Welcome to the September 2024 Startup News from Startuprad.io! This episode covers the most impactful developments in the startup scenes of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Stay informed about key trends, funding rounds, and industry shifts that could influence your business or investment decisions.

Key Highlights:

1. Intel Pauses €30B Chip Factory in Germany

   Intel has halted its €30 billion chip manufacturing project in Magdeburg due to cost-cutting measures and financial challenges, despite a €10 billion investment from the German government. We discuss the implications for Europe's tech industry and startups.

2. Magic AI Secures $320M Led by Eric Schmidt

   Vienna-based Magic AI has raised $320 million, led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, elevating its valuation to $1.5 billion. Magic aims to revolutionize coding with its AI-powered developer assistance software. Learn how this could impact the European AI landscape.

3. Flink Raises $150M for Quick Commerce Expansion

   Berlin's Flink secured $150 million to expand its quick-commerce services in Germany and the Netherlands. Despite a volatile market and a valuation just below $1 billion, Flink aims for profitability and growth. We explore their strategy.

4. Northvolt Faces Financial Challenges

   Swedish battery maker Northvolt is experiencing financial difficulties linked to troubled partnerships with automotive giants like Volkswagen. We examine how this affects Europe's green energy goals and the startup ecosystem.

5. Germany's WIN Initiative Unveiled

   Germany introduces the WIN Initiative to inject €12 billion into its startup ecosystem by 2030. Backed by major players like Deutsche Bank and Allianz, the initiative aims to improve access to capital and foster innovation.

6. DePoly Tops Swiss Startup Awards

   Swiss startup DePoly wins the 2024 Top 100 Swiss Startup Awards for its innovative plastic recycling technology. We highlight what sets DePoly apart in the Swiss innovation scene.

Additional Insights:

• Austria's Hydrogen Valley: Austria plans to invest €578 million to build Europe's first Hydrogen Valley, aiming to produce over 10,000 tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

• Berlin's Startup Revival: Mayor Kai Wegner outlines plans to rejuvenate Berlin's startup scene, targeting a top-three position in Europe.

• Major VC Fundraisings:

  • Insight Partners nears a $10 billion fund closure.

  • Atomico raises €1.12 billion to invest in Europe's top founders.

  • Headline secures an $865 million growth fund focused on European startups.

  • Redalpine launches its largest fund yet at $200 million.

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• Original Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/categories/startup-news

This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian Startups - June 2024 | Startuprad.io

Welcome to our June 2024 wrap-up, where we bring you the latest news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, all in under 30 minutes!

In this episode, recorded with Chris in New York City and Joe joining from Frankfurt, we cover the top highlights from June 25th:

### Highlights:

- Check24's Massive Marketing Campaign: Check24 launched a major campaign, distributing 5 million free Puma football jerseys in Germany, costing around €100 million. This initiative has sparked vibrant online discussions and driven app downloads, despite privacy concerns.

- Aviation News: Lilium seeks €300M in government aid to advance its "Lilium Jet," while Volocopter continues to vie for funding.

- Insurtech Updates: WeFox faces internal strife that could significantly lower its valuation from $4.5 billion, while Clark is preparing for a substantial funding round under new leadership.

- Amazon's Investment in Germany: Amazon announces an additional €10 billion investment in Germany, focusing on cloud data storage and logistics, bringing their total investment in the country this year to €17.8 billion.

- DeepL's Milestone: DeepL becomes Germany’s most valuable AI startup with a $2 billion valuation, following a $300 million investment.

- Black Semiconductor's Major Funding: Black Semiconductor secures €254.4 million to boost Europe's semiconductor industry, with plans to open a pilot facility in Aachen by 2026.

- Cognigy's AI Advancements: Cognigy raises $100 million to enhance AI-driven customer service automation, supported by major brands like Lufthansa, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz.

- Flix's Strategic Moves: Flix considers private equity investment from EQT, potentially acquiring a 30% stake and altering Flix's path to a public offering.

Join us as we delve into these stories and more, highlighting the dynamic changes and strategic shifts in the DACH startup ecosystem. Stay informed with the latest developments in tech and entrepreneurship in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

For more in-depth coverage and analysis, visit our blog at [startuprad.io/blog](https://startuprad.io/blog).

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Welcome to our May 2024 wrap-up, delivering vital news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—all in 30 minutes or less! 🎧

Join Chris from New York City and Joe from Frankfurt as they bring you the latest updates in the GSA region. Due to Whit Monday and travel plans, this news cut is from May 16th. Any news not covered today will be included in our next wrap-up.

#### Schedule:

- Next Episode: June 27th

- Summer Wrap-Up: September 2nd (Labor Day)

We'll have a lighter summer program, possibly with more frequent updates, based on listener requests.

#### Highlights:

The startup scene is roaring back in GSA, with large investments and early-stage innovations. Grab a drink and a snack—this episode is packed with positive news and is longer than usual.

- New VC Funds Raised: Over $7.5 billion

- Germany's Air Taxi Dilemma: Lilium and Volocopter are at a crossroads, with France offering subsidies while Germany debates state support.

- Amazon's €7.8 Billion Investment: Development of a purely European cloud storage infrastructure in Brandenburg.

- WeFox Challenges: Valuation setbacks amid growth challenges.

- Alzheimer's Research Boost: Takeda and AC Immune's $2 billion partnership.

- Biontech's Resilience: Despite Q1 losses, Biontech advances its oncology pipeline and prepares for a renewed push in COVID vaccine demand.

For detailed news and updates, visit our [blog](https://startuprad.io/blog) with all the latest stories. Interested in collaborations or advertising opportunities? [Storefront](https://workspace.passionfroot.me/startupradio).

Don't forget to subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to stay updated with the latest news from the GSA startup scene!

---

Detailed Topics:

1. Will German Air Taxis Fly?

Germany debates support for air taxi startups Lilium and Volocopter, while France offers subsidies. Lilium is in advanced talks with the French government for expansion plans and potential financial aid. [Read more](https://buff.ly/3UBNCHS).

2. Amazon's Investment in Brandenburg:

Amazon's €7.8 billion investment in Brandenburg to develop purely European storage capacities highlights its commitment to data sovereignty. [Read more](https://buff.ly/3V1PJpN).

3. WeFox Valuation Takes a Hit:

WeFox faces valuation woes amid growth challenges, impacting its once promising trajectory in insurtech. [Read more](https://buff.ly/3UIByES).

4. Alzheimer's Research Collaboration:

Takeda teams up with Swiss firm AC Immune in a deal potentially exceeding $2 billion to fight Alzheimer's. [Read more](https://buff.ly/4dJN5wk).

5. Biontech's Oncology Advances:

Despite significant Q1 losses, Biontech continues to advance its oncology pipeline and prepares for a renewed push in COVID vaccine demand. [Read more](https://buff.ly/3wDhn33).

Revolutionizing Data Analysis: The Journey of Scavenger.ai

In this exciting episode of Startuprad.io, host Jörn "Joe" Menninger sits down with Maximilian Hahnenkamp, the co-founder of Scavenger.ai. Max shares his remarkable journey from being a professional field hockey player in Austria to founding an innovative AI startup in Frankfurt. Scavenger.ai is making waves in the world of data analysis, offering cutting-edge AI tools that simplify complex data management for businesses.

Max discusses the company’s impressive €1.1 million pre-seed funding and their plans for a full software launch by June 2024. He also emphasizes the need to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for startups and talks about the ongoing efforts to expand their team and attract new investors.

Key Topics Discussed:

- Early Beginnings: How Max’s field hockey career shaped his entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.

- Internship Insights: The impact of Max’s internships at Deloitte and the Financial Times Challenge on his journey.

- AI Challenges and Opportunities: The unique challenges in the AI and big data landscape that led to the creation of Scavenger.ai.

- Technical Innovations: How Scavenger.ai’s trio of AI tools work together to provide unparalleled data insights.

- Scalability and Growth: The factors that have enabled Scavenger.ai to scale effectively.

- Funding and Investment: The role of early funding from HTGF and CampStorm Ventures and future investment plans.

- Customer Focus: How Scavenger.ai’s flexible AI solutions cater to a diverse range of industries and customers.

- International Expansion: Preparations for global expansion and the advantages of GDPR compliance.

- Team Growth: The skills and qualities Scavenger.ai looks for in new hires.

- Support for Startups: How local governments and innovation hubs can better support early-stage startups.

About Maximilian Hahnenkamp:

Maximilian Hahnenkamp is a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Vienna, Austria. His journey combines a background in professional sports and academia. He led Austria's youth national field hockey team and pursued studies in business law and management. Max’s innovative thinking and leadership skills culminated in the creation of Scavenger.ai, an AI startup focused on transforming data analysis for enterprises.

About Scavenger.ai:

Scavenger.ai, based in Frankfurt, aims to revolutionize data analytics through AI. With €1.1 million in pre-seed funding, the startup offers a unique solution for data analysis, featuring AI tools for data cleaning, statistical analysis, and interpretation. Their scalable infrastructure supports multiple languages and ensures GDPR compliance, catering to clients ranging from SMEs to large enterprises in various sectors.

Venture Capital Funding:

Scavenger.ai’s notable investors include HTGF and CampStorm Ventures. Interested in participating in the next funding round? Reach out to explore investment opportunities.

Tune in for an insightful conversation on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of AI-driven data analysis.

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🌟 April 2024 Startup & Tech Wrap-Up 🌟 | Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Biotech Breakthroughs, Fintech Boom & Space Innovation 🚀

In just 30 minutes, get the latest on the hottest entrepreneurship news from the heart of Europe! From groundbreaking acquisitions to futuristic ventures, here's what you need to know:

🔬 Novo Nordisk's €1.025B Biotech Splash! Discover how Novo Nordisk's landmark acquisition of Cardior Pharmaceuticals is reshaping the biotech landscape.

🚁 Volocopter's €150M Boost! Despite challenges, Volocopter gets a significant funding injection for its flying taxi vision.

💡 Zolar Shines with €100M! Learn about Zolar's massive credit line and its innovative financing options.

💰 ELEMENT Scores €50M! Explore how ELEMENT is revolutionizing InsurTech with its latest funding round.

🏦 Berlin: Fintech Capital! Berlin solidifies its status as the Fintech Capital with 160 thriving startups.

🛰️ Mynaric's Space Laser Triumph! Witness Mynaric's milestone in global space development with the CONDOR Mk3.

Don't miss out on the latest tech and entrepreneurial breakthroughs! Watch now for all the details. #entrepreneurship #technews #startupscene #startupradio

Find all links and show notes here:

https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-march-april-bb97d8243696

Lower your Costs of ISO 27.001 and SOC 2 Compliance by up to 85% [with our Parnter Vanta]

Achieving ISO 27001 or SOC 2 compliance can unlock major growth for your company and build customer trust, but this process can be time-intensive and costly. Vanta automates compliance, getting you audit-ready quickly and saving you up to 85% of associated costs. And Vanta scales with your business, helping you enter new markets. Join 7,000 global companies like Atlassian, Flo Health, and Quora that trust Vanta. Claim 20% off Vanta at https://www.vanta.com/startupradio

🚀 Discover the Future of Infrastructure Inspection with Twinsity's AI-Driven Technology! 🛠️

Welcome to Startuprad.io! In this episode, we're diving deep into the world of cutting-edge innovation with Twinsity, a startup revolutionizing infrastructure inspection using AI and drones. 🌐 Join us as we chat with Fabien Chalas, co-founder of Twinsity, who unveils their groundbreaking drone technology for inspecting aging infrastructure. 🏗️ Their software creates high-resolution 3D models and utilizes AI to detect defects like cracks and rust, ensuring safety and efficiency.

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🌟 What You'll Learn:

• How Twinsity's technology is reshaping infrastructure inspection.
• Their journey from a family business to a global startup.
• Plans for expansion into North American and Latin American markets.

Sponsored by Hessen Trade Invest and the European Enterprise Network, this episode explores the transformative impact of Twinsity's work on infrastructure maintenance. Whether you're an investor, tech enthusiast, or curious about the future, this episode is a must-listen!

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🔍 Key Questions Discussed:

• How does Twinsity's remote-first approach impact recruitment and company culture?
• What are the technical challenges behind drone-based inspections?
• How does AI enhance defect detection compared to traditional methods?

🌐 About the Founder:

Fabien Chalas, co-founder of Twinsity, brings a wealth of experience from his background in software engineering and renewable energy infrastructure. His vision drives Twinsity's mission to revolutionize infrastructure inspection.

🚀 About Twinsity:

Twinsity, founded by Fabien Chalas, leads the way in infrastructure inspection with its advanced drone technology and AI-driven defect detection. Their innovative approach ensures safety and reliability for critical assets worldwide.

Don't miss out on the future of infrastructure management! Tune in now to learn how Twinsity is transforming the industry.

💡 Find all blog posts with all the links on our blog

https://medium.com/startuprad-io/twinsitys-ai-driven-approach-to-safeguarding-structural-integrity-startuprad-io-e-423-4d0af81e5ca7

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Welcome to our March 2024 wrap-up with vital news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

Our startup news is recorded with Chris in New York City and Joe in Frankfurt. Recording date is March 25th 2024 and all news not included will be in our next news to be released on April 25th 2024.

Happy Easter!

Today we publish on Holy Thursday (Gründonnerstag) in Germany. Note that the Friday before and Monday after Easter are public holidays. Many people will take off around the holidays. So don’t expect your calls to be returned promptly during this time.

A Seismic Shift in the Regional Startup Scene

You are witnessing a seismic shift in the GSA startup scene with us here and today. The headlines of our startup news used to be dominated by fintech funding. Now we have more than 7 billion € investments in green startups (battery, renewable energy) vs. “only” around 150 million in fintech funding in different forms. This is surely a foretaste of what’s to come.

Our Highlights:

The European energy landscape is witnessing significant developments with key investments across sectors.

Northvolt’s Gigafactory in Northern Germany, backed by €900 million in subsidies and a €4.5 billion investment, aims to produce 1 million car batteries annually, driving electric vehicle adoption and job creation.

Enpal secured €1.1 billion in refinancing commitments, while Sunfire raised over €500 million, bolstering Europe’s green hydrogen economy.

ENVIRIA secured $200 million in capital from BlackRock, signaling confidence in the solar sector.

Solaris Bank secured €96 million in funding but faced a €6.5 million fine from BaFin, reflecting fintech regulatory challenges.

Magic gained traction with open AI’s and Tesla’s former Andrej Karpathy as investor, and Bitpanda established a €50 million VC fund for blockchain startups. However, the startup community grapples with stress, with nearly half considering quitting, underscoring the toll of rapid innovation.

Let’s talk startups: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-march-2024-a49996ca44f9

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Housekeeping & Time to Brag — Celebrating one Million Downloads in a Quarter!

1 Million confirmed downloads in Q4 2023: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7176895440510955520/

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The Hosts

The news are co-hosted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger, startup scout, founder, and host of Startuprad.io. And Christian “Chris' ' Fahrenbach, co-founder Startuprad.io, freelance reporter, lecturer, author and blogger . Reach out to them:

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🚀 Welcome to Startuprad.io – Your Ultimate Destination for Tech Entrepreneurship News! 🌟

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In this episode, we dive deep into the latest tech and startup highlights shaping the landscape of innovation. Join us as we explore groundbreaking developments and game-changing investments that are driving progress in the tech world.

🔍 Our Highlights:

1. Microsoft's bold move to invest 3.3 billion euros in expanding data centers in Germany is a testament to the importance of AI and cloud computing. Chancellor Olaf Scholz applauds this commitment to progress and global openness.

2. Vienna-based AI startup Magic secures a whopping $117 million in funding, setting ambitious goals to surpass ChatGPT-4 with its AGI ambitions. Meanwhile, Stuttgart's Instagrid raises an impressive $95 million to expand into North America with its innovative portable battery systems.

3. Amidst the success stories, we also shed light on the challenges faced by fintech and MedTech sectors. Elinvar grapples with insolvency despite a hefty €50 million investment, while Sanity Group, a cannabis company, makes tough decisions by cutting staff.

4. But there's no shortage of triumphs! BioNTech emerges victorious in a lawsuit, Flixbus makes strides by expanding to India, and Mondu secures a massive €30 million for its expansion plans. However, changes in German insolvency regulations pose new challenges for debt-funded startups like Instafreight.

5. And lastly, EV charging platform Monta electrifies the scene by raising an impressive €80 million for its European expansion, signaling a bright future for sustainable transportation.

Stay ahead of the curve with Startuprad.io as we bring you the latest updates and insights from the dynamic world of tech entrepreneurship. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to never miss out on our exclusive content! #technews #startupradio #entrepreneurship #innovation #techinvestments #ai #cloudcomputing #AGI #fintech #medtech #biontech #evcharging #MontaExpansion

Let's talk startups: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-february-2024-c5d6ea9a5b5c

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Executive Summary

In this episode of Startuprad.io, host Jörn "Joe" Menninger interviews Martin Cudzilo, founder of ARCheck, discussing the challenges in the cleaning industry and the development of augmented reality technology. Cudzilo shares his entrepreneurial journey, the potential for AR and AI to revolutionize cleaning, and the impact of ARCheck on efficiency and cleaner support. They delve into the challenges of managing sick leave, the early development of ARCheck, and the upcoming launch of the minimum viable product. The episode provides insights into the transformation of the cleaning industry and the powerful potential of augmented reality technology.

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Our Enabler HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Learn more here: https://www.htai.de/ and https://www.een-hessen.de/

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The Founder

In this episode of Startuprad.io, Jörn "Joe" Menninger welcomes Martin Cudzilo as the esteemed guest. Martin, with over 25 years of experience in the cleaning industry, has a deep understanding of the challenges faced in this sector. His entrepreneurial journey began with the establishment of his own cleaning company, where he recognized the need for innovative solutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of cleaning operations.

The Startup

AR-Check, the innovative startup founded by Martin Cudzilo, has emerged as a game-changer in the cleaning industry. The company has completed two rounds of fundraising and is currently open to new investors for its third funding round. AR-Check's groundbreaking and disruptive project aims to revolutionize the market by integrating augmented reality (AR) technology with cleaning processes, providing real-time guidance and quality checks for cleaners.

Venture Capital Funding

AR-Check is currently in the process of raising its Series A funding. You can reach out to Martin via LinkedIn, or leave it to us to make

Tune in to the latest episode of our podcast, where we discuss the top news and trends in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) startups. From European unicorns to emerging tech companies, we cover it all in this monthly show. Don't miss out on the latest tech news and startup updates!

Our Highlights:

Joe already did a 2023 review focused on valuations and investments. All publications more or less agreed that 2023 was hopefully rock bottom for startups, their valuation, funding and founding of new ones and it should get better. Thumbs pressed for that (as is German custom). Our former guest Finn raises 100 M€, unicorn 1Komma5 Grad is looking for 100 M€, Unzer loss amounts to 400 M€ and Everphone raises 270 M€. Despite the dire situation, almost 2,500 new startups were founded in Germany. Also one should take notice of Karlsruhe, a city with a world-class technical university, that is home to INTERATEC which raised 118 M€ for efuels. Please, take a moment and match again all the bad news we have gathered here and weigh it against entrepreneurs sticking their heads out and even raising hundreds of millions from investors. Congratulations to those brave ones! Let's talk startups:

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Find all links and Show Notes Here:

https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-january-2024-startuprad-io-e-412-8aed840bed61

#startupradio #startupnews #startuppodcastgermany #technews #technologynews #techpodcast

Join us for a deep dive into the startup world of Germany in 2023! We'll recap the latest trends in startup valuations and investments, featuring top Berlin, Hamburg, and other German startups. Learn about the innovative ideas and entrepreneurs driving the German startup scene forward. Don't miss out on this valuable information for investors and aspiring entrepreneurs alike!

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https://medium.com/startuprad-io/deep-dive-a-recap-of-2023s-startup-valuations-and-investment-trends-d0d876b4cd1e

We are talking about #Startupscene #germanstartuppodcast #germanstartups #startups #innovation #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #businessnews #insolvencies #earlystageinvestment #seed #seedfunding #preseedfunding #laterstagefunding #valuation #privateequity #venturecapital #fundraising #deeptech #biotechnology #AI #europeanstartupodcast #europeanstartup #startupeurope #ecosystem #ecosystems #scalablestartups #jobcreation #marketcapitalization #dealvolume #europeanperspective #cleantechnology #cleantech #fundingslump #biotechcompanies #entrepreneurinterviews #startupradio

Welcome to our December 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂. Our startup news is recorded with Chris in New York City and Joe in Frankfurt. The recording date is December 19th, 2023 and all news not included will be in our next news to be released on January 25th, 2024. Note: We will take a holiday break until January 18th, 2023, when you can expect the first publication in the new year.

Our Highlights:

Aleph Alpha's AI models get bad press. Escooter Tier lays of one-fifth of the workforce. Solarisbank also fires employees, and so does the Austrian scale-up neoom. Sport Alliance gets 100 M US$ funding and Hugo Boss chips into a sustainable fashion fund. Trade Republic is now a fully licensed bank and Instafreight has to file for insolvency. In total, we have more than 30 M US$ new VC investments in Austria, more than 25 M US$ investments in Switzerland, and more than 400 M US$ investments in Germany, vs only three insolvencies. Yes at the core we are very positive :-). It feels better, at least a bit. Let's talk startups:

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🚀 Elevate your business with Freshworks! 🌐 Unlock a game-changing 90% OFF on their powerful customer engagement tools! 🌟 Seize the moment to supercharge your success. ⏰ Don't miss out - the future of seamless customer experiences awaits! 🚀 #deals https://www.joinsecret.com/?r=c94534197f2d

All Links and Show Notes

Here is our blog post: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-december-2023-startuprad-io-e-409-f30d787f0c1f

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Welcome

Welcome to our November 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

Our Highlights

AI startup Aleph Alpha raises half a billion dollars, CMBlu raises 100 mn € for energy storage, WeFox gets 55 M US$ from Deutsche and Unicredit, and Vanguard pulls the plug on their German robo advisor. It seems that Sono Motors has found an investor to keep going at least until the end of 2024 and the German subsidiary of WeWork also has to file for insolvency.

