What’s happening in Aarhus!? The startup ecosystem recently gathered for Startup Aarhus Townhall in order to kickstart the community in the city.
Even after 10 years as a startup writer based in Aarhus, it can be difficult to find your way around startups, clusters, and organizations. Despite the city’s limited size, the ecosystem has always been fragmented.
Startup City was a good entry in the beginning, but after moving a few times it was closed permanently. CultureWorks did the same for a while before suffering the same fate
Conversely, Kathrinebjerg, Agro Food Park, and Incuba have been consistent powerhouses. But first and foremost on its own domain.
Four years ago and a pandemic ago, it seemed that Aarhus Townhall could become the new, unifying factor. But it took four years and a pandemic before the dusty memory of Be My Eyes and the startup community in a church on Nørre Allé turned into another Aarhus Townhall. However, there is no doubt that Aarhus Townhall anno 2022 has changed. Just like the ecosystem.
Today, the new organization The Link organizes the event, and a large number of the previously so fragmented stakeholders in Aarhus support it.
500 participants from the ecosystem meant a packed and sold-out evening. Sold out in the way that 60 more were on the waiting list with some trying in vain to get a ticket at the door. One even after travelling all the way from Copenhagen.
From the stage, Ken from Lunar told about how he got Will Farell to invest and advertise for his Aarhus-born unicornA unicorn is a term used to describe a startup company that has reached a valuation of $1 billion or more. More.
Mayor Bundsgaard proclaimed that there have never been so many startups in Aarhus as right now.
Clearhaus received an award – Ecosystem Hero – for launching Aarhus’ new tech hub, PoP2.
And when the stakeholder-sponsored beer was subsequently served, a young guy interrupted my conversation with one of the local founders. The founder acknowledged the interruption with a spontaneous job offer.
