More than a decade of ARRR
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT PIRATE SUMMIT
Share your experience about PIRATE Summit with the community.
Lubomila Jordanova
We are big fans of this unique conference!
Winning the pitching competition at PIRATE Summit accelerated our growth exponentially! The focus of the event on building meaningful connections and the size of it put us on the map of all the investors, corporates and other partners who were there and helped us leave Cologne with a stronger support system and a lot of opportunities! We are honored and grateful! ARRR!
Thanks PIRATE Summit for a great event!
PIRATE Summit disrupts the (hierarchy) distance between startups and investors and brings them to eye level.
This is one of the best Startup conferences in Europe (and world).
What an amazing event.
Best. Startup. Summit. Ever. But the band f**kin nailed it!
A unique experience that I’ll keep in my mind for the rest of my life…
What a blast!
The most unbelievable entrepreneurship conference.
PIRATE Summit once again blew me away!
PIRATE Summit is epic proof that the startup world is changing. This is the conference of the future.
What an amazing event!
PIRATE Summit for me was a life-changing event!
PIRATE Summit is one of the finest tech events in Europe.
Totally unique. An amazing venue!
The Pirate Summit is something special!
Best venue, excellent catering, impeccable time keeping. Thank you PIRATE Summit!
At PIRATE Summit it’s all about meaningful connections. Through various formats and activities they’ll ensure your personal networking experience. If you are looking to connect and learn from likeminded founders or are looking for capital/early stage startups, then PIRATE Summit is for you.
The PIRATE Summit is one of those very few events that can change peoples lives.
An epic event full of emotions!
Just got off the stage at PIRATESummit. Great event!
What a crazy event it was! Thanks PIRATE Summit for inviting me! Heading back to Paris now with many new ideas to work on.
Meaningful speeches, inspiring conversations, and a lot of great quality connections!
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!
My 7th PIRATE Summit — out of 7 since 2011! Awesome as always!
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.
Packed with digital nomads, startups and investors PIRATE Summit is buzzing with creative minds.
Pirate summit is this: overjump issues thanks to a tiny cable-network of innovators, leaving jurassic mindset behind you while flying to the future.
Once you have been in a summit, you think the second time will not surprise you again.
But the Pirate Summit is always unforgettable
Thank you for 7 years of PIRATE Summit, glad to have been at all of them.
Flying back after PIRATE Summit. Thanks to all – the kind and helpful staff, the organizers, all the attendees I’ve met. One of the best events I have ever attended.
PIRATE Summit has been one of the most impactful events I’ve ever attended. Thanks to it, I have made lifelong friendships, as well as deep partnerships. I wholeheartedly recommend going!
Easily the best conference for founders in Europe.
PIRATE Summit you were absolutely amazing!
This event was sensational!
What a mega event!
The most unbelievable entrepreneurship conference.
Amazing atmosphere, speakers, and connections!
Unforgettably great atmosphere! 🏴☠️
Looking forward to PIRATE Summit this year. It’s the best startup conference I’ve experienced.
It’s been an extraordinary experience.
This conference is ARRRmazing! Nothing to do with those 5000 people corporate conferences where you barely can meet the relevant people you want!
Love that at PIRATE Summit everyone is a VIP.
HALLELUJAH, what an experience! Kölle you sure do things differently. Who could have known how fun conferences can be.
So PIRATE Summit absolutely rrrrocked – will be back next year to walk the plank!
Thanks again PIRATE Summit for an incredible experience & ARRRmazing opportunity to discuss our ideas for helping EU UrbanTech start-ups grow. Made great new connections and learned A LOT. Def one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended + certainly the most fun!!!
Loved PIRATE Summit! 1200 startups applied for the pitch competition. Stoked to be in the jury.
I truly enjoyed it!
The Walk the Plank pitch competition´s prize has been one of the most valuable we´ve got as a startup. The opportunity to meet top-tier VCs has been great and has helped us on our way to our series A.
Thanks PIRATE Summit what an amazing event 👏 I can really recommend this event for startup founders, don’t miss it next year!
PIRATE Summit is such an amazing event. The entrepreneurial dream lives here.
Best conference ever! From the Plank to the burning Man … and every human connection in between (Karaoke and Party included!!), PIRATE Summit never disappoints and constantly brings the best people together. Can’t wait for the next one!
Officially the coolest B2B event I’ve ever attended.
Just arrived at PIRATE Summit – definitely one of the top tech conferences in Europe.
Winning the pitch competition at PIRATE Summit helped us to close our Series A and opened up many new opportunities for us!
Very refreshing and laid back event dedicated only for startups and VCs. We connected with a banking accelerator there! We would never expect that, taking into consideration that the whole concept of the show was super relaxed and the founders were pitching in shorts and t-shirts.
Huge respect
You have written the topic of #FemaleLeadership on the flag and shown: You really live it.
🙏 THANK YOU for that! This is female empowerment. For real.
My first time as a PIRATE, I did not really know what to expect, and I am shocked…. In the best possible way. It was a fun, social, extraordinary, beautiful experience. Great people, great content in the most relaxed atmosphere you can think of. I’m sure I will be back.
PIRATE Summit is definitely the craziest and most ambitious event for startups in EU. If there’s one thing for you in EU, it’s this.
This has been one of the craziest festivals I ever attended!
One of the coolest events I’ve ever heard of.
Yesterday night someone asked me what PIRATE Summit is for me. It took me a moment to think but in the end it was pretty simple. It´s like home. Thank you to everyone for creating such a wonderful event once again.
For me, the PIRATE Summit was probably the most extraordinary startup event I have attended.
So much love for this event. Stage fright or not, I learned a lot, met amazing people who’re all working hard to make their dream happen.
