Proof of Concept 2025 – Ideas that become reality

The Entrepreneurship Summit 2025 once again focused on courageous founders who dared to take the step from theory to practice. At Proof of Concept 2025, nine teams presented their business ideas live on stage and then immediately put them to the test in a real market test in front of the audience.

Summit visitors were able to experience, try out and purchase the products on site. The market test thus offered not only inspiration, but also real market experience: Which idea really convinces customers? Whose concept strikes a chord with the spirit of the times?

The 2025 participants

• PronunCise (Youssef Ouarrak, Ahmad Alzin & Alfred Kaiser) – an AI-powered pronunciation coach that helps language learners improve their pronunciation with precision and clarity.
  
  
• Lovit – SpaceKampagne (Valentina Meuren) – a flexible project space for creative pop-ups, delegations and presentations that gives communities room to grow.
  
  
• fairHANDLER (Achim Oberhauser) – a training concept for fair and successful negotiations on equal terms.
  
  
• Ikego (Lars Zimmermann) – a sustainable, circular building system for everyday products – like LEGO meets IKEA.
  
  
• MyCreativeSpark (Angelika Neumann) – an app that helps you rediscover your own creativity with playful impulses.
  
  
• Ikani (Jonas Theile) – brings genuine, fair trade vanilla from Bali directly to the UK – natural, traceable and aromatic.
  
  
• BeAFox (Alexandru Tapelea & Selina Fuchs) – an independent app for financial education that imparts knowledge in a playful and understandable way.
  
  
• Brands 4 Change (Malte Niebelschuetz) – sustainable, locally produced toys that inspire children and teach values.
  
  
• Donate & Save (Shuying Lu) – a digital voucher book that combines social engagement with real benefits.

This year's Proof of Concept was more exciting than ever before: (almost) all participants generated sales, and many received orders beyond the summit. The decision was correspondingly close – a clear sign of the high level and enthusiasm with which summit visitors received the ideas presented.

In the end, fairHANDLER by Achim Oberhauser came out on top. His concept impressed with strong values and genuine market relevance: fairHANDLER shows how to negotiate on equal terms – successfully, respectfully and sustainably. With a mixture of practical training, a clear stance and a great deal of passion for fairness, the project won the market test with the highest sales.

Innovation meets reality

What makes the Proof of Concept so special is that it is not about glossy presentations, but about real market tests. The audience buys, asks questions, gives feedback and helps the founders to further develop their ideas. The Proof of Concept shows how much potential there is in entrepreneurial thinking when courage, creativity and a good concept come together.

Conclusion

Every year, the proof of concept is one of the most lively and inspiring items on the summit agenda. It shows that big ideas often start small – with a stand, a product, an honest conversation with customers. This is how entrepreneurship emerges that not only convinces, but also has an impact.

Experience entrepreneurship live – Proof of Concept 2025 in action

Start of Proof of Concept – Founders pitch their ideas on the main stage

The grand finale – everyone finds out what orders and sales the PoC 2025 participants have made.