WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PIRATE SUMMIT

Wow, what a performance at PIRATE Summit in Odonien. 🏴‍☠️🔥
We were all a bit nervous, but we had a great audience.🫶🏽

That was great, many nice people from all over the world, good conversations, much to laugh and much to marvel!

The PIRATE Summit was inspiring.

I was rewarded with a fantastic event.

ARRR – we also set our sail for the PIRATE Summit Startup Conference 2022! ⛵️🏴 ☠️

Sad that this might be the last PIRATE Summit, since the format and people behind it are outstanding.

Our captain Olga Barreto Gonçalves is sailing to Germany to take part in the PIRATE Summit! 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

I will remember many wonderful experiences and many lasting encounters with start-ups and the people behind them!

It’s been incredibly exciting to be a #WalkThePlank finalist at @piratesummit and spend two days networking with curated innovators, creators, and backers in what is one of the most unconventional events and inspiring venues in Cologne.

Should I say 4 out of 5 finalists pitching were Female Founders? Thank you to the team for hosting and for putting us in the spotlight on the 10th edition of the summit!

Pirate Summit was not the regular tech conference we are used to see. It was a cool event that brings together awesome entrepreneurs, investors, and tech folks from all over. The vibe was amazing, and it made me think differently about my career.

A very special event that attracts international audiences and top speakers with its individuality.

What could be better than getting together with people from all over the world who are passionate about the same thing – in the truest sense of the word?

🚀 I continued with the PIRATE Summit where I had the chance to talk together with Gabriel to our #Minister of #Economics Mona Neubaur about the state of #digitization in #Germany’s SMEs. I furthermore met with inspirational investors like Marvin Liao and the incredibly smart people from anny, NOMOO and the PIRATE Summit. 🤝🏭📲

I don’t often get a chance to attend a conference, network with amazing founders & investors AND do two fire shows all at one event. Gotta love PIRATE Summit for that!!

The atmosphere, the talks, the networking, everything was perfect.

Our time at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne was an unforgettable adventure!

Thank you for accumulating such brave, mindful souls in one place.
Thank you for doing it differently — for having conversations that we all need to have, for breaking open doors that we need to if we not just only want to raise ourselves, but use our leadership to improve communities around the world.

It was a fantastic event filled with brilliant, interesting, and most of all kind people. Seeing so many fantastic startups and innovative projects in such a unique place was truly inspiring.

One of the most unique startup conferences in the world! The event was a whirlwind of innovation, with a sea of visionary entrepreneurs, seasoned investors, and industry experts from all across Europe and beyond.

It’s sorry to say goodbye to such a phenomenon as Pirate Summit. The community, the vibe, everything felt so warm and welcoming.

Year by year, you guys create a special place to come together.

Our PIRATE Summit Recap… it was great! 🏴‍☠️

Pitching Fuel, promoting Ukraine & first time crying on the stage
On the first day of @piratesummit, I was pitching Fuelfinance. 3 minutes for pitch and 2 min for questions from investors. It was a great new experience for me.

Thank you for all you have achieved and done for all the stakeholders, involved with striving for a better, more humanized business world.
Thanks for wonderful, inspiring, encouraging and enlightening days and events.

Pirate Summit 2022.
Amazing location in which to bring entrepreneurs and investors together. 💪🏻

PIRATE Summit – the weirdest tech conference!

We look back on the last Burn with one laughing and one crying eye, especially thanking Manuel and the whole PIRATE crew for organizing it and hope that the unique spirit of the Pirate Summit lives on. ARRRRR.

THE highlight of the event season!

Thank you to PIRATE Summit for creating such a collaborative environment and encouraging innovative ideas, ARRR!

Hell yeah!!! 🔥🔥🔥 PIRATE Summit 2022.

Thanks PIRATE Summit for an amazing #LastBurn. Kudos Manuel & team for what you’ve created over the years.

PIRATE Summit is over and amongst the many takeways someone can get from the event, the main one is #raiseyourself.

@piratesummit is over, but the energy, insight and inspiration will last for a long time!

This is the place where people really discuss all the topics, where listening, humor and empathy prevail. Where it feels more like a festival than an entrepreneurial event and yet where the exchanges are very professional, where you can meet your future investors and clients and even friends.

