DESY Start-up Office

Kickoff: The Deep Tech Club and DESY Start-up Office are paving the way for the deep tech teams of the future - on every level! It all started when Timo Christian and Dirk Freise planted the seed of the Deep Tech Club with a simple discussion on bridging the gap between science and investment. Dirk raised a key question: how can investors truly understand or validate deep tech ideas? From there, the initiative blossomed, now bringing together Shortcut Ventures GmbH, Hamburg Investors Network, Carbon13 , Hamburg Invest, Life Science Nord, Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld, and DESY Start-up Office. Last week, the Deep Tech Club hosted its very first event under the pixelated warmth of a cosy fireside. Over 40 curious stakeholders from the deep tech scene tuned in to hear insights from Felix Faber (CEO Mindpeak GmbH) and Mark Miller (Managing Partner Carlsquare) a founder-investor duo. Mark explained how he was convinced to back a start-up in the complex field of machine learning for pathology applications - trusting the Mindpeak team and getting validation from leading pathologists, despite the high risks. Looking ahead, the Deep Tech Club is eager to share these experiences and explore how to offer scientific opinions in the future. Want to dive into deep tech as an investor, scientist, or start-up? Join us at deeptechclub.de and be part of the journey! #DeepTechClub #DeepTechStartups #investors #networking

🎉 We did it! Last week marked the conclusion of the DESY Start-up School 2024 with an inspiring final online pitch session. Our 8 participants showcased a wide range of innovative DeepTech business ideas, spanning AI, computing, data analysis, biotech, astronomy tech, x-ray lenses, and position-sensitive detectors. A huge congratulations to all participants for your dedication and entrepreneurial spirit. We're excited to continue supporting you as you take your next steps on your journey to becoming successful sciencepreneurs. A special thanks to our CEO mentors and jury members for their invaluable feedback, 1:1 coaching, and insightful webinars. Your guidance made a tremendous difference! Anna Stenstam Ahmet Bahadır Yıldız Bernhard H. Michael Flavin Andrew Beale Simon Jacques Larry Schor Robert Okabe Anthony Hessel, PhD But the journey doesn’t stop here - next up is the Tech Startup Academy! Tomorrow, we kick off the special Start-up Sschool edition by Startup Port, hosted by DESY Start-up Office. We’re thrilled to welcome 15 participants from universities and research institutes across Hamburg, including UHH, TUHH, DESY, HSU, Helmholtz Center Hereon, Nordakademie Graduate School, and the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG). 🚀 Let’s get ready for the next chapter! Pegram Harrison Charlelie Jourdan Start-up-Assist HHR UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Fateme Jaleh Christina Frehse

On September 25, we had the honor of hosting part of the event "𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘢𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵: 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 & 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱". 44 talented individuals with backgrounds in AI, material sciences, robotics, engineering and more were selected to participate in a two-day program filled with cutting-edge technologies and innovation. The event provided a unique opportunity for them to connect with fellow researchers, successful founders, and industry experts. This event was part of the Startup Factory Hamburg (SFHH) pilot - a new collaborative initiative involving Hamburg’s research institutions (including DESY), universities, various foundations, the city, leading businesses, and many other stakeholders. On the second day, participants had the chance to explore the DESY DeepTech ecosystem by: ▶️ Gaining insights from founders Bosse Rothe (Holy Technologies) and Daniel Schmidt (TXproducts) in a discussion facilitated by Start-up Office consultant Lizzy Harmstorf ▶️ Touring the PETRA particle accelerator with Timo Christian and exploring Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld and the MakerSpace at Innovation Village with Denny Droßmann ▶️ Mingling with attendees of the Entrepreneurship Lunch over a shared meal. Thank you to all the participants for visiting the DESY campus and diving into DeepTech with us. A big thank you as well to CHEFTREFF for organizing such a fantastic event! Startup Factory Initiative Hamburg (Stealth Mode) Pics by Cheftreff/Felix Schwiderski

