As the year comes to an end, we take time to reflect on the beautiful, exciting, and fun moments that 2023 has brought us. This includes reviewing our team’s activities throughout the year, such as the fairs, conferences, and events they attended, as well as the events we successfully organized ourselves. Most of these fairs, conferences and festivals were attended by our CEO and founder Oli, but on some occasions he was joined by other team members. The events were a team effort. In this spirit we would like to give you an overview of our year!  

Biggest Highlight in advance: In Summer The Hackathon Company turned five.  

Fairs, Festivals and Conferences: 

Web Summit: We had a booth in the ‘German-Park Creating Tomorrow Today’ pavilion, where Germany was presented as a partner country for the first time. Our booth allowed us to connect with similar experts and share ideas on promoting innovation. The event attracted over 70,000 visitors from more than 60 countries. Connecting with decision makers, heads of state, investors, founders, and CEOs of start-ups and technology companies was a great opportunity. Workshops were also available. Post-show events, such as the German Night at the Lisbon Factory, added an extra touch of camaraderie and celebration. 

Heilbronn Slush´D: The event provided various engaging presentations and workshops. Several notable and captivating guests attended. Startups had the chance to showcase their business ideas on stage. Networking opportunities were available through discussions with other founders and investors. 

Bitz & Pretzels: As a big football fan one of Oli’s hightlight was to hear Oliver Kahn speak on stage. He spoke about the fact that one’s own mistakes do not always require long consideration but should also be accepted from time to time. Other amazing guests, like Michelle Obama, also attended. It was great to see so many familiar faces and meeting other founders.  

Digitalgipfel: Experts from politics, the tech industry, science, and civil society discussed the impact of digitalization on various sectors. The digital summit featured panels on important topics such as AI, data security, digital identities, disinformation, and data spaces. 

TNW Conference Amsterdam: The conference was offered by Baden-Württemberg international. It was really nice traveling with like-minded people and the possibility to have a joint booth with other startups at the conference. 

SXSW: The event attracted a large number of founders, investors, artists, tech enthusiasts, futurists and more. The atmosphere was very positive. Young minds showcased the future and demonstrated how current problems can be tackled intelligently and from multiple angles. Global warming, the state of our democracies, or global warfare – the answers came from the tech side. It was the place to be inspired, to network with other founders, and to peer into the future. The entire city was a playground for the event. Venues popped up everywhere, and talks and panels took place.

ITCS Job Fair: The event provided insightful opportunities to engage with talents and corporate exhibitors, opening doors for potential partnerships and career growth. Attendees had the opportunity to connect with us and other familiar organizations like Hackerschool and Women in Tech, fostering a sense of community. Beyond the networking aspect, the event’s side-program featured magicians who entertained the crowd and actors in captivating costumes wandering around, adding a vibrant touch to the general atmosphere. For us, especially the transparent booth showcasing insights into streaming setups, was interesting. This best practice example demonstrated how it should be done and inspirated us for our Hackfestival.


Oli gave a few talks, including: 

Merito: was Oli’s first short impulse of the year on the topic “Leadership in startups – can anyone be a founder?”, which he examined from his different professional perspectives. He shared the stage with the inspiring and encouraging Samuel Koch. It was a learning experience to speak alongside someone with such a moving topic about something that seemed trivial at that moment. But it was also an opportunity for mutual inspiration.

Opex Forum: The theme of the event was “Leading through turbulence – after the crisis is before the crisis. Successfully leading in turbulent times.“ Oli talked about the leadership skills of the future, which he is really passionate about. The event included a networking dinner, interesting presentations, breakout sessions and Q&A panel discussions.