#3 Start-up Contest Amsterdam - 4EK & 4CK

Thanks to Erasmus+, the school class 4EK and two pupils from 4CK spent an unforgettable week at the AICS (Amsterdam International Community School) and developed and pitched our own start-up ideas. 

Our adventure began early on Sunday, 14 September 2025, at 4.30 am at Murpark in Graz. We took the Flixbus to Vienna, and from there flew on to Amsterdam. We arrived in the city around midday and checked into our hostel, StayOkay Oost. After checking in, we kicked off with a highlight: a relaxing canal cruise through the famous waterways – the perfect way to start exploring Amsterdam. 

On Monday morning, we took the tram to AICS. There, we got to know our new classmates. Right from the start, we realised just how diverse and exciting AICS is: students from Scotland, Lithuania, India and many other countries, a completely different school system and a strong international spirit. Together with them, we formed teams to analyse everyday problems and develop our own start-up ideas. Particularly inspiring was the talk by Erwin Miedema, who told us about his start-ups and experiences 

Tuesday was entirely devoted to our projects: developing ideas, refining concepts and shaping initial approaches. We were supported by Thomas Doque, who shared his experiences in the coffee industry with us, and by Judith de Schepper, who showed us how to make presentations lively and persuasive. In the evening, we visited the Anne Frank House – a powerful and moving moment of the week. 

On Wednesday, we put the finishing touches to our projects and practised our first mock pitch in front of our teachers. We also attended a talk by Antoine Boelen, who gave us fascinating insights into the world of finance. In the afternoon, we visited the Moco Museum of Modern Art – a lovely contrast to our workshop programme. 

Thursday was then our big day: pitching! After the final preparations, seven teams presented their ideas: VoiceMatch, FloSmarter, Venue, Direct Harvest, Renew, Whatsin and Returnly.  

After exciting presentations and feedbacks by the jury, the winners were announced: 

    1st place: Returnly – an app that helps consumers return products 

    2nd place: Renew – an app that turns old clothes into new and unique items 

    3rd place: Direct Harvest – an app that connects farmers and consumers directly 

After the award ceremony, it was time to say goodbye to the AICS, our fellow students and teachers. We were free to spend the rest of the day as we wished. 

On Friday, we packed our bags, handed in our room keys. We visited the Rijksmuseum before we left – a real highlight to round off the trip. After that, we still had a little time to explore Amsterdam one last time with glorious weather, before flying back to Vienna at 5 pm. We were back in Graz by around 10.40 pm – full of impressions and memories. 

This trip was a special experience for all of us with international friendships, exciting ideas, cultural highlights and plenty of inspiration. 

A big thank you to the Amsterdam International Community School and Erasmus+ for making this trip possible. 

 Luca-Elias Luegger, 4EK