In 2022, AiDiA, Germany’s first Startup competition for Black founders, made its debut in Hamburg. Four years on, it has evolved into a two-day ‘Business & Culture Fest’, which, for the first time, also featured an extensive conference programme. However, the highlights were once again the two pitch sessions, in which Lady D won with an innovative nail varnish and Hynovy with electrodes for the production of green hydrogen.
News
September 7, 2026
Two days of AiDiA showcased the diversity of Black entrepreneurship
Hamburg panel with Ludwig Amuam (host), Stephan Akrong (verlingo), Sidonie Fernau (SMY), Katharina Kreutzer (MUVN) and Heiko Milde (IFB Innovationsstarter)© Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups
The conference programme showcased Hamburg as a hub for Startups
The venue for the first day of the conference was the MS Stubnitz, a former refrigerated vessel from the GDR fishing fleet, which is now used in Hamburg as a venue for cultural events. At AiDiA, the focus was on topics relating to entrepreneurship, for example during the panel discussion ‘Is Hamburg Germany’s underrated startup hub?’. Among those speaking there was Heiko Milde, managing director of the IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH, who outlined the funding opportunities available to Startups. The “Global Founders Stage” highlighted the opportunities available to international founders and how Startup City Hamburg supports them. The most prominent speaker was Dean Forbes, who was homeless for a time, worked his way up to become a multimillionaire and is regarded as one of the most influential Black people in the UK.
Diana Oladipupo, founder of Lady D © Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups
18-year-old founder wins Idea Pitch
The pitch competition, the centrepiece of AiDiA, took place over two days in 2026. It kicked off on Friday with the Idea Pitch, which provided a platform for startups that had not yet been founded or had only just been set up. From Zimbabwe came Nhare Tech with a device to improve mobile phone reception, and Ghana was represented by SpeedAid, a platform for emergency transport. For Hamburg, Waymaker Stories was joining the fray with picture books that showcase Black role models. Beeva AI, company from Berlin, presented an app that uses AI to provide skincare recommendations for dark skin. The top prize of 2,000 euros went to another Berlin-based startup, namely Lady D. The 18-year-old founder, Diana Oladipupo, has developed a nail varnish that can be easily washed off the skin with soap and water.
Group picture of the Founders Pitch © Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups
A technological innovation comes out on top at the Founder Pitch
The second AiDiA Day took place in Harburg at the Friedrich-Ebert Halle and offered the tried-and-tested mix of a glamorous party and a top-class pitch event featuring startups that have already taken their first steps towards growth. Afro Drinks by Bam, company from Bochum, is enriching the beverage sector with a hibiscus lemonade; yana, based in Bad Homburg, offers an app for recording information relating to day-to-day care; Duafe Haircare from Berlin develops hair care products for Afro hair. Third place went to Lankai Ltd. from Ghana for an invention that produces activated carbon for filters from coconut shells. Second place secured Trashcoin from Nigeria for a platform for the collection and recycling of plastic waste.
Darryl Mbolo, co-founder and CCO of Hynovy © Mathias Jäger/Hamburg Startups
The Founder Pitch was won by a startup from Mühlheim an der Ruhr: Hynovy aims to contribute to climate protection with an electrode. The mechanical component required for the production of green hydrogen reduces energy consumption and thus CO2 emissions, and does not require any costly precious metals. The patented technology impressed a four-member expert jury most of all with its high market potential; the reward is prize money of 30,000 euros. The much-celebrated finale of the two-day event was a performance by the popular Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy, which once again highlighted what AiDiA is all about: bringing together business and culture for the Black community in Germany.
