Full Steam Ahead: Gründungsmagnet Launches Guest Posts, and the Munich Startup Festival Is Just Around the Corner!

Guest Post on Gründungsmagnet: We’re kicking things off with an announcement many of you have been waiting for: The Munich Startup Festival is just around the corner—and we’ll be there again!

A staple on Munich’s startup calendar

Over the past few years, the Munich Startup Festival has become one of the central gathering places for Munich’s startup scene. On July 22, founders, investors, corporate representatives, and student initiatives will come together to exchange ideas and make new connections.

For us as Gründungsmagnet, the festival is therefore much more than just another event on the calendar. It’s one of the best opportunities of the year to put into practice exactly what we stand for: networking, visibility, and exchange among student startup initiatives throughout the DACH region.

These speakers are waiting for you

The festival’s program is once again impressive. Among the speakers is Bastian Nominacher, co-founder and co-CEO of Celonis, who will discuss his journey from founder to angel investor.

Daniel Krauss, co-founder, CIO, and CHRO of Flix SE, will also share insights into how he and his co-founders built an international mobility provider.

Katja Ruhnke, founder of CK Venture Capital and, since 2025, chairwoman of BAND (Business Angels Network Germany), will provide the investor’s perspective.

Experienced moderators such as Frizzi Engler-Hamm, Managing Director of the Munich Innovation Ecosystem, and Dr. Philipp Baaske, entrepreneur and deep tech expert, will guide the audience through the program on the main stage.

The festival will be officially opened by Dr. Christian Scharpf, City of Munich Commissioner for Labor and Economic Affairs, together with Arno Eggers, Head of Munich Startup, who will also present the Munich Startup Award—worth 10,000 euros—at the end of the day.

Our own area will be back again this year

Once again this year, Gründungsmagnet is organizing its own area at the festival—dedicated entirely to student startup initiatives.

There, we aim to create a space where the various initiatives from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland can not only showcase themselves but, above all, get to know one another in person.

Because for us, that’s where the true strength of our network lies: in the direct exchange of knowledge, experiences, and contacts—an exchange that doesn’t remain confined to individual university towns but extends across national borders.

Arrive, Chill, Connect

In addition to the festival’s main program, our space is meant to be one thing above all else: a relaxed area to arrive, chill, and connect—including beer pong.

We know how intense a festival day can be—with exciting talks, packed networking sessions, and plenty of new impressions. That’s why we want to deliberately create a counterbalance: a place to take a breather, where you can chat in a relaxed atmosphere—without pitch decks and without time pressure.

Sometimes the best connections aren’t made at the networking table, but in a relaxed atmosphere.

Why this is important to us

For over ten years, Gründungsmagnet has been a reliable anchor for student startup initiatives in the DACH region.

With our section at the Munich Startup Festival, we want to show that student startup initiatives aren’t just a niche topic, but an active and important part of the startup ecosystem—with their own energy, their own ideas, and a strong sense of community.

We look forward to seeing you!

Whether you’re part of a student startup initiative yourself, interested in entrepreneurship, or just in the mood for good conversations and a relaxed round of beer pong: Stop by, get to know us, and become part of our network.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

That was our first guest post as Gründungsmagnet—and there are more to come. Stay tuned, because we have a lot in store.