From May 9 to 10, Hamburg hosted the Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR) festival, where 24 start-ups from Ukraine and Germany have been selected to showcase their digital, marketing and green technology innovations. Startup City Hamburg, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Startup Fund, organized the call for applications and the selected start-ups had the opportunity to present their business ideas to potential customers and investors, as well as raising their visibility to an expected 70,000 delegates at the OMR Expo.
Start-ups at OMR
The 24 start-ups, specializing in digital technology, marketing and green technology, exhibited at Hall A4, Stands B.09.1 to B.09.8. The selected start-ups have already garnered international attention, such as Melt Water Club, who aims to make drinking water treatment more sustainable with its freezing technology, and Releaf Paper, who focuses on leaf fibres as a sustainable alternative to wood cellulose for paper production.
Opportunities in Hamburg
The Senator for Economics, Dr Melanie Leonhard, highlighted that “OMR is the family festival of the digital and online economy”. Hamburg’s vibrant start-up ecosystem and various funding schemes are designed to help international start-ups settle in the city. The joint booth at OMR allowed the exhibitors to share their ideas, technologies and expertise, and build long-term partnerships. Dr Leonhard added, “Our city offers an attractive international, innovative environment and a high standard of living. The many reasons should motivate the talented professionals of today and tomorrow.”
Startup City promoting global founders
The Startup City Hamburg platform offers a digital single point of contact for Hamburg’s start-up ecosystem. Dr Rolf Strittmatter, Managing Director of Hamburg Invest, stated that the platform provides “all the key information about Hamburg as a centre of start-ups accessible”. Global founders benefit from the city’s support and receive information about funding schemes and investors, as well as advisory services. The joint initiative for start-ups in Hamburg and from Ukraine gives fledgling, promising companies custom-made offers. The joint booth at OMR boosts the exchange between start-ups and ease the access to the EU market from Hamburg.
In overall, OMR festival provides an excellent platform for promising start-ups to showcase their innovations. Hamburg Invest and Startup City Hamburg continues to provide support and opportunities to perspective start-ups, making Hamburg an attractive city for start-ups.
