The starting point
It all began with a vision: to make education more equitable and accessible.
Every year, around 700,000 international students apply for a place at a German university, but many places remain unfilled because the aptitude test is so complex.
A team of founders at HNU – at that time consisting of Lena Lingg, Mohammad Anees Raza, Süleyman Emre Özdemir, and Abhishek Arun Savakar – wanted to change that. With “Campus Ready,” the students developed an AI-supported platform that digitizes application processes and supports students in their learning.
This project began in the HNU Founders Space, which offers founding teams an optimal environment and community to develop ideas and bring them to market maturity. Here, the Campus Ready team laid the foundation and demonstrated the potential of technology-driven university start-ups.
The idea also convinced the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK): in October 2024, the team received an EXIST start-up grant, which enabled it to further develop its business idea within a year.
The Founders
Our goal in three words: Empower. Educate. Evolve.
Our biggest success: Being selected to collaborate with GitHub, which gave SlideCoach international visibility and led to a 49% increase in new users only after a month of our launch.
Our most significant setback: Realizing that with our initial product, Campus Ready, we were trying to do alot of things at once that slowed us down.
What surprised us most on our founding journey: How much of entrepreneurship is about personal growth with countless discussions, and learning to embrace uncertainty just as much as innovation. And how important is clear communication to start anything.
Our advice for future entrepreneurs: Don’t be afraid to pivot. Your first idea might open the door, but your best idea will emerge through persistence, feedback, and reflection.
What drives us: A shared belief that technology can make learning and communication more fun and human that could be accessible, and inspiring for everyone.
Our everyday start-up life would never work without: Trust, coffee, brainstorming sessions
Our tip for founders: Don't be afraid to pivot!
A fresh start: the rebranding
It quickly became apparent that the potential of their AI-supported platform extended far beyond its original scope of application: the technology, which was initially intended to facilitate learning for international students, also proved to be a valuable tool for improving presentation and communication skills. With this realization, a new phase began for the team—and the desire to redefine their own identity as a start-up.
“When we decided to break away from Campus Ready and focus our idea on our own blue ocean and niche, we quickly realized that we also needed a new name,” explains Mohammad Anees Raza. “It should clearly reflect what our product stands for and convey the added value of our idea.”
Intensive brainstorming and numerous long walks through Wileypark at night finally led to SlideCoach. “The name was just perfect, and to our surprise, it was still available everywhere, from the domain name to all the major social media platforms. It really felt like fate.”
Cooperation with a boost effect
With the initial market validation and development of use cases, the search for further support opportunities and cooperation partners began. One possibility was the GitHub, which offers the GitHub Student Developer Pack, into which SlideCoach fits into perfectly.
“We were well prepared, but unsure whether we would actually succeed,” recalls Emre Özdemir. “When we received a request from Ada Wright, Education Partnerships Analyst at GitHub, to discuss a possible collaboration, we could hardly believe it.”
In fact, SlideCoach was selected this year as one of only three start-ups worldwide for a collaboration with GitHub. “The rest, as they say, is history.” A story with a real boost: Following the start of the collaboration in the summer of 2025, SlideCoach saw an increase of almost 49% in new customers.
More about the cooperation: SlideCoach x GitHub (opens in a new window)
But that's not all: with the new setup, the project gained so much momentum that one milestone followed another in the fall of 2025, including the official launch of the SlideCoach app. What makes the mobile application special is that users receive direct very detailed performance anlytics on various parameters.
At the same time, an experienced business angel came on board with the investment of 50K, convinced by the technical strength, the multicultural team, and the speed of development. His support is helping the young start-up take the next big steps.
Worth more than just funding
Not only is their product dedicated to learning, but the founders themselves are also committed to continuous learning and development. SlideCoach was accepted into two funding programs that are currently helping them to further refine their business model and set clear goals: the Campus Founders Incubator Program and the Migrant Accelerator Program.
We want to learn how to think big without losing ourselves. The Campus Founders Incubator Program and the Migrant Accelerator Program offer us excellent support in taking our project to the next level.
The Campus Founders Incubator Program is a five-month program that supports early-stage founders through startup training, financial support in the form of scholarships, mentoring, and a collaborative environment for building, testing, and refining their business ideas.
In addition, founders benefit from follow-up programs such as AI Founders, the Accelerator Program, and BW Pre-Seed, as well as direct investment opportunities through the Campus Founders Venture Studio.
More information: Incubator - Campus Founders
The Migrant Accelerator (TMA) is a program that supports founders with a migration background in the development and growth of knowledge- and technology-based start-ups. The approach encompasses training, visibility, and strategic networking.
The background: According to Migrant Founders Monitor 2023, around 21% of founders in Germany have a migration background. This group is often highly qualified and internationally networked, but faces structural challenges such as limited networks, bureaucratic hurdles, and low public visibility. TMA addresses these issues and helps improve the framework conditions for founders with a migration background in Germany.
More information: Empowering Migrant Entrepreneurs | The Migrant Accelerator
Growth with values
SlideCoach stands for trust, collaboration, and a passion for helping people learn and present."
"Our most important next step is to continue growing as a team and building trust within the team. As we expand rapidly and attract the interest of large companies and institutions, it is essential to maintain strong collaboration and a shared vision,“ says Karan Katikeya.
The SlideCoach team is currently planning a phase-gate process to make both business and personal development and progress measurable. In the coming months, the acquisition of a first major customer is also planned as a milestone. At the same time, the team is preparing for its first VC financing round and is seeking funding applications for BW Pre-Seed and EXIST Research Transfer Phase II.
