Looking Back on the First StartMiUp Hackathon

Nearly 40 participants, eight company challenges, three days, countless ideas – and several collaborations already continuing beyond the event. Two weeks after the first StartMiUp Hackathon, we are looking back on an inspiring weekend full of innovation, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Where Regional Challenges Met AI Talent

From June 5 to 7, the spaces of Fabrik19 and Rivvers in Giessen – our cooperation partners – became a hub where talents and companies came together to tackle real AI-driven challenges from the Mittelhessen region.

Eight companies joined the hackathon as challengers: Abicor Binzel from Buseck, Lehnert from Fernwald, PANTA from Giessen, Schunk from Heuchelheim, Siemens Healthineers from Marburg, Volksbank Mittelhessen from Giessen, Weimar Beschriftung from Butzbach, and Wullup from Heuchelheim.

Their challenges covered a wide range of topics, from cybersecurity and HR recruiting to product design and process optimization. After the challenge pitches on the first day, participants formed interdisciplinary teams of four to six members.

Nearly 40 Hackers from Around the World

Nearly 40 participants with backgrounds ranging from software engineering and AI to design, business, and entrepreneurship joined the hackathon. Mainly students from all three regional universities as well as professionals and high school students worked side by side. Some of them came from Turkey, Malaysia and Australia, as part of their exchange semesters.

The first day concluded with a keynote by André Krug (Daimler Truck AG), who shared how a hackathon became the turning point in one of the biggest challenges of his career and demonstrated how hackathon ideas can evolve into real business solutions.

Building, Bonding, and Recharging

After the official program, the teams switched into working mode and headed to their own office spaces. This marked the beginning of the 48-hour development phase.

Days two and three were dedicated to developing and presenting the solutions. Participants were supported through lectures on rapid prototyping, pitching and project management, as well as individual coaching sessions with StartMiUp and Fabrik19. Some teams even worked through the night, while others recharged with table tennis, watching football, or a barbecue on the rooftop terrace.

Ten Minutes to Convince the Jury

Day three was all about the final presentations and the award ceremony. Each team had ten minutes to present their solution to the jury and the challengers: five minutes for the pitch, followed by five minutes for questions. The teams competed for one of three awards: 1st Place, the Special Prize “Most Creative Approach”, and the Special Prize “Best Pitch”.

The jury combined expertise from academia, innovation management, entrepreneurship, and software development. It included Prof. Dr. Michael Guckert, Professor at Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen and founding member and board member of hessian.AI, Laura Bischoff, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Marburg, and tech founder Michael Lukaszczyk.

The Winners

1st Place — Team Abicor Binzel

Taking on the challenge "Automatic Generation of Work Instructions," the five-person team pulled an all-nighter and delivered a ready-to-use MVP. Using AI, they transformed video footage of physical processes into step-by-step visual instruction guides.

Philip Roehrig, COO of Abicor Binzel, after the announcement: “To be honest, I expected a solid prototype. What we got was far beyond that - a solution with real, immediate practical relevance.”

Special Prize "Most Creative Approach" – Team Siemens Healthineers

For the companies challenge “Efficiently identify, prioritize, and target suitable customers” the four team members developed LeadGraph, an AI-powered B2B lead identification solution for industrial suppliers that turns regulatory signals into sales opportunities.

The jury especially highlighted the team’s creative use of AI models and their strong approach to transforming complex market signals into actionable insights.

Special Prize "Best Pitch" – Team Wullup

The five team members not only developed a strong solution approach for the company challenge “Defending the Open-Source Commit-to-Release Risk Window”, they also brought it to life with a compelling pitch.

By highlighting real-world reports on security vulnerabilities that rarely reach broader public attention, they made the frequency of cyberattacks and the urgency of cybersecurity tangible. Their pitch showed why every second counts when securing a vulnerability, and why this issue affects everyone, not just companies.

The Momentum Continues

After the award ceremony, the evening concluded with a relaxed networking session. Hackers and challengers continued exchanging ideas, while many conversations naturally turned toward the question: What happens next after the hackathon?

The first collaborations were already taking shape. Internship opportunities were offered, startup ideas emerged, and several teams began exploring ways to continue developing their solutions beyond the event.

This ongoing momentum is exactly what the StartMiUp Hackathon is about. Our goal is not only to develop innovative ideas over a single weekend, but also to foster long-term connections between universities, talent, and companies throughout the region.

We will keep you updated on what grows out of these projects in the coming months.

The StartMiUp Hackathon is part of the EU-funded project Innovation Funnel Mittelhessen. If you would like to learn more about the hackathon, the project, or how your company can benefit from collaborating with talents and the universities, please contact Sarah Krecker (https://startmiup.de/ueber/kontakt), who is responsible for the hackathon and public relations.