Find the Opportunity
Learn from founders and industry leaders who have built real companies. Across eight speaker sessions, discover their journeys and the unsolved problems they see in their fields. Choose a problem space for your own project, supported by a kick-off and a methods masterclass. After the talks, continue the conversation over food and drinks with speakers and fellow students, and start building your network.
| For whom | Bachelor’s and Master’s students, all disciplines |
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| Credits | 6 ECTS (accreditation depends on the study program) |
| Period | October 22, 2026 - February 4, 2027 |
| When | Thursdays, 5:30–7 pm |
| Format | Hybrid (Munich campus, Garching, or online) |
| Language | English |
A Glimpse of the Experience
Watch a kick-off from Innovative Entrepreneurs, the predecessor to Opportunity Hunters. This summer 2024 retrospective gives you a feel for the speaker sessions; it does not yet show the new project structure.
By playing, you agree that content from YouTube will be loaded.
Schedule for Winter Semester 2026/27
- Sessions take place on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 pm.
- Mostly in a hybrid format: on site at TUM Campus Munich or Garching Forschungszentrum, or online.
- After the speaker sessions, you complete your own six-week fieldwork on a rolling schedule.
- Submissions, peer review, and the closing showcase follow during the examination period.
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October 22, 2026
Kick-off as part of Climate Week,
Problem Space 1: Helmut Schönenberger, CEO UnternehmerTUM and Vice President TUM; Gyri Reiersen, Co-Founder and CPO, Tanso -
October 29, 2026
Methods Masterclass
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November 5, 2026
Problem Space 2: Philipp Engelhardt, Director Entrepreneurship & Tech Education, UnternehmerTUM
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November 12, 2026
Problem Space 3: Hubert Altschäffl, Executive Board Member for Human Resources (CHRO), MAN Truck & Bus SE; speaker to be announced, MAN SE
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November 19, 2026
Problem Space 4: Felix Poernbacher, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, DeepDrive
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November 26, 2026
Problem Space 5: Jean-Pascal Lutze, CEO and Co-Founder, NoMaze
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December 3, 2026
Problem Space 6: Stephan Herrmann, Co-Founder and CEO, Reverion
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December 10, 2026
Problem Space 7: Gloria Seibert, Entrepreneur, Investor and Board Member (Founder of Temedica)
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December 17, 2026
Problem Space 8: Flora Geske, CEO and Co-Founder, summ.ai
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January 7–28, 2027
Fieldwork, submissions, and peer review
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February 4, 2027
Final event on site
How the Project Works
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Explore with AI: Choose a real problem space and use AI to map sub-problems, stakeholders, existing solutions, and trends. Capture your findings and prompts in full before starting fieldwork.
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Investigate in the real world: Without AI, explore the same problem space through interviews, observations, and a field day. Validate who is affected, where the problem occurs, what it costs, and how often it happens. Examine systemic connections and use trend analysis to separate signals from noise.
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Compare AI with reality: Reflect on where AI was helpful, what it missed, and where it diverged from your evidence. Question its output and your own assumptions.
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Learn from your peers: Review five fellow students' problem analyses against a shared rubric. Give constructive feedback and receive feedback on your own work.
The best work is presented at a closing showcase.
Choose Your Version
Opportunity Hunters comes in two versions that share the same speaker sessions and structure. Which one you take depends on your study level.
| Opportunity Hunters – Bachelor | Opportunity Hunters Pro – Master |
|---|---|
| Focus on opportunity recognition: Your Problem Space Document explains why the problem represents an entrepreneurial opportunity and which founding-story insights shaped your view | Research-grade problem study with at least eight primary interviews, planned and analyzed independently |
| At least three primary interviews or field observations | Advanced methods masterclass on theoretical sampling, coding, reflexivity, and triangulation |
| Methods masterclass on the essentials of qualitative research | At least three texts from the curated reading list, referenced in your Problem Space Document |
| New: now open to Management and Technology Master’s students |
By the End of the Course, You Can
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read a problem space like an entrepreneur and identify opportunities
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break broad problems into concrete, addressable sub-problems
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validate problems with evidence: who is affected, where, at what cost, and how often
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understand systemic connections between problems
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use trend analysis to identify meaningful signals
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apply interviews, field observations, and field days as qualitative research methods
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explore with AI and critically compare its output with real-world evidence
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reflect on your assumptions and how fieldwork changes your perspective
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communicate your findings clearly and convincingly
Registration
- Opportunity Hunters is open to everyone.
- No prior knowledge of entrepreneurship is needed; just bring an open mind and curiosity about real problems.
- Fluent English is required, as all sessions and assessments are in English.
- ECTS: TUM students and researchers can earn 6 ECTS (accreditation depends on the study program). To do so, also register for the exam on TUMonline.
Guest listeners are welcome.
Please email opportunity-hunters@unternehmertum.de.
Questions About Opportunity Hunters?
Do you have questions about the course, registration, or attending as a guest listener? Get in touch with the Opportunity Hunters team: opportunity-hunters@unternehmertum.de
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Selin Yilmaz
Educator
Partners
Supporting Partners
FAQs
Do I Need a Background in Entrepreneurship?
No. The course is open to all disciplines and study levels. Bring curiosity about real-world problems and an open mind.
Do I Need My Own Startup Idea?
No. Choose a real-world problem space, often raised by a speaker, and explore its entrepreneurial potential. Start with the problem, not the solution.
Is This Group Work?
No. Your project and assessment are individual. You do, however, exchange structured feedback with peers.
Can I Participate Online?
Most sessions are hybrid. You can join online or on site and plan your fieldwork within the given timeframe. The final event takes place on site.
Is There Time to Network?
Yes. After the speaker sessions, food and drinks are on us, so you can meet the speakers and fellow students in a relaxed setting.
How Is the Course Graded?
There is no written exam. Your grade is based on four parts: AI analysis and critique (5%), Problem Space Document (50%), reflection on AI versus primary research (25%), and peer review (20%).
How Many Interviews Do I Need?
In the Bachelor version, you conduct at least three primary interviews or field observations. In the Pro version (Master), you conduct at least eight interviews and reference at least three texts from the reading list.
What Is the Difference Between the Two Versions?
Both share the same speaker sessions and structure. The Pro version (Master) goes deeper, with a larger interview study, advanced methods, and a curated reading list. See “Choose Your Version” for details.
Is This the Same as Innovative Entrepreneurs?
Opportunity Hunters is its successor. The speaker sessions remain at its heart, the project work is new and more hands-on, and the course is now worth 6 ECTS. If you have already taken Innovative Entrepreneurs, you can still take Opportunity Hunters.