Attending Pirate Summit is quite an extraordinary experience — participants from 60 different countries, unique location, interesting expert sessions, well coordinated pirate theme and relaxed atmosphere all add up to make this Europe’s largest invitation-only conference for early-stage startups, investors and corporate executives feel like a festival.
Best conference I’ve been to in ages.
Once a pirate, always a pirate!
One of my favourite events!
BEN SUFIANI
PIRATE Summit is more than a tech conference! It is one of the few events that truly puts people front and center.
This was not a conference, it was an opportunity to reconnect, learn & grow!
I’ve never experienced a conference quite like it.
The most unbelievable entrepreneurship conference.
I haven’t missed a single PIRATE Summit since the beginning. The spirit of the people at this arrresome event is what helped me stay my course as
a founder for the past 12 years.
Holy cow!
That was a premiere, and a very nice one!
Easily the best conference for founders in Europe.
A really cool event and fun to see how the startup ecosystem outside of the Nordics operates.
PIRATE Summit is truly an experience to remember.
Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning, this summit is just a different breed.
PIRATE Summit is such an amazing event. The entrepreneurial dream lives here.
Winning the pitching competition at PIRATE Summit accelerated our growth exponentially! The focus of the event on building meaningful connections and the size of it put us on the map of all the investors, corporates and other partners who were there and helped us leave Cologne with a stronger support system and a lot of opportunities! We are honored and grateful! ARRR!
Kudos to the amazing team behind this unique gathering.
The Walk the Plank pitch competition´s prize has been one of the most valuable we´ve got as a startup. The opportunity to meet top-tier VCs has been great and has helped us on our way to our series A.
Hold on, we’re invited to be vulnerable at a tech conference?!
At PIRATE Summit it’s all about meaningful connections. Through various formats and activities they’ll ensure your personal networking experience. If you are looking to connect and learn from likeminded founders or are looking for capital/early stage startups, then PIRATE Summit is for you.
One of my favourite events!
PIRATE Summit has been one of the most impactful events I’ve ever attended. Thanks to it, I have made lifelong friendships, as well as deep partnerships. I wholeheartedly recommend going!
Thanks again PIRATE Summit for an incredible experience & ARRRmazing opportunity to discuss our ideas for helping EU UrbanTech start-ups grow. Made great new connections and learned A LOT. Def one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended + certainly the most fun!!!
So much love for this event. Stage fright or not, I learned a lot, met amazing people who’re all working hard to make their dream happen.
Once a pirate, always a pirate!
Yesterday night someone asked me what PIRATE Summit is for me. It took me a moment to think but in the end it was pretty simple. It´s like home. Thank you to everyone for creating such a wonderful event once again.
Thanks for PIRATE Summit! It was so warm and inspiring!
Such a smooth organization and an incredible time!
PIRATE Summit is one of the finest tech events in Europe.
Just arrived at PIRATE Summit – definitely one of the top tech conferences in Europe.
Amazing trip to Germany. Speaking at the amazing PIRATE Summit. Exciting to see EU startups tackling sustainability and also being led by so many awesome women founders.
One of the edgiest and most community-focused conferences out there!
Thank you PIRATE Summit for the awesome event!
Loved PIRATE Summit! 1200 startups applied for the pitch competition. Stoked to be in the jury.
We ARRR Founders.
We GiVE, Give, Give, Ask.
We are ALL in the same Boat.
We are boldly TRUE to Ourselves.
We are the IMPACT needed in this World.
Thanks PIRATE Summit for a great event!
We are big fans of this unique conference!
What an incredible experience!
I had heard a lot of positive things about this event but nothing could have prepared me for how awesome it really was, and how awesome all the PEOPLE were!
Incredible. Inspiring. It was just amazing.
The PIRATE Summit in Cologne has been the coolest event I was able to participate in.
So PIRATE Summit absolutely rrrrocked – will be back next year to walk the plank!
it is (was) the coolest startup event to attend, but also because it is a symbol of doing things differently, being rebellious, and going against the mainstream.
Love that at PIRATE Summit everyone is a VIP.
Best conference I’ve been to in ages.
Thank you, PIRATE Summit for this experience. I’ve never been to a business event, where networking was that easy and where l could literally wait in line for a massage and get in contact with startups from all over the world.
Thank you for 7 years of PIRATE Summit, glad to have been at all of them.
Attending Pirate Summit is quite an extraordinary experience — participants from 60 different countries, unique location, interesting expert sessions, well coordinated pirate theme and relaxed atmosphere all add up to make this Europe’s largest invitation-only conference for early-stage startups, investors and corporate executives feel like a festival.
Looking forward to PIRATE Summit this year. It’s the best startup conference I’ve experienced.
All sorts of emotions going through my mind thinking about this being the very last PIRATE Summit.
It was here, at the very first one in 2011 we introduced the world to” Gauss – The People Magnet”, the very first Social Discovery app for the iPhone (see video below).
It was here in 2011 I got my German and European network of entrepreneurs and investors kickstarted.
As one of my favourite songs goes; “Maybe it’s better to burn out, than fade away”… so let’s celebrate the Last Burn tonight – and be happy and grateful that it happened (and kept it happening for so long!) not saddened that it’s over! #ARRR!
Forever grateful for the safe harbour Manuel and the rest of the band of pirates managed to create for us over these many years.
It’s going to leave a hole in the region. But that’s OK. It’s a testament to what the Pirate Summit was and is and forever will be; Irreplacable.
Thank you so much for organising this great experience – again.
Amazing days and culture at PIRATE Summit!
PIRATE Summit has made a difference for more than one decade by giving, sharing, connecting, informing, educating, and engaging each one of the actors in the different stages of the start-up environment. The vision, the culture, and the values of this ship will sail over the seas through the mark they left on the lives, roadmaps, and minds of each one of the different attendants and visitors.
