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Etribes x House of AI Hamburg

A boost for Hamburg's digital economy. The new House of AI brings AI minds from companies of all sizes together in the HafenCity to further strengthen Hamburg's role in this new industry in Germany and Europe. It is modeled on the House of AI in San Francisco, which already operates successfully in the AI capital of the world. A Hanseatic digital pioneer is also on board. The Hamburg digital consultancy Etribes is the first partner, involved from the start. It became known across Germany through its part in founding the fashion retailer About You. Today it is one of the leading implementation-focused digital consultancies in Germany.

Yara MolthanPartner, Commerce Transformation

02/09/2026, 4 min read

Five people from Etribes and House of AI Hamburg smile on a street beneath an elevated railway bridge in Hamburg.

At the new "House of AI," startups meet mid-sized companies and large corporations

Hamburg, September 8, 2026. A boost for Hamburg's digital economy. The new House of AI brings AI minds from companies of all sizes together in the HafenCity to further strengthen Hamburg's role in this new industry in Germany and Europe. It is modeled on the House of AI in San Francisco, which already operates successfully in the AI capital of the world. A Hanseatic digital pioneer is also on board. The Hamburg digital consultancy Etribes is the first partner, involved from the start. It became known across Germany through its part in founding the fashion retailer About You. Today it is one of the leading implementation-focused digital consultancies in Germany.

As recently as 2020, according to the Chamber of Commerce, Hamburg lagged clearly behind Berlin, Munich and North Rhine-Westphalia in AI startups and projects nationwide. Six years later, a lot has changed thanks to Hamburg Chamber of Commerce initiatives such as the AI Compass, city programs, and networks from business and science, so that Hamburg is now considered "up and coming" on AI. According to the Startup Association, Hamburg saw an 83 percent increase in new startup founding in the first half of 2026. The main reason is the AI boom across all industries. The growing density of AI startups now puts Hamburg among the top locations per capita. With Hamburg chosen as the site of the House of AI, the city gets a point of contact to differentiate itself as an AI hub in the long term.

A community for Hamburg AI founders and established companies

House of AI Hamburg is an independent initiative, founded in Hamburg and locally backed. It is connected in friendship with, and inspired by, the House of AI of the same name in San Francisco, but legally and operationally independent. Following that model, Bojan Jukic and Gunnar Froh are bringing fresh international impulses to Hamburg. The House of AI is an international community and a physical place where founders, developers and companies building the next generation of AI applications regularly meet, exchange ideas and network. Founder Gunnar Froh explains the idea behind it, "The best impulses, collaborations and ideas emerge where people come together in the same room. As Hamburg entrepreneurs, we want to kick that off in the HafenCity. 45 founders from 28 startups are already on board. Together with Etribes, we will expand the community beyond the startup scene to mid-sized companies and large corporations."

Founding Partner Etribes connects the House to Hamburg's business community

The Hamburg digital consultancy Etribes works for DAX companies and mid-sized businesses and knows where new potential lies. "As the first Founding Partner of House of AI Hamburg, we bring AI startups together with established companies to anchor innovations from the House of AI in Hamburg's economy. C-level guests from companies benefit from real solution approaches from the AI community, and the House of AI's AI startups benefit from Etribes' experience in developing and transforming digital business models," says Tobias Stamatis, CEO of Etribes.

On the roughly 1,000 m² space in the HafenCity, several AI events will take place each week. 3D printers, lasers, drones and more also let people explore AI's potential physically.

Also planned are joint events for transformation leads from Hamburg companies, creating a space for exchange every quarter.

AI Mavericks. The stage for the people who bring AI into German companies

As the centerpiece of the partnership, Etribes and the House of AI are launching the AI Mavericks, an exclusive, quarterly meetup series especially for executives and change agents who make AI actually work

Keynote / Impulse. A strong speaker on what really matters in implementing AI in corporates.
The Real Story. Dr.-Ing. Maryna Feierabend, AI Lead at Hamburger Energiewerke and Founder of KI@KONZERNE, gives an unvarnished account of the 5 steps that really count in AI transformation.
Entertainment. Live demo battle, "AI or Not", audience voting. Learning with a show element.
Networking. Food & drinks, honest exchange on equal footing with curated peers, decision-makers and the builders from the House.