THe next step:
Campus founders partners with tech by handelsblatt

May 31 to June 2, 2026

As part of the second TECH Conference in Heilbronn, Campus Founders will host the House of Startups – a dedicated platform designed to bringing high-potential startups together with corporate decision-makers, investors, and
ecosystem leaders
from across Germany and Europe.
BE PART OF THE HOUSE OF STARTUPS
Reach the people who are almost impossible to reach.

Meet the people calling the shots in europe

Exclusive access to Europe’s leading decision-makers in tech and innovation — made possible by Campus Founders for 30 selected startups.

Opportunities to participate are extremely limited. However, the HOUSE OF STARTUPS offers you a stage that is otherwise out of reach.

The House of Startups

After four years of Heilbronn Slush’D, we know exactly
what it takes to create the moments where real things
happen. We bring that experience and energy to the heart of TECH by Handelsblatt.

Campus Founders will add a focused layer for startups
and founders to TECH: curated startup visibility, high-quality networking, and valuable exchange with corporate leaders, investors and policy-makers. It’s our goal to create startup success stories and accelerate co-innovation.

Call For Applications

We are looking for high-potential startups operating in
advanced technology fields that have moved beyond the idea stage and demonstrate initial market traction.
This includes a working product, customer traction or
revenue, and a clear path towards growth.

A strong application is characterized by a differentiated, defensible technology, such as proprietary IP, patents, or unique technical capabilities, rather than funding alone.

While companies typically range from Seed to Series B
(or strong bootstrapped equivalents), the primary
focus is on real-world validation, growth potential, and
technological moat.

About Tech

1.800 of the continent’s most influential leaders from
industry, technology, politics, and science come together in Heilbronn to shape the European innovation agenda.

Three days full of inspiring insights and valuable
opportunities for exchange. Top-level speakers from
politics, academia, and business. 1:1 networking
with the decision-makers of Europe’s innovation scene.
“With our newly formed partnership with TECH by Handelsblatt, we’re now taking the next step. By combining Campus Founders’ founder and investor networks and hands-on community building with Handelsblatt’s reach, convening power, and access to industry, technology, politics, and science, we are launching the “House of Startups” at TECH as a platform that turns Europe’s innovation potential into successful startups and scaleups – and into tangible competitive advantages for the German Mittelstand and established enterprises.""
Oliver Hanisch, CEO Campus Founders

Looking Back

Over the past years, Campus Founders has played a central role in Heilbronn’s emergence as an internationally recognized innovation hub.

Our Heilbronn Slush’D startup festival became a defining catalyst in that journey: it attracted thousands of founders, investors, and industry leaders, created international visibility for Heilbronn, and helped establish a culture of ambitious entrepreneurship and collaboration between startups and established companies. It has proven that Heilbronn attracts the relevant people, sparks real momentum, and turns a strong community into a recognizable destination for innovation.

When SLUSH Helsinki launched the Slush’D event series in 2022, the founding idea was to ignite local ecosystems and connect them into a powerful global network – something Campus Founders and Heilbronn
have taken advantage of and put into practice. As part of SLUSH's strategic decision to discontinue the Slush’D event series worldwide, this chapter now closes.
"Campus Founders was given a rare opportunity — and our community turned it into something truly special and awarded. I’m deeply grateful to the SLUSH organization for the trust, and to every founder, partner, and supporter who brought Heilbronn Slush’D to life. Over the past four years, we’ve witnessed defining encounters, unforgettable moments, and built relationships that didn’t just feel great on the day of the event — they translated into tangible progress, startups, and success stories. Heilbronn Slush’D helped lay the foundation for the energy and momentum our ecosystem is building on today"
Oliver Hanisch, CEO Campus Founders
OUR PARTNERS 2025
2025 ECOSYSTEM PARTNERS
“Europe’s newest AI hub is being built in a German city no one’s heard of.”


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