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Our Enablers

This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our https://linktr.ee/startupradio

Top News

Aleph Alpha raises 500 mn US$

Heidelberg-based Aleph Alpha raises a total investment of more than half a billion US Dollars from a consortium of industry leaders and new investors for their AI for Enterprises and Governments.

CMBlu Energy raises 100 mn €

German Energy scale-up CMBlu offers „warehouses for energy", with batteries storing up to gigawatt hours. They now raised 100 million Euros, with Strabag being the sole investor, one of Europe's largest construction companies, based in Vienna.

WeFox Raises 55m US$

Deutsche Bank and UniCredit back $4.5 billion insurance startup Wefox with $55 million in fresh funds. WeFox is an online insurance broker and it did not raise equity, so their valuation stayed the same.

Sono Motors May Have Found An Investor

Sono Motors was once hailed as a new hope for the German startup scene, listing early in the US in November 2021. The company wanted to increase the reach of electro-cars by adding solar cells but ran into many problems while developing electro-cars. In the end, they had to file for insolvency but are now restarting with tech that allows the retrofitting of solar panels for fossil fuel busses. Sono Motors filed a 6-K form with the SEC saying that the company secured its survival for 2024, apparently most of the 250 employees can find further employment. Read more in our blog post: Sono Motors Finds Investor https://buff.ly/3Rjuo9t

Vanguard Pulls The Plug on Their Robo Advisor in Germany

Vanguard's German robo advisor costs millions and scores only 4 mn assets under management (AuM) at the end of 2022. A disaster according to FinanceFWD. To put this in perspective: Scalable Capital had 11 months after launch more than 100 mn AuM

WeWork Germany Files For Insolvency

WeWork's German subsidiary filed for insolvency - the company had issues everywhere.

Find the full news with all links and show notes here:

https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-november-2023-startuprad-io-e-405-99d9efb6f3ff

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Executive Summary

In this episode of Startuprad.io, host Jörn "Joe" Menninger interviews Michael Duttlinger from Cashlink. They discuss the importance of transparency with shareholders and how communication is key during a pivot. Cashlink, a leading registrar for tokenized securities in Germany, aims to disrupt the securities market and provide a more cost-efficient and transparent alternative to traditional intermediaries. They recently raised €7 million in a fundraising round and are collaborating with major financial institutions in Germany. Cashlink is focused on growth, acquiring new issuers and clients, and building its regulated financial institution to support the growing market for tokenized securities in Germany.

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Our Enabler HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Learn more here: https://www.htai.de/ and https://www.een-hessen.de/

Questions Discussed in the Interview

• How has transparency played a role in Cashlink's relationship with shareholders? 
• In what ways did the communication with shareholders intensify during the pivot period?  How does Cashlink differentiate itself from traditional infrastructure providers such as Clearstream Banking Frankfurt? 
• What benefits does tokenization bring to participants in the securities market? 
• How has Germany's progressive regulation for tokenization contributed to the growth of Cashlink and the ecosystem as a whole? 
• What challenges did Cashlink face during its pivot from a fintech for money transfers to a tokenization market focus? 
• How did Cashlink navigate investor and stakeholder concerns during the pivot period? 
• How does increased competition in the tokenization market disrupt the traditional securities market and benefit investors? 
• What role does automation play in making securities handling more cost-efficient and creating new investment opportunities? 

The Founder

Michael Duttlinger, the founder of Cashlink, started his fintech journey with a typical garage story reminiscent of those heard in Silicon Valley.

All Links and Show Notes

https://blog.startuprad.io/revolutionizing-securities-exploring-tokenization-and-transparency-with-cashlink-e-403-f655217533fc

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Welcome to our October 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

This time we wrap up October 2023 in our 400th episode!

Our startup news are recorded with Chris today in Germany and Joe in Frankfurt. The recording date is October 25th and all news not included will be in our next news to be released on November 30th.

This time we made more cuts to our news here. We hope you like the lighter version of it. If you think we cut too much, feel free to let us know.

For everyone who celebrates it: Happy Halloween AAAAAAAAAAAAAAND Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Highlights:

BioNTech is a very special case in Germany, but now one of their former Senior Vice Presidents (Katalin Karikó, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2023 for her research in mRNA). Two German companies IPOed (yes, no startups, but still a good sign). Solar startup Nexwafe starts 120 M € funding, Black Semiconductor from Aachen is looking to raise 500 M €, and there is bad news about the former unicorn Infarm.

Let's talk startups:

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Our Enablers

This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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Top News

Former Employee of BioNTech Receives as 13th Women Nobel Prize in Medicine

BioNTech is a very special case in the German startup world. During corona, they have been assumed to be responsible for 0.5% of GDP growth of all of Germany, one of the five largest economies in the world. Now they have another very unique distinction: A former Senior Vice President (2013–2022) of the company Katalin Karikó, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2023 for her research in mRNA. Congratulations to her, being the 13th woman to have won a Nobel prize in medicine, she is sharing the prize with Drew Weissman.

Solar Startup Hunting for 100+ M € in Funding at 500 M Valuation

Freiburg, Germany-based solar startup Nexwafe starts new funding, aiming for 120 m € in Venture Capital at a valuation of up to 500 M €

Black Semiconductor 500 M € in Funding

Aachen, Germany-based chip startup Black Semiconductor about to close large funding of 500 M €, with up to 70% of government funding. The founders are looking to develop a new way to connect elements on semiconductors but may need up to 7 years for the...

Executive Summary

In today's episode, we have a very special guest joining us, Christian Rebernik, CEO & Co-Founder of Tomorrow University. We'll dive into Christian's journey, from his early days as a CTO of companies like Scout24 Group, dating Website Parship, World Food Program, bwin, or N26 to his current role in shaping the next generation of banking and now building a next-generation university. We'll explore how he's bridging the gap between technology and education, revolutionizing the way we learn and empowering future change-makers. Stay tuned for an engaging and enlightening conversation on the innovation landscape, the role of online learning, and the power of meaningful connections in business and personal relationships. Let's get started!

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This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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The Founder

Christian is the CEO and Co-Founder of Tomorrow University. He is a CTO with a strong technical background, but his key strength lies in his ability to understand and leverage technology for business growth. Christian believes that it is crucial for developers to have a clear understanding of the customer's needs and the reasons behind the work they do. In his past experiences, he noticed the negative impact of treating developers as mere "coding monkeys" without involving them in customer interactions. This motivated him to establish Tomorrow University, where developers are encouraged to engage with customers and align their work with business objectives. Christian's mission is to bridge the gap between business and technology, empowering developers to make a meaningful impact through their work.

The Startup

What sets Tomorrow University (https://www.tomorrow.university/) apart from its competition is its unique approach to learning. They have developed a cutting-edge learning model that emphasizes real-world challenges and hands-on experiences, taking students out of their comfort zones.

All Links and Show Notes Here is our blog post: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/from-cto-of-n26-to-founding-a-non-profit-online-university-startuprad-io-0e68274207aa

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Welcome to our summer 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

This time we wrap up September 2023. There have been a lot of news sad (insolvencies, final closures, …), but also good ones (expansions, fundings, …) that we just had to make a selection in order not to bore you to death.

Our startup news is recorded with Chris live in New York City and Joe in Frankfurt. The recording date is September 26th and all news not included will be in our next news to be released on October 26th.

Our Highlights:

We track close to 500 mn Euros in newly announced investments in GSA. We have the first defense tech unicorn in Berlin and a lot of great news from Greentech startups in Germany. Some proptechs are not doing well, but not all startups associated with construction are performing poorly, as shown by the fundraising from Schüttfix. Long-distance trucking gets more autonomous with FERNRIDE and some bank news: Deutsche Bank uses Swiss DLT startup Taurus' technology and we learn more about JP Morgan's retail offering in Germany. Unicorn Flix already hired banks for their IPO in H1 next year. We also keep you updated on the bank holidays in Germany in the next weeks.

Let's talk startups:

Find all links and show notes here: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-september-2023-startuprad-io-e-397-40c9c7b5fa2c

Welcome to our summer 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in around 30 minutes sometimes less 🙂.

This time we wrap up July and August. We came up with the summer news because the September news has always been very long, overcrowded, and covered 3 months. That was a bit too much of a break and too much news in one piece. So we looked to wrap up summer and since the US is an important market and Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer it seems like a good fit.

This summer has been a bit different and there has been a lot of news, so we focus more on the most recent ones and we have cut a lot of news here.

For everybody in the US who celebrates it: Happy Labor Day!

Find all links to the quoted news on our Medium blog: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-summer-2023-july-august-episode-fdb709d89fbd

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Our Highlights:

Binance has not - yet - gotten permission to operate in Germany from BaFin, Nextwind raises 750 m US$, Bitpanda surpasses 1 M customers in Germany and Germany sets a new record in new founders. We also shared that SAP wants to invest in Aleph Alpha, they confirmed this and two more.

Germany's law for legalizing cannabis falls short of the expectations of cannabis entrepreneurs. Europe dominates climate fintech funding and the overall fintech funding shows a sign of life. Bafin also stopped mini VC investments - trashing the business model of some fintechs - AND we found newly closed VC funds in excess of 2.8 bn US$ that are open to European founders.

Our Enablers 

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Top News 

Du kommst hier ned rein 🙂 Is the usual saying in Frankfurt if a Bouncer won't let you in a Club

Fintech blog Finance Forward reports German finance oversight BaFin signals no license for Binance for Germany. So they can neither advertise nor expand in Germany. To be clear, this is not a final NO, but rather a "Binance keeps trying, but BaFin signaled a No"

750 M US$ for Wind Energy

Wind Energy in Germany: StartUp Nextwind raises 750 M US$ Venture Capital investors include Sandbrook Capital, Canadian funds Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), and Imco

Bitpanda - The Austrian Unicorn

Surpasses 1 million customers in Germany alone https://buff.ly/44mMyKP it is not sure how many of them are really active, but that is always a tough question, even for the startups. But the question is important since one only makes money with active users.

Germany Sets a New Record in Founders

Despite the current economic situation, Germany has the highest share of founders in 24 years!!! According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Germany had a larger than 9% founder quota, meaning people from 18–64 who (co) founded a new business within the last 3,5 years (Young...

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Find all blog posts with all the links on our blog https://medium.com/startuprad-io/navigating-the-insurtech-landscape-thinksurances-rise-in-the-digital-insurance-era-startuprad-io-1555e1d35e0a

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Executive Summary

In this episode of Startuprad.io, our guest is Florian Brokamp, CEO and Co-Founder of Thinksurance. Brokamp discusses the positive economic state of the company, the importance of smart investors analyzing macroeconomic trends, and the growing industries of AI and insurtech. He emphasizes the stability of the insurance industry and the need for digitalization. He shares insights on their fundraising journey and the different parts of their company's offerings. Florian also highlights the importance of proper risk valuation, data transparency, and providing value to distributors, customers, and insurers. Overall, Thinksurance's vision is to connect insurance carriers, distributors, and customers through its technology platform.

Questions Discussed in this Interview:

How did Thinksurance navigate the fundraising process and secure funding for their business?

What were some of the challenges Thinksurance faced during the fundraising process, and how did they overcome them?

How does Thinksurance differentiate itself in the B2B commercial insurance space in Germany?

How does Thinksurance use data to address the lack of transparency in the insurance industry?

What is the importance of properly pricing risks in the insurance industry, according to Thinksurance?

How does Thinksurance define their target user and how do they cater to the needs of different types of users?

How has Thinksurance's market coverage and relevance increased through onboarding large associations and brokers?

How does Thinksurance aim to streamline the consultation process and provide value to distributors, customers, and insurers?

What is Thinksurance's approach to hiring and maintaining a strong company culture?

How does Thinksurance plan to further penetrate sales channels and collaborate with partners to address their digitalization needs?

The Founder

In this episode, our guest is Florian, the CEO and Co-Founder of Thinksurance, an insurtech startup from Frankfurt, focused on revolutionizing the commercial insurance industry through their technology platform. Throughout the episode, Florian shares insights into the economic landscape, the challenges of fundraising, and the growth potential of industries like AI and insurtech. He highlights the importance of finding investors who believe in the long-term vision and emphasizes the need to update legacy systems in the insurance industry.

The Startup

Thinksurance is a German insurtech company that provides digital insurance solutions for businesses and brokers. As mentioned by Florian Brokamp, the CEO and Co-Founder of Thinksurance, the company focuses on updating the legacy systems of the insurance industry, enabling a seamless and efficient consultation process between customers, insurers, and brokers. They offer a comprehensive suite of services including core consultation, Consult Direct service, and a data suite that collects and analyzes market...

Welcome to our June 2023 wrap-up with vital news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

We follow our top-down structure in the news.

Welcome to our startup news wrap-up for June 2023 by Startuprad.io with Chris from New York and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on June 27th, 2023. All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode. Find all links to the quoted news on our Medium blog link below.

Note: We will now go into the summertime: In July and August we will only publish content every other week AND the next startups news will be our summer wrap-up, to be published on September 4th, in the US celebrated as Labor Day.

Our Highlights:

1 Komma 5, a Greentech startup, becomes a unicorn after only 23 months. We are wondering if this is the rise of climate tech startups already? Switzerland has a record funding with Teylor of 275 m €. GetYourGuide shows travel tech is back in favor of VCs with 194 m US$ funding. Germany and Intel agree on subsidies and investments for a new mega chip factory worth more than 30 bn Euros. Fernride, a pioneer of autonomous electric trucks, gets a 30 M US$+ Series A funding.

Let’s talk startups:

Top News 

The Rise of Climate Tech Startups Has Begun, So It Seems

Hamburg’s 1KOMMA5° has raised €430 million — and just become a unicorn at just 23 months old

Related: 1KOMMA5 buys danish solar company Viasol

Related: 430 mn debt funding

A Record Funding for Switzerland

Swiss-based SME lending fintech Teylor raises 275 m Euro, gaining Barclays as a new investor. Other investors include M&G Investments …

Traveltech Startups Seem to Be Back

GetYourGuide raises $194 million to fuel curated travel experiences and global expansion

30 bn For a New Chip Factory

Intel, Germany strike record €30B deal for chip mega-factory

Do You Know Fernride?

FERNRIDE a German pioneer of autonomous, electric trucks, raises 31 M USD in Series A funding

Find all Links and Show Notes here

https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-june-2023-episode-388-960515c65b87

Startups, Venture Capital, Unicorn, New Unicorn, Europe, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scaleups, Tech News, Venture Capital News, Startup News,

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Welcome to our May 2023 wrap-up with important news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

We follow our top-down structure in the news: First, the top news, then we look with a bird's eye view at the startup ecosystem in the German language countries, dig deeper by looking at exciting startup cities and end with general news. And for those serious about startups, there is even a collection called: "Stay Ahead of the Curve," where we share in-depth reads, articles, studies, and podcasts.

Our next news episode will be published on June 29th, and then we are - for the news - in summer break.

Our Highlights:

Germany is now officially in a recession, but one with barely any unemployment. Also, we still track many startups going out of business, BUT the overall picture is improving. The German VC and PE Barometer - which captures the mood of many German investors - is showing an uptick. This shows especially in the massive amount of new funds raised; they promise a bright future for startups! We tracked at least 3,4 bn Euros of newly raised funds, which will be invested entirely or partially in startups in Europe and GSA. Look at our medium blog; we have more information on what the investors are looking for and how to pitch them. We also have investments and exits worth at least 5,4 bn Euros and news in this episode, including WeFox, Tier Mobility, Infarm, Blinkist, Bitpanda, Aleph Alpha, Sono Motors, and many more.

Let's talk startups:

Find all links and the other news here: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-may-2023-episode-385-87fd564d483a

Tune in to our 24/7 Tech Entrepreneurship Internet Radio Station here:

www.startup.radio

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Top News

Deal or No Deal?

Getir is in talks to take over German grocery app rival Flink | Financial Times

But then: Flink's sale to Getir fell through. Now Flink is raising 150 M € from investors, including grocery giant Rewe and Doordash

Tier Mobility to Merge with Competitor

European e-scooter giant Tier Mobility maps route to merger

Will Infarm Be Soon Outfarm?

Infarm keeps shrinking and is leaving Europe, reports Handelsblatt. The greenhouse startup reportedly has only 80 employees in Europe left and will get an investment at an unknown valuation for their relocation - likely to the Middle East with low energy prices

Blinkist Makes a Large Exit!

Berlin-based startup Blinkist is sold to Australian education startup Go1 for an undisclosed amount, reported to be "hundreds of millions." Blinkist offers short wrap-ups of nonfiction books as text or audio

Large Drops in Valuations are Not Only for the Small...

Executive Summary

In this episode, Joe interviews Lukas, co-founder of Minds Medical, and Ingo, senior partner of SYNPULSE. The story follows the pivot of Minds Medical from a healthcare-focused AI startup serving hospitals to its services for fintech/insurtech companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discuss the challenges of extracting structured data from unstructured medical documents and the potential applications of this technology in the insurance industry. The conversation highlights the joint offering of intelligent document processing for the insurance industry and the acquisition process between the two companies.

When Corona hit, all hospitals stopped picking up the phone. So we had to focus all our energy on the insurance product.

Lukas Naab, Founder Minds Medical

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With SYNPULSE8 we are now building a product for the global insurance market.

Lukas Naab, Founder Minds Medical

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Our Enabler HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen 

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Learn more here: https://www.htai.de/ and https://www.een-hessen.de/ 

We discovered for example that one large hospital in Germany has more than 200 different forms just to discharge patients. [And there are more than 1.800 different hospitals in Germany]. This amount of unstructured data requires machine learning and AI to be useful.

Lukas Naab, Founder Minds Medical

The Founder

Lukas is the founder and CEO of Frankfurt-based AI startup Minds Medical. Since the acquisition of Minds Medical he is in the new company the principal product owner for SYNPULSE8. During the outbreak of corona, hospitals had many other things to do and just stopped picking up the phone, all at the same time. So Minds Medical had to focus completely on their insurance product. They eventually decided to join forces with SYNPULSE since they already had a joint offering for disability insurance providers.

The Startup

Minds Medical was acquired by SYNPULSE, now known as SYNPULSE8. This becomes part of their offering to insurance companies and insurtech startups, active in the healthcare space. The problem these insurers are facing is the sheer amount of unstructured medical data they get bombarded with...

Executive Summary

Learn how to acquire competitive advantages in your eCommerce ventures with a buy & build strategy, unlock potential growth and add new capabilities: In this episode, Joe, interviews Peter, the founder of an AI startup called Pythia. Peter discusses his company’s buy-and-build strategy for acquiring e-commerce startups, which involves integrating them into their standardized processes and assigning brand managers or CEOs to oversee them. He also talks about the challenges facing companies in the current market, including rising prices, tighter financing, and more restrictive customers. Peter’s company is looking for profitable e-commerce companies with solid earnings and adjusted earnings, and they plan to continue buying until late 2027, with the goal of reaching €80 million in revenue and €20 million in profit. 

There has been a kind of Bermuda triangle created by external forces for e-commerce companies recently. Financing becomes more expensive, inflation increases production prices and consumers are more restrictive with their purchases

Peter Hart — Founder and CEO DIPQ and Pythia

Happy Father’s Day

At the day of the publication of this interview, we celebrate in Germany Father’s Day. In Germany, the day is always celebrated on a Thursday, Ascension Day, also a public holiday in Germany, which gives fathers time to celebrate.

Happy Father’s Day!

Note: Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May in Germany, where we do not publish, so no Mother’s Day episodes exist. Sorry to all mothers, and belated happy Mother’s Day as well! 

Over the last 12 months, we looked at the demand for consumer products and made a buy or build decision, which always ended up to be a buying decision, due to the lower multiples.

Peter Hart — Founder and CEO DIPQ and Pythia

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We usually look at Shopify stores. If they are not, we move them over time to Shopify.

Peter Hart — Founder and CEO DIPQ and Pythia

The Founder

Peter Hart is a young and exceptional entrepreneur. He appeared in Germany’s version of Shark Tank and got a deal for 200.000 Euros as a 25-year-old. Currently, he is not even 35 and already runs 12 brands simultaneously. You can learn more about how he achieves this in the Starting Y interview in the links on the blog post.

He started with a body aftershave brand called Dr. Severin and then went on to develop the software he used to forecast consumer trend tools into the AI startup Pythia. With this, he built and bought several consumer brands and now logically continues this approach by buying up profitable e-commerce shops with Dipq (no website).

Currently there are not many investors active. For all of our acquisitions we have been the only ones bidding.

Peter Hart — Founder and CEO DIPQ and Pythia

The Strategy

Peter has with Pythia a competitive advantage in...

Welcome to our April 2023 wrap-up with important news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

Our Highlights:

Considerable funding made headlines last month. We have more than 600 M euros in funding in our highlights alone. A potential large exit: Software AG, the Darmstadt-based listed software company, is close to a 2.4 bn US$ exit with an offer from Silverlake Partners. Also, Berlin-based Blinkist may be close to a 200 M € exit. Hundreds of millions of raised funds were announced by Enpal (via ABS), Isar Aerospace, IntegrityNext, Razor Group, and Tado. Also, SAP is close to investing in Germany’s hottest AI startup Aleph Alpha from Heidelberg. Diverging picture in Airtaxi space: Lilium is looking for new investors; Volocopter builds the taxis and expects them to fly in less than 500 days at the Paris Olympics.

Let’s talk startups:

Top News

Software AG Close to a Multi-Billion Acquisition

Private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners, based in Menlo Park, is close to buying Germany’s Software AG in $2.42 billion deal. The offer is already public, reported Reuters. Shares of listed Software AG jumped 53% at the announcement. The investor already knows the company: In February 2022, Silver Lake had invested 344 million euros in the software developer’s convertible bond, which upon conversion would represent nearly 9% of issued Software AG shares.

