Jessica Wrobel (Head of Marketing): We often sit together and talk about ideas and projects. But what drives you personally? Why is prototype.club so special to you?

Christian Schweizer: “I firmly believe that the world is full of clever minds and brilliant ideas. I’ve seen that time and time again – whether in large companies, start-ups or creative people. But that alone is not enough. The biggest hurdle is always implementation. This is exactly where many great ideas fail and why many issues don’t get done. That has always bothered me.”

Sophia Bense (Operations Officer):That sounds like a big challenge. What was your response to it

Christian Schweizer: “I wanted to create a place that builds bridges. A place where innovation really makes progress. At prototype.club, we connect the right people, technologies and companies. We ensure that innovation doesn’t just remain a nice idea, but closes gaps that are urgently needed quickly, with high quality and in concrete terms.”

Jessica: What do you find particularly exciting about this networking and implementation?

Christian: “It’s the moments when everything suddenly falls into place: When start-ups find the right partners and are able to scale. When large companies discover solutions that really help them move forward. And when everyone wins: Customers, partners and investors.
That’s what drives us. Because for us, innovation is not theoretical or abstract – it is tangible. It is really implemented, it solves real problems in a customized way and brings all sides together in a meaningful way. That makes the difference.”

Sophia: How would you describe what prototype.club is today?

Christian: “We are a deep-tech scaler. For us, this means that we go deeper than many others. We are not concerned with superficial solutions or pretty concepts. For us, it’s about complex, technological innovations that are brought to where they are really needed.
And we make sure that these solutions are scalable. Companies need solutions that work now, not in a few years‘ time. Our job is to develop or find technologies that are tailored to a specific need.
What makes us special is this focus on relevance and speed. We bring real technological depth – and we bring it to implementation.”

Jessica: What does that mean to you personally?

Christian: “For me, it means getting things moving. I want us not just to talk, but to really make a difference. Innovation must create clear added value – for companies, for people and for society.
It drives me to see how we solve problems together, how ideas become concrete solutions and how this creates progress. That is the reason why I am motivated every day. Because I know that what we do here makes a difference.”

Reading time: 8 min

How an innovation competition makes market entry easier

Innovation competition as a gateway to large companies

You have successfully founded your start-up and the business plan is ready. But what happens now? The dream of many founders is to work directly with a large company and quickly gain a foothold in the market. A strong investor can play a decisive role here – in fact, it is often essential if you don’t have the necessary funds yourself. However, the key to success lies not only in capital, but above all in a strategic approach and the right network.

An innovation competition is a great opportunity for start-ups to establish themselves in the market and come into contact with the big players straight away. These competitions bring founders directly together with established companies that could be potential partners or customers. Instead of just relying on the usual channels, start-ups can really score points here and gain a real head start. Innovation competitions are therefore the perfect tool for getting into business quickly and ensuring long-term success.

Innovation competition: the turbo for your start-up

Innovation competitions are special events at which startups and companies present their latest ideas, products or technologies and compete with each other. For young start-ups, such competitions are worth their weight in gold: not only do they provide a platform to catch the eye of potential customers, investors and partners, but they also significantly increase visibility in the industry. An event like this can provide the decisive impetus to publicise a start-up.

Network building: Your key to lasting success

A strong network that serves as a springboard to large companies is one of the most valuable outcomes of participating in an innovation competition. Such competitions offer a first-class opportunity to establish direct contacts with key decision-makers in large companies. These connections can lay the foundation for future collaborations and help you build long-lasting business relationships.

It is important to carefully maintain and expand the contacts made during the competition. Regular dialogue and targeted networking are key here. These relationships can help to develop and expand the business sustainably in the long term.

Reading time: 8 min

The art of presenting a business model

In today’s business world, pitching is often hailed as the ultimate skill for business success – the art of telling a story in a few minutes that captivates investors, customers and partners.
Most of us have heard of the programme „Shark Tank“ (dt. „Die Höhle der Löwen“). A programme that teaches us that the perfect business pitch is the holy grail. Because if you’re not able to present your idea within a few minutes in such a way that even the toughest investor immediately pulls out his wallet, you’ve pretty much lost, haven’t you?

But let’s take a look at a man like Robert Bosch. He was undoubtedly a visionary entrepreneur who turned his company into a global giant. But was he really a master of presentation? Imagine Bosch standing in front of a room full of investors today to present his ground-breaking idea for the first working magneto ignition device. Would he be able to communicate his vision so convincingly in just a few minutes that he would receive immediate support?

While many consider this approach to be indispensable, we at prototype.club ask ourselves: Is this really the only path to success? Do you really need to master the art of the perfect presentation, or is it perhaps enough to simply have a damn good idea?

Pitching: a relic from the past?

Pitching is often associated with the image of standing in a metaphorical elevator and having the opportunity of a lifetime to convince someone. You have to be quick on your feet and deliver a convincing presentation to attract attention.

Beyond the show: The balance between the art of pitching and substance in the business world

Of course, it is important to recognise that good presentation skills and persuasiveness are valuable qualities that can support success in the business world. In no way do we want to minimise the importance of talented speakers or make them redundant. There are undoubtedly people who have mastered the art of pitching perfectly and are able to sell even the simplest of ideas with great enthusiasm.

However, it is equally important to recognise that the ability to present an idea convincingly does not necessarily correlate with the substance of the idea itself. Even empty or dubious ideas can be presented well through skilful rhetoric and impressive presentations. We should therefore look beyond this and focus not only on the surface but also on the core of an idea. Ultimately, it is the quality of the idea and its ability to solve real problems that determines long-term success, not just the ability to sell it convincingly.

Pitching at innovation competitions: a necessary evil?

You might be asking yourself: „But your innovation competitions end with pitching!“ Yes, that’s true. And that is precisely why we are addressing this issue. We want to make it clear that while pitching is a necessary part of the competition, it is not the deciding factor for success. It’s the understanding and depth of the ideas that make the difference.

Reading time: 5 min

• Why is a hackathon a developer sprint but not the other way around?
• Does an elevator pitch necessarily have to be delivered in an elevator?

We have the answers to these burning questions!

If you’ve ever felt lost in a jungle of startup jargon and buzzwords, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a little startup lexicon to give you a clearer look at terms like hackathons, elevator pitches, and more.