HSV's first startup day: Visiolab, #IAMPLASTICFREE and COBACK take the wins
What's the deal? HSVDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → hosted its inaugural Tech & Innovation Day at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on October 27, 2026, with three startups — Visiolab, #IAMPLASTICFREEDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Dresden-based COBACKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — winning a three-part pitch competition. More than 70 startups applied; nine reached the final.
What's the endgame? The event connects startups with the HSV Business Club, which has over 500 members ranging from DAX corporations to tradespeople. It gives founders a route to meet potential corporate partners while helping the club tackle fan-experience and sustainability challenges.
Who won what? Visiolab, from Osnabrück, took the "Stadium Experience" category with technology that speeds up ordering and payment at stadium concessions; it already counts clients in US professional leagues. #IAMPLASTICFREE won the sustainability category, and COBACK won the AI category.
Who's behind it? The day was led by Sebastian Flegr, HSV's director of strategy, innovation and digital since June. Christoph Hüning and Nico Lumma of NMA.vc helped shape the concept.
Economics senator Melanie Leonhard delivered a welcome address praising Hamburg as an innovation hub. A panel featured HSV board member Eric Huwer and Beate Heinemann, head of the DESY research centre near the stadium, alongside talks from NXP and consultancy ProdwareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
The signal: Clubs are looking beyond the pitch to improve fan experience and address operational challenges, while giving startups a matchmaking platform. The reporting points to no funding or confirmed deals — for now, this is a pilot-discovery stage, not evidence of major investment.
Read more: hamburg-startups.net
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
