Boosting startups at the AppHaus Heidelberg
Last weekend we had the pleasure to host 8 startups from Karlsruhe, Heidelberg and Mannheim over the weekend at the AppHaus in Heidelberg. Goal was to boost their startup projects together with experts, mentors and also venture capitalist. The days were full of discussions, inputs and also a lot of fun and the founders enjoyed to stay in the AppHaus very much.
I had a short interview with Anne Siebold about this weekend. Anne is startup manager at the Karlsuhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and was one of the organizers of this Boostcamp weekend.
Hi Anne, you are working as a startup manager at the KIT. What do you do there and how important are startups for the KIT?
In Karlsruhe we have a lot of “geeks” as well as a long tradition of IT-Startups. I guess people at SAP are aware of the founding-story of their company, so to say Karlsruhe is kind of the birthplace of SAP. Hasso Plattner, Dietmar Hopp and Klaus Tschira were students of the Technical University of Karlsruhe in the 70ties.
Since that time the landscape of innovation and entrepreneurship has changed, even in politics. Today we are aware that startups can change the world. At our University we do support people who develop these new ideas. Our focus is on web and tech-related startups. My job is to guide startups, students and alumnis to develop business models and getting the ball rolling. In 2008 we established an entrepreneurship center directly located on the campus, which is open to everyone. One important part is the growing startup community – if you like to join, follow us on twitter @CIE_KIT or www.facebook.com/CIEKIT.
Together with the Cyberforum Karlsruhe you regularly organize the Boostcamp. Could you tell us more about this?
Our aim is to support startups in the early stage phase and “boost” them. Ideally they have a prototype and a first idea of the potential business model. At the Boostcamp we then work together with mentors and coaches. At the end of the weekend they know how to move on with the product and business development. It is important to get experienced people involved as well as establish an attitude of “getting out of the building” to test the ideas.
If you have a closer look on tech-startups, especially in the field of IT and web, it is crucial to know about Lean Startup and not to “Fall in love with your solution” too much. The aim is to prove if the startup really solving a problem and if there is a potential market.
The SAP AppHaus hosted this event. What were the reasons for you to come to Heidelberg this time and especially to run the Boostcamp in the AppHaus?
We believe it is important to have a “maker space” like the SAP AppHaus, a creative and open-minded setting for the weekend. In the early phase you need time for team building, and the equipment for creative and interactive work sessions. SAP AppHaus is perfect for that!
So tell us – how was your weekend at the AppHaus?
We had 8 teams mostly with IT-products, 22 participants and 7 mentors from different backgrounds. We applied concepts and methodologies, tested ideas and got a lot of insights from experienced entrepreneurs and business angels. We will see the impact of weekend in the future development.
Any wishes how we can improve the AppHaus even further?
One idea: It could be interesting to bring startups and corporates together – and learn from each other. The key ingredients are already there, creative people, ideas, networks and technologies.
Last question: do you have more ideas how to cooperate with companies. With SAP?
SAP is competent in developing new solutions with cutting-edge technologies – I think we have the potential to bring innovative people together and facilitate innovation – whether they are part of an startup, scientists or corporate people. I guess there is a lot of potential. It could be interesting to bring startups and corporates together. Besides that I am excited to see if HANA is suitable as platform for IT Startups.
Sounds like a plan and the Design and Co-Innovation Center is looking forward to support this also in the future. Thanks for your time and all the best for your startups.
Great initiative Jochen. I believe that anything that can bring SAP and startups closer together is a good thing for all sides.
Along the same lines, a few months ago SAP sponsored Startup Weekend Stuttgart. We were there with SAP technical and business mentors who spend their entire week-end coaching budding startups (at an earlier stage than the ones you hosted at the AppHaus over the week-end). We all learned from each-other, and we at SAP took a lot of ideas back with us. The Innowerft startup incubator (in Walldorf, co-funded by SAP) also provided coaches. More info here: StartupWeekend Stuttgart 2013: it's a wrap!
Hi Julien,
thanks for your feedback. Michael Koegel, who is also part of the DCC was mentoring also during the Boostcamp and was also mentor at the Startup Weekend in Stuttgart.
Do you know about the Hana Startup Forum coming soon in the AppHaus? Perhaps this is also interesting for you? Feel free to register yourself or forward this to startups or other interested people -> Heidelberg | SAP HANA
All the best
Jochen
We indeed had great mentors from SAP: Michael Koegel and Friedrich Bandulet as well as Hans-Heinrich Siemers and Andreas Wuest from the SAP-supported InnoWerft startup incubator in Walldorf. See: Mentors: Startup Weekend wouldn't be the same without them
I would have loved to come to HANA Startup Forum in HD but it falls exactly on the same dates as the SAP-internal d-code where all members of the development organization will be.
Good point, this remembers me, that I am also invited to the internal d.code ... 😉
Awesome! SAP is going to be a great player and supporter of the Startup Ecosystem. I love to see the mergins of BMgen, Lean Startup and Design Thinking. Keep it up!
There will be a similar event in Stuttgart end of March, called Startup Weekend NEXT, a 5 week bootcamp and pre-accelerator-program. Teams can apply here: http://www.swnext.co/events/stuttgart-next
Best,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
thanks for your positive feedback. In the last years SAP indeed developed itself to a very active helper also for startups. And the great thing is that all parts are get something positive out of it: SAP, we as employees, who get new inspiration and perspectives by working with the startups and the startup itself of course also, as they get a lot of good feedback and support from the corporate guys.
Best regards
Jochen
P.S. Wird Zeit, dass wir uns auch mal persönlich kennenlernen! 😉