This Month in DACH Startups: April 2025 Startup News Wrap-Up
- Jörn Menninger
- vor 1 Tag
- 47 Min. Lesezeit

Management Summary
In April 2025, the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) startup ecosystem showcased resilience, innovation, and growth despite ongoing global uncertainties. From major venture capital rebounds and record-breaking startup funding rounds to geopolitical tensions affecting digital finance, this month's news reveals key shifts that startup founders, investors, and tech executives must track. This blog post distills insights from Startuprad.io's April 2025 news episode, with highlights on AI, fintech, deep tech, and the regional economy—your essential read to stay ahead in the DACH startup scene.
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🔥 Venture Capital Surge in DACH: Why It Matters
What caused the DACH funding spike in April 2025?
In April, startups across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland raised over $1.3B in disclosed funding. This momentum includes Berlin-based Amboss with a €240M round, AI infrastructure player Noxtua with €92M, and Munich’s Marvel Fusion closing €50M for nuclear innovation. Simultaneously, VC firms like First Momentum (€100M deeptech fund), Revent (€100M impact fund), and Oakley Capital (€4.5B flagship fund) underscored long-term commitment to European innovation.
Featured Snippet Answer:
Germany’s startup funding spike in April 2025 is driven by a surge in AI, healthtech, and deeptech investments, with over $1.3B raised and multiple VC funds launched across the DACH region.
📉 Economic Outlook: Recovery or Recession?
What’s slowing down the German economy in 2025?
Germany’s spring economic forecast was revised downward from 0.3% to 0.0% GDP growth, citing geopolitical instability, high energy costs, and sluggish private investment. The Ifo Business Climate Index showed only slight improvement in April, with industrial optimism tempered by service sector caution. Creditreform's Mittelstand report confirms that SMEs are delaying investments amid uncertainty in interest rates and government policy.
🛠️ The Rise of Fair-Code Automation: Berlin's n8n
What is n8n and why is it a Zapier rival?
n8n, the Berlin-based open-source automation platform, raised €55M to expand its developer-first workflow orchestration. Positioned as a fair-code alternative to closed platforms like Zapier, n8n allows startups to scale with greater flexibility and transparency.
📉 Trade Republic Faces Technical and Financial Crises
Why is Trade Republic under fire?
Trade Republic, Germany’s leading neobroker, is battling user outrage over repeated app outages and reports of disappearing balances. Regulatory scrutiny is rising, and media coverage from Business Insider, Börse Online, and FAZ reflects growing distrust among retail investors. The incident highlights critical gaps in fintech infrastructure and customer support.
🌍 Lyft Acquires FreeNow for €175M: Why It’s a Big Deal
How does this acquisition impact mobility startups?
Lyft’s €175M acquisition of FreeNow, a major German mobility startup, signals a bold push into European markets. This cross-border deal positions Lyft to better compete with Uber by leveraging FreeNow’s local presence in key urban hubs. Analysts view this as a validation of Europe’s ride-sharing and multimodal mobility potential.
🧠 Emerging AI Startups to Watch: DACH Startups
Which AI startups stood out in April?
Amboss: €240M to scale its AI co-pilot for physicians.
Noxtua: €92M to build sovereign legal LLMs.
n8n: €55M for workflow automation.
Brighter AI: Exit signals growing demand for anonymization tech.
Symbiotic: €29M for warehouse robotics.
These stories reflect growing investor appetite for applied AI in healthtech, productivity, compliance, and robotics.
🧱 Deeptech Investment Heats Up
What’s the role of First Momentum and other VCs?
First Momentum Ventures launched a €100M fund targeting academic spinouts and high-tech founders, furthering Germany’s leadership in deeptech. Backed by LPs with university ties, it complements other funds like Compass (€150M) and Daphni (€215M), all pushing the frontier in deep AI, hardware, and biotech.
💬 People Also Ask (PAA) SEO Questions
What are the top startup funding trends in Germany?
