Three days, four teams, 14 start-up ideas: from 4 to 6 September 2026, the „Gründungscamp“ brought 19 aspiring entrepreneurs to our Startup Campus in Harburg. What was still just an idea on a Metaplan board on Friday morning was ready to be pitched by Sunday afternoon. 

From Post-it to pitch

Spending three days at the camp testing assumptions saves months later on. In line with this philosophy, 14 ideas were presented, teams were formed and the key questions on the path to a business model were addressed – proof that the format not only works on concepts, but also on team dynamics.
The focus is on the knowledge-based business idea: using methods such as the Business Model Canvas and rapid prototyping, the participants defined their target group, refined their offering and assessed their revenue model for feasibility and scalability. The programme is deliberately tightly scheduled. The key steps from idea to start-up were tackled together between Friday morning and Sunday evening: the budding entrepreneurs worked on business models and issues relating to funding and support, created a prototype and practised their pitch. They were supported throughout by mentors from academia and industry.

As well as gaining professional qualifications, the programme also focused on exploring participants’ own entrepreneurial personalities. Individual coaching sessions and the opportunity to share experiences with other young entrepreneurs rounded off the camp, which took place in a campus-like atmosphere.

Two founders, two realities

A particular highlight for the participants: on two evenings, guests joined us who had already been down this path and shared their experiences – of obstacles, challenges and successes.

Tin Lasic, CEO of 10x Autonomy: This Hamburg-based deep-tech start-up specialises in automating the validation of autonomous driving systems. Its solution, the AI Validation Stack, generates highly accurate 4D reference data fully automatically for each customer’s specific sensor configuration.

Fynn Engelbrecht, founder of RevolutMedia and a former participant in a previous start-up camp: he attended the camp himself a year ago. On Saturday evening, he returned – this time on the other side. The Lüneburg-based social media marketing agency now works for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Two very different paths: on the one hand, deep tech and a focus on hardware; on the other, a bootstrapped services business for small and medium-sized enterprises. Both were instructive for the participants – precisely because the experiences differed, thereby highlighting the broad spectrum of possible start-up paths.

A fixture in the North German start-up ecosystem

The Start-up Camp was launched by Tempowerk, Tutech and Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and has been running for several years as part of the Startup Port network. Numerous partners now collaborate within this network, including the Hamburg University of Technology. As one of the very first initiatives of its kind, the Start-up Camp has long since established itself as a fixture in the North German start-up ecosystem.
It offers those interested in starting a business the opportunity to develop their ideas in a professional environment, receive honest feedback and network with like-minded people. The camp is a valuable resource, particularly for research- and knowledge-based projects – including for those at the Hamburg University of Technology who are seriously considering taking the step towards self-employment.

Armed with fresh inspiration, valuable contacts and refined business plans, the budding entrepreneurs are now taking the next steps – the real work begins now.

Looking for support for your own start-up? 

Startup Port @ TUHH supports together with Tutech those interested in setting up their own business. Further information, as well as the option to book a consultation, can be found at  www.startupport.de. Details of the dates for the 2027 Start-up Camp will also be announced there in due course.