Best conference ever! From the Plank to the burning Man … and every human connection in between (Karaoke and Party included!!), PIRATE Summit never disappoints and constantly brings the best people together. Can’t wait for the next one!
Entrepreneurship is all about authenticity and no better conference than PIRATE Summit to highlight it.
It’s more than a conference actually.
It’s a festival where we celebrate the bold and audacious, the crazy and the daring.
More than anything though, we celebrate amazing human beings.
My favorite startup conference because the community and the team are incredible!
It has been funny, intense, amazing.
We met new people, laughed and cried, told our life story over and over again while learning something new each and every time we were in touch with some other person’s humanity.
Thank you for granting us yet another unique experience.
You just cannot compare this to anything else!
It was an unforgettable experience!
Officially the coolest B2B event I’ve ever attended.
It was my first time at PIRATE Summit and it was amazing.
PIRATE Summit is not just a conference. It’s not just an event to network or look for investors or meet other entrepreneurs. It’s a place for true friendship, for opening, for learning for sharing, and for burning what needs to be let go. Such a great concept!
Thanks for creating great memories and connections!
Flying back after PIRATE Summit. Thanks to all – the kind and helpful staff, the organizers, all the attendees I’ve met. One of the best events I have ever attended.
Simply terrific!
Amazing meeting so many incredible people and catching up with old friends, talking about the startup ecosystem, our work, and our impact.
PIRATE Summit disrupts the (hierarchy) distance between startups and investors and brings them to eye level.
PIRATE Summit is definitely the craziest and most ambitious event for startups in EU. If there’s one thing for you in EU, it’s this.
Just got off the stage at PIRATESummit. Great event!
This experience reminded me of what’s super important: creating and sharing.
Community-led, curated, intimate, not for profit, raw.
Best venue, excellent catering, impeccable time keeping. Thank you PIRATE Summit!
The conference format was a breath of fresh air. No rigid schedules or scripted presentations, but instead, an open platform where ideas flowed freely, discussions sparked, and collaborations formed organically. The level of engagement and authenticity was unparalleled, allowing for genuine connections to be forged and knowledge to be shared in a truly unique way.
I had the privilege of witnessing awe-inspiring pitches from some of the most innovative startups I’ve ever encountered. Beyond the business side of things, the Pirate Summit also provided an opportunity to celebrate our shared journey.
We laughed, danced, and toasted the unforgettable memories created during this event. It was a reminder that entrepreneurship is not just about the destination, but also about the people we meet and the relationships we build along the way.
You have written the topic of #FemaleLeadership on the flag and shown: You really live it.
🙏 THANK YOU for that! This is female empowerment. For real.
Packed with digital nomads, startups and investors PIRATE Summit is buzzing with creative minds.
Pirate summit is this: overjump issues thanks to a tiny cable-network of innovators, leaving jurassic mindset behind you while flying to the future.
Once you have been in a summit, you think the second time will not surprise you again.
But the Pirate Summit is always unforgettable
Thank you dear PIRATE Summit for more than a decade of passion for the start-up scene and entrepreneurship.
For leaving such a positive and lasting mark on the Cologne start-up ecosystem and on me personally. Always in tune with the times and always authentic.
Very refreshing and laid back event dedicated only for startups and VCs. We connected with a banking accelerator there! We would never expect that, taking into consideration that the whole concept of the show was super relaxed and the founders were pitching in shorts and t-shirts.
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!
PIRATE Summit was often called the Burning Man of tech conferences, and it lived up to the hype.
This conference is ARRRmazing! Nothing to do with those 5000 people corporate conferences where you barely can meet the relevant people you want!
What a crazy event it was! Thanks PIRATE Summit for inviting me! Heading back to Paris now with many new ideas to work on.
Winning the pitch competition at PIRATE Summit helped us to close our Series A and opened up many new opportunities for us!
What an extraordinary and inspiring event, filled with a touch of enchantment!
My first time as a PIRATE, I did not really know what to expect, and I am shocked…. In the best possible way. It was a fun, social, extraordinary, beautiful experience. Great people, great content in the most relaxed atmosphere you can think of. I’m sure I will be back.
This is a place with such a concentration of people who want to give back. Give your knowledge, your experience, share your innermost, and do not be afraid that you will be ridiculed or misunderstood.
The hopeful expectations of my first participation in the PIRATE Summit were blown up excessively!
Huge respect
PIRATE is my entrepreneurial home. It was there that I first came into contact with startups, tech, and entrepreneurship.
.
Best. Startup. Summit. Ever. But the band f**kin nailed it!
Thanks PIRATE Summit what an amazing event 👏 I can really recommend this event for startup founders, don’t miss it next year!
It was amazing to meet so many like-minded people!
My 7th PIRATE Summit — out of 7 since 2011! Awesome as always!
One of the coolest events I’ve ever heard of.
This year’s edition of PIRATE Summit was a blast!
What an amazing event!
I was particularly pleased to see the large number of female founders.
The whole vibe at PIRATE Summit is just awesome!
Lubomila Jordanova
A super job by all involved!
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! ♥️
An environment for people to let their guard down, engage in meaningful ways, renew old friendships, start new ones, and just be themselves.
Sad that this might be the last PIRATE Summit, since the format and people behind it are outstanding.
PIRATE Summit – a super casual, social and at the same time very sustainability-conscious event for startups and investors.
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.
Thanks PIRATE Summit for a very cool event and community of Pirates.
Where do the national and international startup scene meet? Of course at PIRATE Summit in Cologne, a spectacular festival that simply is the key for the startup ecosystem.
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!
I was able to take a lot from PIRATE Summit through inspiring conversations and the great exchange with other startups and investors.
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! 🦜🏴☠️
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!
Bye bye PIRATE Summit Team – DocuSignDACH had an ARRRsome time. Thanks for being such a grrreat host. We felt trrruly welcome. Until next time. Arrr! 😎
Had an awesome time at PIRATE Summit!