When was the last time you were YOURSELF? 😳 In a world where we encounter so much ‘fake’ every day, we long for #Authentizität & #Echtheit 🙇🏼 ♀️ Just being yourself is often easier said than done. On social media, in exchange with the supervisor, at the job interview we want to show our best side. Even in our private lives, we often take on a role, often unconsciously. zusammen As a place for people to connect & bring together, away from superficialities, this is what @piratesummit looks like ✨ A place to truly connect people ,🏼 Exactly this claim, makes the PIRATE Summit a #Konferenz, that feels somehow different. 🙃 Thanks for a great event with exciting connections & the great organization dear 🏴 ☠️ Pirate-Team 👏🏼 #RaiseYourself @nuwo.co #FemaleFounder 🚀

PIRATE Summit is truly an experience to remember. Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning, this summit is just a different breed.

Fantastic experience

So much love for this event.

Great connections, inspiring sessions, good conversations, and the opportunity to network in an ever-growing ecosystem.

The Last BURN?! Really? How could I have missed PIRATE Summit so many times in a row?

best startup get together in Germany

It was a great two days.

An environment for people to let their guard down, engage in meaningful ways, renew old friendships, start new ones, and just be themselves.

We definitely found our inner pirate – ARRR! 🏴‍☠️🔥

Great lectures, amazing location and lots of Arrr.

Other start-ups pitching at the PIRATE Summit finally gave me the necessary impulse to sit down on my own slides and become more visible.
So much inspiration and exciting new contacts.

A super job by all involved!

PIRATE Summit is the yearly gathering of entrepreneurs that love to solve real problems and build durable businesses.
ARRR!!!!

Attending the PIRATE Summit 2022….most chilled out event of my life!😁🥳🥳
AAAARRRRR!😉😁😉😁😉😁😉

I was impressed by the quality of all the pitches, as well as the number of women joining in.

I met so many people, had so many great conversations. What a beautiful thing the European startup ecosystem is. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event like it – totally unique, an amazing venue full of towering metal sculptures, the whole thing felt so organic, and yet perfectly organized. This was no bunch of scallywags behind-the-scenes, it was a seasoned crew coming together after a decades worth of PIRATE Summits for one final send-off.

One of the best events of the year!

Pirate Summit was an event to really fire up your own innovative spirit.

PIRATE Summit absolutely rrrrocked

This week brought a lot of first-time experiences.

I attended PIRATE Summit not as seasoned data industry professional but in a totally new capacity.

I recorded the first live podcast interview with a fantastic speaker – in a former scrapyard!

Finally, I shared publicly the bold vision that’s forming in my head. And it felt astonishingly good.

A really refreshing and unconventional startup conference in Cologne with lots of interesting insights and connections.

Very delighted to join the pirate summit 2022 in cologne! A great experience for Melodizr! 🎶🎤

It has been incredibly inspiring to see how you grew our little makeshift event into a movement! You touched us and many entrepreneurs from around the world with your passion and craziness. And with your sad sad message that this time the mofo will burn for the last time. He has burnt thoroughly. He has burnt loudly. His fire has sparked many ideas, ignited new friendships, and fired up lots of innovation. Shall his flame rest in peace, his spirit remains. Arr! Forever your loyal co-pirate.

The people and the atmosphere are really great and I get to know great people every time!

The last Pirate Summit was spectacular and I met a lot of amazing people.

2 years of waiting have come to an end – finally PIRATE Summit again!

So many memories, and so many people are connected to this event!

Amazing event to start your entrepreneurial socialization.

The Pirate Summit offered one last time an extraordinary atmosphere for the start-up scene to come together.

Pirate Summit was ahead of the community-driven curve.

This week part of our team had two adventurous days in the Odonien in Cologne where PIRATE Summit took place.

These exciting days once again brought us great connections, inspiring sessions, good conversations and the opportunity to network in an ever-growing ecosystem.

The PIRATE Summit offered an exceptional setting for an intensive exchange with like-minded people: An intimate and warm atmosphere – simply unusual!

Such events connect you to the people who think, look, and act differently. And you learn from them.

