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found📍the one thing founders really get from incubators
Hamburg’s coolest startup and tech events, delivered to your inbox every Monday.
Kyrylo Korsun
October 27, 2025
Editor’s Note
Hey, dear reader!
Last Tuesday marked the end of the incubator program for impact startups at Körber Start-Hub. Over the last year, 12 teams learned, built, and grew together. In the end, only 1 team secured the 50K prize awarded by Körber Stiftung.
I was part of the program building an AI platform to make video content accessible to people with visual or hearing impairments. Even though my startup failed, it was a turning moment for me.
Being a founder can feel like a solo-player game, but it shouldn’t. You need a community of people who get you, who believe in you when everyone else doesn’t. This is the ultimate value you get when joining startup programs. Not for the workshops, but for the people.
I’m very proud that I met such people at Körber Start-Hub — conscious and ambitious entrepreneurs who instead of shying away or complaining about injustice or inequality — act:
Yakady simplifies the process of applying for residence permits in Germany through digital assistance.
dreamactive connects sports with social impact through an engaging activity platform.
mutiva empowers women affected by psychological violence to rebuild confidence and resilience.
Waymaker Stories promotes equal opportunities for Black children by creating empowering storybooks.
deplanture helps people easily plan living wills, estates, and funerals while normalizing conversations about death.
empatiia provides counseling and community for adopted children, young parents, and those facing fertility challenges.
📸 Jann Wilken
These startups remind me why I started found — to create a community where ambitious founders and techies can discover opportunities, connect with the right people, and build something meaningful.
Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the journey, remember: you don't have to do it alone ❤️
Open Calls
Here's a fresh batch of grants, accelerators, and calls that caught my eye last week.
For AI startup founders 🧠
HubSpot for Startups & Deel Pitch Competition — Pitch to top VCs for a €5K cash prize, 90% HubSpot discount, $1,500 Deel credits, and $100K+ in software perks. For AI founders in EMEA.
Deadline: November 27
For mental health startups 🌱
One Mind Accelerator — 10-week program for mental health startups with $100K investment, access to 300+ mentors, investor intros, and strategic partnerships. Pre-seed to Series A.
Deadline: Rolling Application
For women-led startups 🦸♀️
Aurora Tech Award — $85K prize pool for women-led tech startups. Top prize: $50K plus mentorship, investor access, and global network. Pre-seed/seed stage, <5 years old, raised <$6M.
Deadline: November 12
Save the Date 🗓️
Want to stay updated on future events? Check out our Luma calendar.
November 14-15: DevFest'25 Hamburg (English) — Connect with 500+ developers across 4 tracks covering Mobile, Web, and Cloud technologies at Hamburg's largest Google tech conference.
November 18: Female Entrepreneurship Week: WEEK UP! 2025 (German/English) — Meet inspiring female founders, access short mentoring sessions, and connect with Hamburg's entrepreneurship ecosystem at this year's opening celebration.
November 27: AI.START.HUB Startup Graduation & Farewell Party (English) — Watch Summer Batch 2025 pitch presentations on the big screen and celebrate the final chapter of Hamburg's AI.STARTUP.HUB after 4 years.
This Issue’s Gem 💎
November 22: Harbour Founder Summit (English) — Compete in Hamburg's Startup World Cup, access masterclasses, and connect with global investors at START Hamburg's largest international founder gathering.
🎟️ We’re giving away 2 tickets to our community!
To enter the giveaway just like and comment on this LinkedIn post.
PS: More goodies are coming your way next week. Stay tuned!
AI Everywhere 🤖
October 28: AI Meets Cybersecurity (English) — Connect over drinks while dissecting how AI is reshaping security threats and what that means for your role in tech.
October 28: Hamburg Data & AI Lunch Meetup (German/English) — Expand your professional network over pizza while diving into practical discussions on data science and AI in a relaxed lunch setting.
October 29: Rethinking AI and Ethics: Risk, Responsibility and Imagination (English) — Explore how AI systems can be redesigned with fairness and societal impact in mind to build technology that truly serves.
Startup 101 🔨
October 29: Startup Networking & Co-Founder Matchmaking (German/English) — Connect with driven entrepreneurs in a fast-paced matchmaking format built to help you find the perfect co-founder fit for your next venture.
October 29: Clay in Hamburg: AI Workflows in B2B Sales (German) — Master Clay automation to eliminate repetitive sales tasks, enrich inbound leads, and generate meetings on autopilot through hands-on workshops with GTM experts.
November 2: Vibe Coding Boot-up for Beginners: From Zero to First Project (English) — Build your first AI-assisted mini-app in a hands-on morning session and get direct guidance to continue coding solo.
Tech Bite 🧑💻
October 28: WordPress Meetup Hamburg – Open Support Session (German) — Resolve live WordPress issues brought by attendees and walk away with practical fixes for your website.
October 30: Building Modern Apps with KV, SQL++, Graph & Time Series (English) — Gain practical experience with Couchbase’s multi-model database and walk away ready to build modern high-performance apps.
Get Inspired ✨
October 30: Climate Coffee (English) — A monthly coffee meet up for anyone working in or interested by the climate spaces. No name tags, no speakers, early in the morning when we’re bright and fresh.
October 30: Founders’ Tap autumn Edition (German) — Celebrate and network with selected founders at the DEEPTECH Campus Hamburg with a focused talk on exit strategies and post-deal management.
Every Saturday: Founders Running Club (English) — Energize your weekend with fellow entrepreneurs during a judgment-free 5K run followed by coffee and meaningful networking conversations.
That’s a wrap! Thanks for staying with me on this one. Hope you found it useful :)
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See you soon,
Kyrylo from found Hamburg