Thank you PIRATE Summit for the best summit ever! A perfect example of that bigger is not always better. Lots of take-aways, inspiration and meaningful connections.
A conference specifically designed for entrepreneurs focusing on real-life experiences, authentic connections, and peer learning.
PIRATE Summit is amazing again this year. I am so honored to be part of this great event and the community! Thanks to all the team for organizing.
To describe it in a few words: shrill, bizarre in places, and with a lot of serendipity. Impressive what you have built.
One of the best events I have ever attended.
Best. Startup. Summit. Ever.
PIRATE Summit deserves its reputation of being different than any other startup event I have been to.
Fiery energy, great food, perfect setup. Thank you PIRATE Summit team for ARRR-some days.
PIRATE Summit is a fitting reminder that people are here to make their startup dreams come true.
A big ARRR to all volunteers and organisers of PIRATE Summit. You rock!!
The Pirate Summit offered one last time an extraordinary atmosphere for the start-up scene to come together.
I will remember many wonderful experiences and many lasting encounters with start-ups and the people behind them!
Unique atmosphere, amazing people, connections with startup ecosystems from all over the world, and of course the great organization!
Great connections, inspiring sessions, good conversations, and the opportunity to network in an ever-growing ecosystem.
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.
Great Time at PIRATE Summit.
I am very grateful for the great exchange with different people, especially regarding direct feedback on the idea.
I am sure that the Pirate Summit will continue to spread its wings and inspire entrepreneurs with its spirit and further connect the well-established network of friends and colleagues.
Unusual location, and a great set of people all willing to share knowledge and help each other!
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.
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!
One of the best events of the year!
Thank you all for a fantastic PIRATE Summit! See you all next year mates.
That was great, many nice people from all over the world, good conversations, much to laugh and much to marvel!
Awesome as always!
Attending the PIRATE Summit 2022….most chilled out event of my life!😁🥳🥳
AAAARRRRR!😉😁😉😁😉😁😉
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.
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.
Pirate Summit 2022.
Amazing location in which to bring entrepreneurs and investors together. 💪🏻
Thank you very much for the invitation! It was an inspiring journey!
I had heard a lot of positive things about this event but nothing could have prepared me for
how awesome it really was, and how awesome all the PEOPLE were!
PIRATE Summit was excellent, truly a special event with great people.
What an amazing summit thus far meeting and hearing stories from startup founders. I’m looking forward to meeting more people well into the night. 🏴☠️🚀
Grateful for the meaningful connections we made at PIRATE Summit!
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.
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.
It was a really great PIRATE Summit, with great pitches and awesome people. See you next year!
Burning man of the tech industry 🚀🚀🚀Proud to be a part of it! Amazing experience!
Great speeches, super networking and an incredible special atmosphere. This PIRATE Summit rocked! 🔥Thank you for being ARRR part of it!
PIRATE Summit has always been my place to talk to people I would have never met, many of whom I’m still connected with even after several years.
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.
I love the spirit of PIRATE Summit. It is a great venue, a cool conference. Crazy, but cool. You can create a lot of connections with other startups and investors. Plus, the ecosystem in Cologne is interesting and open, and definitely growing in technology, because of the potential for B2B startups.
The PIRATE Summit is an unparalleled event that we have always enjoyed attending and, most importantly, supporting.
An event where you can pitch in front of well-known investors wearing shorts is rare, but there is one place where it is common, the PIRATE Summit
What fascinated me, even more, was the amount of climate tech startups, such as the well-deserved winner We Do Solar, and the diversity of founders. Most specific, the number of female founders, who came to pitch their great ideas.
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!!!!
Unconventional, fiery, human: that was the PIRATE Summit 2022 ☠
Looking forward to an ARRRsome PIRATE Summit! Thanks to the whole team for organizing the best German startup summit.
I don’t know of any conference as authentic as the PIRATE Summit.
Amazing event to start your entrepreneurial socialization.
Thank you to the amazing PIRATE Summit team for hosting us and all your hard work. Such a great event!
Thank you PIRATE Summit for a great day, again! Good talks, great pitches and awesome vibes.
Events that help to maintain networks and to get in touch with exciting founders.
A really refreshing and unconventional startup conference in Cologne with lots of interesting insights and connections.
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?
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.
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.
It was a great opportunity to mingle in a special location.
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.
PIRATE Summit 2015 was just ARRRsome!
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! 💛
not only technical contents but real emotions and meaningful connections
Pirates of uncertain times, #raiseyourself
What a fantastic slogan of this years´ PIRATE Summit!❤️
It was nice at PIRATE Summit in Cologne! Thank you for the wonderful event!
Had a lot of fun sharing growth tips at PIRATE Summit and also met some amazing people.
Had a blast at PIRATE Summit and loved talking about how the venture capital scene needs new ideas!
I had an absolute blast conducting a Masterclass today at PIRATE Summit.
An environment where people can engage in meaningful ways, renew old friendships, start new ones, and simply be themselves.
A special and worthwhile event with inspiring conversations, some really nice new connections and some eye-opening impact-related discussions. Thanks PIRATE Summit
Thanks PIRATE Summit for the great week.
It was joyful to be a part of the event that celebrated female entrepreneurship and real problem solvers.
Networking, exciting speakers, the entire ecosystem of the start-up scene and a great location: PIRATE Summit is not an event like any other. Rather unforgettable in its own way.
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.
I feel inspired by this unique conference specifically designed for entrepreneurs on their journey.
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.
Great lectures, amazing location and lots of Arrr.
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.
The best startup event in Germany.
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.
Thank you for the amazing work you did and what you created!
Our captain Olga Barreto Gonçalves is sailing to Germany to take part in the PIRATE Summit! 🏴☠️🏴☠️
Amazing tech conference PIRATE Summit!
