Wednesday, November 16, 2022. Münster Central Station: 25 VCM members gather at 8 a.m. on platform 8. With one goal: Munich and its startups.
Day 1 – Servus Grüezi Munich!
Almost on time, our ICE reaches Munich Central Station and we’re welcomed by a sunset. First things first, we settle into the hostel in the beautiful Werksviertel. Even though the Werksviertel impresses with its young, modern vibe, we’re quickly swept into deep Bavarian culture on the first evening. The Hofbräuhaus greets us with food and drink, offering the perfect start to the next three days.
Day 2 – The Startup Hattrick:
We’re welcomed on the morning of the second day by Luminovo. Luminovo offers a software solution that aims to revolutionize the process from a product idea to the development of market‑ready electronic hardware. In addition to the two founders, the team (as of November 2022) includes over 70 employees from Europe and Africa. This is possible thanks to their Remote First approach, which gives staff impressive freedom in shaping their workday. Within the company there are no traditional hierarchies; instead a bottom‑up approach is applied, because “every employee is the best at something.”
After a tasty pizza with Luminovo staff, we head to our second stop: Parkdepot. Parkdepot wants to digitize existing parking spaces. For that they’ve developed a camera solution that should replace traffic wardens, parking discs, and barriers. With roughly 200 employees, the startup occupies a large office space in Munich‑Giesingen, complete with a rooftop terrace, foosball table, ping‑pong table, and an in‑house barista. Parkdepot shows why a “Fail Fast” mentality matters and why it’s often smart to build on existing solutions instead of reinventing the wheel.
The last company for Day 2 is Entrix. The startup, which emerged from the Pelion Fund, focuses on algorithms and software for optimal energy storage and discharge of batteries. Their technology could make solar power generation much more attractive, helping the share of green energy in the electricity mix rise over the long term.
To wrap up this eventful day we meet with the Munich student initiative Innovis VC. The initiative mainly analyzes startups from a venture‑capital perspective. After a shared dinner we head to two bars in Munich‑Schwabing and unwind from the day.
Day 3 – Munich from all its angles:
Our final startup stop in Munich is Personio. Though it’s no longer really a startup, the company is now in a scale‑up phase. The unicorn, which aims to digitize HR in mid‑size companies with its software, employs 2,000 people and is currently valued at €8.5 billion. That makes it by far the largest company on our Munich tour and it gave us remarkable insight into the hyper‑growth phase of a business.
After Personio it was time for us to explore Munich. Unfortunately we brought the rainy weather from Münster with us, but that didn’t stop the sightseeing. After the VCM split into small groups for the afternoon, we all ended up in the same club and celebrated the successful final days.
Day 4 – The perfect finish:
On the last full day in Munich we made up for what we missed on Day 3 because of the weather. With sunshine we strolled through the Olympiapark and the English Garden, visited museums and newly opened Christmas markets, and cooked together in the hostel.
In the evening we headed out again to Olydorf, a student residence right by the Olympic Park. There we drank mulled wine and punch with a few students from Munich and enjoyed a wonderful final evening in Munich’s startup metropolis.
Day 5 – Pack it up!:
Pack the suitcase, strip the bed, and head home. All good things come to an end—unfortunately, so does our startup tour. I think I speak for everyone when I say: That was a blast! Besides the incredible impressions we got at a wide range of startups in very different roles, we also forged friendships, strengthened our camaraderie, and created memories that will last forever. I’m excited to see what next semester holds and I’m thrilled!
