Winter is coming, but so is Pocket Sky. Our nifty little wearable is ready to be marketed and showcased. Hence we started out on a tour of the two most exciting startup and tech-conferences in Europe at this time of the year: TechCrunch Disrupt in Berlin and SLUSH in Helsinki. Twice we were given the opportunity to exhibit Pocket Sky in a demo booth. In Finland we also had the chance to pitch before a select crowd. With the days getting darker and winter blues taking its toll, this was a perfect time for launching our international marketing campaign.
Berlin, Day 1 – November 28, 2018
We hit beloved Berlin early in the morning and were among the first to set up shop in the Startup Alley of Disrupt 18. Luckily, there was coffee galore in the vast spaces of Arena Berlin – and so were the visitors to our booth. Strategically located at a corner right after the registration desks we were guaranteed to be seen by each and every visitor. Not that we were easy to miss, either, given the bright blue light hundreds of curious visitors were impatient to indulge themselves with. Pocket Sky visibly – and tangibly – made a difference among dozens of startups mostly exhibiting smartphone applications or things crypto (awesome stuff there, however).
Berlin, Day 2 – November 29, 2018
As our mission was to get as much media coverage as possible we had our hands full on the second day of Disrupt 18. Interviews with Austria’s Trendingtopics and Brutkasten, the German FAZ, the Associated Press, AndroidPIT and many others made for a hectic but rewarding closing day. We talked with investors, fellow startups and, most interestingly, corporates looking for up and coming innovations.
There was just enough time for attending the finals of Startup Battlefield, a breathtaking pitching contest. A lot to learn for us there in terms of presentation skills – especially from the winner Legacy, a health tech startup with a huge impact just like ours.
Before departing we made new friends as we paid a visit to the office of Berlin’s Wear It Festival, a boutique show for exciting new wearables in one of Europe’s coolest capitals.
Helsinki, Day 1 – December 4, 2018
If Berlin is Punk (so they say), then Helsinki is Dubstep: As though it wasn’t already dark in the Scandinavian capital, the venue was steeped in artificial fog and greeted us with heavy beats and a wobbling bass. The SLUSH 18’s ironic motto was “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.” (Kept as the placeholder, because what matters is inside).
If the Disrupt in Berlin is big, then SLUSH in Helsinki is humongous. As in Berlin, we had our booth in the Startup District on the first day of the conference. Knowing that the venue, Messukeskus, would be pitch black all day long, we had fitted our rollup with a luminescent picture of Pocket Sky over the previous weekend. Did that make a difference!
The first day of the SLUSH was additionally marked by us pitching – for no less than six minutes and three more for questions – at Showcase Studio, a special format for early stage startups. Way to go, Pocket Sky! “Fighting the winter blues in the free world – and elsewhere” – what a mission statement, spontaneously coined by the founder of Creative Business Cup who dropped by our booth.
What a day!
Helsinki, Day 2 – December 5, 2018
A “day off” at the SLUSH means meetings, talks, and interviews. Media (such as the BBC or the Finnish Sanoma), investors and, again, corporates, a few of the global ones, wanted to know everything about our to-go solution for combating disturbances of the Circadian rhythm. Interestingly, many seemed to be intrigued by the idea of integrating our technology into their AR/VR devices. Well, so are we.
The Scandinavians haunted by long winter days understood from the beginning what we were about. They only wanted to know when Pocket Sky will be available. Soon, dear friends from the gloomy North, watch out for our Kickstarter 2019!
Personalised health was a huge topic in Helsinki, too, as shown by the winner of the Research Pitching Competition with a new approach to treating cancer.
Our day ended with heavy snowfall and an extended visit to Lasipalatsi, a bar and restaurant in original 1930ies style – the Finn’s certainly know how to keep winter blues away!
The take-aways from our little tour of tech conferences
After touring the European North for almost two weeks we were, well, happy to be back home (even though Vienna, too, has its share of winter depression). We got loads of positive feedback from consumers, media, and companies – and a few contacts seriously interested in working with us in the near future. We’ll keep you posted about exciting things to come.
Are you curious to find out if Pocket Sky is for you?
