Why Good Ideas Need the Right Connections

Capital rarely flows into a presentation. It flows into people who can convince others. This requires a space where genuine encounters can take place. The Investor Summit Bodensee creates this space. Under the theme “Capital Meets Entrepreneurship,” Zeppelin University brings together startups with investors, companies, and policymakers. The event takes place from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the ZU’s ZF Campus in Fallenbrunnen; in the morning, the new regional startup and innovation ecosystem STIP will launch at the Regional Innovation and Technology Transfer Center (RITZ), with the Investor Summit Bodensee serving as its kickoff event.

At the Investor Summit Bodensee, the focus will initially be on the pitches. The selected startups will have six minutes to present their business model, vision, and growth potential. This will be followed by four minutes of questions from the expert jury. Prize money of 3,000, 1,500, and 500 euros will be awarded for the best pitches.

During the Gallery Walk, the startups present their solutions, products, and prototypes at their own booths and can then discuss them directly with investors, company representatives, and other key players in the regional startup and innovation ecosystem STIP. Any startup that applies can secure a spot in the Gallery Walk—even those that don’t make it onto the pitch stage. So there’s little risk in applying. Even offstage, at the end of the day, you might find an interested investor, a company eager to collaborate, or a contact who can accelerate your growth.

After all, investors want to know who’s behind an idea, how that person responds to critical questions, and whether they can deliver on what a presentation or pitch deck promises. This assessment comes from conversations—especially when everyone involved is in the same place and the interactions happen in person.

At large startup fairs, it’s easy to get lost among hundreds of booths. The Investor Summit Bodensee takes the opposite approach: The startups pitching their ideas are selected by a jury, and the number of participants remains manageable. In addition, there are companies from the region, universities, and policymakers—a group small enough to get to know in a single afternoon.

Because everything takes place in one location, you run into the same people multiple times: during the pitch, in the Q&A session, and at your own booth. In this personal atmosphere, brief encounters turn into genuine exchanges. This increases the chance that a contact will actually lead to something.

It is no coincidence that this location is Zeppelin University. Since its founding, the university has spawned more than 140 startups. With PioneerPort, Zeppelin University has been operating its own startup and innovation center since 2014, supporting student entrepreneurs from their very first idea. What sets it apart is that entrepreneurship is deliberately conceived in a broader sense than usual. Not only do traditional, for-profit companies emerge here, but also social, cultural, and political projects.

At Zeppelin University, however, entrepreneurship is not merely an optional offering but an integral part of teaching and knowledge transfer. The fact that this topic is central to the students is evident from the multitude of initiatives focused on startups, including Startup Village by Tatendrang and Female Founders Night.

The Investor Summit Bodensee is therefore not simply an event taking place on the premises of Zeppelin University, but a natural continuation of what is already standard practice: taking ideas seriously and connecting them with people who can help bring them to fruition.

Together with Volksbank Bodensee-Oberschwaben and RITZ, Zeppelin University is part of STIP, a new regional startup and innovation ecosystem. Its goal is to create lasting connections between startups, companies, investors, universities, and public institutions—not only digitally but also in person. The aim is to strengthen the future viability of the entire region. For founders, the Investor Summit Bodensee on October 8 is therefore just the beginning. Whether on or off stage—whoever attends will become part of a new network.

Startups wishing to apply should submit their pitch deck via the registration form by August 31. The jury will notify applicants by September 11 whether they have been selected to present on stage. The team is available to answer questions at nvstrsmmtzd