Last week, Munich went on its first Startup Safari: For three days, countless Munich startups and ecosystem players opened their doors to visitors at the first Startup Safari Munich. We asked organizer Daniel Kilger how it went.
The first Munich Startup Safari just ended. Tell us briefly about your impressions and your personal highlights?
The question of highlights is really difficult to answer. Our goal was to create only highlights—in various industries, for various interest groups, and on various topics. We wanted to offer each participant exactly the sessions that would be interesting and provide added value. The principle of the Safari is: open to everyone. My impression was that we achieved exactly that.
There were startups that learned in workshops how to go from an idea to an MVP, how fundraising works, and how to make it into the lion's den. For students planning to start a company, there were valuable workshops and inspiring keynote speeches from well-known founders. Anyone interested in joining a startup had the unique opportunity to make direct contact. Flixbus, Freeletics, Celonis, and many more opened their halls for office parties. But it wasn't just students and startups who attended; there were also corporate representatives who gained insights into topics such as venture creation in collaboration at Corporate Innovation Breakfasts or who discussed the future with heads of corporate accelerators. But that's just a small selection of the groups that participated. Students, investors, scaleups, initiatives, and government entities were also part of this large expedition.
What surprised you the most?
I was honestly surprised by how big the Safari has actually become. A few months ago, the whole thing was just a really crazy idea. We wanted to create an opportunity for the ecosystem and the startup scene to come together, exchange ideas, and make valuable contacts. The whole thing completely blew away from our plans. In total, we had 75 sessions in 25 locations over four days, and we sold 1,575 tickets in total.
“A valuable dynamic emerged”
What was the feedback from the participating startups and players in the Munich scene? What did they take away from the safari?
The Startup Safari Munich has a very unique concept. Our focus is on quality over quantity. The goal isn't to bring as many people as possible to a session, but rather to bring the right people to the right sessions. Our unique concept, with very small session sizes and no fixed agenda or timeline, allows us to make just that possible. There are many different small sessions, tailored to different topics and at different locations, all of which are stored in a single booking tool.
Participants choose exactly the sessions that truly interest them. This means that participants in a session aren't just there because it's part of the program; they've proactively registered for the event. This was also the feedback from the session hosts: This, along with the small group size, made participants highly engaged and actively participated in the sessions. This created a valuable dynamic that's difficult to achieve in large spaces and groups.
You had very little lead time for planning and organization. How stressful have the last few weeks been for you?
The short lead time was actually the smallest challenge. The fact that the safari is just a "hobby project" alongside my other startup was the much bigger one. It was always important to find the right balance between the projects so that neither was neglected. In practical terms, this only meant that I had to work on Smokeless and at night on the safari.
Monitoring tool in planning
What lessons will you take with you for the next Startup Safari?
We've been confirmed that we're on the right track. This year, we laid the foundation for this special concept, and over the next few years we'll be refining it even further. For example, next year we'll be introducing a monitoring tool that will automatically monitor the entire booking situation. At most large conferences, it doesn't really matter whether you show up or not, because there's either enough space for everyone, or the fact that it's taking place in one location means those waiting can fill the room. Everyone gets their chance. With our concept, with very small and intimate groups, it's different.
We've had sessions where there were 100-150 people on the waiting list who were desperate to attend. It turned out that for some sessions, some of the approved participants didn't show up, leaving empty spots. Personally, I find this disrespectful and unfair to those who really wanted to attend the session. Canceling at short notice is absolutely no problem; that's exactly what the waiting list is for. The next participant automatically moves up. The tool mentioned will automate this process. If a participant is booked for a session and doesn't show up without an appointment, their other bookings will be automatically canceled. This way, we ensure that everyone really has the chance to attend their preferred session.
And can you tell us when you plan to release the second issue?
At the moment I can only confirm that it will be next year.
