From AI that teaches you tradesmen to an app that finally answers the question “Where do we eat?” answered. Eight AI builders are moving into the Gründerszene startup camp “Gründerszene is looking for the super founders” with only one goal: to turn their ideas into reality.
The summer camp “Gründerszene is looking for the super founders” is a ten-week fellowship run by Gründerszene. Eight selected fellows are developing consumer apps using artificial intelligence. The program is supported by our partners Dash0, DHL, OpenAI & Vercel.
The fellows could hardly be more different. Some programmed at Google or Uber, others helped build startups, worked in venture capital funds or advised companies. But in the end, it’s not your CV that counts, but rather who can build the best idea in ten weeks. There is a lot of support, but nothing is given for free.
Here are the eight people who will be fighting for the title of “super founder” – and 10,000 euros in prize money – this summer.
1. Theodora Both: From dating to restaurants
Theodora Both (24) loves everyday startup life and says that she knew she wanted to become an entrepreneur when she was 16. Pressure is not a problem for her: “I love pressure, it makes me work even harder and better.” She has already proven that she can generate attention: her content has gone viral several times. So the other participants should pay attention because Theodora knows how to reach people.
Theodora has already built a community of over 1,200 young women with SheLeads and has shown that she can bring people together and make projects grow. In addition to experience at PwC and EY, she studies entrepreneurship at WHU and now works on her own personal brand agency. Now she wants to prove that she can not only build communities, but also scale a startup. At first she wanted to build a dating app, now she’s heading towards restaurants or maybe something else? What is clear: she likes pivots.
2. Suna Marie Tamboga: The craftsman comes – and already knows what’s broken
Few things test your patience like a broken faucet and finding someone to fix it. Suna Marie Tamboga (20) wants to make both things much more relaxed. Their platform is intended to connect households with local craft businesses.
Suna has already had a good taste of startup life. In addition to her studies at Zeppelin University, she worked directly on topics such as sales, product and growth as a Founders Associate at Bounti and opus. With her passion for entrepreneurship and innovation, she now sits on the founder side of the table herself. Her motto: “Give it gas.” Why does she believe in victory? “I believe I can become a super founder because I really believe in my idea and it solves a problem,” says Suna.
3. Minh Vu Ngo: When AI twins flirt first
Minh Vu Ngo (30) also initially wanted to build a dating app. Competition for Theodora? Or a big merger? We’ll see!
Minh brings a strong AI and engineering background: After positions at Google, Amazon and Uber as well as research experience at Harvard University, he founded his own AI-based career platform, Cevee. With his knowledge of computer science, machine learning and product development, he is now working to rethink career orientation for the next generation.
“My friends always believe in me,” he says. At the same time, he is convinced that many people underestimate his soft skills. And when it comes to his goal in the camp, he leaves no doubt: “I’m a super competitive person. Of course I’m here to win.”
4. Vincent Betz: Forecasts instead of gambling
Vincent Betz (25) relies on predictions instead of betting: His idea is a social app in which users can make predictions about current events and compete with friends, without any real money and therefore outside of classic gambling rules (lucky you!).
He tells Gründerszene that the startup camp feels a bit like “Love Island for startups” to him. Vincent says he rarely feels pressure – let’s see how long that lasts.
Vincent can cross an exit off his to-do list. After studying Management & Technology at TUM and an exchange year at UC Berkeley, he founded several AI/ML startups. With Jarts, an AI enterprise visibility platform, he built a product in just a few months that was used and successfully adopted by over 2,000 agencies and brands. Now he is already moving on to the next idea.
5. Jolina van Laaten: Health begins with reading
What if you could order the right test right away when you read a health article? That’s exactly what Jolina van Laaten (22) is working on. Your idea combines health analyzes with medical test offers. Users can order tests, have their results clearly explained by an AI and receive concrete recommendations for the next steps. “The idea is that you can stay healthy with my app. I want to make it possible for you to understand data about your body,” says Jolina, describing her vision. She doesn’t just see pressure at camp as a challenge – it motivates her to push herself to her limits.
Jolina brings a colorful mix of venture capital, consulting and e-commerce. During her studies in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, she gained experience at positions such as Heartfelt, PwC and Oiko International Consulting – from investments to venture development to digital business models. Today she combines this view of innovation with her enthusiasm for digital health solutions and the question of how technology can make health smarter.
6. Garry Lazovskis: Searching for restaurants based on your gut feeling
“I feel like something cozy, vegetarian would be good and please not too loud.” Garry Lazovski’s (21) app is designed to answer exactly these types of questions. An AI suggests suitable restaurants, including reservation options and personalized recommendations.
How will he handle the pressure in camp? “I’ll find out,” Garry says. Of course he hopes that it works out well. When it comes to the outcome of the competition, however, he appears self-confident: “I’ll show you why I’m the super founder. See you on the final day – then we’ll see who gets the 10,000 euros.”
Garry founded his first agency as a teenager and gained early experience in setting up digital projects. Today he works on software solutions for the catering industry, so he doesn’t just know the catering world from the table. He also became very friendly with Theodora and Vu. Maybe they make an app with three people?
7. Amerigo Velletti: The AI second-hand buyer
Shopping sustainably? Clear. Scroll through thousands of offers for hours? Rather not. Amerigo Velletti (21) wants to automate second-hand searches and thus save time.
Its AI agent scours online platforms such as Classifieds or Vinted and finds exactly the offers that match the users’ needs. Instead of spending hours clicking through listings, you simply let the AI search.
Amerigo has a strong technical background: After working in the IT environment and studying business informatics at the Technical University of Munich, he now works as a founding engineer on AI applications and automation solutions.
Why does he want to become the super founder in the end? “Because I am innovative, but also have the appropriate tech experience,” says Amerigo.
8. Klaas Wibker: Anyone can become an influencer
For a long time, being an influencer was a game for people with a huge community. Klaas Wibker (23) says: It doesn’t have to be that way. His app turns everyday users into little advertising stars. They shoot short clips for brands and get rewarded when their videos take off.
From studying law in Leipzig to working in the tech and financial world to running his own startup: Klaas Wibker combines legal know-how with a large portion of entrepreneurial spirit. After experiences in the Trade Republic environment, among others, he is now taking the step into entrepreneurship. His personal motto: “The most important thing is to tackle the problems that come your way and not let them get you down.” Will his idea take off? Will show. This summer will definitely be exciting.