Yesterday night, someone asked me how PIRATE Summit feels to me.
It took me a moment to think, but in the end it was pretty simple.
It feels like #home. Thank you to everyone for creating such a wonderful event once again.

I just wanted to give you a shout-out for the amazing job you’ve done! I can’t forget the awesome experience I had at my very first PIRATE Summit. You brought together so many people, it’s truly a remarkable achievement!

Amazing Venue

We’re very proud of Pakistani🇵🇰 representation at the IFA Berlin & PIRATE Summit in Germany🇩🇪! These wonderful digipreneurs will have the opportunity to network & form partnerships with tech firms from all around the EU🇪🇺. We look forward to working with our friends here to further expand such 🇩🇪-🇵🇰 collaborations!

As a place of people, far away from superficialities, should connect and bring together, the PIRATE Summit. A place to truly connect people.

It was the last big dance, the last burn. It was great, fantastic, sometimes freezing cold and always loud.

I am taking so much from this experience and will carry the spirit of the PIRATE Summit with me. Wherever we meet again, I look forward to it. Until then, hoist the sails and go on an expedition!

Until the next adventure, captains!

Best conference I’ve been to in ages.

Piratesummit once again blew me away! It is a truly authentic conference and one of the only conferences where true meaningful connections are made!
It remained true to the value of GIVE, GIVE, GIVE , ASK!

Pirate Summit it’s “the perfect balance of
being useful, productive & fun. And great people!”

Great vibes at this year’s PIRATE Summit! The festival atmosphere is truly unique.

We are absolutely amazed by tech founders, real captains of their lives, tackling the most pressing problems of our society and the planet.

Thank you PIRATE Summit for two days of inspiration, input, and exchange!

Was my first time but will definitely not be the last.

An environment where people can engage in meaningful ways, renew old friendships, start new ones, and simply be themselves.

Greetings from PIRATE Summit. Definitely something different compared to our events in the Nordics. Great new connections from Central Europe, but also from the Baltics.

A truly unique entrepreneurial event. It’s not just your typical conference; it’s a fusion of a traditional entrepreneurship-focused conference, an open and caring atmosphere, and the spirit of Burning Man.

🔥LET IT BURN! 🔥

2 days PIRATE Summit were really a highlight this year!

As I bid farewell to the electrifying PIRATE Summit and head back to Budapest, I’m fueled with an unwavering determination to craft products that redefine the norms.

It was joyful to be a part of the event that celebrated female entrepreneurship and real problem solvers.

Events that help to maintain networks and to get in touch with exciting founders.

PIRATE Summit is an ideal conference for everyone who wants to create or take their startup to the next level!

What an amazing event! It was great to talk to so many dedicated startups, business angels, investors, and multipliers yesterday and to meet so many new, interesting people.
I was particularly pleased to see the large number of female founders and investors.

Just returned from the one and only PIRATE Summit!

Great moments to reunite with old friends & meet with new inspiring people.

Huge thanks to the whole team making this possible!

This PIRATE Summit was strong with its energy, content, and people. An exceptional event execution in a unique location,

This conference is for those who understand that they are the captains of their own lives.

I had so much fun meeting fellow founders and investors at PIRATE Summit.

I can truly confirm what is said on their website: this conference focuses on real-life experiences, authentic connections, and peer learning, and is characterized by its festival-like atmosphere.

I went to the PIRATE Summit without any expectations.
Besides an overwhelming number of incredibly exciting female founders (not standard in the startup scene), I was able to take away many great impulses.
I met so many exciting and inspiring people from all over Europe and completely without the usual buzzwords and bullshitting. I’m still very inspired by the, partly very deep, conversations of the last few days.
All the positive energy of people who really want to make a difference and are full of drive will certainly carry me through the next few days.

It was an incredible and unique gathering, where in an informal atmosphere, I could interact with participants from all over Europe.

This year’s edition of PIRATE Summit was a blast!
Thanks to Manuel Koelman 🏴‍☠️ and the whole team for bringing this unique and extraordinary event to my hometown 10 years ago.
I hope the show will go on for at least the next 10 years.
Also big props to Eko Fresh for his talk “A Rapper’s Delight – Rhymes in Entrepreneurship” and his very personal, emotional story.
Hopefully see you next year again!
Arrr!

