Our brilliant MBA in Digital Business & AI students had the opportunity to dive into Berlin’s vibrant start-up ecosystem on a three-day “Digital Field Trip” from December 4-6. The trip was led by Prof. Voigt, Oscar Pakos, Michael Mertel, and Anna-Lisa Schaal (WFA). Together, we visited three inspiring Berlin-based start-ups that are all focused on making a meaningful impact. We gained first-hand insights into their digital business models, agile ways of working, and impressive missions. Selected company representatives, including Kerstin Michels (Co-founder | Voiio), Pascal Blum (Co-founder | Nodi), and Waldemar Zeiler (Co-founder | Ding Dong Ping Pong), generously shared their expertise and experiences with our students.
On Thursday, we started our trip at Voiio, a digital platform offering corporate benefits that go far beyond the classic “Obstkorb” and free water. Life can be stressful and many families with children and/or elder care responsibilities can be overwhelmed, especially when both partners work full time. Voiio provides tailored support for employees in three key areas: health, family, and work. Whether it’s a personal health crisis, a period of high stress, or unexpected events like the sudden passing of a relative, Voiio helps employees navigate these challenges through tailored offerings like booking appointments at a health specialist, helping with bureaucracy, or mental health coachings – fully digital and accessible on the platform.
On Friday morning, we took a tour at Nodi, who developed a physical device that enables children aged 5–12 to participate safely in the digital world, for example by listening to Spotify, learning languages, or chatting with friends – without needing a smartphone or being glued to a screen. The Nodi Flip is carefully designed with a very small screen and simple navigation buttons to provide the core value of digital offerings without the often overwhelming interactivity of smartphone screens. Thus, kids are able to enjoy their favorite digital content but in a safe and controlled environment with very little technostress.
Finally, we went to the very first “Ding Dong Ping Pong“ location – an open community space that provides 24/7 access to table tennis, aimed at bringing everyone to the ping pong table. The entire journey is fully digital: from booking a table and accessing the building to counting points and even receiving automatically recorded replay videos of the best rallies. This fully digital setup enables an automated, personnel-free community space that is still fully accessible to everyone – all you need is a smartphone to get started and connect with your local community.
Beyond these fantastic start-up insights, we also enjoyed great food, a strong sense of community, and the unique atmosphere of Berlin. A heartfelt thank you to Kerstin, Pascal, and Waldemar for their warm hospitality and invaluable input. We’re already looking forward to our next visit to Berlin! 🙌