Scaleups in Aarhus #3
Once again, we’re bringing together a group of experienced scaleup leaders (Founders, CEO, CTO, CMOs, and similar roles).
Date: January 28th, 2026
You’re invited by: Startup Aarhus
Time: 15:00–19:30 (including dinner & wine)
Location: At Emplate, Søren Frichs Vej 42R, 8230 Åbyhøj
Parking: Parking is available in front of Emplate’s office with license plate registration; however, spaces are limited, so we recommend nearby paid parking here.
Price: Free
Seats: Max 35 (invite only)
Program:
15:00: Snacks, coffee, and cold refreshments
15:20: Welcome by Sisse from Startup Aarhus & Simon Staack from Emplate
15:25: Facilitated leader groups – you’ll be matched with other startup leaders who are navigating similar challenges. These closed-door sessions are a space to share real dilemmas, challenges, and lessons learned. Facilitators include Kåre Kjelstrøm (CTO), and Simon Staack(CEO). More facilitators and topics will be announced soon.
17:00: Elite athletes never perform alone.
Behind every top performance is a team, a system, and a framework designed for winning. But what about startup leaders?
At this session, Thijs Nijhuis challenges how we think about high performance in startups, and asks what founders can learn from elite sport when the stakes are high, the pressure is constant, and support is limited. What if performance isn’t about pushing harder, but about building the right foundation?
18:00 Dinner & informal hangout (Please let us ([email protected]) know if you’re not staying for dinner, have any allergies, or if there’s anything else we should be aware of).
Meet our speaker Thijs Nijhuis
Thijs Nijhuis is a Danish elite long-distance runner, Olympic marathon athlete, and medical doctor. He has competed at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships, won more than 10 Danish national gold medals, and holds several Danish youth and senior records. Alongside his athletic career, he works with performance, health, and sustainability at the highest level.