This place is magic for entrepreneurs! #ARRRRRR

Seven years ago, in 2016, I entered the scrapeyard-turned-event venue that’s Odonien for the first time to attend that year’s Pirate Summit. To be entirely honest, I remember very little from the event, and I’ve only got a handful of photos of Fred Destin and the Burn on my phone to refresh my memory.
I must’ve liked what I saw in 2016 though, because I went back next year. And the year after, and the year after that – without missing a Pirate Summit ever since, up until this year’s Last Burn.
Over the years, this seemingly scrappy, unpolished, raw gathering started to feel like home for a large group of European founders, investors, ecosystem builders, and journalists. But this June, we came to Odonien for the last time, and now Pirate Summit is no more.
Thanks for all the great memories.

A special and worthwhile event with inspiring conversations, some really nice new connections and some eye-opening impact-related discussions. Thanks PIRATE Summit

🏴‍☠️ I represented APX at PIRATE Summit 2022, Europe’s largest invitation-only conference for early-stage startups, investors and corporate executives

🔥An archery range, a massage booth and a giant bonfire (some call it the “Burning Man” of the startup conferences)

⭐Key takeaway: #GenZ VC investors are changing the VC industry, not accepting the status quo, being values-focused and unafraid of breaking into untapped (emerging) markets

I had an absolute blast conducting a Masterclass today at PIRATE Summit.

Above all, what made Pirate Summit truly special was the sense of camaraderie and community. We sailed together, weathering the storms and celebrating each other’s victories.

Big congrats for the great event.

Great gathering of the global start-up community in Cologne. Last edition with the ultimate Last BURN. The Pirate Community will always be alive and in our hearts.

PIRATE Summit is truly an experience to remember. Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning, this summit is just a different breed.

My experience at PIRATE Summit was unique: I met amazing founders and investors, made new friends, and got to know myself better.

I would like to sincerely thank all participants, speakers, and peers for making the PIRATE Summit star-studded with impactful yet inspiring conversations.

I was swept away by the energy and passion of the entrepreneurial community. The spirit of innovation was palpable in the air, and I found myself surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the startup world. It was an immersive experience that pushed boundaries and reminded me of the importance of daring to be different. The passion, enthusiasm, and camaraderie were infectious, creating an environment that fostered growth and collaboration. The memories and lessons from this adventure will continue to fuel my entrepreneurial journey.

I met great people, made new friends, and spent fantastic days there. Last but not least, my partner and I met there. How much more can a summit do than find the person you want to start your next company with?

Inspiring exchange, exciting pitches, and positive vibes – we take all this and much more with us from the PIRATE Summit.

The PIRATE Summit is an unparalleled event that we have always enjoyed attending and, most importantly, supporting.

Be authentic – Talk about how you really feel, what you really think and want to achieve! 🔥

Thanks to the whole 🏴‍☠️ Pirate Team🏴‍☠️

Thank you for curating an unforgettable experience!

It was a fantastic experience pitching in front of a large and engaged audience!
A big shout-out to the amazing team who made it all happen.

‘This conference is aRRRmazing!

Unusual location, and a great set of people all willing to share knowledge and help each other!

Awesome as always!

I was able to take a lot from PIRATE Summit through inspiring conversations and the great exchange with other startups and investors.

I still cannot believe that it was the Last BURN yesterday. The PIRATE Summit is in unique event that has its justified place in the event landscape for startups in NRW, Germany, and Europe. We need the PIRATE Summit!!!!

Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning.

This was my first time at the PIRATE Summit 🏴‍☠️ in Cologne.

Here are my key learnings:

1. Authenticity is key: In business we often learn to put on our professional persona, but especially for young companies it can be of so much value to show your employees your personal passion.

2. How are you, really?

3. Rap is like founding a company.

PIRATE Summit itself was the event just like everybody has described it and more. I think it all came from the people participating. The PIRATE spirit of celebration was all around. There were a lot of laughs, people looked so relaxed, connected. You could see people talking to each other not like they just met but like they knew each other for years and now they were exchanging memories. So many talks happened in parallel sharing ideas from all the fields of human activities. Everybody who participated at least once will surely miss this event.

