With a diverse program, inspiring speakers, and a genuine festival atmosphere, the Munich Startup Festival 2025 once again thrilled startups in Munich. Whether it was fresh ideas at the pitch, in-depth panels, or relaxed networking with live music – the event once again offered space for exchange, inspiration, and new contacts. For the third time now, founders and those interested in starting a business equally enjoyed the Backstage area.
The third Munich Startup Festival was opened by the new Minister for Labor and Economic Affairs of the City of Munich, Dr. Christian Scharpf, and Arno Eggers, Head of Munich Startup. The speaker pointed out that times are not exactly easy for young companies. He therefore considers it all the more important Events like the Munich Startup Festival as a platform for mutual support, new ideas and contacts. A special anniversary Eggers attentive:
"We're not only celebrating three years of the Munich Startup Festival, but also ten years of Munich Startup. A decade ago, the platform was launched to bring more transparency to the Munich startup ecosystem."
Innovations for greater safety
In the first panel of the day, experts provided insights into the defense tech sector, which is becoming increasingly relevant for startups. It became clear that it's now about more than just armaments. Cyber defense, civil protection, and improved medical care for soldiers are also areas that require innovation. Stephanie Wissmann, co-founder of Secublox, emphasized that the increasing blending of civilian and military use cases should be considered. Felix Kästner, co-founder of Based, also confirmed that technologies must be developed away from dual-use and toward omni-use cases. Julian Werner, officer in the Specialized Forces of the Army (EGB) and researcher at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, explained that the Bundeswehr is still a challenging partner for young companies because there are no processes in place for this yet. Nevertheless, startups must find their place in innovation efforts in the defense sector. Defense & Deeptech investor Quirin Herz advised startups to start with the corporate side and then expand the business case toward potential military applications.
What foundations must be laid now to ensure Munich's future is innovative? This question was addressed by Dr. Fabian Mehring, State Minister for Digital Affairs, Christian Scharpf, Economic Advisor, and Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the Innovation Accelerator of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The panel was moderated by Frizzi Engler-Hamm, CEO of Munich Innovation Ecosystem. The panelists agreed: We are in the midst of a technological turning point in which we must not simply watch, but help shape it. This also requires the right framework for startups and scaleups to keep them in the city. While they believe many things are already going well in Munich – keywords: corporates and talent – there are also concrete areas where there is a clear need for improvement. The topics of overregulation and financing were addressed in particular. Mehring advocated for Munich to be positioned as a truly global city in order to become attractive to the best talent worldwide.
Brigitte Bührlen, founder and chairwoman of the Wir! Foundation for Caregivers, Rafael Hostettler, CEO and founder of Devanthro, Nicolai Heinzelmann, Operational Director of TUM Venture Labs Healthcare, and Dieter Weber, Managing Director and Lead Startup & Scaleup Unit at Barmer Munich, discussed how startups can help shape the future of care. While Hostettler described how his company's humanoid robots can be used as everyday companions for people in need of care, Bührlen emphasized the importance, especially in the care sector, of an exchange between innovators and actual users regarding their actual needs. Contrary to common prejudices, health insurance companies are very open to new technologies, Weber stated. Barmer recently launched its own innovation portal, which he encouraged the use of.
Appeal for European cooperation
The panel, "Local Roots, National Trends, Global Opportunities," sought to take a more comprehensive look at Munich's ecosystem. Where does Munich stand – nationally and internationally? Panelists Stefan Drüssler, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at UnternehmerTUM; Magdalena Oehl, founder of Talentrocket and deputy chairwoman of the Startup Association; Axel Täubert, Head of Startups at Google Cloud; and Munich Startup Director Arno Eggers quickly agreed that Munich has already risen to the top, leaving Berlin behind. Now it's a matter of positioning the location internationally. Drüssler emphasized the importance of Europe above all else. Europe must cooperate at the startup level and significantly simplify access to all markets for European startups.
The Munich Startup Festival 2025 once again demonstrated how vibrant and diverse Munich's startup scene is. With new ideas, exciting encounters, and a look ahead, the event remains a fixture in the innovation community's calendar. We're already looking forward to the next edition!
