Congratulations to Juan (Lower Sixth), who reached the final round of the Startup Teens competition in Berlin, along with two friends from Germany. Juan and his team pitched their project, OpenPulse, to a panel of leading entrepreneurs. They have been developing their project since last year, taking part in several start-up competitions. They finished in the top 14 in Jugend Grundet (Young People Start a Business) and in the top 30 and first among European candidates in the Blue Ocean Student Entrepreneur Competition.
On the 25 June, my team OpenPulse had the opportunity to pitch at the Startup Teens final in Berlin. The event took place on the 19th floor of the Axel-Springer-Hochhaus with an impressive view over the city, a setting that mirrored the specialty of the given day.
As finalist we had to pitch our start-up-idea in front of a jury made up of six high-ranking figures from Germany’s business world. In just a few minutes, we had to explain the problem we are trying to solve, how our product works, and convince them of the potential of our idea. The pitch itself was intense but also exciting. Standing in front of such an experienced jury, we knew that every sentence had to be clear and convincing. At the same time, we wanted to show the passion and effort that had gone into the project over the past months.
In the end, we were awarded first prize and won €10,000. For us this was an incredible moment, not only due to the prize, but the recognition and opportunities that go with it.
After the award ceremony, there was also a networking event where we had the chance to speak with industry representatives, founders, investors, and other people from the startup world. These conversations were extremely valuable, as we received direct access into the business world and received further feedback for our idea.
Overall, the Startup Teens final in Berlin was an unforgettable and highly motivating experience. It showed us that even at our age we can develop into something that stands up in front of professionals from the economy. Most importantly, it gave us even more motivation to keep developing OpenPulse further.
Juan, Lower Sixth
