Shortly before the start of the first Future Leader Summit last Friday (10 April), the organising team announced on LinkedIn: “We’re sold out!” This meant they had achieved their goal of attracting 10,000 attendees to an event designed to encourage young people to take control of their own professional futures. They were offered a comprehensive two-day programme, in which the topic of AI was often the focus and startups played an important role.
From the university to the conference centre
When barely more than 100 people gathered for the first ChefTreff in 2017, no one could have guessed that it would become one of Hamburg’s most important innovation conferences. The event, organised by students for students, aimed at the time to highlight ways in which academic knowledge could be translated into a professional career, with starting one’s own business as a realistic option. At its core, this remains the event’s main objective. This year, it was held for the first time under the name Future Leader Summit (FLS) and, having started at the University of Hamburg, went to Hamburg's Chamber of Commerce and has now moved to the Hamburg Congress Centre (CCH).
Impossible Founders provided a platform for startups
The idea of turning students into entrepreneurs is more relevant than ever in Hamburg. In November 2025, the Startup Factory Impossible Founders launched its operations with the aim of fostering more startups emerging from universities, with a focus on deep tech. Consequently, Impossible Founders was also one of the key co-organisers, with a large exhibition area providing space for numerous startups and an extensive stage programme featuring primarily Hamburg-based founders. The closing highlight was a startup pitch battle, from which Histomography from Göttingen emerged as the winner. This startup is developing a method to better detect tumours during tissue examinations.
AI as the common thread
The range of topics across a total of six stages was wide-ranging and made it clear that the Future Leader Summit is far more than just a job and recruitment fair. However, two main themes emerged. Hardly any presentation went without mentioning artificial intelligence. For many speakers, it was even the central focus, as was the case with the talk by philosopher Richard Davis Precht, one of the event’s best-known participants. It became clear what upheavals AI is set to cause, particularly in the world of work, and the resulting risks were not glossed over. Another key focus was on deep tech in all its forms, including the food sector. One example of this was MicroHarvest, which uses microorganisms to produce protein, thereby making a significant contribution to the food supply of the future.
The Future Leader Summit is set to grow further
Above all, however, the FLS aimed to send out positive signals and spread optimism in these uncertain times, which can often be a burden, particularly for young people. The programme therefore featured numerous success stories, such as that of Simon Squibb from England, who went from being homeless to becoming a serial entrepreneur. The organisers of the Future Leader Summit are also optimistic. In his opening speech, founder Jan Henri Kalinowski spoke of making the event the largest of its kind in Europe. Internally, there is talk of up to 15,000 attendees. Two things are certain in any case: the next date (16 and 17 April 2027) and that Hamburg will remain the place to be.
