News & Podcast

With “Ocean Move”, the startup The Ocean Package relies on foldable reusable moving boxes made of polypropylene, which according to the company can be used up to 20 times and subsequently 99 percent recycled. Co-founder Philip Mayer aims to establish an alternative to single-use cardboard boxes that integrates into the existing workflows of moving companies without replacing the familiar cardboard box with a bulky hard-shell container.

Defencetech is experiencing a boom. Investors, industry, and the Bundeswehr are increasingly seeking innovative technologies. At the Munich Startup Festival, experts from startups, the Bundeswehr, and academia discussed why civilian and military innovation are becoming increasingly intertwined and what founders need to know when entering the defense market.

Space sounds like rockets, astronauts, and science fiction. In reality, a massive commercial market has long been developing—and Munich plays an important role in it. At the Munich Startup Festival, investor Joram Voelklein, Delta-Vision founder Alex Plebuch, and Florian Dötzer from the TUM Venture Lab Aerospace & Defense discussed Munich’s opportunities in the new space race with moderator Prof. Dr. Nadine Chochoiek.

Female founders are still significantly underrepresented in the startup ecosystem. Why is that? And what needs to change? Pia Lexa from Media Lab Bayern and Susanne Traugott from the Women Startup initiative at UnternehmerTUM speak with Munich Startup about this.

For one week, I lived and worked at Werk1 and got to know the community. In closing, I look back on my encounters with founders, employees, and coworkers, and on what stands out most in my memory of daily coliving life.

On my final day at Werk1, I change perspectives once again: In the Startup Hub, I learn how young companies are supported from their application to their next growth stage. And founder Laurenz tells me what Werk1 feels like from a startup’s point of view.

A promising scientific discovery is a far cry from a successful biotech product. Between the lab and the market lie patents, financing, regulation – and above all, the decision to actually want to translate research into application. At the Munich Startup Festival, moderator Dr. Philipp Baaske and founders Yasmin Gärtner and Christina Port discussed why they are taking this step and why scientific success alone is not enough for them.

On day 3 of my coliving experiment, I trade the apartment for the coworking space. During a tour of Werk1 and a conversation with Community Events Manager Ines, I learn who works here, how the community connects, and why chance plays an important role in the process.

Today was the first major item on my schedule for the week: an interview with Robert Richter, CEO of Werk1. I was eager to hear what he had to say about the history, vision, and future of this place—and above all, what role coliving plays in it.

What do a football career and building a startup have in common? More than you might initially think. At the Munich Startup Festival, former national team player Patrick Owomoyela talked with host Kyrill Ring about resilience, bad investment decisions, strong teams, and why what seems like the biggest opportunity isn’t always the right one.

My coliving experiment at Werk1 has begun. Over the coming days, I’ll be living and working in the heart of Munich’s Werksviertel. But before diving into the everyday life of the community, the first order of business is: settling in, unpacking, and exploring the new surroundings.

Next week, I’m swapping my usual home for an apartment in the Werksviertel, right by Munich’s Ostbahnhof. For five days, I will be part of the coliving community at Werk1. My goal: to look behind the scenes of a place where Munich’s startup future is being shaped.