On my second day at CeBIT, I practically jumped out of bed in the morning. One thing became clear to me: you have to make the most of every second you have. Because the offerings are vast, very vast!
Back at the trade fair, and before I've even finished my first coffee, I get the first "shock": A small, six-wheeled robot rolls straight toward me. I have to admit, the situation is a bit overwhelming for a moment. But a Hermes employee quickly reassures me: "It won't crash into anything; it has sensors and cameras to ensure nothing happens." It's reminiscent of the eternal dog owner mantra, "It won't do anything!"
But, as I soon learn, Hermes' new delivery robot actually stops right in front of my feet and turns around. What seems strange to me is already being tested on a pilot basis in Hamburg. Two robots are currently in operation there, delivering packages to test customers. According to Hermes, the initial results are positive, and an expansion of the program to other major German cities is already being planned. So, it will be interesting to see when these little guys roam Munich's streets. Let's hope the people of Munich handle this unusual encounter a little more calmly than I did.
Autonomous driving on demand
Deutsche Bahn is delivering another eye-catcher at SCALE11, demonstrating that it doesn't want to be limited to rail transport in the future. A self-driving minibus, which visitors can inspect and even enter, is intended to fill gaps in public transport in rural areas. The on-demand vehicle is expected to be particularly useful at night. Examples cited in the DB presentation include boozy bowling nights and club parties, after which getting home at 3 a.m. can be challenging.
© Munich Startup
As a country boy, the problem makes sense to me, and the visitors around me nod understandingly. So the market is already there. The railway is currently planning a pilot project in Bavaria, with the actual, nationwide implementation scheduled for three to five years. Until then, many bowling clubs and soccer clubs will probably have to be patient and make do without high-tech "rag pickers."
In addition to such highlights, I'm also looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again—especially after all my robotics experiences. Many Munich-based founders are also represented at CeBIT 2017. The overall assessment of the startups from the Bavarian capital is consistently positive:
André Leimbrock, Commercial Managing Director Dynamic Components:
"CeBIT is always a good vehicle for us to acquire new customers. We've done very good business here in the past, both in terms of finding partners and in terms of customers. This year, we've made some very good contacts again and hope to do good business there again. What I particularly like about SCALE11 is that they try to bring founders into contact with customers through a variety of formats. These can, of course, be pitch formats, but there are also things like matchmaking through speed dating, etc. Very well done."
Dynamic Components are currently pitching to Deutsche Bahn, with whom they are already working, for a larger rollout.
High-quality startups
Jan C. Küster, Founders Fight Club:
"We're fortunate to be participating in SCALE11 for the second time. We were here last year with our Founders Fight concept and certainly made an impression. This year, we're going even further: We're creating an entire startup stage, meaning we're experiencing the growth of the startup sector here firsthand: first, there are significantly more startups, and second, the quality and innovative strength here is very high. You can see that corporates have brought "their" startups with them, which, of course, already have a higher level of maturity. But you also see a lot of interested young people in the audience, of course, other young startups, and, what's also very important, many investors and corporates who are now very passionate about this topic and are keen to get involved."
Jan has already set new goals for next year:
"Next year, we want to do a bit more, which means increasing our format variety a bit. We're still seeing a lot of startups presenting themselves with the classic pitch. That's what we learned at some point... just showing slides. But that doesn't attract many people anymore. We're having our Founder Fights and panel discussions again this year; those are nicer ways to share knowledge. Next year, we want to film and livestream every presentation, so that people can also tune into SCALE11 virtually from our hometown of Munich."
Will trade fairs become irrelevant at some point?
Hans-Joachim Scharf from NavVis, Account Manager NavVis:
"I really like CeBIT. Aside from the trade fair itself and the great presentation, you meet some really good contacts here; there's a lot of interest. On Tuesday, we announced our cooperation with Telekom, which is a huge step for us. So we're also represented in another hall at the Telekom booth, and I find it remarkable that there's just as much going on here in the Startup Hall as at the big corporates, and that people are really interested in the innovative products presented here. We're very pleased about that."
In the conversation we asked Hans-Joachim: How important are such trade fairs for you? Could it be that you will soon say, “We don’t need that anymore!” Or will you be back next year?
"So we were there last year, we're there this year, and we'll probably be there again next year because—despite our increasing popularity—there are always new leads and contacts we don't yet know about. That's why I think we'll be here again next year, because this trade fair is still very interesting and relevant to us."
What exactly does the cooperation with Telekom look like and what does it mean for you?
"Telekom naturally has contacts with its corporate customers, with really large companies that we don't yet have direct access to. For example, large state-owned companies, which are normally a bit more difficult to approach as a startup. Additionally, Telekom can offer data acquisition, processing, and hosting all from a single source, thus providing a complete, worry-free package, which is, of course, incredibly interesting and exciting."
Better than expected
Felix Meißgeier, Co-Founder and Head of Technology at VISCOPIC:
"It's going really well. We've had a lot of interesting conversations, actually with more larger companies than we originally expected. We've also received a lot of positive feedback on the HoloLens we brought with us. We're probably one of the few booths here where you can actually try it out, and it's been well-received. Otherwise, this is our first major trade fair experience. It's certainly exciting, and it's already paid off for us."
VISCOPIC certainly seem to have acquired a taste for it. The Munich-based company is already planning the next trade fair for May: VR World in London.
Tarek Ouertani from ProGlove (not at SCALE11, but at the Bitkom stand “Get started”):
"We've had a great response here. A lot of people are interested in us and our smart glove. Not just the general trade fair audience, but also a lot of customers or potential customers whom we were able to address directly here. Really good!"
The topic of trade fairs is a constant companion for the ProGlove founders. They can't imagine missing events like CeBIT.
"As you can see here: we're across the street from Telekom! If they can't even afford to miss a single major trade fair, then we certainly can't think like that either. It's simply true: our customers are 'trade fair-minded' or 'event-minded'. These are the places where people exchange ideas and seek new solutions. And that's why we will always be on-site as contact persons at such events."
CeBIT can do a lot, but not everything
As an objective observer, I can only agree with the founders that CeBIT is definitely worth a visit. Whether you're a trade fair visitor, exhibitor, corporate, or investor, everyone gets their money's worth. You can hardly get more in tune with the times than at an event like this.
The next CeBIT will take place in a summer edition, from June 11-15, 2018. It will be called an Innovation Festival, as the organizers call it.
Toward the end of my visit, I'm almost feeling like I'm at home when I suddenly find myself in front of the "Munich Hall" on the exhibition grounds. A Bavarian cover band is playing, the atmosphere seems to be white and blue, and Löwenbräu is available to drink. I'm almost tempted to find a seat and linger a while longer. But when my eyes fall on the 0.5-liter mugs, I decide—grateful for the wonderful experience—to begin the now obviously overdue journey home to beautiful Munich. CeBIT can do a lot, but it can't do everything.
© Munich Startup
Click here for the first part: CeBIT 2017 – Startup Heaven SCALE11