Huge thanks to the organizers for crafting such a meaningful experience.
Early bird tickets in a pocket already. See you guys next year! Great event.
Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning.
Amazing Venue
Founded by entrepreneurs, PIRATE Summit is an event created by the start-up community for the start-up community! If you are a young, innovative and dynamic startup, then don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this ARRRsome event!
@piratesummit is over, but the energy, insight and inspiration will last for a long time!
Thank you PIRATE Summit for this awesome experience! We are glad to meet people there too!
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.
PIRATE Summit is already one of the best events of the year for us!
What a stunning event!!!
It’s sorry to say goodbye to such a phenomenon as Pirate Summit. The community, the vibe, everything felt so warm and welcoming.
Loved the experience!! Thanks for the opportunity.
ARRR – we also set our sail for the PIRATE Summit Startup Conference 2022! ⛵️🏴 ☠️
Yesterday’s legendary Burning Ceremony 🔥 at PIRATE Summit ☠️. What a stunning event!!! Great pitch competition, inspiring talks, cool people for networking and so much love for details 🖤
The most awesome startup event in Europe.
Give everything without expecting anything in return.
That is what the PIRATE Summit is about — an attitude, a set of value that makes the world a better place.
Great experience, excellent organisation! We’re glad to been there and met so many fellow pirates at PIRATE Summit. ARRR!
Participated at the PIRATE Summit and met some great minds having pure startup entrepreneurial spirit.
Back to business filled up with good energy from PIRATE Summit! We had such a great time sharing with entrepreneurs and tech professionals.
ast week our founder Ieva Felman took over PIRATE Summit stage for 1h to tell stories from Ukraine, Belarus, Balkans and Iran as well as to discuss how grass-root communities are some of the most important pieces for building healthy ecosystems, especially in places where founders face unusual challenges.
Longer post about lessons learned coming soon, here is a short insight.
Thanks again to amazing speakers who joined and shared their sometimes very personal stories.
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.
Die Techniker goes PIRATE Summit
I can still remember pretty well my first contact with the crew of the Pirate Summit – and now we are part of ARRRRRRRR!?
Wonderful, crazy, inspiring Pirates at this year’s PIRATE Summit 🎉🌈🦄
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!
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.
PIRATE Summit is an amazing place! Great people, great projects.
Great event PIRATE Summit – thanks to all fellowpirates.
I really like the open and honest exchange with a no BS attitude. At every talk and session, I learned something new. And I met the founders of my company how.fm by sharing a few beers at PIRATE Summit.
Best summit ever!
Thank you, team, for another great PIRATE Summit – hands-down best startup get-together in Germany. 🙌🏾
Two amazing days with great connections, inspiring sessions, and a deep dive into ourselves.
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.
It’s difficult getting back to reality after such a great PIRATE Summit!
Thank you so much, guys. Just love what you’re doing. This is my 8th visit and it’s always a blast.
For me a perfect combination of adventurousness, humour, and new insights.
Amazed by the insights
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.
The last three days at PIRATE Summit with inspiring talks, great people, and the best weather were ARRRsome!!! A big thank you to all pirates for organizing such a stunning event.
I am so thankful for all the experiences, the fun, and the connections that were initiated by this amazing event.
Today we are all pirates at PIRATE Summit 🙌🏽 big up to the entire crew for this great event 🙌🏽
PIRATE Summit offered an excellent mix of start-ups, corporates, investors, a captivating internationality and intimacy in industrial romance: a bit hippie, a bit alternative, and always close to the basic idea of ”meaningful exchange”.
Many thanks for this spectacular start-up event in NRW!
The absolute hottest startup event in the region! 🔥
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.
🚀 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. 🤝🏭📲
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!
“Feels like home” 😎 We love our PIRATE Summit family. Thanks for having us!
Set sail for new horizons! Many thanks to PIRATE Summit for organizing this extraordinary event.
The 🏴 ☠️#PIRATESummit is by far the most extraordinary startup event in NRW, which impresses me every year again.
A real exchange takes place here in a special atmosphere. And at #Impact the large number of #10YearsOfArrr and startups in the area #Sustainability and #FemaleFounders was very noticeable, this shows a very clear positive trend! 🌱👏🏽 🥞
The @xdeck.de hosted by #Capnamic, @neoteqvc, & #BREAKFASTFORCHAMPIONS, was also a great opportunity to exchange with other investors and VCs. 🚀
ARRR they make it happen! Big up guys for this amazing PIRATE Summit.
Inspiring talks, super exchange of experiences, exciting people at PIRATE Summit.
ARRRmazing. What a blast PIRATE Summit – yesterday we walked the plank and pitched Complero! Great to connect with other founders and investors and reach out to the community.
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.
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.
2 days spent on the PIRATE Summit and I have to say… I am excited. 🔥
My colleague Eugen Tschernov from STARTPLATZ I think summed it up well: The event found a good balance between professionalism and looseness. I only agree with that. 👏
I was not only able to get to know many inspiring people, great stories and interesting #startups during the last 2 days, but also to be able to take a lot of content with me through the keynotes and workshops. ✨
Thank you dear Pirate #team and see you next year. 😎
Pirate Summit was ahead of the community-driven curve.
ARRRsome
ARRR… Two days of startups and pirates. Great combination!
I have met many founders and investors who are here for a higher purpose, to tackle the most pressing needs of our society.
One of the best tech conferences in the world.
“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.”
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!
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!
So much love for this event.
Our community had a blast at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne this week!
Best conference I’ve been to in ages.
It was truly incredible to see so many women on stage, competition was exciting.
PIRATE Summit absolutely rrrrocked
2 years of waiting have come to an end – finally PIRATE Summit again!
Many thanks to PIRATE Summit for an ARRRsome conference.
Yesterday I had my first burn at PIRATE Summit. It is oddly ritualistic and teaches you: Give give give, ask!