The DESY Start-up Office Roadshow is back next week, and this time we’re bringing an exciting twist! Join us for a barista-style coffee break co-hosted with Zahra from the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), who will introduce the fascinating project "𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘯". Whether you're a researcher with a potential project or just curious, this is your chance to learn about the support we offer for developing your ideas. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐲: 👉 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟭𝟱 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝟭𝟭:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟭𝟯:𝟬𝟬 👉 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟭𝟲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐅𝐄𝐋 𝐟𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝟭𝟭:𝟯𝟬 - 𝟭𝟯:𝟬𝟬 The roadshow is a fantastic opportunity to meet Startup Port consultants, who specialize in connecting innovators with the right resources. If you're looking for team partners, co-founders, or advice, their extensive network across 10 universities and research institutions in the Hamburg region is at your disposal. If you have an innovative idea, check out our current opening at 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆: https://lnkd.in/dbbKJpbE Even if you don’t have a start-up idea yet, your research could be key to groundbreaking technologies! Through the Future Innovators - A Helmholtz Transfer Academy you can explore pre-idea phase methods to unlock your potential for contributing to the start-up ecosystem. With great coffee served by a barista and plenty of expert advice on hand, this roadshow is a great opportunity for anyone interested in entrepreneurship - or just looking to get a zip of the start-up world. We can’t wait to meet you - see you there! Fateme Jaleh Lizzy Harmstorf Timo Christian Christina Frehse Katrin Schönert Tatjana Timoschenko

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞! Everyone wants to save the world, fight diseases, cut carbon emissions, and revolutionize renewable energies. But often, the complexity of these solutions makes it nearly impossible to bring them to life. When it takes a highly educated researcher to discover the science behind a deep tech idea, how can an investor, unfamiliar with the science, understand what’s happening and assess whether a great pitch - featuring seemingly "god-like" technologies - is truly achievable? And if you do possess that cutting-edge knowledge, how do you convince an investor with venture capital that your science is both real and in demand? The DESY Start-up Office supports the Deep Tech Club, whose mission is to make deep tech accessible to investors who are eager to invest in the future but may lack the technical expertise in cutting-edge technologies. The club acts as a first point of contact for non-tech investors with science and other deep tech investors to unlock a new investment field. If you’re an investor interested in exploring the complex, yet potentially lucrative, world of Deep Tech, join us at the kick-off event, the Fireside Chat “Succeeding in Deep Tech” with Felix Faber, Mark Miller, and Dirk Freise on October 15, where you'll hear from both sides of the investment equation. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dD3zdKKi Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld Carbon13 Hamburg Investors NetworkHamburg Invest Life Science Nord Timo Christian Lizzy Harmstorf #deeptech #future #innovation #investorsnetwork

Pitching - love it or hate it? Some people thrive in the spotlight and are natural storytellers, but many scientists we know prefer to let their research and technology do the talking. Over the last two weeks, we hosted two workshops focused on tools and techniques to help develop a captivating pitch. Communication expert Charlelie Jourdan taught the participants of the DESY Start-Up School how to improve their pitches using factual storytelling. He introduced the concept of the “Curse of Knowledge” - the challenge of knowing so much about your topic that you struggle to communicate the key message to non-specialists. This is often the case when pitching complex DeepTech innovations to investors, stakeholders, or future clients. To overcome this, Charlelie emphasized the importance of crafting a compelling story with relevant information, starting with context and a real-world problem before presenting your solution - and your vision for the future. Essentially, it’s about organizing complex information into a narrative that resonates with both you and your audience. Stories are easier to remember because they engage up to 7 different regions of the brain, whereas data only activates two. But once you have your story, the hard work begins: practicing your pitch over and over again, continuously checking if the story still makes sense, getting feedback, and refining it. In the online Toolbox workshop “Pitch Perfect” led by Lizzy Harmstorf (Start-up Office/Startup Port consultant) and Christine Tiedemann (Startup Port), participants received tips for presenting the perfect pitch and took part in a speed-dating style elevator pitch exercise to sharpen their skills. The feedback was they wanted to continue and receive the chance to practice in person. So, the Startup Port team will provide a hands on workshop in November for those interested. Stay tuned! #pitchpractice #storytelling #complextechnologies #sciencepreneur

