Once there was a young guy, nearly 15 years old, that had a vision and a dream: to become an entrepeneur. Today, nearly 34 years later, he encourages the younger participants to finally just push the green button and to start their own business as early as they can. Allan Kaczmarek, CEO of Swipbox, the fastest growing company in Sønderborg:
”It’s a great fun – you should also do that!“ (Allan)
picture: the booth of the Venture Werft
Allan explains the concept behind Swipbox, talks about the importance of the sustainable development goals, that our future is really important and that AI will change everything. In Germany you’ll find „Packstationen“, but in Denmark and many (34!) other countries it’s SwipBox that you’ll find as parcel lockers. Allan is also convinced that it will be just as fine to start your company in Sønderborg or Flensburg as in Copenhagen because especially for Swipbox the main resource is human beings and that could also be found in our own region.
picture: Chris from Adapto faces the Sea Lions on the VenturePitch at Alsion
Again, there was a brave start-up that was taking it up with the sea lions at our VenturePitch, a mini version of the popular TV-show “Løvens Hule/Shark Tank/Die Höhle der Löwen”. Chris Schack Noesgaard presented an investors pitch for his company Adapto, which is offering an AI based software solution. The two sea lions (Claus Albjerg and Dr. Peter Rehders) were able to ask a few questions about the concrete business model of this employee-relationship-management-tool, the amount of customers, the percentage of free vs. paying customers and the actual evaluation of the company.
Michael Jørgen Hamann, one of the local head organizers (Dock5), mentioned a really important fact during his welcome note:
”The aim of the conVenture is to build networks! Across the border!“ (Michael)
So that was also a reason why this conVenture got a new twist in it’s programme and barcamp-inspired workshops were implemented. The participants were divided into 8 rooms and were able to choose from 8 pre-picked topics like „Starting up while studying: Pros & Cons“, „Early stage funding“ or „Women’s Entrepreneurship“. They discussed a few of these topics and talked to everybody in the room, so that people really got to know each other and probably will stay in contact afterwards.
picture: Start-Up Pier at the conVenture
Before the bus drivers left for their tour to Flensburg again, the evening ended with sandwiches and soft drinks in the foyer of the Alsion. In the meantime, the participants were able to have some more conversations with start-ups on the small exhibitor area, our Start-Up Pier, and deepen the networking of the workshops.
If you’d like to stay in contact or know more about us: have a look at our website for further information.
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The conVenture is a joint event by the German and Danish VentureWærft docks. The Dr. Werner Jackstädt Centre for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Flensburg, the Technologiezentrum Flensburg, the University of Southern Denmark (Entrepreneurship Labs & Mads Clausen Institute) and Sønderborg Iværksætter Service.
In addition to these partners the VentureWærft consists of experienced business people and start-ups from the region. The VentureWærft is supported in its work as a part of the Grenzland INNOVATIV Schleswig-Holstein [innovative border region Schleswig-Holstein] project “innovative university” initiative funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Joint Science Conference.
Die VentureWærft ist ein Bestandteil des mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung im Rahmen
der Bund-Länder-Förderinitiative „Innovative Hochschule“ geförderten Projektes „Grenzland Innovativ Schleswig-Holstein“.