Focus on AI, healthtech, and climate resilience.
Growing interest in sovereign tech and deep learning models.
Is venture capital rebounding in Europe?
Yes. April saw a resurgence in European startup investment, especially in the DACH region, driven by AI, deeptech, and digital infrastructure trends.
Which German startups raised the most funding in April 2025?
Amboss (€240M)
Noxtua (€92M)
Marvel Fusion (€50M)
Symbiotic (€29M)
How is the German economy performing in 2025?
Sluggish growth, 0.0% GDP forecast, with optimism in manufacturing offset by stagnation in services and small businesses.
What’s the future of fair-code platforms like n8n?
Strong. Developer-centric models with open-source flexibility are gaining traction among SMEs and enterprises.
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Welcome to our regular startup news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Our startup news is recorded with Chris, in New York City. Joe is joining from Frankfurt.
Today's news cut is April 25th 2025 - Due to us recording on a monday. As always, all news not included will be in our next news wrap-up, to be published on May 29th Accession of Christ - a holiday in many German states and the day we celebrate in Germany Father’s Day.
We needed to cut our news seriously so you can have a brief news overview. We will have news pieces in our blog post on Startuprad.io/blog that we simply can not cover, otherwise the news would stretch for more than one hour.
Our Highlights:
March 2025 saw a remarkable surge in the DACH startup ecosystem, with nearly $1.3 billion USD in disclosed startup funding rounds and over $5 billion USD in new venture fund announcements. From Amboss raising €240M for global AI health expansion to Noxtua’s $92M round for sovereign AI, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland continue to punch above their weight in innovation. Other major wins include Berlin’s n8n raising €55M to rival Zapier, and Munich’s Marvel Fusion securing €50M for nuclear innovation. Cross-border deals like Lyft’s €175M acquisition of FreeNow further demonstrate the growing international relevance of the region’s scaleups.
At the same time, venture capital activity is clearly rebounding across the DACH region. First Momentum Ventures unveiled a €100M deeptech fund, while global players like Oakley Capital (€4.5B), Revent (€100M), and Kompas (€150M) are backing the next generation of founders. This trend reflects shifting investor focus toward long-term value in AI, climate tech, healthtech, and infrastructure resilience. Challenges remain, as seen in the scrutiny of neobroker Trade Republic and a wave of insolvencies, but the overall outlook underscores DACH’s strategic strength in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and early-stage technology leadership.
Startuprad.io continues to be the trusted media voice in this evolving landscape. In March alone, the podcast network achieved top rankings in Apple Podcasts’ Business News and Entrepreneurship categories across more than 20 countries. Sub-podcasts like Blockchain Germany (Top 70 Web3 Podcasts) and Fintech Germany, Deep Tech Germany, Tech Startups Germany, and Startup News Podcast (Top 100 VC Podcasts), as recognized by MillionPodcasts.com, confirm Startuprad.io’s reach and relevance among startup founders, VCs, and innovation executives across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. If you’re serious about staying informed and ahead, this is the voice of the DACH startup scene you can’t afford to miss.
Let's talk startups.
Upcoming Holidays
In may we do have quite a few holidays here in Germany. Most of them are public holidays in most states and since this year three of them are on Thursdays (May 1st Europe Wide Labor Day), Ascension of Christ (May 29th | Also Father’s Day), Corpus Christi (June 19th) - you should not expect most people to be back at work the following Friday. There is also Whit Monday (June 6th), so plan accordingly. I am looking forward to 4 long weekends in the coming two months.
Note: For most the next upcoming holidays is only reunification day on October 3rd (a Friday this year).
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Top News
Our Top News This Month!
📈 VC Investment Rebound: German Startups Attract More Capital
Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, venture capital investment in German startups is on the rise, according to a recent Handelsblatt report. The article highlights a surprising resurgence in both early and late-stage funding, signaling renewed investor confidence in the country's innovation ecosystem. This rebound suggests that founders with scalable models and AI-driven solutions are still attracting capital, even amid a cautious global funding environment. The uptick could mark a turning point for Germany's startup landscape, as VCs refocus on long-term growth potential rather than short-term market volatility.
