Vidar Andersen

Vidar Andersen

 

"[...] one of the most important persons in the German startup scene."
- Wirtschafts Woche

 

linkedin logo

 

Booking:

Pitching Masterclass

Open Office Hours

Speaking or Teaching

Corporate & GO/NGO Work

 

PRESS & MEDIA:

Download Bio & Photos

 

Latest from the blog:

Hi, I'm a Norwegian entrepreneur who occasionally found startups to scratch my own itches, regularly help startup founders, students, companies, and organisations achieve better outcomes, living in the greater Cologne / Dusseldorf area of Germany since 2005.

Got Startup? Get Smart, Get Funded!
Enroll in my Pitching Masterclass today!

I probably missed my shot at becoming sitcom-famous when I was chased off the set of "Sex & the City" in NYC back in 1999, I since wrote & recorded a Billboard Hot 100, and created stuff used by billions. (Two out of the three are true - so far. Can you guess which?).

My work has been featured and recognised around the world by the likes of The New York Times, CNN, TechCrunch, Business Insider, BBC, Wirtschafts Woche, and Die Welt, and my work has been seen and used by Billions (with a B).

Sometimes I get invited as a keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator (MC), to events and conferences like SxSW, WebSummit, LeWeb, PASSWORD, RTL's Digital Shapers, TedX Hamburg, World Business Dialogue, etc. Universities like Cambridge, Stanford, KIT, and Cologne University as a speaker and moderator (MC) - as well as to keynote corporate events from well-known brands like Bertelsmann, Henkel, and Amadeus Leisure Group, or GOs like IHK, AHK, Business France, USAID, NRW INVEST, the city of Dusseldorf and the city of Cologne, and more.

Media and peers conspired to name me a central figure in the German startup world, instrumental in the Cologne and Rhineland startup scene, as my main "hobby" is supporting early-stage startups and spreading education on how to build startups to students and founders as a very modest occasional investor in very-early-stage tech startups, as an educator teaching at universities and colleges, by providing free Open Office Hours weekly since 2007, by training over 3.000 startups (and counting) how to pitch investors with my Pitching Masterclass, because I wish that someone would have been there for me to help avoid all the beginner mistakes when I started out.

As an educator, I've been invited to teach and speak about startup entrepreneurship at Standford, Cambridge, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), BITS Iserlohn, WHU, Maastricht University, Cologne University, Cologne Polytechnical, NW University of Switzerland, Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey (DEU), University of Dusseldorf HHU, University of Applied Sciences Dusseldorf HSD, Qazvin Islamic Azad University (QIAU) in Iran, and more. The slides from my educational lectures, keynotes, and talks have been featured as LinkedIn SlideShare "Slide of the Day" multiple times.

And because corporations and organisations keep asking, I've also been helping the likes of Deutsche Telekom, ABInBev, AXA, Philip Morris International, Bertelsmann, ottobock, Zentis, Reifenhaeuser, BARCO, Henkel, Yello Strom, Telefonica, the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), USAID, Business France, and many more with education, innovation, and digitalisation through my company +ANDERSEN & ASSOCIATES since 2013.

In the 15 years preceding more or less all of the above, between 1996 and 2010, I was an on-and-off employee in various leading digital development companies helping large international companies and organizations like Statoil, TeeKay Shipping, Shell, Esso, Exxon, T-Mobile International, Deutsche Telekom, Lufthansa, The Royal Norwegian Government, The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and more with innovation and digitalisation - in between founding my own things.

The last position I held in somebody else's company was "Head of Digital" and "Member of the Board" (2005-2010) at the lead agency, responsible for all things digital for T-Mobile International. There's more information on my LinkedIn if you came here looking for those kind of things.

More...

 

Founder

"Vidar Andersen, you rock."
- Robert @Scobleizer Scoble

Vidar Andersen speaking at the Password conference in Tallinn, Estonia

As a keynote speaker, pictured I'm speaking about what marketers can learn from startups at Estonia's largest marketing conference "Password".