Enpal Raises More Than 300 M€

Enpal raises up to €356 million via Securitization of Solar Receivables with first German residential solar ABS. ABS are asset-backed securities, that means if Enpal can not pay interest or pay back the final sum, the investors have the collateral (assets) backing the security

Blinkist Close to 200 M € Exit

Reports blog Deutsche-Startups, with an offer from an — yet unnamed — American company. The blog, with its founder Alexander Hüsing is usually pretty well informed and has been right before.

Isar Aerospace Closes €155 Million Funding

Isar Aerospace closes €155 million Series C funding round, ignition sequence start, all engine running. Investors are 7-Industries Holding, Bayern Kapital via its Scale Up Fund Bavaria, Earlybird Venture Capital, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (Porsche SE), UVC Partners, and Vsquared Ventures

100 m € for IntegrityNext

The company has been bootstrapped for seven years, but now IntegrityNext takes €100 million from EQT Growth fund.

Razor Group Raises 88 M US$

Berlin-based Razor Group, an e-commerce aggregator, closes Series C at $88M at $1.2B valuation, acquires Stryze to consolidate.

Tado Raises Money, As IPO Plans Falter

Smart thermostat startup Tado wanted to IPO but then came Corona and Ukraine. They originally wanted to explore a sale or IPO after their 2021 fundraising, but the SPAC deal faltered and they needed to adapt. So they raised 46.9 M US$. Their existing investors already include Siemens, Amazon, and EON.

SAP To Invest In AI Startup Aleph Alpha

German press reports that the software giant SAP is about to invest in German ChatGPT competitor Aleph Alpha, which also claims to have eliminated fake news from its software. As yet, the valuation and investment are not known.

Related: Heidelberg-based startup, a competitor of ChatGPT, claims to have eliminated fake news from its tool Luminous

Airtaxi Lilium is Looking for New Money, and Volocopter is Planning to Fly

Airtaxi Lilium: 0 Euro revenue, 253 mn € losses. They are looking for new investors. Volocopter on the other hand, wants to start operating their drones as taxis ASAP. They also pledged to operate their air taxis in Paris, during the Olympic Games, in less than 500 days.

Related: Volocopter starts production — founders magazin

All Links and Show...

Executive Summary

Learn how CreditShelf, a leading German fintech company, secured 100 million euros of investment from Goldman Sachs and what that means for businesses seeking credit.

CreditShelf recently received 100 mn € from Goldman Sachs to lend out via their platform; Goldman joins other investors like the European Investment Fund. The fintech works with Raisin Bank to get SMEs loans within four weeks. They IPOed already in 2018 in Frankfurt as the first pure-play fintech in Germany.

The Founder

Daniel is a returning guest. We interviewed CrediShelf shortly after their IPO in 2018 (link below). Daniel holds an MBA from the University of Mannheim and a Ph.D. from the University of Düsseldorf. He has experience s a management consultant from Kienbaum and Bain & Company. He has also been an executive director for Swiss banking giant UBS for eight years in their investment bank (Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities (FICC)) in Zürich and Singapore. He is one of the three co-founders of CreditShelf, which was set up in 2016, and currently acting as the CFO of the company.

The Startup

CreditShelf is a credit platform connecting institutional investors and German Mittelstand (German small and medium enterprises). They provide corporate loans using a licensed bank (Raisin Bank). The loans work as a fast stand-alone solution (can be paid out within 4 weeks) or part of a more significant credit, involving other parties and banks. The company has successfully developed an online credit marketplace platform whose processes are supported by proprietary, data-driven risk analysis software. On their platform, they offer loans for companies located in Germany from 100.000 € to 5 M €, stretching up to 5 years for supplies, scale-up, real estate, and M&A. The CreditShelf platform models the entire credit process, from the loan application through credit analysis and risk management to loan disbursement and servicing.

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All Links and Show Notes

Here is our blog post: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-fintech-got-100-mn-from-goldman-sachs-to-invest-creditshelf-782d9f2223b7

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:50 Daniel Bartsch, CFO - Former Management Consultant and Investment Banker

00:03:16 The Company - CreditShelf

00:13:42 Loan Demand in Germany Outstripping Supply

00:23:44 CreditShelf’s Outlook on the Economy in 2023

00:25:18 Hessen and Frankfurt as Startup Hub

#startupradio #startup #startups #fintech #fintechfinance #fintechstartups #fintechstartup #frankfurt #germany #credit #sme #lending #lendingcompany #credit #venturecapital #technology #techstartup #techstartups #joemenninger

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Intro

Welcome to our March 2023 wrap-up with important news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

We follow our top-down structure in the news: The top news, followed by a bird’s eye view at the startup ecosystem, next deeper looking at fascinating startup cities, and we end with general information. And for those serious about startups, there is a collection called: Stay ahead of the curve, where we share exciting reads, articles, studies, and podcasts.

Welcome to our startup news wrap-up for March with Chris from New York City and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on March 27th, 2023. A little disclaimer: You may have noticed a lot of stress in February here at Startuprad.io. We should have remembered a few news items in our backlog and added them to this episode.

All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode for April, to be published on April 27th. Find all links to the quoted information on our Medium blog link below.

If you celebrate it: Happy Easter! We also try to bring you a bit of culture from Germany here.

Our Highlights:

Good news and bad news for Fintechs Raisin and N26. Raisin gets its unicorn status back and gets a lot of new business, so much in fact that the complaints at Bafin are mounting. N26 generated 200 mn € revenue in 2021 but has to deal with a senior employee uprising. Neobank Ruuky is saved last minute. Startup Bonify reportedly makes a 20 mn € exit, but employees only get invited to a barbeque. GoStudent is a no-go with courts, and the first Goldman-backed fintech in Germany struggles. Bavarian Airlines may be just a hoax, and Grover shows the first signs on their way to an IPO.

Let’s talk startups:

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Our Enablers

This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen.

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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Register here: www.newsly.me and use the coupon code “STARTUPRAD” to get a one-month free premium subscription.

Top News

Good News and Bad News at Raisin

The rising interest...

Welcome to our February 2023 wrap-up with the important news from the startup scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 30 minutes or less 🙂.

We follow our top-down structure in the news: First the top news, then we look with a bird’s eye view at the startup ecosystem in the German language countries, dig deeper by looking at interesting startup cities and end with general news. And for those of you who are really serious about startups, there is even a collection called: Stay ahead of the curve where we share interesting reads, articles, studies, and podcasts.

Welcome to our startup news wrap-up for February 2023 by Startuprad.io with Chris from New York City and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on February 21st, 2023.

All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode. Find all links to the quoted news on our Medium blog, link below.

Our Highlights:

Rising interest rates are leading to an interest rate war between the neobrokers. We covered the troubled company Windeln.de, which is now liquidated. Farewell! Moonfare extended it’s Series C funding to more than 130 m US$, but we are not sure who invested in the last batch, since a fund is mentioned, that was also founded by Moonfare’s founder. The City of Mainz goes live with its quest to become a world-class biotech hub. N26 was reportedly in advanced talks to buy dutch broker Bux, but buxed out shortly before the closing. AAAAAAnd, we like to end on a high note: Raising is in the process of reclaiming its unicorn status with new funding. We have also some event recommendations for you and discounts from 20% to 100% for the events listed in our show notes.

Let’s talk startups:

Our Enablers

This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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Top News

Neobrokers Just Started — What May Be An Interest Rate War (Chris)

After german unicorn Trade Republic had a smashing success with offering 2% interest for money deposited there now also fellow unicorn Scalable offers even 2,3%, BUT only from 100k € on and only if you are a subscriber (4.99/month) 

Farewell Windeln.de

We have often talked in our news about the precarious position of windeln.de. Now it is finally liquidated 

Who Extended Moonfare’s Series C?

Moonfare is a fintech from Germany, allows individuals to invest in Private Equity Funds, founded by former KKR Germany Head Steffen Pauls. They cap their Series C extension round at about $15M, bringing its Series C funding to $130 million+ the Berlin-based fintech allows HNWI, family offices, banks, and their advisor's access to top-tier private markets investments. BUT German business magazin Manager Magazin reports that for this extension the only investor mentioned by name is one that Mr. Pauls has co-founded.

You can find his profile at 7 Global Capital here on their website as Managing Partner and Founder.

City of Mainz Starts to Invest some of Their...

Happy 2023, as well as a happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit. 2023 Chris and Joe will again bring you startup news once a month (with a small summer break) wrapping up what was going on — and we found noteworthy — in the GSA / DACH startups scene.

Our Highlights:

WeFox is under fire for growing with acquisitions of insurance broker pools, BioNTech makes largest acquisition in its history, DeepL confirms unicorn status and snipes at Grammarly, Solarisbank in trouble with BaFin, Trade Republic has to disclose numbers and Sono Motors gets longer runway with EU money.

Let’s talk startups:

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Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Look for Tech Startups Germany here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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Top News

WeFox got some splaining to do 🙂

Extensive, but not favorable coverage of insurtech Wefox came out this month. The main complaints are that the growth is basically driven by acquiring existing pools of insurance brokers (not really what you would associate with an insurtech startup). They made that way 600 million Euros in revenue in 2022. But these pools do not get innovative systems from WeFox, or innovative insurance offers from them, they just keep working. Also, there has been no innovative product that really drove the growth at WeFox as an innovative unicorn

BioNTech makes the largest acquisition to date

BioNTech may be one of Germany’s most successful startup companies. We talked about it in our news before, the company alone is responsible for approximately half a percentage point of Germany’s GDP Growth in 2021 — Keep in mind that Germany is the 4th largest country in the world by nominal GDP.

Here is the new piece: Mainz-based pharma company BioNTech (famous for their corona vaccine) makes the largest acquisition in its history with UK-based AI startup Instadeep

Related: BioNTech’s founder on the future of mRNA technology

Cologne-based DeepL confirms unicorn status and snipes at Grammarly

DeepL takes aim at Grammarly with the launch of Write, to clean up your prose.

Related:

Cologne-based translation tool DeepL confirms unicorn valuation for their 2022 fundraising of 100 mn US$

Solarisbank joins N26 in Troubles with BaFin

Bafin is Germany’s bank oversight body (think FSA or SEC). They have already limited the number of customers N26 can acquire due to lapses in following regulations (especially AML), now Solarisbank is in too: “Solarisbank in Germany can now only get new partners (fintech clients) with permission of German finance oversight BaFin, due to continuing problems. BaFin also sends an “observer”

Trade Republic Updates

Trade Republic generates more than 1 bn Euros inflows of new client money with 2% interest rate offer and a lot of favorable press coverage.

Also, Trade Republic has to publish their numbers: There is a legal requirement in Germany to publish your balance sheet 12 months after your business...

Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups, our startup news wrap-up for December 2022 by Startuprad.io with Chris from New York City and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on December 19th, 2022. Keep in mind, this news episode covers everything since our last news episode.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode, which will be January 2023, the first news for 2023. Guys, another year is over! Find all links to the quoted news on our Medium blog, link below

Our Highlights:

Enpal makes huge fundraising in the current environment, more than 800 mn €. Sennder doubles its valuation in the next funding round to 2 bn US$ and has already 60 mn commitments. The funding environment may be bleak, but investors announced new funds for VC and PE investments worth 3.1 bn US$ targeting startups and scaleups in GSA or Europe. One blog asks if the time of Rocket Internet is over, Matter Labs raises 200 mn, a big heist drives a startup into insolvency and Getir buys Gorillas for 1,2 bn US$, a far cry from Gorillas' former 3 bn US$ valuation.

Let's talk startups:

Top News 

Enpal Fundraising

Enpal could double its valuation in the new funding round. Berlin-based unicorn Enpal closes €855 million in debt funding to accelerate the adoption of solar energy.

Sennder Raises New Funds At Double Valuation

Digital forwarder unicorn Sennder is raising new money, at a  2 bn US$ valuation. According to the report, they already have  60m commitments.

Fundraising For VCs Went Quite Well - More Than 3.1 bn Euros Worth of New Investment Funds Have Been Closed

The largest is EQT Ventures. It has Money if your startup needs it: EQT Ventures III closes Europe's largest venture capital fund committed to early-stage tech startups. The money will go to early-stage startups in Europe and North America. For more funds, wait for our later section with new fund announcements.

A service for our audience: Learn more and send in pitches here: https://eqtgroup.com/current-portfolio/funds/eqt-ventures-iii 

Has Rocket Internet Already Seen Its Best Years?

"Mucho trouble over at Rocket Internet," wrote Robin Wauters in his readworthy newsletter for Tech.eu. The article asks if their era is over. Staff cuts and investment stop point in that direction.

Startup Brand Ranking

Jung von Matt publishes their annual  GERMAN STARTUP BRAND RANKING

Some of the top 50 startup brands are known from our news: About You, Flink, Numa Group, getquin, Vivid, Flaschenpost, Tier Mobility, Zolar, Enpal, Sono Motors, Trade Republic

Matter Labs raises 200 mn US$

Matter Labs, the Berlin, Germany-based developer of zkSync, a solution that reduces the cost of Ethereum transactions, raised $200M in Series C funding https://buff.ly/3UorChp

Not Oceans Eleven, But Still BIG

Berlin-based luxury watch marketplace Watchmaster was one of the largest marketplaces of its kind. After a spectacular robbery where 10 m € worth of watches have been stolen the company has to file for insolvency https://buff.ly/3Fi3qsG 

Getir Buys Gorillas And It Is Not Going Well For the Gorillas Founder

First, this kind of news appeared: Getir will take over Gorillas soon - according to press reports. The negotiations have been dragging on for some time now.

Then, we got the confirmation: Getir acquires German competitor Gorillas in $1.2 billion deal - where Gorillas was once valued at 3 bn...

Executive Summary

UniApp is an ed-tech startup from Germany, that helps international students to prepare for their study abroad and helps in the application process, both on their platform. They help students to find the right place to study for undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as online-only programs. Their portfolio includes now universities and colleges in 27 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Singapore, and Canada. The tool also works as a CRM for universities and colleges to streamline their international applicants.

“We bootstrapped in less than 2 months to more than 20.000 users”

Fahed Jaarah, Founder and CEO UniApp

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“We created a search engine for education that is not manipulated by ads.”

Fahed Jaarah, Founder and CEO UniApp

The Founder

Our guest today, founder and CEO of UniApp Fahed, brings a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship to the table. Having studied at universities across Europe (Cologne, Paris, Buckinghamshire outside of London), he has worked on various projects with notable organizations such as private rating agencies and investment advisers a small investment boutique. After 3 years working within this sector, he decided to take his newfound knowledge and apply it to the world of ed-tech by founding UniApp — creating a modern platform to support students during the process of looking for study abroad by matching students with mentors at universities around the world. With his expertise in launching successful businesses aiding college and university students, Fahed is quickly becoming a prominent figure in the international education community.

The Startup

UniApp (https://uni-app.com/), started out as Udrus.com and was initially designed to enable Arabic-speaking students to study abroad. However, the team soon expanded its vision to provide study-abroad opportunities for international students from all over the world, under the new name of UniApp. Using a unique application process that takes into account 600+ data points for each individual student, UniApp has become a leader in ed-tech by making the complex college application process easier and smoother for its users. With a platform that eliminates language barriers, UniApp is paving the way for study abroad programs around the globe. By focusing on the needs of the study seeker and their future potential, UniApp is playing a huge role in making study abroad accessible to everyone — whether it's internationally or from within their own region. UniApp also can match you with institutions for an undergraduate degree, advanced degree, or even an online degree.

For institutions of higher learning, the application helps them to get matched with better-fitting students and don’t have to click through many ads on search engines. The tool works as a kind of CRM program and communication tool for the institutions.

Venture Capital Funding

UniApp raised 1 mn Euros in Seed Funding in Q2 2022. They are also currently in fundraising mode again.

UniApp is Hiring

You can learn more about them on their website here: https://uni-app.com/about-us/ and reach out via the website.

All Links and Show Notes

Here is our blog post:

Our Highlights:

FTX may be history, BUT a German Blog reports there are several parties interested in buying the European Entity of FTX. FTX also triggered Bitpanda to order a special audit from KPMG. We have some more job cuts, this time the 2nd round. Gorillas may sell itself at 1 bn USD even though they have raised 1.3 bn USD in venture capital already. Air taxis are still hot, Volocopter raises more than 180 m US$ to get closer to certification and Lilium sells 100 Airtaxis to Saudi Arabia. The German VC market is stabilizing, according to KfW Research. Our former guest Creditshelf partners with Goldman Sachs and pockets 100 m Euros. Gitpod, a startup from Kiel convinces the founders of GitHub and Shopify to invest.

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Top News

FTX may soon be History, BUT

A German blog Finance Forward reports there are several parties interested in buying the European Entity of FTX, which is headquartered in Switzerland. Their information has been spot-on in other cases in the past.

Job Cuts Keep Coming - 2nd Round Now

Proptechs Homeday and McMakler enter the second round of job cuts. Homeday cuts 20 jobs (60 before) and McMakler again 100 employees

Gorillas May Sell Itself at a Huge Discount

Sequoia-backed grocery startup Getir is close to buying its troubled rival Gorillas in a heavily discounted deal said to be worth less than $1 billion. They have been valued at their series C investment at 2.1 bn US$ and to date they raised more than 1.3 bn US$.

Related: Deutsche-Startups uncovered that Gorillas (which is in the process of selling itself) paid 300 m € this year for french competitor Frichti.

Lilium Sells 100 Airtaxis

Saudi Arabia buys 100 air taxis from Munich -based startup Lilium. The delivery is expected 2025. Before the deal, they also hired former Airbus executive Klaus Roewe. Fingers crossed for them, they did not generate revenue yet, but 841 m Euros in losses so far.

Volocopter Raises 182 M US$

Volocopter raises $182M to bring air taxi closer to certification, as part of their Series E funding

The company is currently testing its two-seater VoloCity air taxi for the requirements set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Volocopter is looking to certify its aircraft in H2 2023 and generate revenue with rides in 2024.

Creditshelf Partners with Goldman Sachs

Our former guest Creditshelf partners with Goldman Sachs and hits profitability - Goldman Sachs is providing the German alternative lender for SMEs with up to €100m of secured funding. Learn more in our interview with Creditshelf here https://buff.ly/3NVANo1

Creditshelf is Germany’s only listed pure-play fintech, offering a credit platform, where investors can grant credit to German small and medium enterprises.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Our Enablers

Younium Younium is the subscription management and billing platform for B2B SaaS. Younium brings the transformative infrastructure to manage and grow your business while you focus on the things that matter. https://www.younium.com/ Tvarit Tvarit is an industrial ai startup, that helps companies to reduce rejections by 40%-60% in metal casting, as well as saving up to 18% on energy. Learn more here: https://www.tvarit.com/

Welcome to the second Episode, brought to you from the European Angel Investment Summit 2022. 

The European Business Angel Network (EBAN) is an organization that brings together business angels from all over Europe. The aim of the organization is to provide a forum for business angels to share best practices and learn from each other. EBAN also offers training for new business angels who want to get involved in startup investing. The organization held one of its two annual conferences in Brussels recently, bringing together business angel investors from all over the continent. This year's conference was particularly important, as it provided a much-needed opportunity for startup founders to connect with potential investors. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing economic uncertainty, many startups are struggling to secure funding. 

The conference offered a unique opportunity for startups to pitch their businesses to a large group of potential investors. The conference was a valuable opportunity for startup founders to meet with potential investors and get their businesses off the ground.

300 seed-stage startups applied to be at this event of which 25 have been chosen. The event took place in Brussels. 

We focused on startups from Germany and made short interviews with them on-site. If you want one or more of these startups back for a full interview, let us know in the comments or via email. The event was a great opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other startup founders, business angels, and VC investors from all across Europe. 

We also got insights into the early-stage startup scene across the continent and had the chance to listen to some great startup pitches. All in all, it was a very inspiring event that definitely left us wanting more. The next event will take place in Athens, Greece in April 2023. You can apply for the event via the EBAN website: https://www.eban.org/ 

Publication Schedule Startuprad.io

We are in the hot fall for Startuprad.io, where we publish two episodes each week, until Christmas. We will finish the year with our annual fintech review on December 25th and be back for you on January 19th, 2022.

Enabler

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Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:17 Welcome by Joe

00:01:06 Desire Dosch - Guide Care

00:06:34 Hannah Helmke - right. based on science

00:13:30 Katja Filippenko - Saatgutkonfetti

00:22:15 Nikolaus D. Bayer - German Business Angel of the Year 2020

00:26:18 Harald Holzer - HIGHEST - TU Darmstadt

Find all blog posts with all the links on our blog

https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/female-founders-at-the-european-angel-investment-summit-2-2-e63ba80f5d51

Topics discussed in this episode:

health tech, MedTech, home care, care-dependent, care at home, startup, startups, business angel, seed...

The European Business Angel Network (EBAN) is an organization that brings together business angels from all over Europe. The aim of the organization is to provide a forum for business angels to share best practices and learn from each other. EBAN also offers training for new business angels who want to get involved in startup investing. The organization held one of its two annual conferences in Brussels recently, bringing together business angel investors from all over the continent. This year’s conference was particularly important, as it provided a much-needed opportunity for startup founders to connect with potential investors. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing economic uncertainty, many startups are struggling to secure funding. The conference offered a unique opportunity for startups to pitch their businesses to a large group of potential investors. EBAN director Jacopo Losso spoke about the importance of business angels in the current climate, saying “business angels are more important than ever in these challenging times.”Losso went on to say that business angels “provide the seed funding that is essential for many startups.” The conference was a valuable opportunity for startup founders to meet with potential investors and get their businesses off the ground.

