25 Years of IdeaLab! – “Connecting Minds, Building Bridges”

“Connecting Minds, Building Bridges”—that was the driving force behind the 25th anniversary of IdeaLab! – WHU Founders’ Conference, organized this year by twelve students of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management for September 25 – 26. And they succeeded in this goal, having once again brought together a group of visionary investors, bold entrepreneurs, and other forward-thinking to WHU’s campus in Vallendar. 

Participants from across Europe gathered at WHU to exchange ideas, build networks, and get inspired by one another. More than 45 start-ups, 25 investors, 95 business professionals, 60 sponsors, 40 speakers, and 400 students attended the two-day event.

Idea Tank and Pitch Battle

The program featured inspiring keynotes and panel discussions, start-up pitch sessions with investors, hands-on workshops, and a hackathon. One of the highlights was the IdeaTank, during which participating entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their business models in front of all investors in attendance. The selected teams took part in a Pitch Battle, a unique chance to gain feedback and make valuable connections and showcase their projects.

Numerous speakers shared their own personal experiences as entrepreneurs and business leaders, including Benjamin Bauer (Co-Founder & CCO, Jokr), Fabian Brandt (Partner & Market Leader Germany & Austria for Oliver Wyman), Nicole Büttner (Founder & CEO of Merantix Momentum), and Annika von Mutius (Co-Founder & CEO of Empion and Board Member of the KI-Bundesverband). The event also welcomed investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate representatives from a wide variety of companies, including Enpal, FUTRUE, 4P Capital, and askLio.