Hugo Paquin
Partner and podcast co-host at found
12MIN.ME Startup Slam Hamburg: startup pitch night and pitch competition on 25 November 2026
Wednesday in Hamburg · starts in
November 25 · from 7:12 PMJungfernstieg 49 · at ABSOLUTE Software
in partnership with
Startup Slam is back
You got 144 seconds.
Make them count.
After a long break, 12MIN.ME brings its pitch night back to Hamburg, to the venue where it all started. Twelve startups, 144 seconds each, that is twelve times twelve, a jury of five and a room that came for the pitches. Startup pitch meets poetry slam.
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12Startups
Twelve pitches in one night.
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144Seconds
Per pitch, twelve times twelve. The clock does not negotiate.
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5Jurors
They talk about every pitch and nominate one finalist per round.
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1Golden anchor
The trophy. In the final the room decides by applause.
Drinks and simple snacks are on the house. Afterwards High.Z turns the night into a party. The pitches are in English.
The night
One night. Three rounds. One anchor.
Doors open at 7:12 PM with drinks and snacks. At 7:48 PM the show starts: three rounds of four pitches, a final decided by the room and then the party.
Call for startups
Twelve slots. One stage.
No pitch circus. Storytelling, showmanship and attitude are expressly allowed. At the end it is not only the idea that counts, but whether you win the room.
What you get
- Slot 1: Open
- Slot 2: Open
- Slot 3: Open
- Slot 4: Open
- Slot 5: Open
- Slot 6: Open
- Slot 7: Open
- Slot 8: Open
- Slot 9: Open
- Slot 10: Open
- Slot 11: Open
- Slot 12: Open
Coming soonThe twelve are being picked. Every startup we confirm appears here in its slot.
Email your pitch
Your startup, what it does in one line and who pitches.
Get picked
We pick the twelve and let you know before the night.
Pitch on Nov 25
144 seconds in one of three rounds. Doors 7:12 PM, showtime 7:48 PM.
- 12MIN.ME launched in Hamburg
- 2013
- Members in the 12MIN.ME community
- 100,000+
- Guests at a Startup Slam, regularly
- 300+
The jury
Meet the jury.
Five jurors judge the twelve pitches. They look at four things: the problem, the solution, the team and whether you win the room.
Freya Oehle
Founder and CEO of Dreitausendsassa
Victor M. Reincke
Single family office · Direct investments in tech, defense and finance
Philipp Hartmann
Business angel · VC investor
Prof. Dr. Pauline Reinecke
Professor of Management and Organisation at Leuphana University Lüneburg
Partners
Partners of the night.
12MIN.ME Hamburg runs the Startup Slam with partners from Hamburg's startup, tech and AI scene. ABSOLUTE Software hosts it at Jungfernstieg 49.
Become a partner
Three ways into the night.
Every package puts your name where the night happens. Packages and prices on request.
Tickets
Be in the room.
Watch twelve startups pitch live at Jungfernstieg 49. Tickets cost €12 on Luma, drinks and simple snacks included.
Registration on Luma€12 · with approval
12MIN.ME | Startup Slam!
November 25 · doors 7:12 PMJungfernstieg 49 · at ABSOLUTE Software
Get a ticket on Luma
Follow 12MIN.ME Hamburg
The hosts approve every registration on Luma.
Scan to open the event on your phone.
Venue
Back where it started.
ABSOLUTE Software at Jungfernstieg 49 is where 12MIN.ME started. On November 25 the Startup Slam returns to it.
Game
Play the night.
Three levels, 144 seconds each, a jury of five. Win the room and take the golden anchor.
Questions
Good to know.
What is 12MIN.ME?
A talk format from Hamburg, running since 2013: 12 minutes of talk, 12 minutes of questions. Today the 12MIN.ME community counts more than 100,000 members and well past 1,500 meetups and gatherings.
What is the Startup Slam?
The Startup Slam is a pitch competition and startup event in the centre of Hamburg: twelve founders pitch in English in front of a jury, investors and the room. A pitch night with drinks, snacks and a party.
How long is a pitch?
144 seconds, twelve times twelve. The clock runs on the big screen for everyone to see. At zero your time is up.
How is the winner decided?
After every round of four the jury talks about each pitch and nominates one startup for the final. In the final the room decides by applause. The winner takes home the golden anchor.
Which language?
The pitches are planned in English, so the whole room can follow. This page is in English and German.
How do I apply?
Email slam@12min.me with your startup, what it does in one line and who pitches. Every startup we confirm appears in its slot on this page.
Can I show slides?
Less is more, in the spirit of Don't waste your time: in 144 seconds it is about you and not about your slides. We recommend one slide with a screenshot of your tool, your solution or of what you do. Three slides is the maximum, a short video works too. Nothing at all is just as welcome. That is the challenge.
Which startups are you looking for?
We look especially at tech startups, deep tech and AI. We are open to everything else as well: materials, science, food and whatever else you bring. Just try us, we are curious.
How soon do you answer?
We get back to you soon. With many applications it can take a little longer, please bear with us. If you hear nothing, just ask again.
Can I come to watch?
Yes. Tickets cost €12 on Luma, drinks and simple snacks included. The hosts approve every registration.
Does pitching cost anything?
No. If you pitch, you come in for free. The €12 ticket is for the room, for everyone who comes to watch.
Who is behind it?
12MIN.ME Hamburg, carried by the association 12min.me e. V. You meet the team at the end of this page. ABSOLUTE Software hosts the night, with found, Caps & Collars, DeepTech Campus Circle and ARIC as partners.
Can I share the Startup Slam?
Yes, please. Under Share you find the images as portrait 9:16, square 1:1 and landscape 16:9, with a text for your post.
Will there be photos and videos?
Yes. We take photos and film parts of the night. If you prefer not to be in them, ask for a red wristband at the door and we leave you out.
What do you expect from the room?
Respect for the pitchers, the jury and each other. Cheer as loud as you like, put no one down. If something is not okay, talk to anyone from the team.
How do I stay updated?
Follow 12MIN.ME Hamburg on Luma or join the WhatsApp channel.
The team
The people behind the night.
12MIN.ME Hamburg runs the Startup Slam. Questions about the night go to slam@12min.me.
Oliver Rößling
Rudi Höfert
Martin Zielinski
Tom Winkelmann
Kyrylo Korsun
Sophia Bartsch
Florian Warnken
Jan Sebastian Steffen
and the whole 12MIN.ME team from Hamburg.