Last week, the Mini-Accelerator Program came to a close with Pitch Day. Six teams comprising eight participants from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg presented their business ideas to an experienced jury.
Pitch Day marked the culmination of the 8-week program, during which approximately 20 participants had systematically refined their ideas—supported by workshops, coaching, and mentoring.
The jury included Reyko Heine and Daniel Worch from the Saxony-Anhalt Ministry of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture, and Forestry, as well as Julia Grünthal, Gundula Illies, and Michael Horstmann from the Saxony-Anhalt Business Angels Network. The focus was not on credits or rankings, but rather on constructive feedback and concrete suggestions for further developing the ideas.
The spectrum of projects presented ranged from AI-powered applications to sustainable material innovations and creative concepts from the field of design. Particularly encouraging: International students also participated in the mini-accelerator—which was conducted entirely in German for the first time—and presented their ideas to the jury.
The direct exchange between the jury and the teams quickly evolved into an open dialogue. In addition to the feedback sessions, the jury members used the breaks to answer individual questions, share experiences, and highlight further support opportunities. This underscored how important—in addition to a good idea—the people are who are committed to developing it further.
For the participants, the support does not end with Pitch Day. In the next step, the teams will receive individual counseling and, depending on their stage of development, can further expand their projects in the “Förderungsschmiede.”
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our jury for their dedication and congratulate all participants on their successful pitches and the courage to present their ideas to an expert jury.
