The Big Berlin Breakdown: October 29 – November 4

By Conor Rushby |

Check out Silicon Allee’s weekly rundown of all the best events going on in our fair city: what’s happening, what’s coming up and what may be of interest; whether you be investor, entrepreneur or hacker.

Monday

The Entrepreneurs Dinner is a chance to sit down with Dr. Nikolaus Lindner, who fronts eBay’s government relations department, and hear his views on growth strategies. An exclusive networking platform for entrepreneurs, managers and investors, Nikolaus will focus in particular upon the Internet and the games industry. In German, at Restaurant Trofeo from 7pm. Tickets are still available at €50.

The Coursera Functional Programming Principles meet up is about learning Scala in a group, using free material provided over the Internet. The aim is help each other get to grips with the programming language. From 7pm at Warschauer Straße 70A.

Tuesday

Hack and Tell are running a hack of the month competition, with registration open for the event, and $50 up for grabs. Teams or individuals get to pitch their previously made hack for five minutes in English, but only demos and showing off code is acceptable – no marketing allowed. At c-base Raumstation from 6.30 pm.

Startup Ideation Bootcamp from the Founder’s Institue will see guest speaker Adeo Ressi, CEO of TheFunded, help attendees improve ideas, come up with new ones and advise on next steps. It is also a chance to recruit potential co-founders. Spaces are still available, at Betahaus from 6.30pm.

The Halloween Startup Party is a chance for Berlin’s startup folk to let off some steam, while dressed up suitably scarily – going as yourself is not acceptable. Tickets are still going, at Kommerzpunk from 8pm.

Wednesday 

Pitchslam, the Halloween edition, is a chance to sharpen up your pitch, in spooky attire. Up for grabs is the chance of catching the eye of investors – be it with your costume or your idea. Judging will be Christoph Räthke, founder of Berlin Startup AcademyHolger Weiss, founder of Aupeo, and a third judge yet to be confirmed. Following the usual Pitch Slam format, the quick fire competition will consist of three rounds each one minute in length, in which competitors must answer a specific questions: What do you do and why should we care? How would you execute growth? Applications for pitching have closed, but audience tickets are still going. At Theater Kapelle in Friedrichshain from 7pm.

World Usability Day is a one-day conference, aimed at making life easier through technology. This event is dedicated to simplifying financial systems to create better decision-making models.With such a wide theme, organisers are hoping to attract people from all walks of life for their input. No tickets required for the free event, just show up, at  Johannisstraße 2 from 8.30 am.

Thursday

The Lean Startup Workshop aims to educate attendees on how to integrate the principles of lean management into their businesses. The technique claims to reduce hierarchy, improve trust and transparency as well as motivate employees to increase innovation through faster, devolved decision-making which in theory reduces development cycles and costs, but increases competitive edge. Specifically useful to budding entrepreneurs, tickets, at €99, are on sale now. At Windscheid Straße 18 from 2pm.

The Lean Startup Meet is an opportunity to further hear about the technique from Sampo Hämäläinen of Futurice, and how he himself used it his business strategies. The free event is from 7.30 pm at Andreasstraße 10.

The Berlin Tech Meetup is a chance for the great and good of the startup scene to get together and see what’s actually going on in technology the Berlin. Registration is open to see the five minute presentations of new products from SoundCloud, HowDo, Metaquark, Toast, Trademob, and Tweek. Of particular interest to those who want to see for themselves the creativity and innovation coming out of Berlin at the moment. From 7pm, the location is revealed upon registration.

Saturday

Micro Hack Day is a social meetup for everybody to just go along and hack whatever they fancy, with no prizes or agenda. Programming students are also welcome to hone their skills. From 2pm at Mein Haus am See.

The Foursquare Hackathon is a chance to hack Foursquare itself, with hackers taking part across the world, as well in the New York and San Francisco offices of the company. Hacks will be judged on functionality, with undisclosed prizes for the best four teams. The Berlin event is taking place at Moped, Seelower Straße 5, from 10am. On the second day Moped is closed, but hackers can still work on projects at home, up til the deadline of 23.59 pm.

Saturday and Sunday 

The Health 2.0 Code-a-thon is coming to Berlin for the first time, after previous events in Stockholm, Shanghai, Fukushima, New Delhi, Amsterdam, Austin, and New York. The two days of hacking is in aid of improving health and wellness through technology, with the most innovative team taking home €10,000. Registration is now open, at Langenbeck-Virchow Haus from 9.30 am.

Already sold out: Instant Startup ShowLinking to startups.

If you have an event you want us to consider including in future editions of the BBB, drop us an email to leaks at siliconallee.com.