For the first time, our Annual General Meeting was held off-site at our platinum sponsor, Bethmann Bank, on the banks of the Alster in Hamburg.
Series founder Nikolas Bullwinkel gave a seminal keynote speech on his latest start-up„Circus SE“ at the subsequent impulse evening.
Norma Jensen, a business engineer and entrepreneur from Kiel, was unanimously confirmed as Commercial Officer by the general meeting of Baltic Business Angels Schleswig-Holstein e.V.. The association elects parts of its board every year. The Uetersen entrepreneur Julian von Hassell and the Hamburg VC investor and advisor Claas Nieraad are still in office as 1st Chairman and Screening Officer respectively. The state’s Minister of Economic Affairs is also an ex officio member of the board.
For the first time, the event was held off-site at the premises of the Hamburg branch of Bethmann Bank, which belongs to the ABN Amro Group and has been a platinum sponsoring member of the association since 2024.
Following the Annual General Meeting, the Schleswig-Holstein start-up investors met with a number of family offices from the client base of the host Bethmann Bank to discuss the commonalities and differences between the two types of investors.
The keynote speech was given by Hamburg-based serial founder Nikolas Bullwinkel from Schleswig-Holstein, who became known for founding the quick-commerce delivery service Flink and has now brought his fifth company, Circus SE, to the sales roll-out level. Circus is a global technology company in the field of embodied AI and AI software in the food service industry, driving innovation and autonomy in labour-intensive industries.
With its core product, the CA-1 robot, Circus is pioneering the application of embodied AI and integrating cutting-edge technologies into real-world operations, transforming the food service industry. By combining advanced robotics, AI-powered software and the ambition to solve global challenges, Circus is shaping the future of autonomous systems and redefining how humans and AI work together. The first orders will be delivered from summer 2025.
Claus Ruhe Madsen has been Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism since 29 June 2022. He was born in Copenhagen on 27 August 1972; he is married and has one daughter.
Claas begann seine Karriere in der Old Economy bei „AEG und Electrolux Group“, wo er seine Leidenschaft für aufstrebende Industrien entdeckte. Das ist es, was ihn bis heute antreibt. Nachdem er bei „American Heritage Management Corp.“ an der Wall Street war und in den 1990er Jahren an den ersten internetbasierten Börsengängen teilnahm, wurde seine Leidenschaft für Technik und disruptive Technologien immer stärker. Er ist Mitgründer von „New Commercial Room“, einem VC-Unternehmen mit Sitz in Hamburg, mit dem er ein Portfolio von High-Tech-Wachstumsunternehmen verwaltet, das von medizinischen Geräten über Medien bis hin zu SaaS, IT und Cybersecurity reicht. Als Angel Investor investierte er sowohl privat in Unternehmen als auch mit dem „btov Investor-Network“. Er betreut aktiv zahlreiche deutsche StartUps, Accelerator-Programme und ist Scout im Norden für den „High-Tech Gründerfonds“ (HTGF). Dadurch hat er Zugang zu erstklassigem internationalen Deal Flow und Investoren. Darüber hinaus hat Claas mehrere Aufsichtsratspositionen inne und ist Live-Musiker mit der „Soul Lounge Connection“.
As a serial entrepreneur, investor and business angel, Julian has been involved in the German start-up and venture capital scene since 2003. He focuses on helping selected early-stage start-ups and their founders to turn their ambitions into reality. Investments are typically made in early-stage B2B technology companies with an initial track record. Julian’s current focus is on Industrial IoT, data analytics, B2B platform tools, e-health and 3D. He is particularly keen on spin-offs originating from research foundations and organisations or technical universities, but is also open to other opportunities. The best way to find out more about Julian is to visit his Website and here in the Interview.
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