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Congratulating Christian Underwood of Strategy Frame, winner of Best Pitch at the German Accelerator here in Austin, Texas.

I was invited to join the German Accelerator today with @start2.group and share my story with the cohort. Afterwards the founders pitched their companies, and I was very impressed with all of them. Mirrors that let satellites see the Earth. Lunar habitats built from the moon’s own soil. 3D maps for self-driving cars made in minutes. AI that tells you whether your team is truly ready for the job.

Christian opened with “Hope is not a strategy,” and the room voted him the winner. Well deserved.

Thank you to the German Accelerator team for having me. Austin is lucky to have these founders here.

#GermanAccelerator #Austin #AustinTexas #Startups #Founders PitchNight Entrepreneurship Innovation AustinStartups

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I watched 11 German startups pitch back to back at Capital Factory with @start2.group . Here’s what separated the ones I still remember.

I was invited to speak to the founders in the German Accelerator program in Austin, then stayed for their pitch night. Watching pitches back to back is one of the best ways to learn what lands.

All of them did a fantastic job. If I had to pass on five lessons:

1. Win the first 15 seconds, and leave one line behind.
2. Show it, don’t just say it.
3. Understand the people, not just the problem.
4. Let precise numbers do the work.
5. End with a specific ask.

Congratulations to every founder for putting yourselves out there, and thank you to the German Accelerator team for having me.

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Scoliosis often progresses without pain in childhood. Caught early, there is still time to treat it before it becomes severe.

SMILE CURVE built Senaka Scan for exactly that: a portable, radiation-free 3D back scanner for early detection and monitoring.

In 2024, the team joined the Start2 Asia Accelerator, part of the Tokyo SUTEAM program funded by @tokyo_gov and run by the regional @start2.group team to help Japanese startups validate their business models in Korea, India, and Singapore.

Since then they’ve racked up milestones across two continents.

✅ Bochum, Germany: Deployed at @klinikumbo on September 21, opening the door to new clinical research

✅ Singapore: Oct 2026, one of six CHISEL Healthcare InnoMatch 2026 winners from 220 applications across 38 countries, paired with @singhealth.sg for test-bedding and evaluation

✅ Osaka, Japan: Oct 2026, winner of the Global Pitch Showdown 2026 Global Final, pitched by Ria Otoshima

We were glad to help connect the team with Bochum.

The credit belongs to SMILE CURVE and the partners and mentors behind each milestone.

Same goal from Tokyo to Bochum to Singapore: earlier scoliosis detection for children everywhere.

Congratulations, SMILE CURVE - we look forward to seeing where #SenekaScan goes next !! 🇯🇵🇩🇪🇸🇬
….

@chinnovationsg, @temasekfoundation, @mohsingapore @medtechactuator #osakachamberofcommerceandindustry Scoliosis often progresses without pain in childhood. Caught early, there is still time to treat it before it becomes severe.

SMILE CURVE built Senaka Scan for exactly that: a portable, radiation-free 3D back scanner for early detection and monitoring.

In 2024, the team joined the Start2 Asia Accelerator, part of the Tokyo SUTEAM program funded by the @tokyo_gov and run by the regional @start2.group team to help Japanese startups validate their business models in Korea, India, and Singapore.

Since then:
✅ Bochum, Germany: Deployed at @klinikumbo on September 21, opening the door to new clinical research

✅ Singapore: One of six CHISEL Healthcare InnoMatch 2026 winners from 220 applications across 38 countries, paired with @singhealth.sg for test-bedding and evaluation

✅ Osaka, Japan: Winner of the Global Pitch Showdown 2026 Global Final, pitched by Ria Otoshima

We were glad to help connect the team with Bochum.

The credit belongs to SMILE CURVE and the partners and mentors behind each milestone.

Same goal from Tokyo to Bochum to Singapore: earlier scoliosis detection for children everywhere.

Congratulations, SMILE CURVE! 🇯🇵🇩🇪🇸🇬
….

@chinnovationsg, @temasekfoundation, @mohsingapore @medtechactuator #osakachamberofcommerceandindustry

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Last Tuesday, 80 partners came together for another inspiring Munich Climate Week Partner Drinks! 🌍

A huge thank you to our hosts @start2.group (Valentin Schmitt, Anouchka Roth), Kopa (Benjamin Wochner), and Extantia (Chloe Legge), as well as @seeberger_1844 for the delicious snacks!

We got a sneak peek at exciting upcoming events from Sebastian Brandis (Menschen für Menschen), Christina Schmitt (Climate Pitch Battle), and Torsten Poek (Rio Filmpalast movie programme), alongside the latest MCW updates.

A special highlight: Constance sharing her personal Story of Self and what brought her to climate action.

Thanks to Mariana and Laura for moderating and Julian for capturing the evening! 📸

Ready for MCW? Explore the events and register in our website!