How to start a business in Germany as an student or researcher with an international background? From Friday to Sunday you will learn about the methodical approach of founding your own company. In teams you will develop a product idea into a complete business model and bring it in a presentable “pitch deck” form.   The business part is accompanied by an overview over the local startup ecosystem as well as available funding opportunities. Evening events will give you the opportunity for networking. As an additional gimmick, successfull international founders share their experience on starting up a company in Germany as a foreigner. - Founders personal experiences - legal and financial aspects of a business - learn to develop your idea into business - Tips for the start 🔴 cost-free - hurry up and sign in ⤵ https://lnkd.in/eKjM85hH In cooperation with Startup Migrants Technische Universität Hamburg Hamburg Innovation GmbH This Session at Startup Port organised by: Salzmann Christian #students #business #germany #hamburg #international #science

Do we have your attention? Today’s Entrepreneurship Lunch - our 7th this year, as always organized in collaboration with Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld - focused on target marketing and building an online presence. Stefan Jaks and Lukas Lindemann from the media company STRÖER shared valuable tips with a diverse group of pre-founders and start-ups on how to effectively reach your specific target audience. Key takeaways from the session: 👉When it comes to marketing, people always think: What’s in it for me? 👉New keywords emerge every day. Instead of spending for ads to describe your product, invest in keywords that define the problem your start-up is solving. You can even use ChatGPT to refine the problem and leverage AI as a sparring partner. 👉Building a brand with regular content marketing on LinkedIn requires patience, but it’s usually worth the effort. This strategy should be complemented with other targeted marketing measures. 👉You only have 3-4 seconds to capture a user’s interest on your website or social media. Create value immediately - your first page or first words matter most, as the second page might not get clicked…. …so still with us? After the talk and a round of questions, attendees had the chance to mingle over a light lunch with participants from the Lab-to-Market event. Special thanks to CHEFTREFF for the opportunity. A big thank you to Stefan Jaks and Lukas Lindemann for diving deep into the specific questions, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the insightful discussion. Shout-out to the orga-team at Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld, the DESY Start-up Office, and Startup Port for their support. Susanne Dietz Lizzy Harmstorf Katrin Schönert Ströer SE & Co. KGaA #entrepreneurship #lunchandlearn #networking #onlinemarketing #targeting

🙌 Hoch die Hände - Wochenende! As we wrap up the week, we’d like to celebrate the incredible teams who have just graduated from the DESY Start-up Office Business Model Sprint. 🥂 Cheers to Anna Sobolov Good Anthony Hessel, PhD, Khoi Nguyen, PhD, Michel Kühn, and Arunangshu Debnath, Ph.D. Under the guidance of Lutz Junge and Lizzy Harmstorf, the teams accelerated their progress by developing their critical MVPs. They explored market opportunities, validated their ideas with key customers, and honed in on market strategies. A new addition to this cohort was a dedicated pitch training session led by Charlelie Jourdan, who expertly prepared the teams for the final pitch event and Open House. Arunangshu Debnath, Ph.D. Founder Episteme AI shared: "The program was a healthy mix of where to play, lean strategy building, and pragmatism. Personable interactions with Lutz on challenging topics like customer engagement, while staying true to core technological values, were enriching." #deeptech #MVP #pitching #DESYBusinessmodelSprint

Want to understand how the multi-layered DESY Start-up ecosystem works? Find out how Denny explains it to a 5-year-old, and how Lizzy breaks it down for her granny, in the first episode of "DESY Start-ups meet bulb: Deep Tech Talk": https://lnkd.in/eW7tmxaR We are proud to present the first podcast episode of a special collaboration: Together with bulb, we explore the DESY Start-up world. Listen to our amazing colleagues Lizzy Harmstorf and Denny Droßmann as they provide insights into the incubator work happening on campus and beyond. You can learn more about how the DESY Start-up Office (as a consortium member of Startup Port) and Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld are supporting deeptech founders in the Hamburg metropolitan region, and hear about our future plans to foster a vibrant deeptech start-up community. As a bonus, the non-scientists Lizzy and Denny explain what an electron synchrotron is and introduce what kind of exciting start-ups are based on the campus - easy-peasy, just like they do it every day. Special thanks to Lorenz Sacher and Christian Ströder for recording the first session and giving us the opportunity to share our mission and vision! #deeptechtalk #sciencepreneur #innovation #startup #ecosystem