🏦 Trouble at Trade Republic: App Outages and Missing Funds Shake User Confidence
Berlin-based neobroker Trade Republic is facing growing backlash after a series of repeated app outages during trading hours left users unable to access their accounts or execute trades. Reports from Börse Online, BR, and FAZ highlight user frustration over the platform’s instability, with many retail investors now considering alternative brokers. The disruptions, often occurring during peak market times, have sparked calls for compensation and raised concerns over Trade Republic’s infrastructure resilience, especially as competitors ramp up reliability in response.
Compounding the crisis, multiple users have reported disappearing balances from their Trade Republic accounts, prompting an internal investigation and mounting public criticism. According to Business Insider, the platform is now under potential regulatory scrutiny as the fintech community and watchdogs raise alarms over financial irregularities. These issues are not only damaging the company's reputation but also undermining user trust in the broader neobroker segment, especially in Germany’s heavily regulated financial environment.
🔗 Börse Online: Users Seek Alternatives 🔗 BR: Trading Disruptions Cause Anger 🔗 FAZ: “Simply Embarrassing” Failures 🔗 Business Insider: Disappearing Balances 🔗 Business Insider: Growing Customer Unrest
Related: BaFin investigates brokers and banks after persistent disruptions in securities trading systems. Handelsblatt highlights concerns over resilience in digital trading platforms. [https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/banken/wertpapierhandel-bafin-knoepft-sich-nach-stoerungen-broker-und-banken-vor-01/100120542.html]
🥇 Solaris Bank lawsuit over acquisition
Solaris Bank is facing internal turmoil as co-founder Andreas Bittner files a lawsuit against SBI’s acquisition, accusing the Japanese investor of orchestrating a "corporate raid." This case sheds light on growing foreign influence in German fintech and raises concerns about governance in startup-bank hybrids. Covered by Manager Magazin. 🔗 https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/tech/solaris-mitgruender-andreas-bittner-klagt-gegen-uebernahme-der-bank-durch-sbi-aehnelt-einem-raubzug-a-6743066f-0f1a-4a54-82d9-908dde41f33a
🥈 Amboss raises €240M to expand globally
Amboss, the Berlin-based “ChatGPT for doctors,” has raised €240M to expand its AI-driven clinical decision support platform globally. The healthtech startup plans to enter new markets and prepare for a potential IPO. Reported by Trending Topics and Silicon Canals. 🔗 https://www.trendingtopics.eu/amboss-chatgpt-fuer-medizinerinnen-erhaelt-240-millionen-euro-finanzierung/ 🔗 https://siliconcanals.com/amboss-bags-e240m/
💰 Lyft’s €175M Acquisition of FreeNow Signals Bold European Expansion Lyft has acquired FreeNow for €175 million, marking a pivotal move in the global ridesharing landscape. The acquisition strengthens Lyft's strategic foothold in Europe, allowing the U.S.-based mobility platform to tap into FreeNow's established user base across major European cities. As reported by Heise Online, the deal positions Lyft to better compete with regional players and expand its multimodal transportation offerings in key urban markets. [https://www.heise.de/news/Mobilitaetsplattformen-Lyft-uebernimmt-Freenow-10354595.html]
🏅 First Momentum Ventures unveils €100M deeptech fund
First Momentum Ventures, based in Karlsruhe, Germany, launched a €100M deeptech fund to invest in academic spinouts and highly technical founders. Target sectors include AI, biotech, and hardware. This positions the firm as a major early-stage player in Europe’s innovation economy. Covered by Sifted. 🔗 https://sifted.eu/articles/first-momentum-deeptech-fund
Disclaimer: Joe is working as a startup scout for First Momentum.
