The Venture Wiesn is simply fun — where else can you watch investors stumble and sweat while pitching? For some VCs, the biggest challenge was understanding terms like Dire Dare or Oachkatzalschwoaf to be meaningfully integrated into the pitch.
VC pitches – the highlight of the Venture Wiesn
Almost ten investors such as Holtzbrinck Ventures as a multi-stage investor, which can already boast 'sacrificial exits', the young, globally positioned investor ABC Venture Gate, which focuses on startups in the growth phase, or the self-proclaimed venture capital dinosaur Early Bird, presented themselves in three-minute pitches. Ultimately, almost all of them fulfilled the requirement of using Bavarian expressions such as Fun, ugly or Preiss, to accommodate — but some needed charming verbal nudges from presenter Hannah Klose to remember their true pitch task.
Investor acquisition – o'band'ln is a real fun
And which startups were there? From virtual reality applications to smart mobility solutions to food startups, everything was there. For many founders, the Venture Wiesn is a networking event where they make initial contacts with potential VCs. Not every Oband'ln bears fruit immediately—for investors and young entrepreneurs alike, it's often an initial test to see if they might be a good fit. And the discussions at the Venture Wiesn lay the foundation for future investor discussions.
Financing – the challenge
In the funding challenge—the beer mug challenge for founders and VCs—Grega Potokar, co-founder of ABC Venture Gates, prevailed among the men. The Slovenian native stood his ground calmly until the end, while his competitors, shaking with exertion, spilled beer onto the floor. Grega says of his first experience in funding challenge: "It's a mindset. And very similar to entrepreneurship." His tip: Focus on your own potential and be aware of your competitors, but don't let anything throw you off. Whether this applies only to successful beer mug lifting or in general remains to be seen. Cheers!
(Image credit: Venture Wiesn)