I met great people again and had exciting conversations. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it in such a cool atmosphere.

We came full of inspiration, knowledge, and willpower. A strong human connection raising itself!

not only technical contents but real emotions and meaningful connections

The burning man of tech conferences.

Pitching Fuel, promoting Ukraine & first time crying on the stage

On the first day of PIRATE Summit I was pitching Fuelfinance. 3 minutes for pitch and 2 min for questions from investors. It was a great new experience for me.

On the second day, I was a speaker and shared the story about Fuel rebuilding in tough times. In the end, I had a slide that the main reason we could do all these things is the bravery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 🇺🇦. They are fighting for the freedom of Europe. And on that slide, I unexpectedly started to cry. After 6 months of staying strong, this emotion was like a splash. And I suddenly realized that I was on that stage also because of their bravery. I was able to stop only because the next slides were about the way to support Ukraine.

Best. Startup. Summit. Ever.

Freaking arrrrsome

To describe it in a few words: shrill, bizarre in places, and with a lot of serendipity. Impressive what you have built.

Thanks for the inspiring insights and valuable connections.

The most awesome PIRATE Summit!

The conference was not only about technology but most of all about people. I felt included, and most of all I felt loved. This is what the future of entrepreneurship and innovation should be about.

Last week we attended the impressing PIRATE Summit! 🦜🏴‍☠️

Unique atmosphere, amazing people, connections with startup ecosystems from all over the world, and of course the great organization!

Participated at the PIRATE Summit and met some great minds having pure startup entrepreneurial spirit.

Two amazing days at the PIRATE Summit.

Good energy, meaningful conversations, and a very chill, casual vibe overall.

PIRATE Summit – a super casual, social and at the same time very sustainability-conscious event for startups and investors.

Burning man of the tech industry 🚀🚀🚀Proud to be a part of it! Amazing experience!

I am very grateful for the great exchange with different people, especially regarding direct feedback on the idea.

A conference specifically designed for entrepreneurs focusing on real-life experiences, authentic connections, and peer learning.

I am so thankful for all the experiences, the fun, and the connections that were initiated by this amazing event.

Thank you Manuel for your dedication and the many fantastic PIRATE Summits I had the opportunity to attend.

My first time at PIRATE Summit has been amazing. Met so many kind and skilled people who told me their stories, and who gave me support and inspiration.

I met an old friend, and found new ones! It’s been great ♥️ See you next yeARRRR! 🦜🏴‍☠️

You are lured out of your comfort zone, get to know yourself in a different way again, and meet people there in a completely different way than you usually do at events.

A really great event. I liked it so much that the No BS rule was adhered to really well and you had great and above all real conversations. I am happy about every new contact I have made and now follow the respective journeys very excitedly.

Unconventional, fiery, human: that was the PIRATE Summit 2022 ☠

Great to see that sustainability was the overarching topic on this years PIRATE Summit!

One investor from the US even said the German startup ecosystem seems to really differentiate itself from others by fostering social and ecological business models.

Will engagement be replaced by kindness?

I believe there is something missing in our strive for maximum engagement. It’s kind of misleading in all it’s good intentions. Are we sure it’s not leading us towards more control 🥵when what we really want is genuine, caring individuals, kind individuals? 🥰

During PIRATE Summit 🏴‍☠️this week I met with Magnus Wood and was fortunate to listen to his perspective on the cultures we thrive in ❤️Check him out!

Two days packed with great workshops, masterclasses and startup spirit – simply awesome!

It was incredible fun to meet so many new, highly motivated and goal-oriented people and startups.

Amazed by the insights

It was my first time at PIRATE Summit and it was more than I could ve ever imagined. Came with an idea; leaving with few more to work on and lots of memories. This event was sensational! Well done and thank you! ♥️

For me a perfect combination of adventurousness, humour, and new insights.

Pirates of uncertain times, #raiseyourself

What a fantastic slogan of this years´ PIRATE Summit!❤️

About last week.. turtle moments at the pirate summit 2022 in Cologne 🏴 ☠️🫶 As a startup, the exchange with others is super important for us – and the best thing is: at the Pirate Summit we also had a lot of fun!

