News & Podcast

July is here, and that means our Munich Startup Festival is taking place this month. We’re sure your anticipation for July 22 is just as high as ours. The Backstage will transform once again into the meeting place of the Munich startup scene – with founders, investors, talent, and everyone who’s excited about new ideas and genuine encounters. In our panel talks, you’ll learn a lot about the ecosystem. Here we present a selection of moderators who will guide the program on the main stage that day.

Startup feeling meets summer festival: Together with Kinoliebe, Munich Startup brings the Munich founding scene to the open-air stage at Königsplatz. On July 16, visitors can expect inspiring founder stories, exciting startup pitches and plenty of festival atmosphere. And five Munich startups have a chance at something very special.

You should mark July 22 on your calendar – if you haven’t already – because this year’s Munich Startup Festival is taking place then. Backstage will transform again into the meeting place of the Munich startup scene – with founders, investors, talent, and everyone who wants new ideas and real connections. To get an insight, we’re presenting a first selection of speakers to you today.

Bring your network, your expertise, and your hands-on mentality and become part of the Munich Startup Award jury 2026.

On July 22, 2026, Munich’s startup scene meets at Backstage. Founders, investors, and talent experience networking, an award ceremony, and festival vibes. Secure your tickets now!

1,500 participants, numerous panel discussions and plenty of time for networking and pitching. The 3rd Munich Startup Festival once again brought Munich’s startup community together in one place and created space for new ideas. Five founders pitched their ideas at the Munich Startup Awards in front of an expert jury. UniteLabs and its co-founder Robert Zechlin were delighted at the end to receive the award and 10,000 euros. First published on: July 17, 2025

The Bundeswehr is struggling with inadequate equipment, political pressure, and financing problems – despite 100 billion euros in special assets and the chancellor’s “turning point”. In an interview with Munich Startup, Julian Werner, researcher on warfare and military innovation, and Felix Kästner, co-founder of BASED, explain the gap into which defence startups can move.

The Women in Tech networking event as part of the Munich Startup Festival was a great success. You can find some impressions here.

Networking, keynotes & panels, startup pitches, and workshops – for the third time, the local startup scene gathered for the Munich Startup Festival on July 16, 2025 at Backstage in Munich. The goal: promoting a strong ecosystem that drives innovation and business equally.

Around 1,500 visitors, inspiring keynotes, exciting panels and a lively festival atmosphere with live music, magic and good food: The third edition of the Munich Startup Festival has established itself as a central meeting point of the Munich startup community.

For the ninth time, we are crowning the best startup from Munich with the Munich Startup Award. The five startups that will present themselves in the final at the Munich Startup Festival are now confirmed.

At the Munich Startup Festival on July 16, 2025, it’s not just about startups on the main stage in the Backstage. In the Club, the workshop program offers practical content for every stage – from funding to scaling to startup-meets-corporate collaborations.