DWIH San Francisco Hosts Falling Walls Lab

For the sixth time since its founding in 2022, DWIH San Francisco hosted a Falling Walls Lab in the San Francisco Bay Area to provide a stage for students and early-career professionals to share their transformative ideas with a global audience. Co-organized by the German Consulate General San Francisco, this year’s pitch competition brought together seven finalists, a distinguished jury, as well as high-level representatives from the diplomatic corps at the German Hub in San Francisco’s Financial District. 

Francisca Obermeyer, Deputy Consul General at the German Consulate General, delivered opening remarks highlighting the enduring importance of Falling Walls as a world-class pitch competition inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall and dedicated to breaking down scientific, technological, and societal “walls” through an international exchange of ideas. She shared her personal background with family on both sides of the Iron Curtain, an experience shared by millions before the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the reunification of Germany in 1990. In her view, the Falling Walls Lab demonstrates how the exchange of ideas can overcome differences and promote international exchange in the interest of science. 

Hanni Geist, Senior Manager for University Relations at the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) USA, introduced the format of the Falling Walls Lab competition as well as this year’s finalists and jury members. Participants have three minutes to present their ideas, including thirty seconds for a rapid Q&A session with jury members. The jury panel included venture capital leader Daniela Caserotto-Leibert, healthcare entrepreneur Keerthi Vishnudas, Vice Head of the German International School of Silicon Valley Frauke Ritter, and Stanford-based researcher and entrepreneur Camila Quintero – experts with wide experience evaluating research and business proposals.  

Falling Walls Lab San Francisco Bay Area 2026 included a wide array of impressive pitches from various disciplines ranging from display technology and vehicle emissions to sustainable agriculture and cultural stewardship, highlighting the breadth of talent Falling Walls attracts among young researchers and early-career professionals.  

This year’s winner, MinJae Kim from Stanford University, shared a creative solution to a problem many of us deal with every day: how much energy our phone and computer screens use. He designed a thin material that makes screens brighter while using much less power – an idea that could make everyday devices far more energy-efficient. As the winner, he has the unique opportunity to present his idea to a global audience of innovators at the 18th Falling Walls Science Summit in November in Berlin.  

The pitch competition was followed by an informal networking reception connecting the finalists and jury with a diverse audience of students, researchers and professionals from the Bay Area transatlantic community. DWIH San Francisco looks forward to more opportunities to welcome young talent to the German Hub in San Francisco and to learning from their innovative solutions to the challenges of our time. 

You can find all photos of our Falling Walls Lab here.