After 11 editions this legendary startup event closed its curtains with a memorable last “burning man” ritual. Thanks to Manuel and his team for running it throughout all these years and creating such a unique setting here in Cologne.

Extraordinary event. One thing is for sure: Once a pirate, always a pirate! AYE!

PIRATE Summit was an amazing experience!

I am speechless about the great atmosphere that was created for networking and personal development.

It was a pleasure to meet so many smart, interesting, and motivated people who are either being startups themselves or see their purpose to develop startups or individual entrepreneurs by sharing their knowledge, supporting with investment, or just giving great advice.

10 editions later, the CEO of PIRATE Summit decides to organize a very last cruise!

It takes courage and wisdom to leave gracefully when it is time.

PIRATE Summit, thanks for this Last BURN, great lesson!

It’s been incredible sharing the burning man experience. Meeting investors and hearing their challenges and opportunities. Learning from founders about their creative businesses and focus on raising funds for the next stage of growth. Getting lessons on mindfulness and how to be a more caring entrepreneur. Creating a better and more sustainable world through business…

It has been funny, intense, amazing.

We met new people, laughed and cried, and told our life stories over and over again while learning something new every time we were in touch with some other person’s humanity.

ARRRsome

PIRATE Summit is the only event I enjoyed taking part in since… well, ever. Here is why: minimal waste, the „Odonien“ vibe, well being.

Sad to see you go, PIRATE Summit!

I have met many founders and investors who are here for a higher purpose, to tackle the most pressing needs of our society.

About last week… turtle moments at the pirate summit 2022 in cologne 🏴 ☠️

As a startup, the exchange with others is super important for us – and the best part is: at the PIRATE Summit we had a lot of fun!  #femalefounder – thank you also for this great opportunity!

“PIRATE Summit has always been my place to talk to people I would have never met and mostly are still connected to even after several years.”

“PIRATE Summit is the place for meaningful connections, openness and lasting friendships.
Besides the location, it’s the special, valuable community that makes it outstanding!”

It was truly incredible to see so many women on stage, competition was exciting.

Out of the comfort zone and talk to a lot of strangers…

Besides great workshops, pitches, and lectures, there was one thing in particular at the PIRATE Summit: the opportunity to talk to many people in person.

I feel inspired by this unique conference specifically designed for entrepreneurs on their journey.

Crazy conference

ARRRsome conference! Loved every minute of PIRATE Summit.
Brilliant content, great company and superb organisation.
The pictures speak for themselves… #PirateSummit

We had the time of our lives at #PirateSummit last week and this is why:

🚀 We got to be around amazing Moldovan startups in Köln, Germany

🚀 We had the chance to listen to top tier founders, investors, mentors, trackers and business people.

🚀 We enlarged our network and pitched our ideas to other participants

🚀 We got back home with thousands of new thoughts, ready to be implemented locally.

Thank you, PIRATE SUMMIT for having us and thank you, Moldovan team, for being the best! 💛

Epic win for the planet and female entrepreneurship!

Amazing vibe at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne, together with founders and VCs around the world.

From NFC to Web3 and human approach on leadership, I learnt how people across the world are doing great things using technology and having great impact in this wonderful world we are living.

Met great people with great mindset. Couldn’t be more exiting to see what future holds!

I was super excited to be speaking at the PIRATE Summit in Germany today. I found this event 5 years ago and truly admire their curation and values.

I have as few photos as possible in my phone, but as many emotions, warmth, new acquaintances and adventures. And yet the gathering with those who haven’t seen for a long time.
No masks, no jewelry, dancing into the morning and having serious existential conversations about our country and its future.
The weeks waiting for PIRATE Summit were definitely worth it.
Now it’s time to come home and hope to see you all again soon 💙💛

I wish more conferences would go the extra mile and curate such a diverse agenda!

It’s truly inspiring to be part of a gathering where entrepreneurship thrives, ideas collide, and boundaries are pushed. The energy and passion in the air are contagious, reminding me of the endless possibilities that lie ahead in the world of startups.

Stoked!

