foundšŸ“Hamburg 25.08-31.08

Hamburg’s coolest startup and tech events, delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Editor’s Note

Hey, dear reader!

Last Wednesday, we hosted the first Fuck-up Night and it was a huge success!

We managed to create a space where real founders shared their stories on embracing failures and learning from mistakes. Exactly those 9 out of 10 stories you don’t hear about.

Reflecting on the event, I found myself pondering why Germans seem reluctant to openly embrace failure. I tried to understand this phenomenon by looking at Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.

Germany scores high on uncertainty avoidance and takes a long-term planning approach. Germans value processes, structure, and reliability. This cultural programming runs deep — failure creates uncertainty and disrupts the carefully constructed order people were taught to maintain.

Failing scares people, and that’s absolutely fine. When making mistakes becomes a source of criticism or shame, you retreat and play it safe. But what if, by avoiding failures, we end up betraying ourselves? Our dreams? Our potential?

It's something I remind myself of whenever fear tries to take hold.

How do you think about failures? Do you see cultural traits shaping your own relationship with risk and mistakes?

Open Calls

Here's a fresh batch of grants, accelerators, and calls that caught my eye last week.

šŸš€ For early-stage startups

Pegasus Angel Accelerator – A 12-week remote-first accelerator program offering $100K investment, personalized mentorship from 850+ advisors, and access to 500+ investors.

Deadline: Rolling application

šŸ¦“ For impact founders

Zebra Investment Night – Eight selected impact startups will pitch in front of investors, family offices, and VCs at Impact Hub Hamburg. Besides visibility, you’ll have the chance to secure direct investments on the spot and win prizes for startup-relevant services.

Deadline: September 28, 2025

šŸ”¬ For deep tech startups

DEEP Pioneers Tech Venture – Turn your groundbreaking technology into a scalable company — apply now to join DEEP Pioneers. Selected teams will join a founder–match off-site near Berlin in October and a 6-month coaching program to connect research with serial founders.

Deadline: August 31, 2025

Deep Tech Innovation Sprint – Work in interdisciplinary teams on real-world industry challenges using the BioDesign methodology, guided by leading experts in innovation and tech transfer. Expand your network and gain hands-on entrepreneurial experience in Hamburg’s deep tech ecosystem.

Deadline: Rolling application

Know of other opportunities our community should hear about? Reply to this email and they will be included in the next issue.

Save the Date šŸ—“ļø 

šŸ“ September 3: Hamburg Global Innovators Circle – Join for networking, founder stories, legal & funding insights, and a panel with experts from IFB, Hanse Ventures, Handelskammer, plus bootstrapping founders.

šŸ“ September 4: THRST. | Personal Branding & Social Media Game – Master the art of personal branding in a hands‑on session covering positioning, storytelling, and platform strategy to boost visibility and reach.

šŸ“ September 16: AI Summit 2025 – Deepen your AI strategy at this summit featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, interactive pre-event experiences, and networking with experts and peers.

This Issue’s Gem šŸ’Ž 

found is partnering up with bit summit! And we’ve got an amazing offer for you - 25% ticket discount with a promo code FOUND25.

What’s more, we’re giving away 3 tickets to our community! All you have to do is like, comment, and reshare this post on LinkedIn. On September 1, we’ll draw three lucky winners. Good luck! šŸ€

What: bit summit

When: September 4

Entrance: Paid

Language: English

Where: Stadtdeich 2-4, 20097 Hamburg

Why should I care: Join 400+ attendees across 4 tracks, plus 20+ speakers bringing first-hand solutions from industry-defining companies: Google, Reddit, Microsoft, Wolt, Netflix, ING, Vinted, adjoe, and more.

AI Everywhere šŸ¤– 

What: Career Growth with AI… Are We There Yet?

When: August 27

Entrance: Free

Language: English

Where: Address visible after sign-up

Why should I care: Learn how AI can support your career development and when to rely on human judgment over prompts.

Tech Bite šŸ§‘ā€šŸ’» 

What: WordPress Meetup Hamburg: Contact Forms

When: August 26

Entrance: Free

Language: German

Where: Planckstraße 13, 22765 Hamburg

Why should I care: Connect with like-minded WordPress enthusiasts in Hamburg, dive into the world of contact forms, learn best practices and common mistakes, and discover tips for selecting the right plugins.

What: HH DS + ML Meetup

When: August 28

Entrance: Free

Language: English

Where: Am Sandtorkai 68, 20457 Hamburg, Germany

Why should I care: Exchange with the local Data Science & Machine Learning community, hear talks on automation and neurosymbolic AI.

What: UX Camp

When: August 30

Entrance: Free

Language: English and German

Where: Völckersstraße 38, 22765 Hamburg

Why should I care: Join a day of UX workshops, networking, and knowledge exchange with industry professionals.

Startup 101 šŸ”Ø 

What: Incubator Co-Founder Matching

When: August 26

Entrance: Free

Language: German

Where: Kehrwieder 12, 20457 Hamburg

Why should I care: Join a networking event to become part of exciting startup ideas without needing your own application or idea.

What: Founders’ Toolbox: Costing & Pricing Strategy

When: August 28

Entrance: Free

Language: German

Where: Online

Why should I care: Learn how to set up smart pricing models and strategies for your startup.

Get Inspired ✨ 

What: Ahoi SaaS Captains – We’re Setting Sail Again!

When: August 27

Entrance: Free

Language: German

Where: St. Pauli-Landungsbrücken – Brücke 6/7 – Innenkante

Why should I care: Join Hamburg’s SaaS community for a relaxed evening on the water with drinks, fish sandwiches, and networking.

What: FinTech Roundtable

When: August 28

Entrance: Free

Language: German

Where: Stadtdeich 2-4, 20097 Hamburg

Why should I care: Connect with FinTech professionals over drinks and unlock collaboration opportunities.

What: Founders Running Club

When: every Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Entrance: Free

Language: English

Where: Johannes-Brahms-Platz, 20355 Hamburg

Why should I care: Tired of late networking evenings and want to have kick off your weekend energetically? Join us for a quick 5K run. No pace judgment, just good conversation and better endorphins. Bonus: We always finish at a local cafƩ for that well-earned coffee and networking

That’s a wrap! Thanks for staying with me on this one. Hope you found it useful :)

Before you call it a day…

Let me know what you’d like to see in the coming issues of the newsletter — simply reply to this email or hit me up on LinkedIn.

If there’s an event I should definitely include in the next issue, submit it here.

Looking for good vibes or need a companion for the upcoming issue of newsletter? Check out the official found playlist on Spotify šŸ’æļø 

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See you soon,

Kyrylo from found Hamburg