Recap of the GFA Startup Learning Expedition 2024 in Munich

Recap of the GFA Startup Learning Expedition 2024 in Munich

During this second part of the Learning Expedition, which took place on Sept.30 until October 2, 2024, French startups from the IMT and Inria incubators came to Munich to discover the Bavarian startup ecosystem. Over three packed days, they experienced insightful sessions, rich networking opportunities, and lively discussions. Here’s a look at the highlights:

Day 1 – Bits&Pretzels Founders Festival

We kicked off the program with a visit to the Bits&Pretzels Founders Festival, where the GFA coordinated meetings for the French delegation. Our startups showcased their innovative solutions to key figures in the Bavarian startup scene, including representatives from Gründerland Bayern (Christoph Pfaff) and Dr. Fabian Mehring, Bavarian Minister for Digital Affairs. The delegation also met Alexander Vulic, the new French Consul General in Munich, and Axelle Cheney from the French Embassy.

We spent our lunch break at Brainlab, a partner of TUM specializing in advanced medical technology, particularly in digital surgery, radiotherapy, and medical imaging solutions. Martin Wisböck led us on a tour of their impressive lab, where our startups had the opportunity to pitch their ideas. Following the presentations, the startups were generously invited by Brainlab to enjoy lunch onsite before spending the rest of the afternoon at Bits&Pretzels.

In the evening, the group attended the Germany Awards, organized by the FrenchTech Munich and sponsored by GFA. With over 200 guests from industry, startups, and political circles, this event celebrated the thriving French and German tech landscapes. It aimed to reward top role models in the French and German tech ecosystems. Esteemed speakers included Prof. Dagmar Schuller from IHK Munich and Upper Bavaria, Staatsminister Dr. Fabian Mehring, French Ambassador H.E. François Delattre, and Lilium COO Yves Yemsi. The event fostered valuable exchanges among industry leaders and other influential figures. During the networking session, participants engaged in numerous valuable exchanges with key contacts.

Day 2: Networking with Table Captains at Oktoberfest

The delegation immersed in Bavarian culture with the Table Captain Networking session at Oktoberfest, organized as part of Bits&Pretzels. Startups had pre-selected table captains relevant to their business upfront and were granted unique access to high-demand experts they might not otherwise meet. This interactive networking session provided valuable feedback, new partnerships, and potential investor connections.

Day 3: Munich Urban CoLab, GFA Program

Our final day started at the Munich Urban CoLab, where Jeanne Rubner, TUM Vice President for Global Communications and Public Engagement, welcomed the group, emphasizing the importance of French-German collaboration. This was followed by Antoine Leboyer, who gave an overview of the Venture Lab for Software and AI. Nikola Baumschlager presented UnternehmerTUM’s Xpreneurs incubator program, and representatives from Invest in Bavaria (Anissa Nasser) and the Munich Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Johannes Weidl) highlighted the support available for startups in Bavaria.

After lunch, Andreas Hofer from Aperion Analytics shared insights on bootstrapping, and later, Sabrina Koch from UnternehmerTUM and Tim Ahmann from DATEV discussed startup collaborations with Germany’s “Mittelstand.” Jia-Yi Melanie Tang from the BMW Startup Garage explained the Garage’s role in fostering startup partnerships. In the reverse pitch session, VCs outlined their focus areas and collaboration methods, followed by the startups’ presentations, which attracted interest from companies like Airbus, Siemens, and the BMW Startup Garage. To deepen awareness of cybersecurity for startups, Infodas gave an engaging presentation on key cybersecurity risks, providing startups with actionable advice on enhancing their security practices and building safer digital solutions.

To wrap up, we gathered at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExperience Lab, where the GFA hosted a relaxed networking session in partnership with Dassault Systèmes. This informal setting encouraged a lively exchange among this year’s startups, previous delegation members, and corporate attendees, allowing participants to share experiences, insights, and practical advice for navigating the startup journey.