Pitch Battles and AI Exploration at IFA 2025

This year’s IFA Berlin was truly special, taking place as the winds of change are in the air—not just for Factory, but for the world of work as we know it. We took over the Dream Stage for three days, hosting an electrifying pitch competition and a captivating keynote speech that got to the heart of the incredible talent and forward-thinking ideas we make it our mission to support.

Pitch Battle by Factory

We might be biased, but our two-day pitch battle was the highlight of the weekend. We kicked things off by taking on the difficult task of narrowing down a huge pool of applicants to 10 outstanding finalists. Our esteemed jury—comprised of Stefanie Unger, Joel Monaco, Simon Knittel, and Christoph Sollich—then had the tough job of evaluating each pitch.

Each startup delivered a concise, 90-second pitch followed by a rapid-fire Q&A to a packed, energetic audience. After a day of fierce competition, five startups advanced to the finals, and the competition kicked into high gear on day two. In the end, the winner was LeydenJar and their game-changing work on next-generation, 100% silicon anodes for wearable devices.

Matteo Cassese, Factory’s own master moderator, summed up the vibe perfectly: “Who knew that a competition could end in such a friendly and supportive atmosphere? The contestants grew close together… Such a delight working again with IFA and Factory.”

A Keynote about the Dawn of the AI Age

We closed our time at IFA with a powerful keynote from our new CEO, Stefan Krause. His talk, “How do we design organizations and workers for the AI age?”, challenged us all to rethink our relationship with technology. He stressed that the future is not about “man vs. machine,” but rather about building talent-centered systems that can leverage AI tools for maximum impact. This concept—man with machine—is a core part of our mission at Factory. Keep an eye out for new, exciting updates in the coming weeks!

Overall, our time at IFA really showcased the incredible talent and innovation happening right now in Europe. We are honored to have provided a stage for these big ideas and look forward to continuing this important work!