Two months ago, we organised our Winter Pitch Event, which was simply unforgettable. The 11th of December marked what we now remember as a night of inspiration. In collaboration with The Centre for Entrepreneurs, The Speakers Corner at The Hague University of Applied Sciences turned into a vibrant haven for a diverse group of attendees – from student start-ups, innovation enthusiasts to investors and industry experts. Entrepreneurs took the stage, bold ideas were pitched, and new connections were made. The event’s goal was to showcase unique and impactful ideas, foster connections and inspire, all of which we consider as successful. Now, as we look back, we’re reflecting on what made this event so impactful. 

As everyone arrived and took their seats, the atmosphere was buzzing with energy and anticipation. It’s not every day that visionary minds meet for such an occasion, after all. We started off with the first round of pitches, each followed by a Q&A session from our esteemed jury of experts. Every pitcher brought something new to the mix and the first round contained ideas ranging from corporate sustainability solutions and coffee appliances to transparent pet food. After this round, everyone welcomed a short break for snacks and drinks before returning for the second round of pitches. In this round, we got to watch a dynamic group of projects, from a student-focused app, through an eye-tracking software all the way to a bee swarm solution. At this point, the audience was high in anticipation of who would claim the prizes.

And so, while the jury convened and discussed who to award, attendees engaged in an interactive activity called On The Spot. Entrepreneurs and creatives alike were invited to spontaneously come up on stage and talk about their projects and aspirations. By answering questions and talking with fellow visionaries, even more connections were made. And since one of our prizes was the First Fans prize, the audience not only watched but also decided who would be the one to win it. 

Then came the anticipated moment. The one in which a representative of the jury announced the winners of the Growth and Seed prizes. Everyone waited in silence as Timo Will announced Tim Engelmann and Leon Penné (Tim&Leon) as the winners of the Seed prize. This prize aimed to help start-ups get off the ground and initiate a fruitful entrepreneurial journey. The Growth prize targeted already existing projects and intended to boost their progress even further. Therefore, there’s no wonder why the project awarded this prize ended up being Mateo Kaiser’s Swarmed. Last but not least, one of our hosts, Andreea Grivincă, announced the First Fans prize which went to Siddhart Ghogli and Max Mencl with their app THUAS Connect.

The Hague Student Investment Fund aspires not only to connect student entrepreneurs with finance but also to directly aid them in their growth. This is why we asked the winning pitchers to share how each prize will help them further advance their ideas and get ahead. We managed to get an exclusive look at what they’re planning. Here’s what they said:

Tim&Leon: “We plan to use it for software and data that we will need in the trajectory of our business.  More precisely, we are currently building a landing page and setting up company email accounts and web hosting so that potential partners and customers can reach us on the internet and engage with us on a professional level. Furthermore, we think of buying lead lists with potential customers.”

Swarmed: “The prize money will go directly toward developing a new dashboard for Swarmed, giving beekeepers, beekeeping associations, and biodiversity partners a way to access swarm data. This updated dashboard will make it easier for beekeepers to track swarm activity in real time, respond more efficiently, and visualize their impact on saving pollinators. It’s a crucial step in making Swarmed even more effective at supporting both bees and the beekeeping community, and I’m very excited to launch it in time for the 2025 spring beekeeping season.”

THUAS Connect: “The prize money we won at the pitch event will primarily go towards maintaining our servers, which host our databases and manage our code. This financial support will help cover server costs, allowing us to allocate more of our budget towards future development expenses. More than anything, winning the audience prize was an incredible moment for us. Knowing that so many people in the room resonated with our idea reassures us that this is something students truly want and need.”

Looking back, it wasn’t just a pitch night – it was a catalyst for innovation. We can’t wait to see how these ideas evolve and how we’ll grow together in the future. Stay tuned for what we have planned next!