For this event more than 300 seed-stage startups applied, of which they have chosen 25 for the event. The event we attended took place in Brussels. We focused on startups from Germany and made short interviews with them on-site. If you want one or more of these startups back for a full interview, let us know in the comments or via email. The event was a great opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other startup founders, business angels, and VC investors from all across Europe. We also got insights into the early-stage startup scene across the continent and had the chance to listen to some great startup pitches. All in all, it was a very inspiring event that definitely left us wanting more. The next event will take place in Athens, Greece in April 2023. You can apply for the event via the EBAN website: https://www.eban.org/

This episode also kicks off our hot fall, where we have two episodes each week, until Christmas. We will finish the year with our annual fintech review on December 25th and be back for you on January 19th 2023.

Our Enablers

Hessen Trade and Invest

Hessen Trade and Invest is the enabler of some of the most important interviews that have been conducted for this website. Without their brand, Invest-in-Hessen.com, none of these would have been possible. These interviews would not have been possible without Hessen Trade and Invest’s willingness to help facilitate my travel and connect me with startups in their network.

Younium

Younium is the subscription management and billing platform for B2B SaaS. Younium brings the transformative infrastructure to manage and grow your business while you focus on the things that matter. https://www.younium.com/

Tvarit

Tvarit is an industrial ai startup, that helps companies to reduce rejections by 40%-60% in metal casting, as well as saving up to 18% on energy. Learn more here: https://www.tvarit.com/

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This Episode

00:00 Introduction00:16 Welcome by Joe01:46 Jacopo Losso — Managing Director of the European Business Angel Network 07:28 Philo Boras — CEO and Co-Founder Aurora Life Sciences 11:36 Nauman Basit — Founder, CEO and CTO of racksnet 16:58 Pascal Schmitt — CEO Voxel Sound 20:35 Stephane Ruiz — European...

Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups in October 2022 by Startuprad.io with Chris from Essen, Germany, and Joe from Frankfurt. We recorded this news episode on Thursday, October 20th, 2022.

Our Highlights:

Another one of our former guests gets a Snoop Dog investment. Quick delivery startup Gorillas seems to sell itself to competitor Getir, according to Bloomberg, despite an earlier announcement they are looking for more investments. Gadget rental service Grover adds 270 m € in venture debt, getting it close to 2 billion €. Our former guest Nuri (formerly Bitwala) had to file for insolvency, now investors jump ship and the company is wound down this year. Volocopter is sued by early crowdfunding backers, Home24 has a takeover offer from a brick-and-mortar furniture retailer and BioNTech takes on cancer. Also, Munich-based travel tech Holidu raises 100 m € in a combination of 75 m equity and 25 m debt funding.

Let’s talk startups:

Our Enablers

Younium

Younium is the subscription management and billing platform for B2B SaaS. Younium brings the transformative infrastructure to manage and grow your business while you focus on the things that matter. https://www.younium.com/

Tvarit

Tvarit is an industrial ai startup, that helps companies to reduce rejections by 40%-60% in metal casting, as well as saving up to 18% on energy. Learn more here: https://www.tvarit.com/

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany - Startups and Venture Capital

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Startup Raven

Top News

Europe’s Largest Cannabis Funding To Date

Europe’s largest cannabis funding to date: Snoop Dogg-backed German cannabis startup gets $37.6M Series B led by British American Tobacco

learn more about the Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 (German Startup Awards) founder Finn Age Hänsel in our interview

Gorillas May Soon Be Bought By Getir

Delivery Startup Getir in Advanced Talks to Buy Gorillas (Bloomberg). They write:

• “Proposed deal for Gorillas would be a mix of cash and equity
• The combination would give Getir, which is backed by Mubadala Investment Co. and Sequoia Capital, scale in key European markets including the UK and Germany.
• Gorillas had previously held talks with a number of competitors about the prospects for a merger or sale of its business, people familiar with the matter said previously.
• Chief Executive Officer Kagan Sumer said earlier this year that he planned to look for new financing to recalibrate the company to work toward profitability.”

Grover Takes Home 270 m €

As consumer spending tightens, yet appetites for tech remain the same, Berlin-based Grover sees an uptick in rental interest and is now bringing its debt funding to close to €2 billion to meet demand. Grover takes on more debt funding, this time €270 million from London-based M&G

Our Former Guest Nuri (Bitwala)

Will be wound down. Despite seeing interest from investors, they could not get one to sign up. So the company will be shut down until the end of the year. The last day one can use a Nuri account is in mid-December. Neobank Vivid makes...

Executive Summary

The industrial ai startup Tvarit is focused on optimizing the process of casting metals. This process is abundant for parts in robots, cars, all kinds of machines, and heavy equipment. With their approach they help their clients save up to 18% of their energy bill, increase production quality and lower the wastage of the process. Tvarit has raised almost 3 million in funding since our 2019 interview and is looking for Series A funding. Suhas founded 17 startups prior to Tvarit, with this being startup №18, for which he sees the potential to become a unicorn. We’re excited to see how Tvarit will develop industrial ai further and help factories across the world save money and produce better quality products.

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Our Enablers

Our Sponsor Younium

Younium is the subscription management and billing platform for B2B SaaS. Younium brings the transformative infrastructure to manage and grow your business while you focus on the things that matter. https://www.younium.com/

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany - Startups and Venture Capital

The Founder

Suhas is a serial entrepreneur who has founded 18 startups, including his last one Tvarit in Frankfurt. Tvarit is an industry 4.0 AI startup that Startuprad.io has been following since 2019. Suhas is an engineer by training (ISEP in Paris). Suhas has worked for more than 12 years for Qualcoom and other companies before becoming an entrepreneur. He has been (co)founding industrial companies and startups in Europe and India already in the past, so this is nothing new for him.

In this interview we focus more on the development of Tvarit, for everyone who likes to learn more, we will also link the October 2019 interview in our blog post.

The Startup

As industry 4.0 and the industrial internet of things (IIoT) continue to evolve, so too does the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing. Manufacturers are already using AI-powered robots for tasks like welding and fabricating, and the technology is quickly being adopted across the industrial sector. One area where AI is making a big impact is in metal casting. By analyzing data from the casting process, Tvarit can help to optimize production and improve quality control. As a result, factories that adopt AI-powered metal casting solutions are able to produce parts more efficiently and with fewer defects and less energy. Tvarit is one company that is leading the way in this area, and its industrial AI software is helping manufacturers around the world to improve their operations.

All Links and Show Notes

Here is our blog post: https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/tvarit-has-an-industrial-ai-that-brings-real-change-to-metal-casting-4bba280bbafc 

Topics Discussed in this Interview

In this interview we are talking about metal casting, metal casting parts, industry 4.0, industrie 4.0, industrial internet of things, ai, artificial intelligence, manufacturing,...

Our highlights:

Germany is preparing for a potentially rough winter, in many ways. Now Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe): Asked Germans not to put up any Christmas lights this season. Startups in GSA keep laying off staff, but also raising significant funds. We have our usually shortened list a bit longer this month, to show that it is not all gloom and doom here. You will also notice that the M&A activity is up, totaling 55 bn US$ in summer 2022 (for all of Europe), and is still going strong.

Let’s talk startups:

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Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany

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Blog Post

Find all links, news and show notes here: https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-september-2022-53339fae6ca7

Top News

Berlin’s Everphone extends Series C to $232M

Everphone started with their first fundraising for Series C in December 2021 and now make an additional closing of 32 mn Euros, which totals — according to PitchBook 232 m US$ Series C for their device-as-a-service model

Crypto Boom is slowing

European crypto app downloads have almost halved from 2021 amongst the biggest drops are Blockchain.com and unicorn Bitpanda.

Sifted writes “Beleaguered Austrian crypto trading platform Bitpanda saw a 65% decrease in app downloads from 563k in H1 2021 to 197k in H1 2022. In June, the company laid off a third of its employees, admitting that it had hired too fast and needed to cut back expenditure amid the crypto market rout.” VCs keep an eye on their investments and the app downloads are a proxy for growth here for them.

Insolvencies hit household names

Yes, they are not startups, but it gives you a great overview of the current environment, also for the startups

• Automotive supplier Dr. Schneider has to file for insolvency with 4000 people employed there
• Shoe retailer Ludwig Görtz is a staple in German shopping streets founded in 1875 with their big stores and 1.800 employees, now they have to file for insolvency
• German toilet paper producer Hakle is a household staple in Germany. Now they have to file for insolvency, due to high costs of raw materials, energy, and transportation
• Traditional Austrian lighting company Kolarz, founded in 1918, has to file for insolvency

Podcast monetization is getting serious with international involvement

Lots of mergers in monetizing podcasts, the first Julep from Munich was bought by Libsyn and now London-based Auddy buys Vienna-based Audiomy

More firings :-(

Keep in mind here, that most startups are likely not in financial trouble, but they rather try to extend the money they have already raised. The consensus seems to be cutting 15–20% of the workforce for most startups.

• Berlin-based escooter company Tier fires...

Executive Summary

COMPREDICT is a Darmstadt, Germany-based deep tech startup, offering virtual sensors for cars. They already convinced Michelin and Blackberry to invest, so we thought it would be about time to catch up with the team around Rafael.

Virtual sensors in a car take data from physical sensors and fuse them to generate additional measurements. Rafael Fietzek, MD and Co-Founder COMPREDICT

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Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://techstartups.sounder.fm/

A normal car has four physical wheel speed sensors to measure each wheel. With us, you need only two physical sensors and save money.Rafael Fietzek, MD and Co-Founder COMPREDICT

Feedback

We are always looking for ways to make the show better. Please take this opportunity and share your feedback with us! You can also suggest topics or interview partners that you’d like featured on future episodes by leaving a comment below — we would love to hear from YOU!!!

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Blog Post with Links and Show Notes

Find it here: https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/meet-compredict-the-startup-where-blackberry-and-michelin-invested-15b6f4aa6c70

Our Highlights

Startups in GSA did better than expected. We had a few insolvency filings, but also amazing fundraisings like Celonis 1 bn US$ combination of equity and debt funding. Insuftech Wefox raises 400 m. One can already see the signs of a downturn, M&A activity going up, as well as the news about insolvencies or job cuts/ hiring freezes. But — according to a Bikcom survey — 8 out of 10 startups are still hiring. Deal time our recent guest Qonto buys former guest Penta and there was more in a B2B neobank deal week. Even Allianz had to learn, that one can not buy fintech success and there is more news on Wirecard.

We will also bombard you with funding data on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as global numbers. Keep in mind you can read all our news on our blog https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-summer-2022-wrap-up-603e2c1939ae

Top News

Celonis Secures 1 bn US$ Funding

Celonis remains a success story with a 400 million Series D extension and a 600 mn US$ credit facility, at a valuation of nearly 13 bn US$. They are cementing their spot as Germany’s most valuable startup as well as its only decacorn. They do process mining and help to identify unrealized efficiencies. Right now, they’re helping with supply chain issues, for example.

Despite Market Conditions, WeFox Closes 400 m US$ Funding

Wefox, the Berlin-based insurtech, closes USD 400 million Series D round at 4.5 bn Dollar valuation

One Former Guest Has to File for Insolvency

• German crypto startup Nuri had a streak of bad luck. First, they announce to cut almost 20% of their headcount, then millions of their client’s money is frozen with Celsius and now a blog claimed it all hit during fundraising
• Eventually followed by an insolvency filing https://medium.com/startuprad-io/berlin-based-crypto-bank-nuri-formerly-known-as-bitwala-with-500-000-b4953e15dbfa
• Berlin-based crypto neoborker Nuri had to file for insolvency. Now the insolvency administrator says there are parties interested in buying the company

Neobrokers Facing Headwinds

• Neobrokers close to the edge: No good news from the SEC report on the poster child of all neo-brokers. Unfortunately, there is no report for Germany mentioning e.g. Trade Republic
• Robinhood almost imploded during GameStop meme stock chaos — TechCrunch
• Bankman-Fried’s FTX Is Seeking a Path to Buy Robinhood — BloombergWhat does this mean for BitPanda, Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, and N26? Do they also need to look for a strategic buyer rather than an IPO?

B2B Neobanks Had a pretty big Deal Week

Qonto Announces Plan to Acquire Penta https://buff.ly/3zwPCI3 as we have predicted two weeks before https://buff.ly/3zxUSeH we have extensive coverage of Penta from the past linked in the article, as well as an interview with Qonto’s head of Germany. Also Kontist was selling itself at a pretty hefty discount https://buff.ly/3c9pmuF

Viability of Quick Delivery Business Model still Questioned

• After only one year: Gorillas is closing shop in Belgium. Efarmz is taking over parts
• Gorillas wants to save itself with advertising from consumers and food giants of the world, the producer of the products they are delivering every day
• More signs of the current economic environment for startups: Munich-based quick delivery startup arive delivers tech gadgets and lifestyle products. They just had...

Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups in June 2022 by Startuprad.io. My co-host is again Chris from New York. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in radio syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio, and our partner station IBGR.Network.

We recorded this new episode on Monday, June 27th, 2022. Keep in mind, that we will have a summer break and be back for you with another news episode on Labor Day, which is September 5th, 2022. In this episode, we will wrap up July, and August.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode in September.

We will also slightly change our publication schedule for this July and August, mostly going to one publication every two weeks. You can keep up to date with our Google Calendar for all publications.

Our highlights:

Startups in GSA also shedding headcount, including unicorns that recently raised money. All signs point towards them extending their runway, expecting a recession. Some startups face a challenging fundraising environment, but others like WeFox want to almost double their valuations. Also, Personio and Trade Republic raise additional funds.

In our “stay ahead of the curve” section, we have a lot of articles an entrepreneur should read to prepare for the potential downturn.

German economic minister Habeck is unveiling his new startup strategy, considering even a minimum investment in VC Funds for German insurers and pension funds.

The fast delivery startups seem to hit a wall and even formerly mighty Gorillas now explores strategic options.

Let’s talk startups: https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-june-2022-2651b2b64fe

Management Summary

Germany has a coalition government in power. The coalition contract of the three governing parties “Koalitionsvertrag” wants to enable the recreational use of cannabis in Germany, during this term. Jakob and Benedikt give us an update on the timeline, expected market size, and how Canasativa wants to get a big share of this market. The brothers also expect the legalization in Germany to have a domino effect in the EU kicking off a round of legalization in other countries.

We expect legalization in Germany to be just the start for legalizing cannabis for recreational use in the European Union. Benedikt Sons Co-Founder and CEO of Cansativa

Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany

Startupraven.com

A startup’s journey can be a tough one, but it doesn’t have ́to feel like you’re alone on your quest! Invest in others’ success with us by joining our community of entrepreneurs who are building amazing things every day — no matter how big or small their ideas may seem at first glance.

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We are building the leading retail platform for in Germany, as well as the leading B2B marketplace in cannabis. Benedikt Sons Co-Founder and CEO of Cansativa

Find all links and show notes here

Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups in May 2022 by Startuprad.io — in a news recording with Christian Fahrenbach from New York City and Jörn Menninger, from Frankfurt. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in radio syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio, and our partner IBGR.Network.

We recorded this news episode on Thursday, May 19th, 2022. The next news will go live on June 30th. Keep in mind, that we will have a summer break afterward and be back for you with another news episode on Labor Day September 5th, 2022. In this episode, we will wrap up July, and August.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode in June.

We will also slightly change our publication schedule in the summer — as we have done before. For July and August, we will only post a new episode every other week (July 14th, 28th, and August 11th, as well as August 25th). We will be back to normal at the start of September.

We also partner with Artic 15 you get a discount with our code in the show notes at www.medium.com/startuprad-io

• Artic15 startupradio

Our Highlights:

We can proudly announce unicorn No 29 Taxfix, No 30 Onefootball and on the downside, RaisinDS loses its unicorn valuation. Really bad news for car sharing: BMW and Mercedes pull the plug on their joint venture. Our 2018 guest ProGlove is sold in a 500 m € deal (525 m US$) and Orderbird is sold in a 100 m € deal (105 m US$). Other unicorns are currently on the hunt for new capital and feel the heat of the current funding environment.

Let’s talk startups:

Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany This is Tech StartUps Germany by Startuprad.io, a global top 125 Tech Podcast. You will find interviews with all sorts…techstartups.sounder.fm

Startupraven.com

The best way to identify investors and cooperation partners for early-stage startups. Sign up for early access here:

Startup Raven Welcome! We know the time-consuming process of approaching investors and companies can be tedious, so we do it for you…startupraven.com

Find all news and show notes here: https://medium.com/startuprad-io/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-gsa-startups-may-2022-de23cf4942e3

Executive Summary

Exaloan started out as a rating agency for digital assets. They developed into a global platform to connect crowdlending platforms and institutional investors. They started out with the rating of digital assets. Soon they realized that it makes more sense for them to help investors with the access to lending platforms and building of their portfolio in crowdlending assets using tokenization.

Our mission is to close the global financing gap, which is a staggering 5.2 trillion US$, which means there are more than 100 m SMEs that are lacking financing.  Luca Fignani, co-founder and CEO of ExaloanWith our partners we have created a tokenization engine, a digital asset platform, on which we can create a digital token for the loans, we have sourced from crowdlending. This is really a step to the next level. We are joining digital assets with digital lending.  Luca Fignani, co-founder and CEO of Exaloan

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The Founder

Our guest today is Luca Frignani (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-andre-frignani/), the CEO and co-founder of Frankfurt based fintech Exaloan (https://www.exaloan.com/). He is an original Frankfurt boy, with roots in Italy and Czech Republic. Since he is already very international, he spent quite a bit of time studying in France Lille and Nizza. He also spent time in London and Zürich. At one time he also worked as a quant analyst, developing investment strategies.

Development banks are seeing crowdlending platforms are a very important tool.Luca Fignani, co-founder and CEO of Exaloan

The Startup

Exaloan (https://www.exaloan.com/) is a Frankfurt-based fintech company. They are a rating agency for digital assets. It is also working with its clients to give them access to international crowdlending platforms and help them to build a portfolio. They are cooperating with platforms in Germany, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, just to name a few.

Venture Capital Funding

... learn more on our blogpost at www.medium.com/startuprad-io

Welcome to This Month in GSA Startups in April 2022 by Startuprad.io — in a news recording with Christian Fahrenbach ”Chris” from New York City today and me Jörn Menninger “Joe”, from Frankfurt am Main. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in radio syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio, the blog Fundscene, and our partner IBGR.Network.

We recorded this new episode on Monday, April 25th, 2022. The next news will go live on the 26th of May, the day we celebrate fathers day in Germany. For this reason, we have at this date two publications: the news and an episode on men’s health.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode.

We also partner with the EU-Startups Summit and Artic 15 you get a discount at both events with our codes in the show notes www.medium.com/startuprad-io. You can meet Joe in person in Barcelona at the EU Startups Summit on May 12th and 13th.

The discount codes are:

• EU Startups STARTUPRADIO20
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Our highlights:

Despite slightly declining global VC investments GSA still generates Unicorns. This time we welcomed Grover and Choco officially into the league. Swiss Beqom is not confirmed, but also a massive investment. Apple and Porsche are rumored to work together on joint projects. Gorillas is looking for funding again, after raising a billion US$ (850 m Euros) in September 2021. Germany’s second most valuable fintech Mambu had to publish numbers. The corona patron registration app Luca first boomed during the lockdown, then their data protection was questioned, now they pivot to a fintech with the backing of investors including the Wefox founder.

Let’s talk startups:

Find all the links and show notes on our blog www.medium.com/startuprad-io

CO2 is a very clean way to produce biopolymers.Fabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

This is our first in-person interview since the breakout of the corona pandemic in early 2020, made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-In-Hessen.com.

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We start with CO2 and at the end of our process … there are polymers that can be used like plastics.Fabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here:

Tech Startups Germany

When you have something biodegradable, it will be lasting less than 6 months in the water.Fabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

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The Founder

We interview Fabiana Fantinel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiana-fantinel-33a24110/), an Italian, who founded her company CO2Bioclean (https://co2bioclean.com/) in Frankfurt. She has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and her Post-Doc at the Max Planck Institute brought her to Germany. She also holds an MBA.

Our process is already patented. … currently, our efforts are in working on the scalabilityFabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

The Startup

The startup CO2Bioclean is a green startup. They use CO2 to turn it into polymers that can be used like plastics but are biodegradable. The startup just received EU funding to start a small-scale plant to improve its patented process and work on its scalability.

Our material will last less than one year in the environment.Fabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

Venture Capital Funding

Received 6.6 mn Euros in total from European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator https://www.deutsche-boerse-cash-market.com/dbcm-de/newsroom/fokus-news-list/EU-Accelerator-f-rdert-drei-Bio-konomie-Start-ups-2914060 They will use the funding to start a first production facility to demonstrate the technology at industrial scale.

There will be additional funding round to start the production at an industrial stage, likely starting in 2023.

There is no microplastic from our material lasting for years in the ocean.Fabiana Fantinel, MD and Founder CO2BioClean 

Find all links and show notes on our blog www.medium.com/startuprad-io

Welcome to This Month in German, Swiss and Austrian (GSA) Startups in March 2022 by Startuprad.io — in a news recording with Chris — not from New York City today and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in radio syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio and our partner IBGR.Network.

We recorded this new episode on Monday, March 21st, 2022. The recording is one week earlier than usual, due to the travel schedules of Chris and me.

As always: All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode.

Our Enablers

Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://techstartups.sounder.fm/

Startupraven.com

The best way to identify investors and cooperation partners for early-stage startups. Sign up for early access here: https://startupraven.com/

Our highlights:

We have the 100 most influential women in startup and venture capital in Europe. There are two new unicorns to announce in GSA. Unicorn Personio set up a charity fund and Germany’s largest fintech exit (at approx 1 bn US$) is in the making. We have an exclusive interview with the CEO in charge for almost 40 minutes from July 2021. We try to touch on the Russian invasion in Ukraine as lightly as possible, only when it impacts the GSA startup scene since you get more than enough news about this tragedy on ANY OTHER outlet. Please note that this does not mean we don’t care, but it is not our area of coverage. We are also talking about delivery startups and again Wirecard. Not surprisingly, Wirecard will keep the German courts busy for years to come.

