Bits & Pretzels attracts global tech celebrities to Munich. Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large at TechCrunch, will grace Germany's largest startup festival. He is considered one of the UK's most important startup and tech experts. Wired UK has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Europe's technology industry for five consecutive years. We had the opportunity to ask Mike Butcher a few questions about Munich, upcoming trends, and Brexit.
We are glad to welcome you to Bits & Pretzels in Munich. What do you expect from the Founders Festival?
Lots of great ideas.
What do you have in mind when you think of Munich?
Cars and DLD.
In which fields and industries do you see the greatest potential for disruptive startup companies in the coming years?
AI, drones, transport, health are a few.
Not just Kevin Spacey and Ashton Kutcher but also German footballers, actors and celebrities are involved in startup companies. When did technology and entrepreneurship become sexy?
When it starts making a great deal of money for the investors and screwing around with old, slow moving industries.
You strongly oppose Britain leaving the EU. Is there an influence of the Brexit vote on British startups already? Do you know London-based startup companies that consider relocating to mainland Europe?
It's still too early to say. Plenty of companies will find a way of trading in the EU but still staying in London. The main issue is attracting staff to a country which will have uncertainty about visas for at least the next 2 years.
Do you think other European cities can benefit from the Brexit vote? How should Munich deal with the situation in your opinion?
They should ignore the Brexit vote and just do their best to make a great environment for entrepreneurs and startups.
