Accelerate@HHL 2026 - Building our tomorrow

Every year, we invite top entrepreneurs, investors and young talents to Leipzig. We want to offer them a stage to share their creative ideas and insights and to question visions of the future.

Accelerate Conference 2026
The 2026 Accelerate Conference, themed "Building our tomorrow" will showcase innovative ideas shaping the future of business. Focused on entrepreneurship and scalable growth, it connects startups, corporates and thought leaders to explore trends redefining industries and driving success.

📍 Location: Please note that thursday’s sessions will take place on the HHL Campus, while Friday’s program will be hosted at SpinLab.

What is included in your Accelerate 2025 ticket?

⭐ 1.5 days full access to the conference

🍽️ FREE lunch, coffee, snacks and drinks during the whole conference

🏆 Pitch contest with exciting startups in front of a VC jury

🔑 Keynotes by top speakers from companies like Google and Capnamic Ventures on rapid MVP building, mindset, VC trends and defensible moats

⚙️ Interactive workshops on "How do early-stage VC investors decide?", "How do I identify and validate an idea?", "How to build an AI agent ?"

🗣️ Panel discussions on strengthening entrepreneurship culture and enabling more female founders

💙 Network with like-minded entrepreneurship enthusiasts, startups and venture capitalists - plus beers and an optional gin tasting to close the conferenc

For more information, follow us on our following social media channels:
LinkedIn: Accelerate | HHL
Instagram: Accelerate | HHL
Websites: Accelerate | HHL

Check out our Aftermovie from last year:

Want more?
Join three days before and turn it into a full entrepreneurship experience. HHL Entrepreneurship Week 2026: Connecting Minds across Ecosystems - three days, one community, countless collaborations. Secure your Week ticket in advance to unlock the biggest discount code for the Accelerate Conference and make it an unforgettable journey.
HHL Entrepreneurship Week 2026
Disclaimer:
Please note our instructions

For the participation in the event it is necessary to register in advance via eventbrite. Please fill in all required contact fields during your registration. Please have your e-ticket with you and ready during the check-in. Furthermore, please note refunds can only be granted in exceptional cases and at the discretion of the event organizer.

Language

The conference will be held in English. If you have any questions regarding the event, please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].

DSGVO

In accordance with the GDPR, your data will only be collected for this event and will be deleted within 4 weeks after the conference.

Please note that the conference will be recorded (film and/or photos) and that we will use the material internally and/or externally in compliance with § 23 KunstUrHG and Art. 6 Para. 1 f) GDPR.

Info: Welcome & Agenda

Info: Vibe coding: Build an MVP without a technical co-founder

Info: What I have learned from building a social startup

Info: How can we accelerate the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Germany?

Info: Entrepreneurial mindset: Can you teach entrepreneurship?

Info: How do early-stage VC investors decide? | How do I identify and validate an idea?| How to build an AI agent?

Info: Will AI K*ll stereotypical SaaS models?

Info: Female entrepreneurship: How can we enable more women to become founder?

Info: Finalists pitch their business ideas to jury to win prize money and founders‘ training

Info: Enjoy a guided tasting of Monastic Distillery Gin, inspired by centuries-old monastic herbal knowledge and crafted with carefully selected botanicals. Discover the story behind the spirit and explore its unique flavor profile together. Please note: participation is limited to a maximum of 30 guests and an additional ticket is required.

Info: Food and Drinks are provided

Info: In this session, three founders openly share real stories about things that did not go as planned in their startup journey. They talk about what went wrong, the challenges they faced and the key lessons learned from these experiences.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, Spinnereistraße 7, Leipzig, Germany

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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