I had so much fun meeting fellow founders and investors at PIRATE Summit.
PIRATE Summit is truly an experience to remember. Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning, this summit is just a different breed.
The PIRATE Summit offered an exceptional setting for an intensive exchange with like-minded people: An intimate and warm atmosphere – simply unusual!
Best startup event ever! Passionate team, great crowd, amazing location! Thanks to the PIRATE Summit team!
Inspiring exchange, exciting pitches, and positive vibes – we take all this and much more with us from the PIRATE Summit.
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…
The event provided valuable connections and reaffirmed our commitment to positive change.
The Pirate Summit never fails to ignite my innovation spirit and it’s always sad when a great event like that comes to an end!
Epic win for the planet and female entrepreneurship!
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 🚀
Our family member Tilman went to PIRATE Summit in Cologne yesterday. He enjoyed a very welcoming crowd, the campfires and clinics, and on top of that met many interesting teams. Until next time! 👋🏼
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!
PIRATE Summit was awesome! It was a great celebration of female entrepreneurship and real problem solvers!
Their mission is to create meaningful connections and grow the startup ecosystem. They celebrate true entrepreneurship and the startup culture and are known for their curated, authentic and somewhat different approach to events.
Such events connect you to the people who think, look, and act differently. And you learn from them.
I found it exciting to experience that at PIRATE Summit the conversations were much more relaxed than at other events. Really cool.
As always, it was an amazing experience. A place where you are invited to come as you are, where the individual human being comes first – business after.
I am enjoying the vibe and the quality of people! Really cool! Well done guys 💪
Awesome event! Enjoying the german startup ecosystem!
Wow, what a performance at PIRATE Summit in Odonien. 🏴☠️🔥
We were all a bit nervous, but we had a great audience.🫶🏽
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!
Very delighted to join the pirate summit 2022 in cologne! A great experience for Melodizr! 🎶🎤
The most awesome PIRATE Summit!
PIRATE Summit is the craziest conference made with love and the right attitude to support entrepreneurs and the innovation ecosystem. Simply ARRRmazing!
Indeed, an essential part of Cologne will be missing. You have moved so much for start-ups in the area and all over the world.
The burning man of tech conferences.
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.
We are now at PIRATE Summit and once again we think that it is one epic event!
The most extraordinary Summit ever!
Pirate Summit it’s “the perfect balance of
being useful, productive & fun. And great people!”
PIRATE Summit is going to be an absolutely amazing event! I’m so glad I have the opportunity to be there 😊
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.
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.
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!
Wow, pitching was great! Thanks to all the great people at PIRATE Summit, it was exceptional. Thanks to the investors as well for the questions and the after-pitch talk!
Amazing speakers at PIRATE Summit!
PIRATE Summit: learning, networking, having fun, burning the burning man
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.
🔥LET IT BURN! 🔥
2 days PIRATE Summit were really a highlight this year!
Fantastic event.
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!!
I would like to sincerely thank all participants, speakers, and peers for making the PIRATE Summit star-studded with impactful yet inspiring conversations.
Maybe it’s the imperfect location that people don’t have to present themselves perfectly.
In the last two days, I had many conversations – very good, open, and intense. In a junkyard.
But in addition to a lot of action, fun, and fire, the PIRATE Summit has also managed to build an event that is not only about party, sales, crass speakers, and new LinkedIn contacts – but about honest encounters in which you also talk about what is not going well, what you are struggling with and where you have fears and insecurities.
It was great!
An inspiring PIRATE Summit 2016 w/ insights + updates on AI.
Great vibes at this year’s PIRATE Summit! The festival atmosphere is truly unique.
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.
Two amazing days at the PIRATE Summit.
Crazy conference
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!
The Last BURN?! Really? How could I have missed PIRATE Summit so many times in a row?
Great learnings about the future of Enterprise tech at PIRATE Summit.
It really felt like a show and an incredible space where people connected over super fun activities.
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.
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!
Year by year, you guys create a special place to come together.
🏴☠️ 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
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!
Pleasure to be part of this extraordinary event. Blue sky, quiet sea, cool co-sailors, ARRR!
It´s been a fantastic experience at PIRATE Summit. I´ve met many ambitious founders, running great bets of future businesses.
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.
Great conference, great people and a lot of fun!
Thanks PIRATE Summit for an Awesome Conference.
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.
“Give Give Give Ask. It’s a superpower.” Let’s keep this spirit and “let the flames be the witness.” Thanks for an incredible event PIRATE Summit. See you next year!
Startup spirit that inspires!
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!
Thank everybody for this great PIRATE Summit experience: not only technical content but real emotions and meaningful connections.
Wow! The PIRATE Summit 2022 really was an awesome celebration of entrepreneurship.
I honestly feel inspired and empowered by the spirit of the event and its attendees.
Thank you everyone for the amazing experience at the PIRATE Summit!
A really great event this PIRATE Summit. 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. for me, #raiseyourself and #livablefuture are two things that absolutely belong together. In order to shape a future worth living, we have to develop personally for the most part and in return we should also develop further in order to be able to enjoy such a livable future appropriately. Thank you Manuel Koelman 🏴☠️ for the great speech on Tuesday, I just let myself be carried away. And thanks to the whole BRYCK.COM team, those were two real good days
ARRR – many thanx for this cool & crazy PIRATE Summit 2019. You are all so charming!
Yo ho ho and a good day to all! 🏴☠️ ⛵ Ahoy from PIRATE Summit – Europe’s craziest startup conference! 😜 We’ve still got sea legs! 🌊
I had a blast at PIRATE Summit – if I’m not here next year I failed. ARRR To all the startups out there.
PIRATE Summit is over and amongst the many takeways someone can get from the event, the main one is #raiseyourself.