Let’s talk startups:

Find all links and show notes here: https://medium.com/startuprad-io

"We buy the on-site data from a good auditor and re-sell the data to other customers of this supplier."David Schneider, CEO and Co-Founder Qualifyze 

Our Enabler Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://techstartups.sounder.fm/

"I approached the company for an investment, and they sent me the chief of staff to vet the company. Over a few beers he decided to join me as co-founder, but the company never invested."David Schneider, CEO and Co-Founder Qualifyze

The Founder

This time our guest is David Schneider (https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%A6dr-david-schneider-1100a066/), Founder and CEO of Frankfurt-based Qualifyze (https://www.qualifyze.com/), a startup that helps in the chemical and pharma industry with audits. David did see a lot of places while studying in the Netherlands (Maastricht, Rotterdam), National University of Singapore and Università Bocconi in Italy. He was also and intern with JP Morgan in investment banking in London, Rothschild in Frankfurt, or BASF in Ludwigshafen. Before starting his own company, he was working as a consultant for more than 3 years. He tried to attract investment from a steel trading company, and he convinced the person the company sent to become his co-founder.

The Startup

Qualifyze (https://www.qualifyze.com/) started out as a marketplace for commodity chemical products, called ChemSquare in 2017. They soon realized that in the chemical and pharma industry the required suppliers’ audits are a big hassle and they pivoted to help their clients with digitizing them. These audits are essential for supply chains in the chemical and pharma industry, where faulty ingredients can lead to deaths or damage to equipment or nature.

"We decided to get the supplier qualification on our platform to make the chemical platform work and it turned into a new business model." David Schneider, CEO and Co-Founder Qualifyze

Venture Capital Funding

They raised a Series A funding round, led by HV Capital of 14 mn US$, which was disclosed in November 2021.

Welcome to This Month in GSA Startups - meaning Germany, Austria and Switzerland, for February 2022 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris from New York City and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio, our partner station IBGR.Network and the Fundscene blog.

We recorded this new episode on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022. Today we bring you everything from a new Switzerland-based unicorn to a new take on quick delivery - pardon the pun.

We start out with mega-deal in Gaming: ESL Gaming is sold for 1bn US$, Munich-based Fintechsystems is sold for 120 mn € and Aachen-based Next Ego may accomplish THE turnaround of the whole year, coming out of insolvency, they are looking to list via SPAC, valued at 1.5 bn €. Switzerland has a new unicorn, congratulations to Scandit, Gorillas wants to buy a french competitor and is thinking about a SPAC deal. Also, we have a large update on neobanks in Germany, and they are not all doing well.

Let's talk startups:

https://medium.com/@startuprad_io/this-month-in-gsa-startups-february-2022-44520c52b1eb

This Month in German Startups - January 2022

Happy New Year guys! Welcome to This Month in German Startups in January 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris from New York City and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main. This recording is sponsored by Invest-in-Hessen and Startupraven.com. It is in radio syndication with our very own station www.startup.radio and our partner IBGR.Network.

We recorded this new episode on Monday, January 24th, 2022. All news not yet included here will be published in our next news episode. There will also be a special episode on Atomico’s State of European Tech 2021 together with Bill, the founder of the IBGR Network, as an audio-only podcast.

This is a new year with 365 blank new pages, so let's write the best story possible.

Our highlights: The last year was amazing for the German startup scene, there are now officially 25 unicorns and we feel that there will be more. 60 mn for sunfire from the federal government, Go Student’s tutors and students start to critique the company, Tado is looking to IPO via a SPAC. Also Cherry Ventures had been good in snatching up stakes in unicorns early. Now Cherry raises their 4th fund.

Let's talk startups:

Tune in to our Internet Radio Station here:

www.startup.radio

Startuprad.io is globally a Top 75 Science Podcast, Top 125 Tech Podcast, and Top 650 Business Podcast (Chartable.com)

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Our EnablersInvest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

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All show notes and news links are here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-germany-austria-switzerland-january-2022/

HoHoHo Welcome to This Month in German Startups in December 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris from New York City and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.

We recorded this new episode on Monday, December 20th. All news not included here will be published in our next news episode. There will also be our annual Fintech Review on December 25th and we will be back with an AI startup interview on January 13th. So we take a few weeks off around the holidays. Happy Holidays!

We are not there yet, so let's get started:

Today we bring you another new unicorn, a monster funding of 266 mn US$ at Mambu, Volocopter calls off its SPAC IPO and gets a backlash from its early crowd investors, also Jokr is now the 3rd quick delivery unicorn - in record time - and we have an update on Sono Motors. We also take a look at the State of European Tech survey by Atomico and several news pieces on the German Venture Capital Market, as well as VC in general.

Let's talk startups:

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Enablers Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

Startupraven

The best way to identify investors and cooperation partners for early-stage startups. Sign up for early access here: https://startupraven.com/

Find all links and extensive show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-december-2021/

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We learned in our projects that charging electric cars is challenging for B2B and B2C customers Simon Vogt, Co-Founder and CSO &Charge Our Sponsor Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

Charging can still be challenging for the EV driver. Simon Vogt, Co-Founder and CSO &Charge The Founder

Simon Vogt (https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-vogt-a9a07931/), Co-Founder and Chief Sales Officer of Frankfurt-based startup &Charge is our guest today. They just raised seed funding to help online shoppers offset their climate impact and reward them with points e.g., for charging electric cars or use e-scooters.

Simon has collected already some experience in mobility. He worked in emobility projects of BMW, been with Porsche Consulting and finally been the coordinator for e-services for Porsche’s model Taycan.

Charging is more than refueling. You have time. Simon Vogt, Co-Founder and CSO &Charge The Startup

The founding team realized that charging is different from refueling, so the team behind &Charge (https://and-charge.com/#/) realized that the charging EV owner has time on his or her hands. So, &Charge started connecting charging with ecommerce, so an online buyer gets rewards points for recharging their EV or using an e-scooter or similar stuff. Currently they are covering 95% of the German ecommerce market with partnerships.

We help our customers to decrease the price of re-charging and the total costs of ownership. Simon Vogt, Co-Founder and CSO &Charge Venture Capital Funding

They just raised a seven-digit seed round (https://buff.ly/3oW9C1m) but will surely look soon at a Series A funding round. Amongst their investors are the corporate venture capital arm of energy company Helen, called Helen Ventures and Porsche Ventures.

I could be considered a pioneer or dinosaur of emobility, I stared with it 10 years ago. Simon Vogt, Co-Founder and CSO &Charge Feedback

Reach out to us, here is our audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/charge-just-raised-seed-funding-to-help-online-shoppers-fight-global-warming/

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“To accelerate our growth, we need to buy companies” Pascal Lauria, founder and CEO Cogia Our Sponsor Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

“My goal is 10 mn Euros revenue. To reach this we need to keep buying [companies]” Pascal Lauria, founder and CEO Cogia The Founder

Pascal Lauria (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascallauria/) has a very diverse background, raised in the Rhine-Main-Area his studies took him to Canada. He later worked in Taiwan, Silicon Alley (New York’s startup hub) and in Silicon Valley. He took his experience to go back to Frankfurt and set up Cogia there (https://www.cogia.de/?locale=en_us).

“Acquisitions are not always successful. We are very aware of that. We are working on it. For example, in our last acquisitions, we did not lose even one employee.” Pascal Lauria, founder and CEO Cogia The Startup

Cogia Intelligence (https://www.cogia.de/?locale=en_us) is a big data, ai startup. It provides in its current setup innovative products and solutions in the areas of web and social media monitoring, market research, and open-source intelligence. The company Cogia GmbH is the startup, the company Cogia AG is the listed entity. Pascal started Cogia in 2010 but listed Cogia AG only in 2021 in Düsseldorf. Then the two entities merged and so Cogia GmbH got listed. You can learn more about the listed entity here: https://cogia.ag/de/investor-relations/

“With the access to capital markets I want to do one to two acquisitions per year.” Pascal Lauria, founder and CEO Cogia

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/cogia-just-ipoed-and-wants-to-use-the-access-to-capital-to-drive-market-consolidation/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups in November 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris from New York City and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.

We recorded this new episode on Friday, November 19th. All news not included here will be published in our December News (to be published on December 23rd). There will also be our annual Fintech Review on December 25th and we will be back with an AI startup interview on January 13th. So we take a few weeks off around the holidays. We are not there yet, so let's get started:

Today we have escooter Tier’s newest funding and acquisition, N26 pulling the plug on their US operations already in January 2022, and the amazing IPO of Sono Motors on NASDAQ. There are also new unicorns, we proudly present Frankfurt’s first unicorn, the insurtech Clark.de. Also, Razor Group (an Amazon shop buyer) becomes a unicorn with a 125 mn US$ fundraising. In November, there is no unicorn tracker. We will keep our eyes open and maybe the next news will have a unicorn tracker companion.

Happy Thanksgiving to our US audience!

Let's talk startups:

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2021/

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Enablers Invest-in-Hessen

This show was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

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News Text and Show Notes

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2021/

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The Enabler

This interview was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest with their brand Invest-in-Hessen. You can learn more about them here (https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/). We also run a dedicated sub-podcast with all interviews and news in cooperation with them. Find it all here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

We started serveral early SaaS Platforms and Fastbill was one of them. We just solved our problems at the time. René Maudrich, MD Germany FreshBooks The Founder

In this interview, we talk to one of the most experienced fintech founders in the greater Frankfurt area. René Maudrich (https://www.linkedin.com/in/renemaudrich/) is the CEO and founder of Frankfurt-based accounting and invoicing fintech Fastbill. They have been bought by Toronto, Canada-based, fintech unicorn Freshbooks (https://www.freshbooks.com/). He now holds the position of managing director of FreshBooks Germany.

Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors?

Get scouted by us, when we a have matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database: https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8 We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

We became a top 3 provider in GSA (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), but we also have clients in 13 other countries. René Maudrich, MD Germany FreshBooks The Startup

Fastbill (https://www.fastbill.com/) was one of the early fintech startups, that have been around, before fintech was a thing. They help small companies and freelancers with their invoicing and accounting. They are a top 3 provider for this kind of software in Germany. You can learn more about them here:

Also, Mario (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahachemer/), the CTO of Fastbill has been a frequent guest. Mario is also part of the frequent crew of our annual fintech review. You can learn more about the company, him, and René in our interviews linked below.

We bootstrapped for six years before we took VC money. That was a bit too late. I would recommend it later. René Maudrich, MD Germany FreshBooks The Exit

FreshBooks already knew Fastbill from events. FreshBooks was interested in purchasing a stake in Fastbill with their next investment round. During the conversation, they decided on an outright takeover. FreshBooks now owns all equity in Fastbill and the core team with René, Mario and Benjamin stay on board. All former Fastbill shareholders are now FreshBooks shareholders.

The Fastbill team is not permitted to speak about the transaction price. We can make estimates about the price range:

In 2019 they had approx. 2.5 mn Euros revenue (according to estimates in several databases). Assuming a growth to 3 or even 5 mn Euros annualized revenue in 2021 one can estimate the range of the transaction volume with normal multiples from 45 mn Euros at the low end to 110 mn € at the higher end, adding an “earn-out clause” of approx. 10% over the next few years.

Find all links, show notes and further readings here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/fastbills-exit-to-canada-based-unicorn-freshbooks/

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This Month in German Startups - October 2021

Welcome to This Month in German Startups in October 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris (Back Home in New York) and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.

We recorded this new episode on October 25th. Note that there is also another episode of our unicorn tracker, getting published along with this episode in order to keep the news brief.

Today we have to announce that N26 reclaimed the title of Germany’s most valuable fintech (but not startup, that is still Celonis), Sono Motors is filing for an IPO in the US - ahead of even delivering their first car -, corona is leaving the first traces in the startup scene, less startups, but more funding for the surviving ones.

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Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors?

Get scouted by us, when we have a matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database: https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8

We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

Find our extensive collection of links, sources and the whole show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-october-2021/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io – in a news recording with Chris (from New York City) and me Joe (from Frankfurt am Main).

Guys, it is October, it is getting colder outside and cozier inside, so we bring you another “Doppelpack”of our news recording! We bring you another bonus news episode as part of our news coverage of the German startup scene. We recorded this episode on October 25th, 2021, wrapping up October. This is a Bonus Episode following our special coverage of the unprecedented creation of unicorn startups in the German speaking startup scene!

Subscribe Here

Find all options to subscribe to our newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel or listen to our internet radio station here: Link https://linktr.ee/startupradio

Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors?

Get scouted by us, when we have a matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database: https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8 We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

Find all the links to our sources and the show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/gsa-unicorn-tracker-october-2021/

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Meet Emma Sleep – They are on their way to becoming the world’s No 1 Sleep Brand We only raised just about 5 mn Euros … we grew to 405 mn Euro revenues in 2020 Dennis Schmoltzi, CEO and Co-Founder Emma Sleep

Find all options to subscribe to our newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel or listen to our internet radio station here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors?

Get scouted by us, when we have a matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database: https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8

We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

We were very capital efficient. We are profitable, most competitors are not. Dennis Schmoltzi, CEO and Co-Founder Emma Sleep The Founder

This time we hear the impressive story from Dennis Schmoltzi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-schmoltzi-b61b21109), CEO and co-founder of Emma Sleep, Europe’s leading sleep tech startup. Before founding Emma, Dennis got his degree in business administration in Germany, an advanced diploma from New York University Law School, and his Ph.D. in finance. He spent more than 6 years with McKinsey, before starting out on his own.

Dennis was convinced by his friend Manuel to start Emma. Manuel has been in the business of selling medical matrasses, so he knew more about the business before.

We had to invest smartly: How do we get to a better marketing efficiency? How can we build better products, how can we reduce costs in the supply chain? Now we are profiting from this. Dennis Schmoltzi, CEO and Co-Founder Emma Sleep Enabler

This recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Our interviews with Invest-in-Hessen are available as a dedicated sub-podcast here: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany

In 2016 Emma really started to grow and competitors like Caspar entered the market … but the competition was actually good. It helped us to educate the customer, that buying mattresses online is a thing Dennis Schmoltzi, CEO and Co-Founder Emma Sleep The Startup

Emma Sleep (https://team.emma-sleep.com/) is helping people to improve their sleep, starting out with matrasses. They are currently one of Europe’s leading sleep tech companies.

Emma sells their products (matrasses, pillows, …) online and increasingly with retail partners. Originally they did not start out with their own products but selling products of other companies online.

In 2020, Emma sold 50,1% of their equity stake to German investment holding Haniel Group (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FranzHaniel%26_Cie.).

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/meet-emma-sleep-they-are-on-their-way-to-becoming-the-worlds-no-1-sleep-brand/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io – in a news recording with Chris (from New York City) and me Joe (from Frankfurt am Main).

Guys, it is fall and we are back from the summer break! We bring you another bonus news episode as part of our news coverage of the German startup scene. We recorded this episode on September 28th, 2021, wrapping up July, August, and September. This is a Bonus Episode following our special coverage from June!

  Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors? Get scouted by us, when we have a matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database: https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8 We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-september-2021-unicorn-tracker-bonus/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups in September 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris (Back Home in New York) and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.  We recorded this new episode on September 28th. Note that there is also another episode of our unicorn tracker, getting published along with this episode. Have a look. This will be a bit longer recording. Best get a snack and a drink right now.  The summer was hot here in Germany in terms of startups, but not so much in terms of temperature. Since we have the weather out of the way. Let's talk startups:

Want to be found by Business opportunities or contacted by new investors?

Get scouted by us, when we have a matching mandate and enroll your startup in our database:https://forms.gle/DmPtBKJH7MMmJoYo8 We don’t sell your data or spam you. We will even reach out to you before we include you in a scouting mandate.

Find all links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-summer-wrap-up-july-august-september-2021/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups June 2021 by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris (Back Home in New York) and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.

We are reporting live from Germany’s largest unicorn wave ever. We announce two new unicorns (Scalable Capital and Forto (formerly FreightHub)) and Germany’s first Decacorn Celonis, valued at more than 11 bn US$. The 2019 Unicorn Wefox raises large funding of 536 mn € (650 mn US$). About You IPOs for 23 €/share at 4 bn Euro (4.85 bn US$) AND Austria becomes a new most valuable startup with GoStudent (1.4 bn €, 1.67 bn US$), after they had their first unicorn only last month.

Plus SolarisBank is rumored to be in talks of a 100 mn Euro VC Deal, which would make them a unicorn as well, to buy up a competitor. Especially active in this frenzy of unicorn creation is Softbank from Japan and Tencent from China.

We have a special episode on the unparalleled unicorn creation, which is available on the same channels. If you want to know more about the new Decacorn and unicorns in Germany and Austria you want to listen to this episode as well. We keep here the coverage of unicorns to a minimum.

Note: This will be the last news recording before the summer break. There will be no regular news in July or August, but we will be back with news at the end of September, wrapping up the summer news.

We are soooooooooo looking forward to the summer that Joe even wears a Hawaii shirt. Be happy for your eyes if you are only listening to this podcast :-)

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Find all links, texts, and show notes here on our blog post: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-june-2021/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io – in a news recording with Chris (from New York City) and me Joe (from Frankfurt am Main).

This is a Bonus Episode covering the Unicorn Stampede in German-speaking countries. This recording is from June 29th, 2021 and all-new unicorns, formed afterward will be covered in our next news podcast, to be published End of September!

You may remember that we had another bonus episode last month covering the rise of Berlin-based fintech Trade Republic to become Germany’s most valuable startup? There is already a new king in the country with Celonis becoming Germany’s first Decacorn (valuation above 10 bn US$, here even 11bn US$). We also see that all of these monster fundings are driven by international investors, especially Softbank from Japan and Tencent from China.

Find all links and show notes on our blog post here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/bonus-this-month-in-german-startups-unicorn-stampede/

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Meet Palturai – The Google of Business Data We used to store data in paper-based handwritten cards. We bring this to the 21st century … so you can get some great insights from it. Tilo Walter, CEO and Founder Palturai Subscribe Here

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You can use our tool for example in the KYC process. Tilo Walter, CEO and Founder Palturai The Founder

We talk in this interview to Tilo Walter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tilo-walter-18b90567/), the CEO and Founder of Frankfurt-based business intelligence platform Palturai (https://palturai.com/?lang=en).

Tilo first started out with an apprenticeship at a bank, after studying industrial engineering he was a consultant and then spent quite some time working in Germany’s largest credit bureau called Schufa.

This gave him the idea of Palturai, which allows one to aggregate important business data to companies.

We have data from more than 7 mn companies, from public sources, building a graph with more than 1 bn relations. Tilo Walter, CEO and Founder Palturai Is your Startup in Need of a Bank Account? - Affiliate Links

• Try the account of our Affiliate Partner Penta: http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

The Startup

Palturai (https://palturai.com/?lang=en) is a business intelligence platform, aggregating important data about companies in their database. The company provides the information as a business graph. The name also originates form a Hungarian mathematician named Pál Turán, who contributed a lot to graph theory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A1l_Tur%C3%A1n). The company was founded in 2014, but re-branded in 2020 with the opening of its first international location close to Philadelphia.

We have been bootstrapped, but with the international expansion we needed a proper funding round. Tilo Walter, CEO and Founder Palturai Funding Round

Palturai raised 4 mn Euros Series A investments, and their investors include a German bank and SBI Holding (Softbank’s Berlin entity).

Is your Startup in Need of an Office? - Affiliate Links

• Try the account of our Affiliate Partner WeWork: https://we.co/2GYbxvS

With the outbreak of corona, all of our US expansion plans have been blown to pieces. We had to change our strategy fast. Tilo Walter, CEO and Founder Palturai

Learn more here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/meet-palturai-the-google-of-business-data/

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Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a news recording with Chris (Back Home in Germany) and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main.

Today we are wrapping up May 2021 for you. We talk about the massive Trade Republic funding, making them Germany's most valuable startup. We are talking about SPACs again, Germany’s institutional funds investing in crypto, and 3 bn shots of the corona vaccine. As always, we have a great show for you!

Housekeeping - Time to brag

Stay safe everyone!

• We are very happy to have been      listed as No 4 on the Welp      Magazine list of "20 Best Start-ups Podcasts of      2021" https://welpmagazine.com/20-best-start-ups-podcasts-of-2021/
• Station Frankfurt featured our      newest internet radio station in an article https://station-frankfurt.de/2021/05/07/das-steckt-hinter-dem-24-7-startupradio-startuprad-io/
• Italy-based Startup.info      covered our internet radio station as well: The World’s First Internet      Radio Station Dedicated to Startups and Tech Companies Just Launched https://buff.ly/3upGZte

Top News

Trade Republic is now Germany’s most valuable startup with 5.3 bn US$

SPACs

In the US the largest wave of SPAC IPOs is already behind us, but in Europe, it is just gaining speed. Frankfurt Stock Exchange expects up to 20 SPAC IPOs in 2021. In all of Europe, they expect more than 30 https://buff.ly/3h0mMqS

Amazon Shops are still HOT

Berlin’s Razor Group raises $400M to buy and scale Amazon Marketplace merchants – TechCrunch https://buff.ly/2PVJULY

Germany rumored to open flood gates to Crypto Investments - Think again

'Damn Huge': Germany Opens Up to Institutional Crypto Funds - Decrypt https://buff.ly/3vvX3dU

Joe will talk about this soon - as soon as he gets to it - but the main point one has to understand in German institutional funds is that the investors are regulated and not so much the vehicles.

3bn Shots are coming

Corona vaccine producer BioNTech is looking to produce 3bn shots https://buff.ly/2RHzXlA

We just passed a small moment in History

80 years ago, on May 11th, 1941 german inventor Konrad Zuse started his Z3. This was one of today's first - maybe The first - modern-day computer. He developed it, to take over statistical calculation he found tiresome https://buff.ly/3eEJ3sB

Find all other show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-may-2021/

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Welcome to Startuprad.io,

we cover the German-speaking startup scene since 2015 with our franchise. Since 2019, we eased access to the German-speaking startup scene further with our special interest podcasts Fintech Germany, Blockchain Germany, Deeptech Germany, and German Startup News.

