Business Meets Tech: The Best of Both Worlds

How can technology and business administration be used to develop new and promising corporate strategies? …And can it be done in just one day?

This was the challenge some 60 participants faced during the hackathon organized by thhe student-led Business Meets Tech club at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. Participants were tasked with working on a real-world case, provided by StrategyFrame.AI, one of the initiative’s partners alongside OpenAI,CAPCO, and Knowunity. 

At the end of the 20-hour hackathon, the various teams proposed ten innovative solutions—but only one could claim victory. With a design so well developed on a technical level that it was nearly application ready after only one day, it was Team Slipstream who impressed the expert panel of judges, which included Christian Underwood (PTMBA 2012; co-founder of StrategyFrame.AI), WHU’s Professor Jürgen Weigand (Co-founder of StrategyFrame), Daniel Theobald (CFO of StrategyFrame), Aleksander Dukanovic (CTO of StrategyFrame), and Jan Stüve (partner at CAPCO).

“My highlight was seeing what Business Meets Tech made possible this year and how well our concept was received. Our event was even one of the first student-led initiatives in Germany to attract the attention of OpenAI, confirming once again how important cooperation between business and technology is,” said Rebecca Lucas (BSc 2027), responsible for managing sponsors and partners for Business Meets Tech. 

As its name suggests, Business Meets Tech brings WHU students together with students enrolled in technical degree programs at other universities based in Europe. While some students were skilled in developing and marketing business models, others contributed their knowledge of computer science, information technology, or AI. What makes this initiative special is its immediacy and spontaneity: teams only come together just before the start of the hackathon, meaning they have to quickly explore their respective strengths and then dive straight into the challenge. “It was really nice for me to see strangers become teams in such a short time. These teams ultimately came up with solutions that show what is possible when business and tech work together,” said Riccarda Pütz (BSc 2027), General Manager of Business Meets Tech. 

The hackathon, which ran from September 25 – 26, 2025, kicked off with an opening speech from Christian Underwood, which was then followed by a workshop organized by OpenAI and other learning sessions. Armed with a ton of useful information, ten teams got together for lunch, where they were presented with their challenge. From that point on, there were only 20 hours on the clock, and the teams—fueled by energy drinks, quick naps in the designated areas of the IP-C building, and spirited discussions—got down to business.

By brunch that Friday morning, with the 12:30 P.M. deadline looming, participants had to decide between a leisurely breakfast or putting the final touches on their projects. After presenting their work that afternoon, the jury came back with a decisions and announced Slipstream as the winner at a ceremony held at Vallendar’s civic center.

At the after-party, all participants from the various universities had the opportunity to network and celebrate their newly formed friendships.