Two incredible days at the PIRATE Summit!
Last week we attended the impressing PIRATE Summit! 🦜🏴☠️
Stoked!
Organisers somehow managed to create such a friendly and open atmosphere encouraging people to create genuinely meaningful connections rather than pitching and selling stuff.
We have ARRRived at PIRATE Summit and are discovering the surreal Odonien venue! The long journey from Montréal was surely worth it!
Pirate Summit is a great place to meet people in an informal way but also to lay the foundation for a potential business partnership.
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 💙💛
Thank you Manuel for your dedication and the many fantastic PIRATE Summits I had the opportunity to attend.
The event is great fun because you get a lot of impressions from a wide variety of people from different subject areas and corners of the world.
Thanks for the inspiring insights and valuable connections.
It was an incredible and unique gathering, where in an informal atmosphere, I could interact with participants from all over Europe.
PIRATE Summit is the yearly gathering of entrepreneurs that love to solve real problems and build durable businesses.
ARRR!!!!
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!
I was excited to meet so many founders from all over the world.
It was a great two days.
I was impressed by the quality of all the pitches, as well as the number of women joining in.
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.
Fantastic experience
This place is magic for entrepreneurs! #ARRRRRR
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.
We will celebrate it in best memories
My experience at PIRATE Summit was unique: I met amazing founders and investors, made new friends, and got to know myself better.
Thank you for curating an unforgettable experience!
A very special event that attracts international audiences and top speakers with its individuality.
We definitely found our inner pirate – ARRR! 🏴☠️🔥
Freaking arrrrsome
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.
PIRATE Summit has managed to develop from an insider tip to one of the most important start-up events in Europe. The event has now become one of the most important meetings for serious founders and their financiers.
I met great people again and had exciting conversations. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it in such a cool atmosphere.
KPMG is giving a huge ARRR! to the whole team for PIRATE Summit 2016
We are excited to be at PIRATE Summit 🏴☠️#ARRR
It’s a yearly gathering of entrepreneurs who love solving real problems and building durable businesses.
#Piratesummit is about
🤝 Finding a co-founder to join forces
💸 Meeting the right investor
🧑🎓 Learning from more experienced entrepreneurs
💪 Getting into the right program
It was inspiring to meet future world business leaders, hear their pitches, and see their latest innovations. I’ve never experienced a conference quite like it.
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.
Once again many thanks to PIRATE Summit: it was a blast!
Thank you very much PIRATE Summit for an amazing event.
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.
Piracy is about: Speaking one’s own agenda into one’s of collaborators. It’s all about playing each other good. Pirates take risks, talk over talk, meet people with trust and remember to be generous – ALWAYS generous.
Now I’ve reached quite a bit of a milestone as a pirate. I’ll be the keynote speaker at the so-called PIRATE Summit.
THE highlight of the event season!
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.
How do you feel, really?
Let us together create a movement of authenticity and ask this question to ourselves and others more. Let us all lead the way by asking and answering honestly from deep inside to break the ice and by opening ourselves, giving others the room to open up, too.
We had a blast at the #PIRATEsummit 2022 🚀🏴☠️!!
Two amazing days of authentic connections, real life experiences from people who love to solve real problems, peer learning and hot topics from a business perspective.
‘It’s all about people, it’s all about the community’ was one of the most common things we could listen from the attendees and during those two days, people just follow the rules of the house and treated vulnerability as the major pirate strength!
From standing on the plank, burning insecurities and doubts on a gigantic scarecrow bonfire to meeting VCs and founders, We could say that, is the coolest and authentic B2B event for entrepreneurs with festival vibes.
Thank you PIRATE Summit for this great experience! ARRR! 🏴☠️🙌🦜
At this week’s PIRATE Summit, I had insightful discussion about the role and responsibility of climate tech funds in combating climate change.
ARRR 🔥 You rock: #piratesummit @ben_gruemer @ekofreezy 🚀
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.
Great atmosphere.
Thank you PIRATE Summit for two days of inspiration, input, and exchange!
Was my first time but will definitely not be the last.
best startup get together in Germany
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.
Crazy event!
Had an amazing time!
What an amazing experience it was to immerse in the world of startups, exchange ideas, and dive into the latest tech trends!
Great atmosphere at PIRATE Summit!
Thanks for having us! We’re still amazed by all the insights we gathered, and the open-minded people we met!
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.
So, I have to say initially I was apprehensive about coming to PIRATE Summit like it was so hippy and not my thing. BUT looking at the houserules, esp #1 #2 #3 #4 and thank God for the freedresscode in the extreme heat, I am growing on it. 😁
The atmosphere, the talks, the networking, everything was perfect.
“I haven’t missed a single Pirate Summit since the beginning. Should have really gotten that tattoo a couple of years ago. The spirit of the people at this arrrsome event is what helped me stay my course as a founder for the past 12 years.”
Speed dating, barbecue sessions, pitch competition at the captain’s deck, networking to the end and the burn ceremony at night. What a PIRATE Summit 🤙🏻
Our time at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne was an unforgettable adventure!
Thanks PIRATE Summit for some ARRRsome days in Cologne.
We enjoyed PIRATE Summit with some great conversations, panels and pitches. Great location, great people – loved it!
“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 a hell of an event with a bunch of awesome people! Aye!
I met a lot of great people and had interesting conversations.
The mix of innovative ideas and unique welcoming atmosphere – thank you PIRATE Summit for a great tech event.
PIRATE Summit is an incredible opportunity to get up close and personal with a great audience.
Perfect weather and very cool location for PIRATE Summit!
How are you doing… really?
PIRATE Summit first day was nothing like you would expect from a standard conference. Yes there were mentors and speakers, yes there was networking and business talk, but what made a difference was the human centric vibe.
The energy in the air abundant with creativity, music and emotions gave that real tauch to the business talk we are generally used to have in a conference. Less bullshit.. more sincerity!