Thanks for all your hard work over the last decade to keep it alive. We basically grew our entrepreneurial life along PIRATE Summit and it’s tough to imagine a world without it. I’m sure we weren’t as far if PIRATE Summit wasn’t there. It created a lot of great connections and community that helped over the years.

The event provided valuable connections and reaffirmed our commitment to positive change.

The PIRATE Summit is not just a conference. It is a fun opportunity to live in an out-of-the-box, creative and inclusive context.

Last week, I spent two days in Cologne on the PIRATE Summit discussing business models, ideas and visions with founders, investors and networkers. I am still enthusiastic about the different impressions and look forward to the next events in the Cologne ecosystem.

But also the view to Europe. how we deal with data in various projects for stakeholders from different industries has led to interesting discussions at GXFS Connect 2022 as part of the Gaia-X funding projects in Berlin.

I am very much looking forward to the next events, impressions and encounters!

Last week I had the great honour to give the closing keynote at PIRATE Summit, the event at which the Plan A journey kicked off three years ago, and to celebrate 10 years of Pirate Summit.

And such a celebration couldn’t have been possible without the one and only Manuel Koelman 🏴‍☠️.

I have continuously been impressed by the humility, kindness, dedication he has demonstrated throughout the years, in effort to continue pushing for the tech industry to be more inclusive, diverse and human.

Congratulations on yet another year where the future of tech defined!

We had a great time at the 10th Pirate Summit with many new impulses and great starting points far beyond 😍 the Cologne startup scene.

Our first PIRATE Summit totally flashed us, because this mixture of startup conference and festival is really something very special.

Our community had a blast at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne this week!

Two incredible days at the PIRATE Summit!

Without the PIRATE Summit, I would probably never have found my way into the startup scene.
The annual PIRATE Summit in Cologne got me hooked on the world of entrepreneurs. Nowhere else have I had more eye-to-eye conversations with founders, investors, and exciting personalities. It’s unique because it doesn’t matter what title or VIP status you might think you have – all that matters is who you are at that moment and what you can do for your counterpart.

It was a pleasure meeting & exploring collaboration opportunities with hundreds of tech entrepreneurs, thought leaders at PIRATE Summit, Cologne. Thanks to the entire PIRATE Summit Crew for organizing the brilliant event.

It really felt like a show and an incredible space where people connected over super fun activities.

I liked the Pirate Summit: relaxed atmosphere, brainstorming with old and new acquaintances, enriching encounters, numerous new contacts, one or the other inspiration, and a good party.

Many thanks for this spectacular start-up event in NRW!

Raise Yourself puts the individuals in the center and I could feel that founders with their thoughts and feelings matter.

It was a great two days, I got to meet great entrepreneurs in a fantastic environment!

I met a lot of great people and had interesting conversations.

The PIRATE Summit was an excellent reboot for the mind(set)!

Such events connect you to the people who think, look and act differently. And you learn from them. C’mon, when you listen to a strip dancer who is an investor now – that’s awesome! You hear other people’s ideas and they bring new ones to your own head.

You can’t get this sitting in your own shell. Even when you have an established business, opening your mind to new opportunities and living a startup life is always a breathtaking idea.

Best summit ever!

Startup spirit that inspires!

Top content, many new contacts, and a great atmosphere.

PIRATE Summit is something you must experience and is hard to describe.

The whole setup is built for participants’ engagement, and it was such a great, well-curated group of people who care; before asking what you do, they will want to know how your day is running.

The PIRATE Summit has been one of Europe´s most individual startup conferences in terms of style and set-up, attracting over 1.200 participants each year, including early-stage startups, especially tech-related, founders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, corporate executives, service providers, and “movers & shakers” of digital ecosystems from all over Europe. Through its handpicked audience and the emphasis on informal exchange and relationship building the event sets itself apart from other conferences. It transcends the traditional corporate event experience by a fusion of business, design, and art – creating an inspirational and creative atmosphere.

Huge thanks to the organizers for crafting such a meaningful experience.

In any case, I have become richer with many great experiences, new experiences, and new contacts – in summary, I had a good time!

We thank you a million times from the bottom of our startup hearts that you and your wonderful team went through all the nerve-wracking event organization hassle to make this happen, over so many years! I’ll truly miss this pirate community!