For the third time, together with 10 exciting startups we immersed ourselves in the dynamic atmosphere of 4YFN, the founders' expo at MWC in Barcelona, engaging in countless productive meetings—some planned, others delightfully spontaneous. We return home filled with inspiration and energized by the incredible results we achieved.
4YFN team: hubraum, T-Labs & 10 Startups
Our hubraum booth was a buzzing hub of activity, attracting an impressive 3,200 visitors. We proudly showcased nine of our best-in-class startups, covering an exciting range of topics: Matterway and Voxist were part of our AI Co-Creation program; Fybra and Tiami Networks participated in our WiFi-Sensing program, with Tiami also competing in the T Challenge; Rockfish Data was another T Challenge winner; IS-Wireless delivered Poland's first private 5G Open RAN for Industry 4.0 in collaboration with us and T-Mobile; with ZAUBAR, we launched our VR/XR VisionPro meetup series; phelas, a green tech company, is one of our investments; and doings, an AI startup, is one of our Berlin residents.
Three of our startups even made it to the top 20 of the 4YFN Awards in their respective categories: phelas, IS-Wireless, and Rockfish, with Rockfish making it to the TOP 5.
Collaborating closely with Academia
Additionally, we presented an exciting use case developed by our colleagues from T-Labs and researchers from Ben-Gurion University in Israel, called Vox Machina. This project embodies the cutting-edge research that aligns perfectly with T-Labs’ mission to support innovation at the intersection of research and entrepreneurship. By collaborating with academic institutions like Ben-Gurion University and technology pioneers at T-Labs, we are helping bring breakthrough ideas closer to real-world applications.
Vox Machina team from Ben-Gurion University
The strong interest in Vox Machina at 4YFN reinforced our belief in the importance of bridging research with industry needs, and we look forward to seeing how this technology evolves in the coming years.
Four days full of highlights
The Board Innovation Tour stopped at our booth
The week kicked off with 4YFN University and Spin-offs Mentoring Session on Monday, where Tim Akgül and Riccardo Pascotto, Head of T-Labs, shared their expertise. Research and development remain at the core of our work, and supporting the next generation of innovators is a key pillar of our mission.
On Tuesday, we took the stage at Deutsche Telekom’s presence at MWC to spotlight three of our AI-driven startups: Matterway, Voxist, and Rockfish. The session, moderated by Tim Akgül, attracted a full audience, demonstrating the growing interest in startup-driven innovation.
One of the biggest highlights of the day was the visit from the Deutsche Telekom Management Board, including our CEO, Tim Höttges. We were thrilled by his deep interest in our startups, particularly Matterway, a German company developing an AI assistant for customer service and operations. Matterway’s solution simplifies complex workflows, making processes more intuitive and efficient—a true game-changer in enterprise AI.
Wednesday was a special moment for our 10 startups, as they took the main 4YFN pitching stage to present their solutions. The session, moderated once again by Tim Akgül, attracted a large and engaged audience, reinforcing the strong demand for innovative startup solutions.
Bridging the gap between Research and Innovation
On our final day, Thursday, we had the opportunity to contribute to an insightful panel discussion on bridging the gap between research and the innovation ecosystem. Riccardo Pascotto shared valuable insights from a T-Labs perspective, highlighting the importance of integrating cutting-edge research into practical, real-world applications.
Looking ahead: The lasting impact of 4YFN
4YFN is undoubtedly a highlight of the year for hubraum. The event allows us to build awareness of our incubator and its impact, create new business opportunities for our startups, and strengthen our ecosystem of partners and innovators. This year was particularly special as we showcased not only startup collaborations but also, for the first time, our research partnerships.
We are proud of the impact we made at MWC 2024 and can’t wait to return next year for an even bigger and better experience!
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