🥉 Noxtua raises $92M for sovereign AI
Noxtua, a Berlin-based AI startup, secured $92M to develop sovereign large language models (LLMs) for legal and governmental use, emphasizing GDPR compliance and explainability. The round was led by European institutions. Covered by TechCrunch and Finsmes. 🔗 https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/22/noxtua-raises-92m-for-its-sovereign-ai-tuned-for-the-german-legal-system/ 🔗 https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/noxtua-raises-e80-7m-in-series-b-funding.html
🤖 Berlin’s n8n Secures €55M to Challenge Zapier with AI-Driven Workflow Automation
n8n, the Berlin-based startup revolutionizing AI-powered workflow automation, has closed a €55M Series B round (~$60M) to accelerate its “fair-code” automation platform. The funding will be used to expand n8n’s engineering and go-to-market teams, enabling the company to meet rising global demand from developers and businesses seeking scalable, open-source alternatives to legacy automation tools. Known for its developer-centric approach and flexibility across systems, n8n is now positioning itself as a serious Zapier competitor in the enterprise and SMB markets. With this new capital injection, the startup aims to become the backbone of automation in modern software stacks. 🔗 n8n Raises €55M – Kinews24 🔗 TechCrunch Coverage on n8n’s Global Expansion
🏅 Marvel Fusion secures €50M for nuclear innovation
Marvel Fusion, a Munich-based nuclear energy startup, raised €50M to accelerate its laser-based fusion technology. The round includes investment from Siemens Energy, indicating growing corporate interest in clean fusion alternatives. Covered by Finsmes and Handelsblatt. 🔗 https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/marvel-fusion-raises-additional-e50m.html 🔗 https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/energie/energie-siemens-energy-investiert-in-marvel-fusion/100116925.html
🐌 Germany’s Economic Recovery Remains Fragile Amid Spring 2025 Forecasts
Germany’s economic outlook remains subdued in Spring 2025, with the federal government projecting just 0.3% GDP growth for the year. Economy Minister Robert Habeck attributed the slowdown to continued geopolitical instability, high energy transition costs, and subdued investment activity. The latest IFO Business Climate Index showed only a slight uptick in April, indicating that while industrial producers are cautiously optimistic, service sectors and SMEs remain wary. The Creditreform Spring Report confirms that although order volumes are stabilizing, many Mittelstand companies are postponing investments due to interest rate uncertainty and low confidence. Together, these indicators highlight a fragile and uneven recovery across Germany’s key economic segments. 🔗 Habeck’s Spring Forecast – Tagesschau 🔗 IFO Business Climate April 2025 – IFO Institute 🔗 Creditreform Mittelstand Outlook
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Ecosystem
World
Startup investor activity surged in Q1 2025, with SoftBank and Y Combinator leading global deal volume, according to Crunchbase. Early-stage funding focused heavily on AI, fintech, and health tech. [https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/most-active-startup-investors-q1-2025-softbank-yc/]
Europe
AI startup founders in Europe are being recognized as key operators to watch, with Sifted profiling ten entrepreneurs driving innovation in synthetic media, health tech, and enterprise automation. These leaders are setting the tone for AI's next phase of growth. [https://sifted.eu/articles/10-ai-startup-operators-to-watch-in-europe]
European missile defense, supported by German defense startups, could see AI-backed radar and tracking integration amid rising tensions with Russia. N-TV highlights the evolving geopolitical stakes and funding needs. [https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Ukraine-Krieg-Gamechanger-gegen-Russlands-Raketen-in-Europa-in-Sicht-article25675854.html]
EU fintech regulations are intensifying, prompting startups to strengthen compliance frameworks. International Banker reports that stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) standards are reshaping digital finance across Europe. [https://internationalbanker.com/technology/eu-fintech-regulations-continue-to-intensify/]
Germany