_____________________________

(DE) Letzten Dienstag kamen 80 Partner zu einem weiteren inspirierenden Munich Climate Week Partner Drinks zusammen! 🌍

Ein riesiges Dankeschön an unsere Gastgeber Start2 Group (Valentin Schmitt, Anouchka Roth), Kopa (Benjamin Wochner) und Extantia (Chloe Legge) sowie an Seeberger für die leckeren Snacks!

Wir bekamen spannende Einblicke in kommende Events von Sebastian Brandis (Menschen für Menschen), Christina Schmitt (Climate Pitch Battle) und Torsten Poek (Filmprogramm im Rio Filmpalast) sowie die neuesten MCW-Updates.
Ein besonderes Highlight: Constanze teilte ihre persönliche Story of Self und erzählte, was sie zum Klimaschutz gebracht hat.

Danke auch an Mariana und Laura für die Moderation und Julian Kühne für die tollen Fotos! 📸

Bereit für die MCW? Entdeckt die Events und meldet euch an.

#MunichClimateWeek #ClimateAction #MCW

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10 Impact Tech startups.
Two ecosystems.

One virtual stage 🌍

@unicornflisboa and @start2.group are bringing together startups from Portugal and Germany tackling real-world challenges in health, sustainability, education, and mobility.

⚡ Fast-paced pitches
🤝 Investors, corporates, and ecosystem players joining

🏆 A startup from each ecosystem can win a ticket to Web Summit and a German tech event, to be announced soon

🗓️ Tuesday, October 20
🕙 10:00–11:30 Lisbon | 11:00–12:30 CEST
📍 Zoom

Click 🔗 in bio ⬆️ to register or go to: https://luma.com/djgcexq7 10 Impact Tech startups. Two ecosystems.
One virtual stage 🌍

@unicornflisboa and @start2.group are bringing together startups from Portugal and Germany tackling real-world challenges in health, sustainability, education, and mobility.

⚡ Fast-paced pitches
🤝 Investors, corporates, and ecosystem players joining

🏆 A startup from each ecosystem can win a ticket to Web Summit and a German tech event, to be announced soon

🗓️ Tuesday, October 20
🕙 10:00–11:30 Lisbon | 11:00–12:30 CEST
📍 Zoom

Link in bio to register or https://luma.com/djgcexq7

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Europe’s Climate Tech ecosystem is stronger when we work together 🇬🇧🇪🇺

On November 12, we’re bringing the ecosystem to Cambridge for the Cambridge Climate Tech Forum 2026, organized with @cambridge.cleantech and the Climate Tech SuperCluster.

One day at @westcamhub, two parallel streams..

🚀 Cleantech Venture Day
Founders and investors around the next generation of climate innovation.

🌍 Europe Meets Cambridge
Powered by Rise & Scale and the Climate Tech SuperCluster. 40 ecosystem leaders from across Europe exchanging what works, sharing best practices, and building cross-border collaborations.

Invite-only.

If you build, fund, or shape a Climate Tech ecosystem in Europe, this is your room.

📍 @westcamhub, Cambridge
🗓️ November 12, 2026
🎟️ Link in bio to join the Forum

Interested in Europe Meets Cambridge?

Request your invitation or contact Eleni Vordos directly on LinkedIn or here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-vordos/

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Unicorn Factory Lisboa and @start2.group are bringing together 10 Impact Tech startups who will take the virtual stage to showcase solutions tackling real-world challenges across sectors such as health, sustainability, education and mobility.

This isn't a typical pitch event:

🌍 Two ecosystems: Portugal & Germany
⚡ Fast-paced startup pitches
🤝 Investors, corporates and ecosystem players in the room
🏆 And a chance for a startup from each ecosystem to win a ticket to Web Summit and a German tech event to be disclosed soon!

📅 Tuesday, 20 October
🕙 10:00 – 11:30 (Lisbon) | 11:00 – 12:30 (CEST)
📍 Zoom
👉 Register here: link in bio.

Come discover the startups building solutions for a better future and connect with the people shaping Europe’s innovation ecosystem!

#UnicornFactoryLisboa #Start2Group #InternationalDemoDay #ImpactTech #Startups

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🇮🇳 🤝 🇩🇪 Eight scale-ups. 80+ people in the room.

Two very different ecosystems, and a lot of potential in between.

Last week we hosted the German-Indian StartUp Connector 2026 in Munich with the German-Indian Business Forum.

Eight scale-ups pitched across deep tech, AI, sustainability, aerospace, semiconductors and e-mobility.

Both winners are building hardware:
🥇 SilTest Semiconductors (Amber Kumar, Sameer S.): making semiconductor testing and hardware reliability smarter

🥈 OrbitAID Aerospace (Nikhil Balasubramanian): developing in-orbit servicing for satellites

The pitches were only the beginning.

