Do you have a great idea for a startup but don't want to found it on your own? Then you should start looking for co-founders. Over the next few weeks, several events organised by Startup Port, the founders initiative of Hamburg's universities and research institutions, will help you do just that. And there are a number of platforms and networks on the internet that deal with this topic. This article will give you an overview.
Finding co-founders with the Startup Port
On 29 August, the Factory Hammerbrooklyn is the venue for an event where the title says it all: ‘Co-Founder connect!’. From 4 to 7 pm, upcoming founders can introduce themselves and explain their startup idea with the help of a poster. The poster should answer the following questions:
1. What is your idea?
2. What stage of founding are you in?
3. What are your skills?
4. Who are you looking for as a co-founder?
Potential co-founders can draw inspiration from this and make initial contacts. Participation is free, registration and submission of poster content is still possible until 25 August. Further information can be found here.
Startup Port also has other events in its calendar that are suitable for co-founder searches, even if they are not explicitly organised for this purpose. One such event is the Gründungscamp from 20 to 22 September, where those interested in founding a company can develop their idea into a business model over the course of a weekend. It is quite possible that entrepreneurs with similar concepts will find each other there and found together. You can find more information about the Gründungscamp here.
And on 22 November, it's ‘Meet&Match - Female Entrepreneurship Edition: Kick-off’. The event is primarily aimed at female founders, although male co-founders are also welcome. You can register here.
Internet dating has been around for many years for private individuals, and the web also has a number of services for business relationships. For co-founders, these include international networks such as FoundersNation or CoFoundersLab. For German-speaking countries, founderio is a good address. The example of Boomerang, a Hamburg-based startup that offers reusable shipping bags for online retail, shows just how helpful this platform can be. Marc Engelmann, who came up with the idea, found his co-founders Katharina Kreutzer and Christian Putz via founderio. Katharina Kreutzer has since founded her very own startup, Muvn, with old acquaintances as co-founders - another common and promising approach.
