Berlin Journey 2024 - Day 4??

Our fourth day started off at Formo . Fabian Baumann and Laura Schmich delivered a 30-minute presentation of their journey, highlighting the company's founding in 2019, a groundbreaking $50 million Series A round in 2019, and the launch of their first Product Lounge in 2023. A big shoutout to Laura and Fabian for the valuable insights!??

Formo specializes in crafting animal-free cheese and eggs using precision fermentation, mirroring the proteins and structure of traditional dairy. Their goal is to address ethical and environmental concerns while offering a tastier and more scalable alternative. The following Q&A provided our members with an opportunity to explore Formo's story in more depth and concluded with a cheese tasting of Formo‘s own products.??

Next, we visited getvoila , the food start-up aimed at revolutionizing simple food delivery by curating unforgettable dining experiences through their unique restaurant boxes and ready-made dishes crafted by star chefs. After hearing from Julius Wiesenhütter ?????? , one of the co-founders of getvoila, who shared the company's journey, vision, and strategies for growth, we engaged in a lively discussion with getvoila’s team members Andreas Schulze (geb. Hofmann) and Moritz Fischer , reflecting on potential new growth channels and ways to stand out from competition.

Of course, we couldn't leave getvoila without trying their delicious food. We enjoyed tasty dishes that truly showcased their culinary expertise and dedication to quality that defines getvoila's brand.??

At our next slot we were greeted and introduced by Christian Strauch , Domenik J. FOX ?? , and Philipp Steinr?tter to Mateo , a powerful omni-channel customer experience platform. Mateo's role in addressing the projected 4 million skilled worker shortage by 2030 through AI-based software was emphasized.

The session featured a case study presentation showcasing Mateo's effectiveness in digital customer lifecycle management. Case Studies explored go-to-market strategy and market analyses for travel agencies, healthcare, and auto dealerships. Notably, Timon Bolten , Chief of Staff, was introduced, showcasing the team's dynamic and growth.

The event offered a comprehensive view of Mateo's contribution to shaping the future of customer experience management.?? A "Popcorn - get together" session at the end of our visit provided a great networking opportunity.

Afterwards, we visited SQUAKE , a pioneering climate-tech start-up that left us inspired and enlightened about the transformative power of sustainability in the travel industry. Founded through the Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Squake pursues its mission to promote sustainability via innovative solutions: Through displaying emission levels withing the booking flow, as well as calculating carbon footprints and providing carbon offsetting solutions, Squake inspires conscious decision-making and drives positive change. Thank you Christopher Tyrock and Antonia Adamik for answering all our questions, and providing invaluable insights into the challenges and triumphs of building a climate-focused start-up within the travel industry.??

"You can't plan it. You just have to do it." is the philosophy of Johannes Roggendorf , the founder of MEDWING . He recognized that 30% of individuals with healthcare training would like to work more, but due to family or other time constraints, they cannot. Medwing addresses this issue by providing a platform where healthcare professionals can work additional hours flexibly, meeting the needs of healthcare facilities.

Medwing stands as a shining example of how vision, persistence, and belief in a better future can transform an entire industry. Johannes' founding advice, "Just start and test," is a lesson in courage, showing that the first step is often the most important. Medwing proves that it is possible to change the healthcare sector for the better through innovation, passion, and the willingness to push boundaries.??

Our next stop was the exciting and innovative start-up HOLY ! Whilst the food start-up, founded in 2020, initially positioned itself as an energy drink provider for gamers, the company has now transitioned to a general brand for healthier soft drinks. Holy offers their customers a tasty and healthier alternative to sugary soft drinks, and sells their products exclusively in powder form for self-mixing via their own online shop. Additionally, HOLY promotes sustainability through environmentally friendly packaging and carbon emission reduction.

We toured HOLY’s vibrant office, tasted their product offerings and had the privilege of listening to cofounder Mathias Horsch share their founding story. At the end, we were all treated to a nice goodie bag and we can’t wait to try some more of their products ourselves - thank you!??

Our next exciting visit took place at Ivy , the young fintech start-up which has produced a global API for instant bank payments. Thank you to co-founder Ferdinand Dabitz who shared Ivy’s business model with us, explaining how they enable businesses to accept instant bank payments through removing cards and wallets from online transactions and reducing costs by up to 10 times. We also gained insights into Ivy’s key principles that form their company culture, such as taking ownership, expecting high performance, providing feedback whilst still caring for one another, which have helped Ivy grow in the past years. It was also a pleasure to get in touch with Joshua Becker , Julius Ahr and Sebastian Tretter during our visit!

At the end of day four, some of us had the opportunity to visit the Tesla gigafactory. With a mission to accelerate global sustainability, S?ren Max Hempel shared crucial insights during the presentation. Operating in 40 countries with over 100,000 employees, Tesla's fleet of 5 million electric vehicles contributed to a remarkable reduction of over 10 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2022.

Tesla's evolution in production was underscored making it the most advanced globally, particularly with the success of the Model Y. Site selection criteria, acknowledging Chinese competition, and Tesla's unique strengths, such as in-house solutions and complete robot self-manufacturing, were also highlighted during this insightful presentation. We ended the day in the rooftop bar, asking further questions about Tesla.

We all are so thankful to have been part of this rare opportunity, to gain insights into the gigafactory in Grünheide and an enormous thank you to S?ren Hempel!

Meanwhile, our thinc! board and some head-ofs enjoyed the company of several thinc! alumni. While having some drinks in a bar, we connected with founders and alumni of our thinc! network. We wanted to celebrate the immense growth during the last years because without them, thinc! would never have become so big.

Cheers to all the milestones we have overcome and to the great network we have built up!????