 

Educator

Vidar Andersen teaching the Lean Launchpad curriculum for startups from Stanford, herea a picture of his studens in Iran

I'm a certified Lean Launchpad (LLP) Educator invited to be trained at Stanford by Steve Blank himself, here pictured teaching the LLP curriculum to students at the largest private tech university in Iran in 2015 - it was a different time back then.

  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT
  • University of Cologne
  • University of Duesseldorf HHU
  • University of Applied Sciences Duesseldorf HSD
  • International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Portugal
  • BITS Iserlohn
  • Qazvin Islamic Azad University (QIAU), Iran
  • Cologne Business School (CBS)
  • Dokuz Eylul University Izmir, Turkey
  • WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management
  • NW University of Applied Science, Switzerland
  • Knowmads Business University, Amsterdam
  • Northern Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamburg
  • Karlshochschule International University
  • Maastricht University
  • Cologne Polytechnical College
  • USAID, Moldova
  • NRW Invest
  • IHK & AHK
  • Gruendungsfabrik Moenchengladbach
  • Rheinland Pitch (teaching applying startups how to pitch investors since 2013 with my Pitching Masterclass)
  • Pitching Masterclass (the Masterclass now available for all startups - anywhere, any time)
  • & more
Vidar Andersen's Pitching Masterclass in Budapest, Hungary

Teaching my Pitching Masterclass, pictured here in Budapest, Hungary.

 

Corporate Innovation with
+ANDERSEN & ASSOCIATES

"Thank you very much for a mind opening experience! It has been a long time since I learned so much (and I have participated in over sixty other programs of this kind over the years). Very interesting and helpful! And all that in a very nice atmosphere, including your very diplomatic but effective way of putting the finger on "weak spots" and without any boring parts!"
- Dr. D. Heistenruber, Head of Zentis Research

Vidar Andersen teaching his Innovator Masterclass at Telefonica Germany, Munich

Photo from my Innovator Masterclass for corporates at Telefonica Germany, Munich

  • Deutsche Telekom, DE
  • ABInBev, BE
  • AXA, DE
  • Philip Morris International, CH/DE
  • Bertelsmann, DE
  • Zentis, DE
  • BARCO, BE
  • Henkel, DE
  • Medien Gruppe RTL, DE
  • Yello Strom, DE
  • ottobock, DE
  • Telefónica, DE
  • Vebego, NL
  • Reifenhaeuser, DE
  • Traveltainment, The Amadeus Leisure Group, DE
  • Carlsen Publishers, DE
  • International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), PL
  • Mainzer Stadtwerke, DE
  • & more iconic brands under NDA
Vidar Andersen keynoting at RTL's Digital Shapers in Zagrab, Croatia

My keynote (view on RTL) "Why Corporate Innovation Fails" at RTL's Digital Shapers conference in Zagreb.

 

Featured & Recognized

Logos of places Featured, Recognized, Speaker, MC, Panelist
  • The New York Times
  • CNN
  • Business Insider
  • Forbes
  • TechCrunch
  • NCIIA @ Stanford (Lean Launchpad Educator Scholarship w. Steve Blank & Jerry Engel)
  • Wirtschafts Woche (Named "one of the one of the most important persons" in the German startup scene)
  • The Innovator's Handbook
  • IndieGoGo (Featured Campaign on the front page globally)
  • Rude Baguette (Named one of "Top 5 People to Know" in the German startup scene)
  • Startup Ambassador to the City of Duesseldorf, Germany
  • Netzwertig
  • SxSW Startup Ambassador to the State of NRW, Germany
  • DViCE
  • Nordic Startup Awards (Winner, People's Choice Norway)
  • Die Welt
  • SlideShare (made LinkedIn Slideshare "Slide of the Day" four times so far)
  • Accenture
  • BBC Click
  • University of Deusto, Bilbao. Scholarship received for the "Global Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program" (GEAP)
  • NY1
  • Kabel Eins
  • Ketchum Report
  • Monaco Media Forum
  • Startup America
  • c'n'b Conference (Winner, Most Innovative German Business)
  • MLOVE
  • Up Global
  • Rheinische Post
  • & more

Speaker, Panelist, Moderator (MC)

As a speaker, keynote topics include Digitalisation, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Startups, Data-Driven Innovation, Corporate Innovation, Technology, NFTs, Blockchain, Innovation Management, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship Education.