It’s not easy to answer that question Manuel Koelman 🏴☠️ posed yesterday: How are you doing, really? .. but we certainly tried to answer it… really!
Thank you Pirates!
ARRR…
Had again a blast at this year’s PIRATE Summit! It’s always great to return to my old stomping grounds and to see so many inspiring people doing good things!
PIRATE Summit for me was a life-changing event! I can travel to many places and conferences, but only at
PIRATE Summit I feel I´m home, among like-minded pirates with whom I share values and mindsets.
Glad to have been part of the journey!
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!
Burning man party at PIRATE Summit was impressive and really hot 😉🔥✌️
I could experience and absorb the special spirit that makes PIRATE Summit so magical. Thanks again, Manuel, for letting it burn one last time.
Wow – still overwhelmed by the PIRATE Summit. It was the first but sadly also the Last BURN and what an event it was: super good vibes, great minds & dedicated founders. I loved it and hope other (future) organizers were inspired to keep that spirit alive.
Raise Yourself puts the individuals in the center and I could feel that founders with their thoughts and feelings matter.
Pirate Summit was an event to really fire up your own innovative spirit.
The people and the atmosphere are really great and I get to know great people every time!
As a place of people, far away from superficialities, should connect and bring together, the PIRATE Summit. A place to truly connect people.
PIRATE Summit was an amazing experience!
Excited to share that Numo was selected for the Walk the Plank pitch competition at PIRATE Summit in Cologne. Awesome opportunity to speak up about the massive ADHD problem 💛💙
So many new interesting and engaging people, thanks to everyone for making this a truly great event. See you all next year for the 10th Anniversary!
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?
A great event with great people and a particularly cool location!
We had a great time at the 10th Pirate Summit with many new impulses and great starting points far beyond 😍 the Cologne startup scene.
Always heard good things about PIRATE Summit and finally washed up on these shores. Great weather, great venue!
So many memories, and so many people are connected to this event!
A tone of inspiration and amazing vibe at the PIRATE Summit in Cologne.
‘This conference is aRRRmazing!
Thank you for having us and making us part of your VC jury – it was a blast 🏴☠️
I wish more conferences would go the extra mile and curate such a diverse agenda!
As always, it was an awesome celebration of entrepreneurship and a truly unique event with creative minds and a very relaxed atmosphere.
PIRATE Summit described in 3 emotions: Adventure, Thrill, Inspiration!
Thank you to PIRATE Summit for creating such a collaborative environment and encouraging innovative ideas, ARRR!
I was rewarded with a fantastic event.
PIRATE Summit is truly an experience to remember. Carefully crafted for connection, inspiration, and learning, this summit is just a different breed.
ARRRmazing!
One last burn with PIRATE Summit!
While it is sad to know that this is the end of the Summit it is not the end of spirit that was created!
A big thanks to Manuel and the team for one last amazing summit.
The burning pirate at PIRATE Summit: a mix between a tech conference and the burningman
Hell yeah!!! 🔥🔥🔥 PIRATE Summit 2022.
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.
Our PIRATE Summit Recap… it was great! 🏴☠️
Congrats to this amazing PIRATE Summit 2018, Pirates!
High-quality networking, exceptional talks, and selected attendees always meet in Odonien for PIRATE Summit.
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.
This PIRATE Summit was strong with its energy, content, and people. An exceptional event execution in a unique location,
PIRATE Summit 2018 is over. For me it was impressive, inspiring, exhausting.
Awesome few days judging and mentoring at PIRATE Summit.
Good energy, meaningful conversations, and a very chill, casual vibe overall.
In any case, I have become richer with many great experiences, new experiences, and new contacts – in summary, I had a good time!
Top content, many new contacts, and a great atmosphere.
We are absolutely amazed by tech founders, real captains of their lives, tackling the most pressing problems of our society and the planet.
Amazing culture, projects, community, and entrepreneurs facing one of the most complex and challenging moments in human evolution: From climate change to the new social and economic paths that are needed.
Extraordinary event. One thing is for sure: Once a pirate, always a pirate! AYE!
Be authentic – Talk about how you really feel, what you really think and want to achieve! 🔥
Thanks to the whole 🏴☠️ Pirate Team🏴☠️
We are excited to be at PIRATE Summit 🏴☠️#ARRR
It’s a yearly gathering of entrepreneurs who love solving real problems and building durable businesses.
#Piratesummit is about
🤝 Finding a co-founder to join forces
💸 Meeting the right investor
🧑🎓 Learning from more experienced entrepreneurs
💪 Getting into the right program
PIRATE Summit is an ideal conference for everyone who wants to create or take their startup to the next level!
Thank you PIRATE Summit team for all your ARRRsome work!
ARRRsome conference! Loved every minute of PIRATE Summit.
Brilliant content, great company and superb organisation.
The pictures speak for themselves… #PirateSummit
Big congrats for the great event.
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.
Very thankful to be part of the event.
I am still overwhelmed by how pleasant and familiar the atmosphere was.
Our first PIRATE Summit totally flashed us, because this mixture of startup conference and festival is really something very special.
We came full of inspiration, knowledge, and willpower. A strong human connection raising itself!
Unique experience at PIRATE Summit!! We new it was going to be great but it exceeded all expectations.
This conference is for those who understand that they are the captains of their own lives.
It was a great two days, I got to meet great entrepreneurs in a fantastic environment!
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.
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.
The PIRATE Summit was inspiring.
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.
Thanks PIRATE Summit for an amazing #LastBurn. Kudos Manuel & team for what you’ve created over the years.
Workshops and masterclasses were awesome. Thanks, REALLY good job organizing it.
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.
The last Pirate Summit was spectacular and I met a lot of amazing people.
PIRATE Summit – the weirdest tech conference!