Universität Leipzig: What an unforgettable night! The Born Global Startup Festival 2025 lit up Leipzig yesterday

With 280 participants from 70 countries, the room was full of bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and global energy. We explored what it means to launch as an international founder in Germany — and we did it together!

From powerful stories shared by international founders:

Emma Haley (Megunto)
Felipe Engelberger (AI-Driven Therapeutics)
Washington Logroño (Pacifico Biolabs)

…to hands-on workshops on funding, pitching, validation & AI for market research led by Maiia Deutschmann (Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH), Dipl.-Ing. Norhan Othman (Startup Migrants ), Christian Scheffler (SMILE Leipzig University), and Bosćij Benada - (S. Benad) (Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz (FH)) — it was an afternoon packed with inspiration and exchange!

We were also honored by the visit of our special guests:

Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya – Kenyan Minister for MSMEs
Stella Mokaya Orina – Kenyan Ambassador to Germany

To wrap up the formal program, Jazmín Ponce Gómez from the International Startup Office at SMILE startup Initiative Leipzig University shared all the opportunities available for internationals who want to build their startups in Leipzig.

And then… We ended with a sunny summer celebration — full of networking games, and meaningful connections that will continue beyond the event.

BIG THANKS to all our amazing participants and the organiser team who made it possible!

This wasn’t just an event — it was a launchpad for international founders.

If you were there, you know what we mean. If not, we hope to see you next year!

Got a business idea? Get in touch — and let’s turn your idea into reality!

Free admission to the event was made possible through the co-financing of SMILE by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony.

Photos: Grit Hartung