For GreenPocket, the start into the new year also meant exploring new horizons. The three-month German-Accelerator development program started and two of our team members, including our CEO Dr. Thomas Goette, made their way to Silicon Valley. They have been there for a month now - time for a first field report.
At an open and warm reception, we reunited with our lead mentor Bill Keating, CEO of Reel Solar inc. who leads our team through the GA program. Then it could start right away! The program started with three intensive workshop days, during which the participating startups were introduced to key topics such as accounting, Silicon Valley culture, fundraising, pitch training, HR and design thinking. In later discussions with selected specialty mentors, experienced specialists from a wide variety of thematic areas, this knowledge could be deepened further. GreenPocket also regularly took part in Lean Launch Pad sessions, which provide a comprehensive information base for the successful development of start-ups.
"German Accelerator really accelerates," Dr. Goette says. "What a company would usually learn in twelve months, it can acquire here in just three months. Especially the clear communication strategies that are suggested are exciting. The knowledge we can acquire here will fuel our growth."
Furthermore, there were plenty of opportunities for extensive networking, for example at the Distributech Conference, at SECC’s 2018 Consumer Symposium or in the direct exchange with other program participants.
Clearly inspired by the positive experiences within the GA program, Thomas Goette also provides a look on future plans: "We can clearly see where we stand at the moment and in which direction GreenPocket should develop further. For us, the clear message is: future-oriented thinking and becoming globally effective. To achieve this, we would like to focus more on data science, AI and machine learning technologies from now on".
Goette will talk about first approaches to this topic at this year's E-world in Essen (Hall 6, Booth 6-309), for which he will briefly interrupt his trip to Silicon Valley.