With 80+ founders, investors and corporates in one room, the day was about the conversations that turn an introduction into a partnership, a pilot or a route into a new market.

That’s why we host formats like this.

Abroad, the tech is rarely what holds great startups back. Not yet knowing the right people is.

Thank you to the German-Indian Business Forum, our sponsors @giic.official and @plugandplaytc, our jury and speakers, and everyone who joined us in Munich.

Now comes the interesting part: seeing which of these conversations turn into the next opportunity.
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#tigermeetslion 🇮🇳 🤝 🇩🇪 Eight scale-ups. 80+ people in the room.

Two very different ecosystems, and a lot of potential in between.

Last week we hosted the German-Indian StartUp Connector 2026 in Munich with the German-Indian Business Forum.

Eight scale-ups pitched across deep tech, AI, sustainability, aerospace, semiconductors and e-mobility.

Both winners are building hardware:
🥇 SilTest Semiconductors (Amber Kumar, Sameer S.): making semiconductor testing and hardware reliability smarter
🥈 OrbitAID Aerospace (Nikhil Balasubramanian): developing in-orbit servicing for satellites

The pitches were only the beginning. With 80+ founders, investors and corporates in one room, the day was about the conversations that turn an introduction into a partnership, a pilot or a route into a new market.

That's why we host formats like this. Abroad, the tech is rarely what holds great startups back. Not yet knowing the right people is.

Thank you to the German-Indian Business Forum, our sponsors GIIC and Plug and Play, our jury and speakers, and everyone who joined us in Munich.

Now comes the interesting part: seeing which of these conversations turn into the next opportunity.

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🌎 Building a startup in one country is hard. Across continents? A whole different game.

🥨 Yesterday I joined the „Scaling across borders“ panel at Bits & Pretzels.

OroraTech started in Munich. Today our thermal data supports firefighters and governments worldwide. But wildfire is deeply local: same technology, completely different problems.

So we think #glocal. One global platform, adapted to every region. Shared infrastructure makes it affordable for everyone.

Scaling isn’t about opening offices. It’s about listening to people on the ground and building trust, one region at a time.

🍺 Tomorrow I’m a table captain at #bits26! Seats are booked out, but feel free to catch me after the second round.

Thanks you @bitsandpretzels and Andreas Just for the great discussion!

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𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽.

On September 9th, we wrapped up the Founders Day series of the @gatewayfactory Ready to Scale programme and the final session was the perfect ending. The topic: Investor Messaging and Founder Communication. Two things that can make or break a startup.

The standout of the day was the session by Martina Bruder, coach and former CEO Legal & Regulatory Germany at @wolters_kluwer_deutschland. In a short amount of time, she shared more practical insight on team communication than we had encountered anywhere before. Clear, grounded and immediately applicable. Our CEO Reza Esmaillie has rarely taken that many notes that fast.

Equally inspiring was Dr. Lars Diehl-Gussen from TVF | @techvisionfonds, who gave us an unfiltered look behind the VC lens in the PULSE Workshop – how to win the next financing round, from existing to new investors. Exactly the kind of honest perspective a founder needs, especially on the road to Series A.

Thank you also to Leon Schneider from World Fund, Dr. Isabelle Schiffer, Ph.D from b.value AG and Tobias Faupel from @deeptechclimatefonds for the Reverse Session in the morning – and to Birte Kattelmann-Jagdt and Thomas Hohenacker for their sessions.

And a heartfelt thank you to Nina Rieger and Tanja Bloser from Gateway Factory for putting this programme together with so much energy and attention to detail. You made Batch 1 something special!

For 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲, Ready to Scale has been far more than a programme. It is a springboard. We are leaving with new knowledge, a stronger network and plenty of momentum to keep pushing our mission forward: fast, precise diagnostics wherever they are needed.

And the best is still to come – on November 5th we celebrate the Batch 1 Graduation Night. We are already looking forward to it. 🎉

📸 Yany Muhammad-Knittel

#Detechgene #Startup #MedTech #Diagnostics #SeriesA

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New partnership: @start2.group x @hacknation.globalai 🚀

Start2 Group is becoming a new home for Hack-Nation in Munich, hosting four upcoming hackathons at the Munich office.

For Start2, this goes beyond providing a space. It connects Hack-Nation’s builder community with its ecosystem of startups, corporates, public partners and investors, which opens the door to new introductions and collaboration.

Join the excitement for what’s ahead!!

Learn more via 🔗 in bio ⬆️. New partnership: Start2 Group x Hack-Nation 🚀

Start2 Group is becoming a new home for Hack-Nation in Munich, hosting four upcoming hackathons at our Munich office.

For us, this goes beyond providing a space. It connects Hack-Nation's builder community with our ecosystem of startups, corporates, public partners and investors, which opens the door to new introductions and collaboration.

Learn more via 🔗 in bio ⬆️.

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