Startup Olympics Vol. 12 - Dein Startup an einem Wochenende

In the organizer's words:

From April 24-26, 2026, the Mathildenhof in Essen will be transformed into a creative arena for founders, doers and future shapers. At the Startup Olympics, you will develop innovative business ideas together with up to 100 participants - from the initial vision to the final pitch in front of a jury.

Regardless of whether you already have an idea or simply want to become part of an ambitious team: During this weekend, inspiration is turned into real business models. You will work together with developers, designers, marketing and business talents in an interdisciplinary way and will be accompanied by experienced mentors from the start-up and business world.

In just 52 hours you will learn
- Validate ideas in a structured way
- Develop business models
- think prototypes
- pitch convincingly
- work together effectively in a team

On Sunday, the teams present their results to a jury. In addition to valuable feedback, prizes, visibility and possible follow-up support await particularly convincing concepts.

The Startup Olympics are more than just a competition - they are an intensive learning and networking experience for all those who not only want to think about entrepreneurship, but also experience it.