We have been called "The Authority on German Startups" and are a Top 0.5% global podcast, according to Listen Notes. Chartable.com scored us in 2020 a global Top 100 Science Podcast, a global Top 150 Tech Podcast, and a global Top 750 Business Podcast.

You can learn more here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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This recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

The Finish company later stopped all their activities in Central Europe. This is where I started crossinx. Marcus Laube, Founder and CEO of crossinx The Founder

In this interview, we are talking to Marcus Laube (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-laube/) , the founder and CEO of one of the largest fintech exits this year. He sold the company, he founded in 2007 in 2021 for 100 mn Euros to Unifiedpost Group from Belgium (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210411005030/en/Unifiedpost-Group-and-Crossinx-Join-Forces-to-Create-a-Unique-European-Business-Network).

Marcus has been the chairman of the European Fintech Alliance (https://eufintechs.com/) and the co-chairman of the European E-Invoice Service Provider Association (EESPA https://eespa.eu/)

The story of Marcus as an entrepreneur is totally fascinating: He was helping one of Lufthansa’s businesses (AirPlus) to get their first website and digitize Germany’s Flag Carrier. This brought him in contact with lots of electronic business ideas, with which he ventured out on his own. His first company was sliding into insolvency. He bought the company out of insolvency and this company stayed afloat by selling chairs and tables. This company was bought later by a company from Finland. This Finnish company stopped their business in Germany and Marcus decided to start over again with founding crossinx in 2007. He now sold this company in a 100 mn Euro plus deal (the deal includes a clause of up to 13 mn € further conditional earn-out payments according to the press statement).

Tune in to our exclusive content.

We call what we do the financial supply chain. Marcus Laube, Founder and CEO of crossinx Affiliate Links

• Learn how to grow your business using the numbers in your profit and loss and balance sheet: https://www.learndesk.us/class/5571076509663232/growth-by-the-numbers-real-small-business-finance-for-real-small-business-owners use our promo code: Access

The Startup

crossinx (https://www.crossinx.com/en/) is the leading provider of e-invoicing based service solutions in Germany, working with the largest companies and institutions, such as Nestle, Bayer, TNT, Sixt and the German national government. The company was founded back in 2007 by Marcus Laube.

The Exit

On April 12 Unifiedpost Group announced to acquire crossinx for 100 mn Euros (up to 113 mn €): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210411005030/en/Unifiedpost-Group-and-Crossinx-Join-Forces-to-Create-a-Unique-European-Business-Network

The connection came from Marcu’s work in EESPA, where he met Unifiedpost. There has been interest to acquire crossinx 3 years before, but the deal was sealed after the IPO of Unifiedpost at Euronext (Euronext: UPG).

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/meet-the-fintech-behind-the-100-mn-e-exit-nobody-talks-about/

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Today we are wrapping up April 2021 for you. We talk about SPACs, which have been all the rage, but now they get to work. We bring you news about potential SPAC deals with Solarisbank, Infarm, Lilium, and Volocopter. The first three eying a valuation of more than one billion. Also, we have a Gorilla Unicorn.

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The FounderThis time we talk to Sebastian Wuerz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianwuerz/) the founder and CEO of the co-living startup homefully (https://homeful.ly/), a proptech headquartered in Frankfurt, offering furnished apartments across Germany and Switzerland. This trend is called co-living and offers a convenient way for ex-pats to relocate to a new city and have instant social connections. Sebastian graduated with an international MBA, which took him to Warsaw University, DUFE (Dongbei University of Finance and Economics 东北财经大学), and the University of North Florida.

Before starting homefully Sebastian also had stints in wealth management in Singapore and investment banking in Frankfurt.

We have roughly 50% international tenants.

Sebastian Würz, CEO and Founder homefully

Subscribe HereFind all options to subscribe to our newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel or listen to our internet radio station here: Link https://linktr.ee/startupradio We started homefully as a side business, but it grew and grew. So, I had to make a decision. And I went all in.

Sebastian Würz, CEO and Founder homefully

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/You can also find the podcast we run together here:iTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bfl

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3wUshwv

Deezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rl

TuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpzn

We started homefully as a side business, but it grew and grew. So, I had to make a decision. And I went all in.

Sebastian Würz, CEO and Founder homefully

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/homefully-offers-co-living-in-germany-and-switzerland-and-is-looking-to-expand/

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Subscribe HereFind all options to subscribe to our newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel or listen to our internet radio station here: Link https://linktr.ee/startupradio

Life gets better for editors with Television.ai

Olcay Buyan, Television.ai

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here:https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

 The FounderIn this interview, we talk to Olcay Buyan, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/olcaybuyan/) CEO and Founder of Television.ai (https://www.television.ai/). He has vast experience in media, including Axel Springer (owner of e.g. the German newspaper Die Welt, finanzen.net, Business Insider, Immowelt, Stepstone), as well as other publishing houses and TV stations. He stuck with the technical side of product development.

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Today we are wrapping up March 2021 for you. We talk about Austria’s first unicorn Bitpanda, a Samwer attempt at a German Tesla, SPACs, indoor farming, open positions at N26, and much more.

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This Month in German Startups - February 2021Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City and me Joe, from Frankfurt am Main. 

Today we are wrapping up February 2021 for you. There is great news in the German startup scene, the much anticipated Auto1 IPO generated two new tech billionaires, Europe’s first Tech SPAC lists in Frankfurt, more Wirecard details, we talk about Trade Republic and Gamestop, as well as the billion exit of Berlin-based AdJust.

Follow us on Social MediaInstagram https://www.instagram.com/startuprad.io/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/4837115/

Twitter https://twitter.com/startuprad_io

Keep Up to DateHere is our publication calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=MDEyaTI3YWs1MjVxaTNzbWdqbDh2OXRiaW9AZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ

Affiliated LinksWhy not learn from entrepreneurs and executives who are open to share their favorite books. We skimmed through some recommendations and that is what we found.

Recommended by: Bill Gates

“Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker” https://amzn.to/2XAENlBRecommended by: Jeff Bezos

“Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras” https://amzn.to/2RGKGKeRecommended by: Elon Musk

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel” https://amzn.to/2REbHhwRecommended by: Tony Hsieh

“Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Dave Logan” https://amzn.to/34KgraQRecommended by: Warren Buffet

“Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street by John Brooks” https://amzn.to/2K92z06Recommended by: Tim Cook

“Competing Against Time by George Stalk and Thomas Hout” https://amzn.to/3cjMMYn Housekeeping - Time to brag Stay safe everyone! 

In the meantime you can tune in to our internet radio station, the worlds first 24/7 dedicated to startups and tech companies! https://s2.radio.co/sb16d65602/listen - We will soon be available on many platforms, for now:

https://raddio.net/373202-startupradio/ https://radio.streamitter.com/station/startupradio-89HNV  

Top NewsWe have two new tech billionairesThe IPO of Auto1 went spectacularly well and skyrocketed on the first day of trading on February 4th, surging 45%. We took a look at the data and realized that this was the first tech IPO in a long time that generated new tech billionaires in Germany. Bloomberg: SoftBank-Backed Auto1 Soars in Debut After $2.2 Billion IPO https://buff.ly/2YLTm5jReuters: UPDATE 2-AUTO1 shares go into top gear in Frankfurt debut https://buff.ly/3pLaOSmRead more in our blogpost here: At recording this Auto1 IPO turns founders into billionaires https://buff.ly/3oY45EA  Related: The story from the side of one of their first investors: How VC fund DN Capital invested in car marketplace Auto1 8 years ago and landed an $8 billion IPO winner 

This Month in German Startups - January 2021 

Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City. This is the first news episode of 2021, but you can have a look at our 2020 review. 

Today we are wrapping up January 2021 for you. There is great news in the German startup scene, from two new unicorns to a much anticipated IPO of Auto1 (will be raising at least 1.5 bn Euros), Delivery Hero goes VC and there may be Amazon TV/Radio in Germany.

 Housekeeping - Time to brag Just a bit of bragging today: Listen Up! Here’s Your Guide To European Tech And Startup Podcasts In English https://buff.ly/39S3qyR 

Top NewsWe have two new unicornsMambu - Germany’s newest Fintech Unicorn offers Banking Software as SaaS https://buff.ly/3oNEHC2 - Without them, no N26. They provide the software, which enables challenger banks like them.Munich-based HR scaleup Personio lands €103.5 million Series D funding and a €1.4 billion valuation https://buff.ly/35QYn0pRelated: Start-Up Personio Joins Circle of Unicorns - Technical University of Munich - School of Management https://buff.ly/2YgKm7W  

Delivery Hero raises 1.2 bn in fresh capitalDelivery Hero raises 1.2 bn Euros (1.47 bn US$) in new funding, selling "in hours" 9.44 mn new shares for 132 Euros each https://buff.ly/394ZFFQRelated:Delivery Hero starts their own Corporate Venture Fund called DX Ventures with 50 m Euros https://buff.ly/2MPUt11  

Auto1 IPOAuto1 IPO will be raising a minimum of 1.5 bn Euros (2.2 bn US$) https://buff.ly/3plC62nOlder articles related to this IPO - you can see the fundraising went up 500 million More details of the planned IPO of Auto1 Group emerge. They want to list in 2021 Q1 in Frankfurt in Prime Standard. Out of 1 bn € to be raised 250 m will pay back convertibles, 750 m will be invested in further growth https://buff.ly/38Hq0uz Used-car platform AUTO1 to float in Frankfurt, looking to raise 1 bn Euros from selling new shares, with a valuation of 6-8 bn Euros https://buff.ly/3bxbWWx   

Amazon TV or Radio Station in Germany?Amazon has filed paperwork in Germany to get a broadcast license. The filing dates to November 2020 https://buff.ly/3bW0Mur 

Wirecard We keep you updated, just a small selection of news here. 

Keep in mind there is still an investigative committee ongoing.

Oliver Samwer from Rocket Internet gave a private loan to Markus Braun from Wirecard of 75 mn Euros (91 m US$), which he demanded back rather harshly, shortly before Wirecard filed for insolvency https://buff.ly/3bW2ITUIn Austria, an investigation against former Wirecard COO Marsalek is ongoing in potential bribery of an employee of Austrian constitution protection (like their NSA). He is supposed to have checked the solvency of porn site hosts for Mr. Marsalke https://buff.ly/39eVNDz  

Ecosystem Slack users in Germany were greeted in the new year with a big outage covering most of the first working day of the new year 2021 https://buff.ly/3972zd0 January 4thTech workers want to relocate to Germany more than any other country in the world https://buff.ly/2Jims8n Germany starts with the test of a countrywide patient file, called "E-Patientenakte." The users can carry around all their medical files (x-rays, reports ...) on their smartphone and...

[A Ping-Pong table, a PlayStation or a table football] don’t help that much if the [corporate culture] is broken. 

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

In this interview we are talking to a previous guest. Christopher Oster is the CEO and co-founder of Frankfurt-based insurtech clark. In the past we talk to him about the appearance of Clark on Bloomberg’s list of startups to watch, back in 2017. Now they raised an 85 m US$ series C venture capital round, with noteworthy investor Tencent from China. We talk to him about the funding, the way to the funding and their plans. 

Insurance has still not really penetrated by technology … you have unhappy customers … this is a great opportunity for a founder.

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

 EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

In 2015 there was almost no funding for insurtech startups, it all started in 2016

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

 The FounderIn this interview we are talking to Christopher (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-christopher-oster-3158802/) the CEO and co-founder of Frankfurt-based insurtech clark. In the past we talk to him about the appearance of Clark on Bloombergs list of startups to watch, back in 2017.

You have a paper folder with your insurance policies, but nobody checks if the insurance policies still matches your life. 

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

The Startup 

The startup was built by a group of four friends, who to together, since they could not find the help they wanted with their insurance needs. The whole founding team is still on board, more than 5 years after the company was set up Crunchbase (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clark-2), company website (https://www.clark.de/).  

An average German has six insurance policies with 4 different insurance carriers.

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

The Interview from 2017 

The whole blog post is here: https://www.startuprad.io/interviews/clark-de-startup-germany-bloombergs-list-50-promising-startups/

Or just tune in to the interview here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xryTBqaxncpSrnXO3L3QQ?si=2qC09ZDDTJ6XnewH7_LMvg

For our series a, we talked to 300 VCs or so. There was a lot of uncertainty and many other companies started as well.

Christopher Oster, CEO and Co-Founder Clark

Feedback 

Reach out to us, here is our audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA

The InterviewerThis interview was conducted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger, startup scout, founder, and host of Startuprad.io. Reach out to him:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Email

Follow us on Social MediaInstagram https://www.instagram.com/startuprad.io/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/4837115/

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This Month in German Startups - 2020 Review 

Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City. This is an annual tradition, where we look at the past year and forward into the coming one. Not to mention, we have been totally wrong last year with the outlook, so we are more sticking to the review this year.

Today we bring you an overview of the German startup corona aid, an overview of the German startup scene, lists of top startup stories, a few outlooks on 2021, and a bit of wine :-) 

Ecosystem  European Startup Scene 2020 - Snapshothttps://2020.stateofeuropeantech.com/chapter/state-european-tech-2020/article/exec-sum/

8 crucial takeaways from Atomico's recently-launched The State of European Tech 2020 report | via Silicon Canals https://buff.ly/3m6MxVg

‘Megarounds’ helped European Tech ecosystem growWhile many founders found it more challenging to get funding, 2020 is on track to be a record year, with potential to surpass $41B invested, driven by more $100M+ deals.Germany is projected 23 bn US$Low capital, pivoting the product, and sales decline hit founders hardest in 2020International investment hasn’t dried upFrance is the only one of Europe’s three largest markets to grow in 2020. London remains the biggest investment hub in 2020Travel sector gets notably low investmentsInvestment in purpose-driven tech companies soarsGender and racial inequality still prevails in the European tech ecosystem 

List: 10 biggest healthtech stories of 2020 https://buff.ly/3aQlnjv 

The guinea pigs of Germany’s new healthcare revolutionBioNTech: the German biotech startup behind the coronavirus vaccine 

Hot or not: Where European VC funding went in 2020 by Pitchbook https://buff.ly/3nMSzf7 - Difference to Atomico ⇒ Different source for data ...

UK still has the largest VC market in total (13.7 bn $), but Germany (6.8 bn $) grew three times as fast with 10.9% vs UK’s +1.7% BUT this may also be due to Brexit. We will see what 2021 brings. According to Pitchbook France grew by an astonishing 25.4% to a total of 6.1 bn $. The other markets in Europe surpassing 1 bn $ are Sweden (3.2 bn$), Spain (1.4 bn$), and Finland (1.2 bn$).

These are the 10 largest funding rounds of Europe in 2020 https://buff.ly/2W1KGX8 

including AUTO1 Group, Tier Scooters and Lilium from Germany

German Startup Scene 2020 - Snapshot Deutscher Startup Monitor https://deutscherstartupmonitor.de/

This is an annual survey by the German startup association, this year more than 1.900 startups participated.The largest share of the - participating startups - (note, there is a bias here) have been inBerlin 17,7%Rhein-Rhur (Cologne, Düsseldorf, …) 12.8%Munich 6.5%Hamburg 5.8%This is one of the reasons we try to highlight so many startups from different areas, since not only every 5th startup is in Berlin. Please note that we try to have approx. 20% of our interviews from Berlin, to give these startups also a fair representation.On average a startup in the survey employed 14.3 employees, up from 13.3 in 2019 and 12.3 in 2018. Despite Corona, 90% were planning to hire people. 15.9% of founders are female in this survey, slightly up from the previous years (15.7% in ‘19 and 15.1% ‘18)Universities play a central role as a core for a startup cluster, especially Germany’s Technische Hochschule (technical universities aka TU) e.g. TU München, KIT, RWTH Aachen, LMU München, Universität Mannheim, Universität Bremen, WHU, TU Berlin, TU Darmstadt and FU Berlin.~ 20% of founders have a migration backgroundThe most important technology is AI, more than 26.7% of...

This Month in German Startups - December 2020 

Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City.

Welcome to the Chris-mas edition :-) 

Today we are wrapping up December 2020 for you. Please keep in mind that due to the holidays and the current lockdown in Germany we are recording this news on December 15th. All news not included here will be part of our January warp-up and there will be a 2020 review 2021outlook as well.

Today we bring you news about the 10 bn investment package of the German government, the new DAX, Peter Thiel’s investments in Germany, Taxes, AI, and much more. 

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflSpotify https://spoti.fi/3kCcgoB  Housekeeping - Time to brag We have only one thing to say: Stay safe everybody! Be grateful for what you have!

Affiliate LinksThe current situation with the Coronavirus-related lockdown is frequently compared to severe economic recessions including, but not limited to the 2008 Financial Crisis and the Stock Market Crash of 1929. If you want to know more, consider these books below.

“Galbraith was asked by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. if he would write the definitive work on the Great Depression that he would then use as a reference source for his own intended work on Roosevelt.” (from Wikipedia) - The Great Crash 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith https://amzn.to/3cl41sAEssays on the Great Depression https://amzn.to/2VvEsht by former Fed Chairmen Ben S. Bernanke “an American economist at the Brookings Institution[3] who served two terms as Chair of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, from 2006 to 2014” (from Wikipedia)From John Kenneth Galbraith as well: A Short History of Financial Euphoria https://amzn.to/2VxngbgA great book on crashes, bubbles, and economic uncertainty, in general, is “Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation” by Edward Chancellor https://amzn.to/2VaUDSlAll the news and links here

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-december-2020/

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Learn from Maria – Investor in several of Germany’s renowned startupsNormally you want to invest in people who you already know.

Maria Pennanen, Startup Investor

The EnablerThis interview is part of our series of startups and investors in the startup scene in the state of Hessen. The whole series is sponsored by Hessen Trade and Invest, you can learn more about our enabler here: www.invest-in-hessen.com

Startup investment is a very risky business

Maria Pennanen, Startup Investor

The InvestorIn this interview we talk to Maria Pennanen, she is known to our established audience as co-founder of Accelerator Frankfurt, but she is also a Business Angel with more than 10 direct investments. Directly and indirectly, she is or was invested in many renowned startups like Solarisbank, Clark, Bankify, Savedo or Finance Ads.

You can learn more about Maria here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pennanenmariaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariapennanen/Accelerator Frankfurt: https://www.acceleratorfrankfurt.com/Mindclip: https://www.mindclip.com/ 

The best thing to start is joining a business angel organization

Maria Pennanen, Startup Investor

The AuthorMaria is also the author of the book “how to f*ck up your startup” in which she helps entrepreneurs to learn from failures. You can find the eBook here https://amzn.to/3oa2Stw

Affiliate LinksWhy not learn from entrepreneurs and executives who are open to share their favorite books. We skimmed through some recommendations and that is what we found.

Recommended by: Bill Gates

“Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker” https://amzn.to/2XAENlBRecommended by: Jeff Bezos

“Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras” https://amzn.to/2RGKGKeRecommended by: Elon Musk

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel” https://amzn.to/2REbHhwRecommended by: Tony Hsieh

“Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Dave Logan” https://amzn.to/34KgraQRecommended by: Warren Buffet

“Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street by John Brooks” https://amzn.to/2K92z06Recommended by: Tim Cook

“Competing Against Time by George Stalk and Thomas Hout” https://amzn.to/3cjMMYnIt is very rare that you invest in an idea from people you just met, especially in seed.

Maria Pennanen, Startup Investor

Find all information and an automated transcript here: 

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/learn-from-maria-investor-in-several-of-germanys-renowned-startups/

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This Month in German Startups - November 2020

 Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City.

 Today we are wrapping up November 2020 for you with an update on German startups working on corona vaccines, Flixbus, Finleap, Rocket Internet’s ongoing delisting, and a potential digital Euro

Enabler

This recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here: 

Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio PodcastiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflSpotify https://spoti.fi/3kCcgoB  

Housekeeping - Time to brag 

We have only one thing to say: Stay safe everybody! Be grateful for what you have! 

Affiliated Links

Why not learn from entrepreneurs and executives who are open to share their favorite books. We skimmed through some recommendations and that is what we found.

·        Recommended by: Bill Gates 

“Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker” https://amzn.to/2XAENlB

·        Recommended by: Jeff Bezos 

“Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras” https://amzn.to/2RGKGKe

·        Recommended by: Elon Musk 

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel” https://amzn.to/2REbHhw

·        Recommended by: Tony Hsieh

“Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Dave Logan” https://amzn.to/34KgraQ

·        Recommended by: Warren Buffet 

“Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street by John Brooks” https://amzn.to/2K92z06

·        Recommended by: Tim Cook 

“Competing Against Time by George Stalk and Thomas Hout” https://amzn.to/3cjMMYn

Show Notes, Links and more reading

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2020/

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This Month in German Startups - October 2020Welcome to This Month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City.

Today we are wrapping up October 2020 for you with a monster round in the making at N26, new information on the Wirecard insolvency and questions about published information of Heidelberg based insurance startup Getsafe. 

You can now join us on the entrepreneur network DueDash: https://buff.ly/2R90PYp with 5 Euros a month you support our work! Or become a Patron at Patreon: https://buff.ly/32bZ4zW 

Thank you!

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflSpotify https://spoti.fi/3kCcgoB Find all the links and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-october-2020/

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doks. innovation enables indoor drone flights for next-level digital logisticsInside a building GPS does not work. We use a combination of global mapping and local mapping… it is very very complex.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

The FounderIn this interview, we talk to Benjamin Federmann (https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminfedermann/) the CEO and Co-Founder of Kassel-based drone startup doks. innovation (https://www.doks-innovation.com/). D oks.innovation is not a hardware startup, they only provide  Benjamin has spent some time after university in marketing and consulting for some smaller and also well-known companies like Leica.

