemberg should definitely apply for the sixth Startups@Reeperbahn Pitch! Our local start-up scene has a huge amount to offer, after all, which should certainly spread its wings beyond regional borders. The Startups@Reeperbahn Pitch is the perfect opportunity to prove this, as this unique competition attracts participants from all over Europe to Hamburg in the north – five start-ups will be presenting themselves on-stage to a prestigious jury and an expert audience on 19 September.

More than 450 investors, executives from major companies and many other decision-makers from the digital and media industry are expected to attend. This wealth of expertise coupled with the relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere creates a networking event par excellence. It’s how many a successful business relationship was begun. Being there is definitely worth it, especially for the winners. Success has given the winning start-ups from previous years – including Tinnitracks, Baqend, Antelope and Inspirient – an enormous boost to their business development.

This year, another WELT media budget of 150,000 euros awaits the winner. They will also receive a ticket to the SXSW Festival in March 2019 in Austin, Texas. The jury will include Dr Cornel Wallingford (Managing Director of Deutsche Bank), Scarlett Li (Vice President China Media Capital), Jan Nimtz (Managing Director of Axel Springer Media for Equity GmbH) and Leah Hunter (Editor at Fast Company & Forbes, author).

All start-ups from all industries and stages of business are eligible. As the pitch takes place in English, all application documents must be in English, too. The requirements are a pitch deck with a maximum of 15 slides and a short description of the company, no more than 500 characters in length. See the application form here [link].

You can apply until midnight on 10 August. An advisory board full of experienced experts will then decide on 23 August which five start-ups will be invited to Hamburg on 19 September. The travel costs for one person per company will incidentally be borne by Hamburg Startups thanks to the support of its partners Deutsche Bank, RY, Hamburg Invest and WELT. So there’s nothing to stop you coming from Stuttgart, Karlsruhe or Tübingen!

The pitch day will take place for the first time before the main competition, where start-ups can introduce themselves to investors interested in various categories. The iconic Lovemobiles will also be standing ready for meetings between start-ups and experienced mentors. And, after the big pitch, the five finalists will also be whisked away to the exclusive aftershow with fine dining and illustrious guests. So, start applying now! We wish you the best of luck!

Apply here!