The legendary Climate Hack already entered its third round this year. Once again, ambitious young people developed creative startup ideas for a sustainable future.
Here you’ll learn what the participants experienced and what the highlights were. Let yourself be inspired by the teams’ innovative concepts.
Why are startups important for the future?
Startups are playing an increasingly important role in tackling global challenges. They are often more flexible than large corporations and can implement innovative solutions more quickly. Many startups rely on sustainable technologies to address environmental problems. They develop sustainable products, optimize resources, or reduce CO₂ emissions.
Startups are not only economic actors but also problem solvers for global challenges. Their innovative power can help create a more sustainable, healthier, and fairer future. How can ideas for such a future emerge? Aspiring founders from Münster tackled this question during Climate Hack 2025 and developed solutions.
Climate Hack 2025
More than 20 participants signed up for the founding competition this year. Venture Club Münster (VCM) has organized this hackathon for the third time. Under this year’s motto “Startups for a better tomorrow.” the teams sought solutions to societal, social, or ecological challenges. Within four days they developed solutions, created business models, and prepared a pitch. On the final day of the competition, the ideas were to be pitched in front of an expert jury and an audience of over 200 guests.
A pretty big task in such a short time! To support them, participants had mentors who coached them in various workshops. Additionally, Reach and DigiHub provided their spaces, allowing participants to work on their ideas directly within Münster’s startup scene.
Day 1: Never without my team!
The competition’s kickoff began on Wednesday evening with a meet‑and‑greet for the participants. In various team‑building activities, under the direction of Strong Partners, they were able to mingle in a lively atmosphere to find the right team partners. Initial ideas were discussed and enthusiasm for the coming days was sparked.
Day 2: Ideation
On the second day, they moved straight into the ideation phase. Using a workshop from LAB25 , participants were able to develop initial ideas in a short time, which became increasingly concrete throughout the day. In some cases, early expert interviews were already conducted by phone to evaluate the ideas’ potential and gather feedback.
Day 3: Funding
The third day was all about financing a startup. In a workshop by Sparkasse Münsterland , participants gained valuable insights into the various financing options that can support them on their path to founding. The teams used the rest of the day to further develop their ideas and gain a deeper understanding of the problem they aim to solve.
Day 4: Fine‑tuning
On the final day, it was the sprint to the finish. The teams were intensively prepared by pitch coach Andreas Luthe on how to present their ideas concisely and compellingly. They were therefore perfectly equipped for the big pitch evening.
Final Pitch – Who will convince the jury and the audience?
The Final Pitch is the legendary finale of the four‑day startup competition, where teams present their hard‑earned ideas to a high‑caliber jury and over 200 guests. Sebastian Hollmann, Henning Prigge, Carsten Lessmann, Helene Alt and Christin Menke decided on the winning teams. Additionally, a team earned the audience award through public voting. The following teams pitched their developed solutions:
SmartFarms – A smart‑home system for energy‑efficient greenhouses.
Foodor - A sensor system that predicts the shelf life of food to reduce food waste.
BlueCarbon Analytics – Software for measuring the CO₂ storage of blue carbon technologies.
After all pitches were successfully delivered and the teams answered the jury’s questions, the jury deliberated in peace. Meanwhile, guests mingled over tasty food and drinks, discussing the teams’ various solutions and casting their votes. A mix of curiosity and tension filled the air as the final winners were confirmed and announced. The winners of Climate Hack 2025 are:
- Place: Foodor - A sensor system that predicts the shelf life of food to reduce food waste.
- Place + audience award: BlueCarbon Analytics – Software for measuring the CO₂ storage of blue carbon technologies.
- Place: SmartFarms – A smart‑home system for energy‑efficient greenhouses.
Many thanks to our sponsors and partners who made Climate Hack 2025 possible. We also thank all participants, the mentors, the jury, and the VCM team that organized the event. We are proud of the energy and creativity everyone poured into Climate Hack 2025, and we look forward to continuing to be part of the startup and sustainability movement!
