IdeaLab! – WHU Founders' Conference
Ignite. Create. Shape what's next.
- Sep 25–26, 2026
- Vallendar, Germany
- In-person
About
IdeaLab! turns the small university town of Vallendar into a startup hotspot for two days each autumn. Run entirely by WHU students, it trades big-hall anonymity for deliberate density: talks, workshops and pitch formats where founders, investors and students actually meet. The WHU network behind it — thousands of alumni-founded startups, including a string of unicorns — gives the conference an outsized gravitational pull for its size.
Who it's for: Students, founders and early-stage investors
Organized by IdeaLab! e.V. (WHU students)
- WHU alumni startups
- 2,400+
- WHU alumni unicorns
- 15
- Jobs created by alumni startups
- 70,000+
- German VC in WHU-founded startups
- 10%
Key facts
- PositioningOne of Europe's leading student-run startup conferencesSource
- WHU network2,400+ startups founded by WHU alumni, including 15 unicornsSource
- FormatTalks, workshops and pitch formats across two daysSource
- HeritageRunning since 2000 — the 2026 edition is the 26thSource
Facts on this page are verified against the linked sources.
Speakers
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Martin Ott
CEO
Taxfix
Speaker
Florian Heinemann
Founding Partner
Project A Ventures
Speaker
Sofia Ehlde
EVP Food Innovation
Oatly
Speaker
Jannis Mulzer
General Manager
Bolt
Speaker
Sponsors
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Venue
FAQ
What is IdeaLab! about?
IdeaLab! is one of Europe's leading startup conferences, run entirely by a team of WHU students. It brings founders, investors and early-stage ideas together over two days.
When and where is the next edition?
September 25–26, 2026, in Vallendar, Germany.
What kind of startups take part?
Mostly early-stage companies — pre-seed, seed and Series A founders make up the bulk of attendees.
Is there a dress code?
No formal dress code — casual attire is fine.
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