"Crazy magnetic viking guy. [...] OK. You should come and do the talk instead of me. Stand up!"[...]
- Yossi Vardi

Vidar Andersen moderating the closing panel discussion at the World Business Dialogue, Cologne.

As an MC, here Moderating the closing panel discussion at the World Business Dialogue, Cologne.

  • SxSW, Austin Texas
  • LeWeb, Paris
  • Web Summit, Dublin + London
  • Stanford, California
  • Cambridge, England
  • dmexco, Cologne
  • Pirate Summit, Cologne
  • TEDx Hamburg
  • Bertelsmann Technology Days
  • Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD - the world’s largest funding organisation for the international exchange of students and researchers)
  • Entrepreneurship Cell IIT Kharagpur, India
  • NASA Space App Challenge
  • Norwegian Lean Startup Circle, Oslo
  • Intrapreneurship Conference London
  • Shahid Beheshti University Tehran, Iran
  • Kraften i Kobling, Norway
  • Password, Tallinn
  • Cybersecurity Career Summit
  • Maastricht Week of Entrepreneurship
  • a.summit NRW
  • Ukrainian European Youth League
  • Global Entrepreneurship Week
  • TU Automotive, Munich
  • Fuckup Night, Cologne & Duesseldorf
  • Tech Cocktail Austin
  • World Business Dialogue
  • Rheinland Pitch (Germany's largest startup pitch event)
  • DRadio Wissen
  • WDR Fernsehen
  • RuhrSummit
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Advance Day Cologne
  • Startup Pirates
  • Lean Camp
  • Business France, Impact Germany
  • Campus Party, Berlin
  • Interactive Cologne
  • Startup Week DUS
  • Werkbank Heinsberg, last-minute keynote speaker stand-in for the (at the time) Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry in NRW, Dr. Pinkwart
  • Global Startup Weekend Facilitator (retired)
  • & more
Vidar Andersen speaking, Erasmus Tech Comunity @ Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Here speaking on how to use tech for better at Erasmus Tech Comunity, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Organizer

" [...] Vidar is what some would call "a hustler". He runs several local meetups in Cologne and works tirelessly. Easily someone I'd count among the people I'd start a company with, given the opportunity."

- Named one of the five "must know" people in the German startup scene by Liam Boogar, Editor The Rude Baguette

The EPIC team responsible for bringing Startup Weekend to our region in 2012

Here with the fabulous "OG" team responsible for bringing the "Startup Weekend" format to Cologne, DE (and making it an EPIC success) in 2012, including EPIC special surprise guest - the founder of Startup Weekend himself, Andrew Hyde!

 

Mentoring / Coaching

On a panel discussion with State Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr. Pinkwart, about the Gruenderstipendium NRW

As a jury member for the Gruenderstipendium NRW in Cologne and Duesselforf since its inception, here on a panel discussion about the program so far with the (then) State Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr. Pinkwart.

  • Startup Weekend, worldwide
  • Lean Startup Bootcamp, Baghdad Iraq
  • Founders Institute, Cameroon
  • gBeta Alaska
  • Ignition+, Duesseldorf
  • STARTPLATZ, Cologne & Duesseldorf
  • Greentech meets NRW
  • Gruenderstipendium NRW
  • WHU Accelerator
  • CurveUp, Sri Lanka
  • XY Accelerator, Moldova
  • Synthesis, Constructor University, Bremen
  • Young Entrepreneurship Summit, Bremen
  • Jacobs Startup Competition, Bremen
  • 3DS @ WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management, Vallendar
  • Impact Germany, Business France
  • USAID Moldova
  • Avatech Accelerator, Tehran Iran
  • Bertelsmann University
  • Startup Braga, Portugal
  • My Open Office Hours since 2007
  • & many more

 

*Please note as of February 24th 2022, bookings are not available to Russian owned or controlled companies, subsidiaries, GOs, etc long as the illegal invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine is ongoing, Russian troops are still in Ukraine, and Putin remains in power. Thank you for understanding.