Organised by Deutsche Telekom and marketed as Europe´s biggest event for startups, the Long Startup Night managed to attract a huge crowd of visitors and enthusiastic selection of startups. Spread across 2 big halls you could try a ton of products, engage with founders and corporate representatives, taste some free (but not only) food or just wander around and snatch merchandise.

If I have to summarise in 30 seconds it will be like:

• The event was full. There was a queue of people waiting for someone to get out in order to get in.
• Many ideas, startups of all size and in all verticals. Participants varied from startups having a prototype to startups having raised substantial rounds to companies that are known brands or blue chip.
• Plenty of pitches and interaction during the whole event.
• Food startups are the new trend. I could see (and smell) food everywhere.

Bottom line: Deutsche Telekom did a really good job. 

Other trend that I could spot and is of personal interest is that finally we have companies pushing beacons to the forefront. I could spot the proximity platform BeaconInside and discovery app HYPH. Special thanks goes to Marko Barleben, CEO of HYPH, for having the patience to explain me all in detail. Twice. In sum, it is no longer only Sensorberg making the beacon headlines in Berlin.

Another company I spotted a second time in just 2 days is ILOCKIT. These guys know how to protect your bike and I could see their demo the other day at the September Berlin Tech Meetup co-organized by Gabriel Matuschka.

There were guys that really nailed it though. Palmetto allows you to grow microalgae on the walls of an office building!! Let me remind you that microalgae could be used as fuel or food. And all this in a sustainable way.

Now last but not least please give your support for LUUV – they can fix your shaking hands when filming. Their Kickstarter campaign kicks in on 22nd September so sign up for the newsletter NOW and they will keep you posted.

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See you soon!