The feedback from the interviews I conducted was so good, I was sure I needed to found the company

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

PatreonLearn about our interviews hours before they are released, help in the selection of the startups we interview, or even suggest startups to be interviewed, by becoming a Patron: https://buff.ly/32bZ4zW

The customer can ask almost any question and find the answer in our data.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

DueDashIf you don’t like Patreon, there is DueDash. DueDash is a Social Network, for startups and investors. We have a group of supporters there as well. You can join the group there:  https://buff.ly/2R90PYp

When we started with our first prototype, we crashed 30 to 40 drones.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

Affiliate LinksIs your startup in need of a bank account in Germany? Try our partner affiliate Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

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Our drone is a flying camera to collect data for the inventory management.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

The Startup 

The startup doks.innovation enables companies to monitor their warehouses via drones, which can fly indoors without smacking on any shelf or wall. Doks is not a hardware startup. doks.innovation provides only the ai software for the drones to enable them to fly indoors. On the other hand, they are also working closely with hardware providers, since they have very specific requirements for their drones. The drones are using cutting-edge drone hardware, which is not yet publicly available.

The company is still small, but they have reference customers like Mars and BMW.

Our clients have to press a button and come back 3 or 4 hours later. The data collection is totally automated. The customer can ask almost any question and can find the answer in our data.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

 Venture Capital Fundingdoks.innovation is open to talking to new investors from Europe and the US. They are looking for the next financing round in Q1 2021 and to expand to the US in 2021.

When we stared there was no hardware available for what we have been looking for.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

The Video Interview is set to go live on October 15th, 2020 19.00 CET Frankfurt/Paris/Zürich/Milanohttps://youtu.be/yi8SmEMuuj8

Drones are good for land surveying, but are there areas where drones are currently not working? So I made more than 100 interviews in one and a half year.

Benjamin Federmann, CEO and Co-Founder doks.innovation

Further Readings /...

This Month in German Startups - Summer 2020 Wrap-UpWelcome to this month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City.

Today we are wrapping up summer 2020 for you. This is going to take a bit longer than normal, so grab a coffee and relax on the couch. 

You can now join us on the entrepreneur network DueDash: https://buff.ly/2R90PYp with 5 Euros a month you support our work! Thank you!

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ 

Housekeeping - Time to brag We made it now in 39 Countries in the podcast charts, adding Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Israel, and Indonesia! Thank you!

[caption id="attachment_3669" align="alignleft" width="800"]Podcast Charts Appearances of Startuprad.io - Now in 39 countries[/caption]

As a premier source for startup information from Germany, Startupradio was already a part of the US launch of podcasts on Amazon Music and is now in Germany as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFcAK3wj3Gn/

 Video News - This video will go live on Thursday, September 24th 19.00 CET (Frankfurt, Zürich, Berlin, Milan)https://youtu.be/AQBKnWmxaTY

Audio News - The audio podcast will go live at the same timeWe just need some time after the release until we can embed the Spotify player here.

Top NewsCoronavirus / Curevac Curevac was one of the biggest startup stories during the summer. They are a Tübingen, Germany-based biotech company, working on a coronavirus vaccine. 

They IPOed for more than 200 mn US$ (https://buff.ly/3iUsus6) 

They got visited by Elon Musk (https://buff.ly/3cjMdzf) 

And we already blogged about their government investment in June (https://buff.ly/3iY0y6Q)

And they received a large investment pre-IPO by two international heavy weights: 

Pre-IPO: Qatar Investment Authority takes stake in vaccine-maker CureVac https://buff.ly/3jnYZzD Glaxosmithkline (GSK) pays 142 mn Euro for 10% stake in one of #Germany's most promising candidates for a #coronavirus #vaccine Curevac from Tuebingen https://buff.ly/3homvLk Coronavirus / Potential super spreader event in the Berlin startup scene?deutsche-startups reports in their podcast, that a super-spreader event took place in the Berlin Venture Capital and startup scene on Friday, September 11th https://buff.ly/2ElAxzc 

Wirecard We keep you updated, just a small selection of news here

Wirecard's liquidator sends employees into garden leave without pay via email after 20.00 o'clock. Rumors talk about 50% of the more than 1.000 employees https://buff.ly/34wB7F6

Related: Wirecard scandal fallout sees 50% of German staff laid off https://buff.ly/3hvG30vWirecard liabilities exceeding the assets by 2.8 bn Euro, only a few of the companies within...

Cyreen provides consumer brands with brick and mortar analyticsWe analyze shopping behaviour based on the contact with an in-store commercial. Our system does not even know if you are male or female.

Davide Scheidegger, Co-Founder Cyreen

[caption id="attachment_3655" align="aligncenter" width="1194"]Cyreen establishes a data-driven retail media standard for consumer brands in supermarkets. Courtesy of Cyreen[/caption]The FounderWe talk to Davide Scheidegger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidescheidegger/), who is originally from Switzerland, but now lives in Wiesbaden, working with his other co-founders on their startup Cyreen (https://www.cyreen.de/). They provide with movement tracking of shopping carts and in-store-advertisements, analytics for brick and mortar retailers, as well as for retail brands.

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here:

Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANOTech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ 

This is kind of the best advertisement in Germany, when you say: “Today you save 20%”

Davide Scheidegger, Co-Founder Cyreen

The StartupCyreen is an analytics software for inside a brick and mortar retailer. The tool tracks (anonymized) shopping carts and analyze customer behavior in the market. They can also show advertisements to the clients inside the retailer on small screens and track their efficiency. Cyreen can also include outside parameters e.g. temperature.

Cyreen is an award-winning start-up that provides transparent, measurable and close-to-purchase marketing solutions for advertisers. They successfully launched their first product C.A.P. (Connecting Ad-Impressions with Purchase) in several stores. With C.A.P., they have developed a high-end digital signage system. For the first time, detailed advertising effectiveness analyses for offline marketing are possible according to the online logic of Facebook & Co.

We normally don’t talk to our clients directly, but via our ad & media agencies.

Davide Scheidegger, Co-Founder Cyreen

Davide refers to this advertisement of Wiesenhof, which they helped to measure in storeAtze Schröder Wiesenhof, was one of the commercials measured by Cyreen in-store:

https://youtu.be/7BZfmh7JM68

 More information on their tool CAP - Connecting Ad-Impressions with Purchase (Cyreen is the name of the company)https://vimeo.com/341804155

A study by the University of St. Gallen. The link will open a PDF.

We even tested the advertisement for ice cream in winter.

Davide Scheidegger, Co-Founder Cyreen

PatreonLearn about our interviews hours before they are released, help in the selection of the startups we interview or even suggest startups to be interviewed, by becoming a Patron: https://buff.ly/32bZ4zW

DueDashIf you don’t like Patreon, there is DueDash. DueDash is a Social Network, for startups and investors. We have a group of supporters there as well. You can join the group there:  https://buff.ly/2R90PYp

Affiliate...

This is the last episode before our summer break of this podcast. We will be back in September!QuoScient helps to analyze, investigate and respond to cyber-threats Attackers are devious… During the current health crisis, they are going after health institutions and hospitals. They don’t basically care that they are doing damage to people who have already health problems.

Ioannis Bizimis, Co-Founder QuoScient

The FounderIn this interview, we are talking to Ioannis Bizimis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioannis-bizimis-6423527/, https://twitter.com/defense_active), the Co-Founder, CFO, CRO, and  CISO of QuoScient.

Ioannis has been an Investment Manager, project lead with Dow Jones, with MarkIt, an employee of Deutsche Bank and other well-regarded companies. He has a lot of experience and with this experience, he started to set up QuoScient.

One of the biggest strategies [of hackers] is to come into your network and stay there and install as many backdoors as they can. They will use them when they need it.

Ioannis Bizimis, Co-Founder QuoScient

PatreonYou can now support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=35246148 if you like what you see and hear consider to support us, so we can keep bringing you great content.

It costs hackers just a few hundred Dollars or Euros to build up an attack campaign. The effort on the other side is thousands, sometimes millions to understand this kind of campaign.

Ioannis Bizimis, Co-Founder QuoScient 

 Affiliate LinksIs your startup in need of a bank account in Germany? Try our partner affiliate Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3dLooking to open a bank account to shift between crypto and fiat? Try our partner Bitwala with this affiliate link here http://bit.ly/2w01Zye 

The StartupQuoScient (https://www.quoscient.io/, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/quoscient)  is a cybersecurity startup, which recently split into three parts to better pursue their respective activities. Two of those entities are still headquartered in Frankfurt, one in Columbia, Maryland (close to Baltimore). They basically split along their business lines:

QuoLab Technologies – Defense Technology https://quolab.com/QuoSec – Security Consulting https://www.quosec.net/QuoIntelligence – Cyber Threat Intelligence https://quointelligence.eu/ 

[A company] first must understand what their most critical assets are and what are the [cyber] risks to those assets.

Ioannis Bizimis, Co-Founder QuoScient

 Venture Capital FundingQuoScient has just raised venture capital. They may be looking at another funding round in the fall of 2020. If you want to keep posted, reach out to us.

Threats can not only come from the outside. Capable hackers can also send you someone, pretending to work for you as contractor. … they do this professionally.

Ioannis Bizimis, Co-Founder QuoScient

The Video Interview is set to go live on July 2nd, 2020 19.00 CEThttps://youtu.be/qM_ngqKHuZ4

Subscribe to our podcasts here 

Further Readings / Additional ResourcesFront Office https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/frontoffice.aspBack Office 

This Month in German Startups - June 2020IntroToday we are going to talk about German startups, in the process of producing vaccines for Covid19, the potential accounting fraud at Wirecard, startups in Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne and Berlin, and the 110th Birthday of Konrad Zuse, the inventor of the modern-day computer.

Welcome to this month in German Startups by Startuprad.io - in a transatlantic news recording with Chris in New York City.

Reach out to usOur audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA Find the hosts here:Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)Christian “Chris” Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)PatreonIf you like our podcast, consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startupradio

 EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJThe Video Interview is set to go live on Thursday, June 25th 2020https://youtu.be/xRNMoOSm28Y

The Audio Interview is set to go live on June 30th, 2020The Audio Podcast will be published next week. Subscribe to our podcasts here

 Housekeeping - Time to brag Now it is official, Startuprad.io passed several milestones. 

We reached more than 200.000 subscribers for our podcasts alone! 206.014 as of today! We count subscribers, who return at least once in 7 days to our RSS feed over 90 days.We managed to score more than 1.000 days in podcast charts (iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Chartable), actually, we made 1.026 days so far. https://www.startuprad.io/blog/startuprad-io-ranked-now-in-33-countries-and-1-000-days-in-podcast-charts/We now scored with PR China, Croatia, and Singapore in three more countries and now we made it in 33 countries in their respective podcast charts. We are also a steady member of chartable.com’s science and tech podcast charts, for the US as well as globally. https://www.startuprad.io/blog/startuprad-io-ranked-now-in-33-countries-and-1-000-days-in-podcast-charts/And again we have several interviews and blog posts for you. We will also have on July 1st our first live stream after corona. https://www.meetup.com/Startup-Couch-TV-Talks/events/271395382/

 Coronavirus / Covid19 80% of Berlin-based startups see their very existence threatened by the coronavirus https://buff.ly/2UYMi3P CureVac is the first German biotech to receive a direct investment from the German government, an astonishing 300 mn Euros. The reason behind this is the Trump administration. You can learn in our blogpost how the story unfolded 

This Month in German Startups - May 2020If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recordings and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Reach out to usOur audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA Find the hosts here:Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)Christian “Chris” Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)PatreonIf you like our podcast, consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startupradio

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler, we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as an audio and video podcast. Yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJVideo Recording - YouTube (the video will premiere on Thursday, May 28th 19.00 CET / 1 pm Eastern)https://youtu.be/Yu_rojiz9mw 

 Housekeeping - Time to brag The current situation looks a bit better, so we feel ok with a tiny bit of bragging :-) We made it in Russia's Apple Tech Podcast Charts (up to #121) and PR China Apple Tech Podcast Charts (up to #485). This gets the total to 30 countries!  We are also now on Patreon. If you like your podcast, become a patron! (www.patreon.com/startupradio)We published again some cool interviews, where we wanted to highlight especially this month’s interview with IDA, where we talk to the CEO and Co-Founder Hamedo Ayadi of Intelligence Data Analytics. At the start of the coronavirus outbreak, 70% of their employees worked related to aviation, which was completely stopped by one phone call. He tells the story of how they changed strategy fast to survive: https://www.startuprad.io/interviews/ida-pivoted-fast-during-corona-before-70-of-their-employees-worked-with-aviation-companies/ Coronavirus / Covid19German government approves the corona aid package for startups. A two billion fund will add to private funding from the package (30% private, 70% public) this is called „Corona-Matching-Fazilität“ (CMF). The package was put together quite fast since the first announcement has been in mid-April. https://buff.ly/2zFr4jL There will be another pillar, called “Startup-Schutzschild” (startup shield), which will assist the instruments of Germany’s 16 states for startups, who have no backing by investors yet. Related we found news about...

Learn from an Indian-born entrepreneur, who raised 35 mn Euros Venture Capital in Germany"Hessen is the natural home for startups and entrepreneurs"

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

 The Enabler of our InterviewThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler, we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANOTech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ The Startup FounderOur interview partner is again Gunjan Bhardwaj (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunjan-bhardwaj-b321a32/), not the actor. He is a former EY and BCG consultant, as well as a TED speaker. He likes to work a lot, so he is also the author of the book “Inside the Cockpit: Navigating the Complexity of Drug Development with AI and Blockchain” (https://amzn.to/2QYI1eL). 

“Frankfurt … it is the center of Europe, it is so super connected.”

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

PatreonYou can now support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=35246148 if you like what you see and hear consider to support us, so we can keep bringing you great content.

"Everybody has to chart his or her own course. I am a deep believer in instinct."

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

Affiliate LinksIs your startup in need of a bank account in Germany? Try our partner affiliate Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

Looking to open a bank account to shift between crypto and fiat? Try our partner Bitwala with this affiliate link here http://bit.ly/2w01Zye

Interview Part 1This is part two of a series of interviews with Gunjan. You find part one of our interview here:

https://www.startuprad.io/blog/meet-innoplexus-the-startup-which-fights-all-diseases/

“… but I also have to say that investors in this part of the world look at the long term picture … but once they are convinced, they are partners for the long term”

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

One Day Commute to New YorkOne of the things Gunjan likes about Frankfurt is its great connectivity. With the connections of Frankfurt Airport (IATA Code FRA, therefore know as Fraport) you can get on a plane, meet in New York in the afternoon and be back in Frankfurt early the next morning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraport

Germany is one of the best places to start a company.

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus Advice in FundraisingInnoplexus counts among its investors HCS (

This Month in German Startups - April 2020 

If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recordings and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Reach out to us, here is our audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA 

Find the hosts here:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ 

Housekeeping - Time to bragA tiny bit of hope is back, so we do a bit a of bragging again:

Wow, the days around Easter have been AMAZING for Startuprad.io. We retained our position in Chartable's Global Top 100 Technology and Global Top 100 Science Charts, but we also entered the iTunes Technology Charts in Vietnam for the first time. Again in the US and UK welcomed us to their Apple Technology Podcast Charts again in the Top 200 https://twitter.com/startuprad_io/status/1252523750123352066

You can subscribe to Startuprad.io here:

YouTube http://bit.ly/2LK14oWiTunes http://apple.co/2xsHdaESpotify http://spoti.fi/2DfIt1OOur Sub-Podcasts:

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8German Startup News (Video)iTunes https://apple.co/3agUim9 German Startup News (Audio)iTunes https://apple.co/2Jg2fMw Spotify https://spoti.fi/2UeZ3ah  

Housekeeping - tracking startups we interviewed...

Meet Innoplexus the startup which fights ALL diseasesDespite the commonly held belief, I grew here faster in Germany than in the US or in the UK

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

Important information upfront – the Fight against Corona Virus / Covid19 For the corona virus, we not only have to flatten the curve, we have to flatten the disease.

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

Innoplexus grants free access to the research platform “Acceleration of Covid19 research:” https://coronavirus.ontosight.ai/

Here is the COVID19 Dashboard of Innoplexus: https://covid19.innoplexus.de/news

We are working on a completely new molecule to address the current and future coronavirus. The current problem with Corona will not stop. There will be further strains coming in.

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

The EnablerThis is a video interview from our podcast Tech Startups Germany. All the recordings on this channel are made possible by Invest in Hessen (learn more here https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home).

We fight all diseases. Right from the start, we wanted to provide an AI platform to solve all relevant problems in drug discovery and development.

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

The PodcastsWe will post this interview and all others as podcast(s) next Tuesday night Central European Time. Subscribe here and have them on our device when you wake up:

💢 Audio only - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bfl

Deezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rl

TuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpzn

Stitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO

💢 Video - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ

 The founderGunjan Bhardwaj (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gunjan-bhardwaj-b321a32/), not to be confused with the actor with the same name. His first enterprise was selling bean bags during university. He is a former consultant and a graduate of IIT Bombay, as well as a TED speaker. He enjoys a lot of work since he is also the author of the book “Inside the Cockpit: Navigating the Complexity of Drug Development with AI and Blockchain” (https://amzn.to/2QYI1eL). Surprisingly Gunjan is not a physician. He changed careers after one of his mentors became sick with cancer because he wanted to know about alternatives for treatments.

Medical Data doubles every 73 days. Medical data at the end of the year is more than 32 times at the beginning of the year.

Gunjan Bhardwaj – Founder and CEO Innoplexus

________________________________________________________

Affiliate LinksWhy not learn from entrepreneurs and executives who are open to share their favorite books. We skimmed through some recommendations and that is what we found.

Recommended by: Bill Gates

“Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker” https://amzn.to/2XAENlBRecommended by: Jeff Bezos

“Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras” https://amzn.to/2RGKGKeRecommended by: Elon Musk

“Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel” https://amzn.to/2REbHhwRecommended by: Tony Hsieh

“Tribal Leadership: Leveraging...

This Month in German Startups - March 2020If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recordings and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

FeedbackReach out to us, here is our audience survey, to give us feedback, suggest topics, interview partners or just to say “Hallo!” https://forms.gle/mLV6mVKwGwKuut8BA 

Find the hosts here:Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)

Note that Chris decided to stay in New York to be able to report from there, which is the epicenter of the US corona outbrake! Thank you for that!

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler, we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ______________________________________

Our affiliate partners:Startup in need of a bank account? Try our partner Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

Looking for a bank account to shift between crypto and fiat? Try our partner Bitwala: http://bit.ly/2w01Zye

Need office space? Co-Working at WeWork https://we.co/2GYbxvS

Need something done fast? SEO / Graphics / Sounds / Transcript look at Fiverr: http://bit.ly/2S0f2YF

You can listen to many of the books from our recommendations with an audible subscription: https://amzn.to/2pGzseh

______________________________________HousekeepingNo bragging this time.

Now there is

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8German Startup News (Video)iTunes https://apple.co/3agUim9 German Startup News (Audio)iTunes https://apple.co/2Jg2fMw Spotify 

Acomodeo helps companies to find serviced apartments worldwideThe EnablerThis is a video interview from our podcast Tech Startups Germany. All the recordings on this channel are made possible by Invest in Hessen (learn more here https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home).

Our first clients know us and trust us, and they do these bookings [28.000 – 35.000 Euros] on a cell phone.

Eric-Jan Krausch during his Startuprad.io interview

The PodcastsWe will post this interview and all others as podcast(s) next Tuesday night Central European Time. Subscribe here and have them on our device when you wake up:

💢 Audio only - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bfl

Deezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rl

TuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpzn

Stitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO

💢 Video - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ

We see that there are a lot of professional suppliers in the market and we digitize them. We make them online bookable.

Eric-Jan Krausch during his Startuprad.io interview

The FounderIn this interview for Invest-in-hessen.com we are talking to Eric-Jan Krausch (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejkrausch/), Founder and CEO of Frankfurt-based proptech and business travel startup ACOMODEO (https://www.acomodeo.com/en-us/). Eric is born in Frankfurt and originally worked in a radio station. He even studied music business in Mannheim (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popakademie_Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg).  He also worked for innovation departments at large and established companies. After that Eric became a freelancer, working as consultant for several companies.

Our global footprint is supported by our location in Frankfurt.

Eric-Jan Krausch during his Startuprad.io interview

Our affiliate partners:Startup in need of a bank account? Try our partner Penta http://bit.ly/3bdHX3d

Looking for a bank account to shift between crypto and fiat? Try our partner Bitwala: http://bit.ly/2w01Zye

Need office space? Co-Working at WeWork https://we.co/2GYbxvS

Need something done fast? SEO / Graphics / Sounds / Transcript look at Fiverr: http://bit.ly/2S0f2YF

You can listen to many of the books from our recommendations with an audible subscription: https://amzn.to/2pGzseh

The StoryEric developed the idea of Acomodeo together with his roommate, during his graduate studies. The company provides on its platform multinational companies with apartments all around the world. This is a great service for multinationals since they must provide housing for their employees on international assignments. One can book apartments on Acomodeo from four days to two years. The goal is to get the client a seamless travel experience, so the startup sees itself more like a startup in the travel industry (traveltech), rather than a property startup (proptech).

For a B2B startup this [Frankfurt] is a better location.

Eric-Jan Krausch during his Startuprad.io interview

Acomodeo vets the suppliers before they get on their platform. They focus on other points that a hotel platform would like the question: Is there a fully equipped kitchen, including a toaster?

The EnablerThis is a video interview from our podcast Tech Startups Germany. All the recordings on this channel are made possible by Invest in Hessen (learn more here https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home).

The PodcastsWe will post this interview and all others as podcast(s) next Tuesday night Central European Time. Subscribe here and have them on our device when you wake up:

💢 Audio only - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bfl

Deezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rl

TuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpzn

Stitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO

💢 Video - Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io

iTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ

We come to love the work ethics here. Frankfurt is a work minded city.

Peter Hart during his Startuprad.io interview

 The FounderIn this interview for Invest-in-hessen.com we are talking to Peter Hart (https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-hart-94373435/), a serial entrepreneur, based in Frankfurt. Despite being just 28 years old, Peter already launched 12 ventures. He started out back in 2015 with his consumer product brand Dr. Severin (https://drseverin.com/). During his first venture launch, Joe interviewed Peter in German back in 2015. We talk to him about his newest venture Pythia AI (https://www.pythia-ai.com/)

I don’t divide between business books and private books. If you grow personally, you grow as a leader.

