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- found📍you have 120 seconds to impress VCs & most founders blow it
found📍you have 120 seconds to impress VCs & most founders blow it
Hamburg’s coolest startup and tech events, delivered to your inbox every Monday.
Kyrylo Korsun
December 08, 2025
Editor’s Note
Hey, dear reader!
While Christmas preparations keep you busy, the holidays might also give you some breathing room to finally tackle those tasks you've been pushing back — like updating your pitch deck for the year ahead.
Whether you're pitching at a conference or sending to VCs, it's worth the effort. According to DocSend's research, VCs spend only about 2 minutes (sic!) reviewing your slides, so make sure they clearly communicate what you're building and what you need.
I recently attended a Pitch Roasting session with İskender Dirik, a seasoned venture capitalist, and it was a masterclass in what separates compelling pitch decks from forgettable ones. Here are my three key takeaways:
1. Anchor your narrative around three core strengths
Define your three strongest highlights upfront, then let every slide reinforce these anchors.
2. Clarity beats complexity every time
A crisp slide guides attention; a crowded one creates friction. Investors absorb information faster when the visual path stays simple.
3. Your attention to detail signals everything
Blurry graphics, shifting terminology, outdated LinkedIn profiles, half-finished websites — each detail shapes how investors perceive your execution quality.
And remember: your goal with your pitch deck is to get that first call. Hope this can help! 🍀
Also, check out the newsletter from our friends at NMA (nma.vc), who started Hamburg's Next Media Accelerator in 2015. With 78 investments and deep expertise in venture clienting, they share actionable insights for startups working with corporates or scaling in Europe.
Community Spotlight 🔦
This week, meet Sanchit, a co-founder of S2S Dynamics, a digital platform that helps recyclers and manufacturers track, manage, and recover value from electronic waste more efficiently, closing the loop on e-waste.
Besides his startup, Sanchit is also an active member of Start Hamburg and a chapter lead at Climate Coffee.
Check out our new video where Sanchit shares more on what they’re building and how local network has helped him to land the first customer.
Save the Date 🗓️
Want to stay updated on future events? Check out our Luma calendar.
December 17: Impact Lunch: Social Entrepreneurship City Edition (German) — Network over delicious vegan food while exploring innovative social entrepreneurship ideas and connecting with Hamburg's impact-driven community.
December 18: 2hearts x found Hamburg – Weihnachtsmarkt Get-Together (English) — Experience a cozy end-of-year get-together where your international and local tech network meets over hot wine and relaxed vibes, a perfect chance to finally put names and faces together.
December 19: AI Hackathon SFxHamburg Coderabbit x Windsurf Christmas Edition (English) — Build and deploy AI-powered projects in 4 hours with CodeRabbit and Windsurf experts at this San Francisco x Hamburg collaboration, competing for cash prizes across multiple tracks.
This Issue’s Gem 💎
December 12-14: Impossible Founders Sprint (English) — Build a complete business model in one intense weekend. Expert mentors guide you from concept to investor pitch, surrounded by fellow builders. 20% off with this code sprint25-startin10.
AI Everywhere 🤖
December 11: Soft Skills in the age of AI (English) — Discover practical strategies to enhance your career and teamwork by mastering essential soft skills that AI cannot replace in modern IT environments.
December 14: Monthly Hangout (for advanced AI builders) (English) — Connect with fellow AI builders to share coding tips, demo projects, and collaborate while working with Cursor, Claude Code, and other AI tools.
Startup 101 🔨
December 11: SANTA ROAST x Pitch Night (English) — Get your startup roasted and receive feedback from the audience. The event also features inspiring pitches from migrant founders and fuck-up stories from international entrepreneurs.
Tech Bite 🧑💻
December 8: Strategy and Tactics: A Journey Through the Hills and Valleys of Domain-Driven Design (German) — Master practical Domain-Driven Design principles through a fictional company's journey to better modularize complex software systems and improve architecture.
Get Inspired ✨
December 9: Franco-German Aerospace Night (English/French) — Experience six French and German aerospace startups pitch breakthrough innovations while celebrating cross-border collaboration.
December 9: Women of SaaS Hamburg — Christmas Networking Night (English) — Accelerate your career through networking tables focused on sales, marketing, engineering, leadership, and HR with SaaS women leaders.
December 10: FISH & FOUNDERS (German) — Network with Hamburg's startup ecosystem while experiencing exclusive founder talks, venture clienting insights, and the legendary Seemannschor performance.
December 10: AFX-MAS '25 Get-together @ Marché de Noël Hamburg (English) — Celebrate the season with deep tech innovators over Glühwein at Hamburg's festive Christmas market in the Stadthöfe.
December 11: 12MIN.ME | HAMBURG | IGNITE 🔥 #114 (German/English) — Experience three diverse speakers sharing insights on brand strategy, nature vs. nurture, and city app development in fast-paced 12-minute sessions.
December 12: Female Maker Challenge: Circular Futures Pitch Finale & Showcase (English) — Watch innovative female entrepreneurs pitch circular economy solutions and celebrate sustainable innovation at this inspiring finale event.
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 :)
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.
Looking for good vibes or need a companion for the upcoming issue of newsletter? Check out the official found playlist on Spotify 💿️
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See you soon,
Kyrylo from found Hamburg