The Unicorn Pitch, the startup pitch format of StartupDorf e.V., once again invited three exciting startups to Wacom in Düsseldorf’s Media Harbor on November 2. This time all seats in the cinema of the Wacom Experience Center were taken. Visitors who couldn’t get a seat were spread out in the corridors and made the last Unicorn Pitch of the year the best attended Unicorn Pitch of the year. Top conditions for an exciting competition. In the Q/A round, the many audience questions were again able to scrutinize the respective business models of the three startups. Because at the StartupDorf Unicorn Pitch Series the spectators hold the jury role. For jury novices, there was again support for evaluating startup pitches – a short tutorial on evaluating startups with the aim of identifying the “best pitch” of the evening. (Pitch Tutorial)
Diverse startup teams with different business themes in competition again: female-led, male-led and mixed founder teams
Different startups, different business themes: We are always positively surprised by how many startups apply to participate. Our reach is growing enormously. Even from the German-speaking foreign countries with 1000 KM distance in Vienna or other top startup destinations, such as Munich or Leipzig startups sign up for participation – and can hardly be dissuaded to travel to our events. Awesome.
Below is an overview of the participating startups in the actual order on the evening:
toshi finance GbR
With toshi-app we want to give everyone the chance to invest as easily as possible – Every time you pay cashless, a variable percentage of the specified amount is deducted from your bank account and automatically invested in a sustainable ETF.
Kaiako Education UG
Kaiako provides teachers with the instructional materials and technology to enable the best classroom experience of the 21st century. Kaiako is the first platform to enable content creators to create classroom-ready teaching materials, while offering a long-term compensation model.
Granny Angels GmbH
Granny Angels is a social startup where parents can book senior citizens online for childcare – for a better work-life balance and against poverty in old age.
This time, too, there was a voting at the end of the 5-minute pitches. The voting, which was conducted online via cell phones, could be followed live. 60 seconds later, the next Unicorn Trophy winner was determined. Julian and Moritz from Kaiako were the lucky winner. The applause among the nearly 70 spectators and participants was great and included the two other founder teams.
In addition to the Unicon Pitch Trophy, which we at StartupDorf like to present with a wink of the eye, it was now also clear for Kaiako to take part in the big Unicorn Pitch Finale next year. An original sound (video) of Julian after winning the Trophy.
After the award ceremony there was again networking with catering and good drinks. The again really great mixed startup scene from all over NRW had a lot to talk about and in the end the time went by way too fast.
What did our candidates say, what statements did they leave:
Jana Schandua of Granny-Angels said: “Thank you StartupDorf for the chance to pitch for the prestigious unicorn and to gain valuable experience. It was a great evening and the pure thrill to convince outsiders of my startup idea for more work-life balance, especially when the jury is the whole audience.”
Nicole Osmenda of toshi said, “The Unicorn Pitch was a nice mix of comfortable networking and good atmosphere – a great event!”
Julian Böhm from Kaiako said: “We are really happy that we can take the Unicorn trophy home with us today and have secured the last place for the final! The feedback and conversations after the pitch were super interesting and we took a lot with us! We are already looking forward to the final!”
Hanns Tappen from StartupDorf said: “Full house – a wonderful evening with great pitches and guests. The missing fifth Unicorn is now found. Finally the StartupDorf Unicorn Pitch Final – the Grand Final is complete. I was pleased to see that almost all qualifiers from the previous pitch sessions were able to join us as guests this evening. Those who couldn’t be there sent us a video message. It’s great to see how our format is developing. We’re now all looking forward to the grand finale in the spring.”
Location and catering sponsor for the Unicorn Pitch Series 2022 is Wacom Europe GmbH. The Wacom Experience Center provides a wonderful setting for the StartupDorf Unicorn Pitch event: fine catering, a well-stocked drinks menu in the usual friendly and startup-friendly atmosphere, this time represented by Silke Roggermann, Manager Wacom Experience Center Brand & Corporate Communication.