Peter Hart during his Startuprad.io interview

 The StoryWe talk to him to learn more about his 12th venture, called Pythia AI (https://www.pythia-ai.de/). Pythia was started when Peter followed his data-driven approach to launch new consumer products and he got approached by Rossmann (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossmann_(company)), Germany’s 2nd largest chain of drug stores. The drug store chain invested in the startup (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pythia#section-funding-rounds) to help them with forecasting trends for product development.

In case you are wondering: The venture is named after the priest, founding and serving the Oracle of Delphi in Greek mythology (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia).

Peter looks a bit tired in the interview, since he just returned from opening an office in Sunny Vale, in the Silicon Valley.

We are very happy with the talent pool here (in Frankfurt), especially the engineers.

Peter Hart during his Startuprad.io interview

 The Silicon Valley JourneyDuring his time in Silicon Valley, Peter wanted to reach out to venture capital investors. He went along the two main streets where they are headquartered and knocked on their doors. Surprisingly this was very successful, and it appears no one has done this before.

Series A Venture Capital RoundDespite knocking on many doors in Silicon Valley, Pythia is not done with their fundraising and they are looking for additional investors for their Series A fundraising.

I think philosophy goes really well with business. You formulate a more concrete business philosophy.

Peter Hart during his Startuprad.io interview

Find the video interview here:https://www.startuprad.io/blog/pythia-forecasts-the-next-trend-in-consumer-products/

Peter’s Top Book PicksPrinciples by...

This Month in German Startups - February 2020If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Find the hosts here:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)

This February our news is quite short. This is due to the fact that we try to shrink them, as well as that we had only approx. 3 weeks since the last news.

Affiliated LinksThe hard thing about hard things

https://amzn.to/2S62X30Ben Horowitz tells his story from an employee, afraid to loose his job to CEO of a company caught in the dotcom bubble to VC investorZero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future https://amzn.to/37H2MSpPeter Thiels, the famous investor tells you his mental framework to think about innovationBlitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies https://amzn.to/2Ob0xySReid Hoffmans, the founder of LinkedIn, advice on scale fast

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

https://amzn.to/2v97KZG

Read worthy book to familiarize yourself with economic theory, or learn more about how to apply it.Need a bank account? Try our partner Pentahttp://bit.ly/3bdHX3dNeed space to work? Try our partner WeWorkhttps://we.co/2GYbxvSLooking for someone to design a logo, do a transcript or a voice-over? Find all of it and more at our partner Fiverrhttp://bit.ly/2S0f2YFYou can listen to Venture Capital books or entertainment on your way to work with an audible subscription – you get the first month for free

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NTQ6K7E?tag=startupradi0e-21

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler, we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ Find all the links to our sources on our Blog here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-february-2020-video/

---

Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany/message

Find all the links to our source articles and show notes here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-january-2020/

This Month in German Startups - January 2020 - by Startuprad.ioIf you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Find the hosts here:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)

Affiliated LinksThe hard thing about hard things https://amzn.to/2S62X30

Ben Horowitz tells his story from an employee, afraid to loose his job to CEO of a company caught in the dotcom bubble to VC investorZero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future https://amzn.to/37H2MSpPeter Thiels, the famous investor tells you his mental framework to think about innovationBlitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies https://amzn.to/2Ob0xySReid Hoffmans, the founder of LinkedIn, advice on scale fast

You can listen to Venture Capital books or entertainment on your way to work with an audible subscription – you get the first month for free

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NTQ6K7E?tag=startupradi0e-21

EnablerThis recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJhttps://youtu.be/aIngva0lCWo

Housekeeping - Time to brag South Korea is Country No 26 which welcomed us to their iTunes podcast (tech) charts! Thank you very much!

Now there is

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify 

The EnablerThis is a video interview from our podcast Tech Startups Germany. All the recordings on this channel are made possible by Invest in Hessen (learn more here https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home).

The digitalization game is never ever a game won by a single company

Marc Gille, Founder and CEO THING TECHNOLOGIES during his Startuprad.io interview

The FounderIn this interview, we talk to the serial entrepreneur Marc Gille (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-gille-2165946/), Founder and CEO of THING TECHNOLOGIES.

Marc founded his first startup, a business process management platform, in Frankfurt in 2000. He sold this startup in 2006 to SunGard, now part of FIS (https://www.fisglobal.com/about-us). Marc went on to work for FIS in New York as Senior Vice President for more a decade, before founding his current startup THING TECHNOLOGIES (https://www.thing-it.com/) in Brooklyn. He later moved with his startup’s headquarter from Brooklyn to Frankfurt, leaving some operations in New York.

If you want something more hip, certain places in Offenbach will do

Marc Gille, Founder and CEO THING TECHNOLOGIES during his Startuprad.io interview

The StartupTHING TECHNOLOGIES is a proptech startup, owner of the Thing-it platform. The Thing-it Platform allows configuring digitalization solutions for all participants (real estate developers, tenants, co-workers, residents, guests, properties managers, facilities managers, service providers) using and operating a building.

Venture CapitalTHING TECHNOLOGIES already raised a Series A venture capital round with coparion and PropTech 1 Ventures (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/thing-technologies-llc#section-lists-featuring-this-company). They are still looking to raise more money, in a second closing of their Series A round.

They are also looking for international investors for a Series B Round since THING has a good footprint in the US (founded in New York, still has a team in Birmingham Alabama).

If you want to get in, feel free to reach out, we get you connected.

Find the video interview here: https://youtu.be/DZ8oFEx91tU

Building Technology 1988As recommended by Marc, here is the trailer of Die Hard 1 (Stirb Langsam 1) from 1988 to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of large buildings already in the 1980s. Please note the buildings explosion resistance in the movie may be exaggerated 😊 https://youtu.be/gYWvwkXreaI

Further ReadingsGmbH (a German version of an Ltd): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companies_with_limited_liability_in_German_speaking_countries

Marc’s example of the Cube in Berlin http://www.cube-berlin.de/en/

Nebenkostenabrechnung (Utilities Statement, which is tightly regulated in Germany, especially which costs a landlord can pass on to it’s tenants) https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/german-housing-market/home-utilities

Marc is hinting at the BER Airport towards the end of the interview (https://www.dw.com/en/new-berlin-airport-to-finally-open-next-october/a-51471371), as opposed to the well-functioning, international connected airport Frankfurt (

This Month in German Startups - Review 2019 and 2020 OutlookIf you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Find the hosts here:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io / Twitter / Homepage / Video Interview (2018)

Publication ScheduleThis episode will … substitute the June News. This year startuprad.io’s news wrap-ups will have a summer break from the May News until the end of September. We are sorry, but there is no other way to fit the podcast around Chris and Joe's busy lives. 

About this OutlookNonetheless, we are now giving you the review of a decade and the preview of a decade! We mostly stick to top-level stuff, especially since the deeper you dig, the more material we would have to cover. 

EnablerThis recording was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest. Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler, we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - Audio onlyiTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io - VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJHousekeeping - Time to brag We had more than 165.000 unique listeners to our audio podcast(s), keep in mind, most of them are only live since Q3. We had almost 350.000 views on Youtube and more than 2 mn impressions on social media.

You can find our top videos here on Instagram: 

 https://www.instagram.com/p/B7GcEC6IZd7/

Thank you very much for sticking with us, we greatly appreciate you guys!

Our sub-podcasts

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8 

Tadadadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

2020 will be the year of Beethoven, which is a safe bet!

There will be a lot going on since Beethoven turns 250 this year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ZrMEjktsA

Ode to Joy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdWyYn0E4Ys

If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

Talk to the hosts:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger joe@startuprad.io 

Chris Fahrenbach chris@startuprad.io

Enabler

This recording was made possible by (Hessen Trade and Invest). Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/

Together with our enabler we are running a podcast called “Tech Startups Germany”, which will focus on startups at a Serie A stage or even more mature. You will also find all the videos we produce for this podcast on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/startupradio. This podcast is available directly on our device as audio and video podcast, yes, Startuprad.io makes the first downloadable video podcast. Find all options to subscribe here: 

💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io – Audio only

iTunes https://apple.co/2Z17bflDeezer http://bit.ly/2Qbh1rlTuneIn http://bit.ly/2M8vpznStitcher http://bit.ly/34xTANO💢 Tech Startups Germany by Startuprad.io – VideoiTunes https://apple.co/2M8ZxKJ

Find all the links here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-december-2019-by-startuprad-io/

Recommended Holiday Readings (Affiliated Links)

The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte

https://amzn.to/38Ug3rU

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen R. Covey

https://amzn.to/2sGDy78

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

by Stephen R. Covey

https://amzn.to/34DYbOC

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

https://amzn.to/2PEoFet

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

https://amzn.to/36U41g6

Grit – The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

https://amzn.to/2SbuEcj

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany/message

Find the video and more content here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/2019-fintech-review-germany-talkshow-by-startuprad-io-video/

The traditionThis is a Startuprad.io tradition. Every year close to Christmas Joe gets together with smart people from the German fintech scene and talks about what was going on. Usually, the discussion drifts fast in a talk show and does not stick to the usual news format. None the less it is very informative and there are great ideas for fintech entrepreneurs and investors here.

Trust is repeated positive experience – Frank Schwab during Startuprad.io’s 2019 Fintech Review

 This episode was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest, learn more at www.invest-in-hessen.de Find the video and more content here: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/2019-fintech-review-germany-talkshow-by-startuprad-io-video/

The traditionThis is a Startuprad.io tradition. Every year close to Christmas Joe gets together with smart people from the German fintech scene and talks about what was going on. Usually, the discussion drifts fast in a talk show and does not stick to the usual news format. None the less it is very informative and there are great ideas for fintech entrepreneurs and investors here.

Trust is repeated positive experience – Frank Schwab during Startuprad.io’s 2019 Fintech Review

 This episode was made possible by Hessen Trade and Invest, learn more at www.invest-in-hessen.de To digitize the relationship with clients in banking, that will be the unicorn – Paolo Sironi during Startuprad.io’s 2019 Fintech Review

Our Guests(in alphabetic order)

Mario Hachemer, CTO Fastbill (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahachemer/)

Luka Ivicevic, Co-Founder / Chief of Staff at Penta (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luka-ivicevic/)

Frank Schwab, Co-Founder Fintech Forum (https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankschwab/)

Paolo Sironi , Author and Thought Leader IBM (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepsironi/)

Host:

Jörn “Joe” Menninger, Founder and Host Startuprad.io

joe@startuprad.io / Twitter  / LinkedIn / Video Interview (2018)

To succeed in Fintech you need to digitize the client relationship – Paolo Sironi during Startuprad.io’s 2019 Fintech Review

Further ReadingDuring the discussion we are touching:

Challenger Bank / Neo Bank https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_bank

Share of Wallet https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/share-of-wallet.asp

Tiktok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQEGJMmqBTw

Mortgage: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mortgage.asp

related:

Mortgage market shares in Germany. Statista has only numbers for 2015, but online banks had a 40% market share: https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/661264/umfrage/entwicklung-der-marktanteile-der-vertriebskanaele-in-der-deutschen-baufinanzierung/

Goldman Sachs’ Marcus: https://www.marcus.com/us/en

Related:

Find all the links we are talking about, as well as the show notes on our website https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2019/

If you are new to our podcast(s), we are wrapping up the startup news of the German-speaking area in a monthly recording from Frankfurt and New York. Have a look at our website www.startuprad.io or www.startup.radio and you will find all the links to our recording and the articles we are quoting from there. Some of the source articles are in English, some are in German.

EnablerThis recording was made possible by Invest in Hessen. Learn more about our enabler here: https://www.invest-in-hessen.com/home

Housekeeping - Time to brag We set up sub-podcast for special interest and our Fintech Germany made it up to No 72 in the iTunes Business Charts of Qatar. Thank you!

Now there is

💢 Fintech Germany by Startuprad.io iTunes: http://apple.co/2lLRlpG Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2m8HWsb💢 Security Sutra by Startuprad.ioiTunes: https://apple.co/2K0qLlHSpotify: https://spoti.fi/33rrlAD💢 Deeptech GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2oWO3Sl Spotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8💢 Blockchain GermanyiTunes: https://apple.co/2O2jwLxSpotify https://spoti.fi/2qucve8Find all the links we are talking about, as well as the show notes on our website https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-startups-november-2019/

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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/techstartupsgermany/message

Welcome to the Summer 2024 Startup News Wrap-Up from Startuprad.io! In this special Labor Day episode, we cover the most crucial updates from the vibrant startup ecosystems in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or tech enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights into the latest trends, funding rounds, and ecosystem developments shaping the future of innovation in the DACH region.

💼 New Sponsor Alert:

We’re excited to announce our new partner, ModernIQs.com! Did you know an SEO-optimized blog post can generate significantly more traffic than a social media post? Startuprad.io listeners can create two free SEO-optimized blog posts per month in less than a minute. Sign up using the link in the episode notes. Sign up here.

🔍 Episode Highlights:

• Helsing’s €450M Series C Funding: Munich-based defense AI startup Helsing has soared to a €4.9B valuation with its recent funding. Discover how this positions Helsing as a leader in European security tech and what it means for the future of AI in defense.

• Lilium’s Strategic Dilemma: Explore the challenges faced by air taxi pioneer Lilium, including uncertainties over state aid that could lead to a sale and relocation. Learn how this could impact air mobility and the German startup scene.

• Grover’s €50M Funding Amid Market Challenges: Berlin-based tech rental company Grover raised €50M as it navigates economic headwinds. Find out how Grover is pivoting toward sustainable growth and what this means for the tech rental industry.

• CatalYm & osapiens: We discuss CatalYm’s €150M Series D funding for cancer immunotherapy and osapiens' €110M investment to expand its global ESG platform. These stories highlight the growing investor confidence in Europe’s deep-tech and biotech sectors.

• ECB’s Digital Euro Progress Report: Get updated on the European Central Bank’s first report on the digital euro, marking a significant step in developing Europe’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).

🇩🇪🇦🇹🇨🇭 Local Startup News:

• Germany: The AI startup sector in Germany is booming, with a 35% increase in 2024. We explore the opportunities and challenges in this thriving industry.

• Austria: Vienna-based HR tech startup Speedinvest Heroes (HROs) has filed for bankruptcy, highlighting the challenges in Austria's HR tech sector.

• Switzerland: Swiss startups raised CHF 1.1B in H1 2024, with biotech leading the charge. Despite a 9.5% decline, early-stage investments in AI and energy are showing strong growth.

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#Hashtags: #StartupNews #GermanStartups #SwissStartups #AustrianStartups #TechTrends #FundingNews #AIInnovation #DeepTech #VentureCapital #EuropeanStartups

In this episode of Startuprad.io, we dive into the world of energy informatics with Dr. Niklas Panten, CEO and Co-Founder of Etalytics, a cutting-edge startup transforming how industries approach energy efficiency. Etalytics leverages AI-driven solutions to tackle rising energy costs, meet sustainability goals, and enhance operational efficiency for sectors like data centers, pharma, and automotive.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Story of Etalytics: Discover how this innovative company emerged from groundbreaking research at the Technical University of Darmstadt to become a leader in energy optimization.

• AI-Powered Tools: Learn about Etalytics’ flagship products—EtaOne, EtaEdge, and EtaMind—and how they work together to deliver seamless, data-driven energy solutions.

• Industry Impact: Understand how Etalytics helps industries like data centers reduce their environmental footprint, achieve regulatory compliance, and stay competitive in the face of rising energy demands.

• Challenges and Growth: Hear about the hurdles Etalytics faced during its journey, from launching during the COVID-19 pandemic to scaling its operations and maintaining company culture.

Key Topics Covered:

• The rising demand for energy-efficient solutions in industries heavily reliant on power.

• How Etalytics leverages machine learning and AI to solve complex energy management problems.

• The significance of sustainable energy practices in today’s regulatory and economic environment.

• Etalytics’ plans to grow its team from 50 to 120 employees and expand into markets like the U.S., UK, and Asia.

Who Should Listen:
This episode is perfect for startup founders, sustainability advocates, tech enthusiasts, and industry leaders looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of energy management. Whether you’re curious about AI applications in industrial settings or want insights into building a successful startup, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways.

Links to Explore Further:

• Original Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/etalytics-transforming-energy-management-with-ai-solutions

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Call to Action:
Don’t forget to follow Startuprad.io on Spotify and share this episode with friends and colleagues interested in AI, energy, and innovation. Got feedback? Let us know at https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9.

In this episode of Startuprad.io, host Jörn "Joe" Menninger speaks with Rafael Fietzek, Co-Founder and Managing Director at COMPREDICT, to explore the groundbreaking advancements in automotive technology. COMPREDICT is leading the charge with its revolutionary virtual sensor technology, powered by AI, that is set to transform the way vehicles operate.

Key Takeaways:

• Virtual Sensors & AI Integration: Learn how COMPREDICT’s AI-driven virtual sensors are designed to replace traditional hardware sensors in vehicles, enabling more efficient and predictive vehicle maintenance. These virtual sensors enhance operational performance by monitoring critical aspects such as tire and brake wear, as well as vehicle dynamics, all through AI.

• Series B Funding Success: Rafael discusses COMPREDICT’s impressive $15 million Series B funding round, backed by high-profile investors like Michelin, BlackBerry, and Toyota's investment arm, Woven Capital. This investment boosts COMPREDICT’s credibility and positions them for further growth.

• Strategic Partnerships: Find out how COMPREDICT is collaborating with leading automotive manufacturers, such as Renault, Alpine, and Toyota, to integrate their virtual sensors into mass production vehicles, making a significant impact on the industry.

• Recruitment Challenges: The episode highlights the difficulties COMPREDICT faces in recruiting top international tech talent, as well as the hurdles associated with international visa processes, which slow down the hiring of skilled workers from outside Europe.

• Networking and B2B Sales: Discover the importance of networking at industry conferences and how building relationships with key decision-makers in the automotive sector is vital to securing large B2B deals.

• Future Roadmap: Rafael outlines COMPREDICT’s growth strategy, including plans to secure more production deals, continue expanding into global markets like Japan and the U.S., and prepare for a future Series C funding round.

Who Should Listen:

If you are a tech startup enthusiast, automotive engineer, AI expert, or investor, this episode offers valuable insights into how COMPREDICT is shaping the future of the automotive industry with cutting-edge AI solutions. You’ll also gain an inside look at the challenges and strategies involved in scaling a deep tech startup in a highly competitive industry.

Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation that covers innovation, AI, automotive partnerships, and the future of virtual sensors. Whether you're interested in automotive technology, AI applications, or startup growth strategies, this episode has something for you.

Links:

• Original Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/blog

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Welcome to the October 2024 edition of "This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian Startups," where we bring you essential insights into the GSA startup ecosystem. Join hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger and Chris Fahrenbach as they unpack the month’s top stories, from groundbreaking funding rounds to unicorn achievements and major pivots in tech and innovation.

Episode Highlights:

1. Lilium’s Financial Struggles and eVTOL Innovation Setbacks
This month, the NASDAQ-listed eVTOL pioneer Lilium, based in Germany, navigates financial challenges, pursuing self-administered bankruptcy due to funding constraints. Although recent setbacks impacted its market valuation, Lilium’s story represents the high-stakes reality of aerospace tech, where R&D costs often create financial risk. Discover the unique challenges that innovators in sustainable aviation face and Lilium’s hopes for a future in clean transportation.

2. Egym and Orderfox Join the Unicorn Club
In major achievements for the healthtech and AI sectors, German fitness tech company Egym and Swiss AI-driven industrial procurement firm Orderfox each attained unicorn status this October. Egym’s valuation now exceeds $1 billion, fueled by tech advances that position it toward IPO readiness. Orderfox, leveraging AI to optimize industrial processes, underscores the GSA region’s strength in practical, data-driven solutions. Learn how these companies reached new heights and the impact of their technologies on health and industrial sectors.

3. Austria’s Gropyus Secures €100 Million for Sustainable Housing
Austrian startup Gropyus made waves with a €100 million investment to expand its modular, timber-hybrid housing production. With a mission to address Europe’s housing crisis through sustainable materials and design, Gropyus embodies the shift toward green construction tech. This investment supports their scalable model of eco-friendly housing solutions, meeting the demands of an evolving market.

4. EU’s Deep Tech Initiative with Trusted Investors Network
In a strategic move to elevate Europe’s role in global tech, the European Union launched a deep tech support network, collaborating with over 70 venture capital firms in the Trusted Investors Network. Aiming to close the technology gap with global leaders like the U.S. and China, the EU’s partnership initiative highlights Europe’s vision for advancing fields like AI, biotech, and sustainable energy.

5. SolarisBank’s €178M Loss and Restructuring Efforts
German fintech SolarisBank reported a €178 million loss, announcing job cuts and a restructuring to regain profitability. The company’s experience is indicative of the broader European fintech scene, where scaling comes with financial pressures. Discover how Solaris is adapting its strategy in the competitive fintech landscape, aiming to enhance operational efficiency.

📍 Useful Links:

• Original Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/blog/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-october-2024

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🎙️ Next Step in Machine Learning with Danko Nikolic | Startuprad.io Podcast

Join Jörn "Joe" Menninger as he interviews Danko Nikolic, CEO and Founder of Robots go Mental. Dive into their groundbreaking machine learning algorithms inspired by brain research, shaped by Danko's background in psychology and statistics from the Max Planck Institute. Discover how Robots go Mental is transforming AI with innovative self-training algorithms and impactful collaborations, including a project with NASA.

This episode highlights the challenges of launching a deep tech startup in Germany and the critical need for supportive infrastructure. Danko invites talent and investors to join their mission to revolutionize AI.

🔗 [Read more](https://www.startuprad.io/blog)

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