We did not include the March IFO index in the last news, so we now have two for you:
IFO business climate index, a key indicator of German economic sentiment, showed slight improvement in March 2025. The Munich-based Ifo Institute attributes this to stabilizing expectations in manufacturing and services. [https://www.ifo.de/fakten/2025-03-25/ifo-geschaeftsklimaindex-gestiegen-maerz-2025]
IFO business outlook for April 2025 also reveals a continued positive trend among German businesses. Expectations improved, especially among industrial producers, despite geopolitical uncertainty. Source: Ifo Institute. [https://www.ifo.de/fakten/2025-04-24/ifo-geschaeftsklimaindex-leicht-gestiegen-april-2025]
KfW Newsroom details Germany’s public development bank’s latest initiatives to support AI and deep tech funding for startups. It highlights green transformation and digital innovation. [https://www.kfw.de/%C3%9Cber-die-KfW/Newsroom/Aktuelles/News-Details_845888.html]
German household wealth increased nominally in 2024, but inflation-adjusted figures show real purchasing power declined, according to a Bundesbank study. Wealth inequality remains unchanged. [https://www.bundesbank.de/de/aufgaben/themen/bundesbank-studie-vermoegen-in-deutschland-steigen-nominal-gehen-aber-real-zurueck-ungleichheit-bleibt-unveraendert-954622] Note: This piece is also here if you ever need statistical data on German wealth distribution and household savings for an analysis.
Female founders are still underrepresented, according to the Female Founders Monitor 2025. The report, covered by Starting-Up, reveals a slight increase in women-led startups but stresses the need for more systemic support in funding and leadership. [https://www.starting-up.de/news/wettbewerbe-initiativen-studien/female-founders-monitor-2025.html]
Switzerland
Nothing here this time
Austria
Tesla subscription decline in Vienna affects multiple local startups, with user fatigue and Elon Musk’s polarizing moves cited as causes. Der Standard reports a downward trend in urban e-mobility. [https://www.derstandard.de/consent/tcf/story/3000000266092/wiener-start-ups-melden-rueckgang-bei-tesla-abos-es-liegt-an-musk]
General News / Tech News / Companies News Section
VC News and New Funds, in case you are looking for money (also only a selection):
Private equity growth continues as Oakley Capital closes its Flagship Fund VI at €4.5 billion, hitting the fund’s hard cap. Majunke Group reports that the London-based PE firm will target technology, consumer, and education companies across Europe. [https://majunke.com/oakley-capital-schliesst-flagship-fonds-vi-beim-hard-cap-von-45-mrd-euro]
Daphni fund closing secures €215 million for its third fund, aiming to back European startups with a strong tech and design edge. TechCrunch profiles the firm’s ongoing investment strategy. [https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/24/daphni-secures-215m-for-its-third-fund/]
Kompas VC Fund II raises €150M, focusing on early-stage tech startups with sustainability goals. The Berlin-based venture capital firm aims to scale impact-driven companies, Startbase reports. [https://www.startbase.de/news/kompas-vc-schliesst-zweiten-fonds-ueber-150-millionen-euro/]
Revent's €100M impact fund is targeting startups focused on climate and social impact, blending AI with mission-driven business models. Based in Berlin, the VC firm is seeking "planet-positive" returns from its new fund. TechCrunch reports on the fund’s thesis. [https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/10/revent-rocks-the-boat-with-a-fresh-100m-to-invest-in-people-and-the-planet/]
Incore Invest fund launch sees €25M secured for early-stage startups in Europe. ArcticStartup reports the firm’s focus on Nordic tech innovation and its goal of nurturing scalable business models. [https://arcticstartup.com/incore-invest-secures-e25m-for-its-new-fund/]
Outlier Grove fund launch sees Candice du Fretay unveil a €20 million early-stage investment vehicle focused on underrepresented European founders. Tech.eu covers the fund’s diversity-first thesis. [https://tech.eu/2025/04/08/candice-du-fretay-launches-20m-fund-outlier-grove/]
Venture debt landscape in 2024 saw leading activity from banks and funds supporting later-stage startups. Sifted analyzes Europe’s most active debt providers in the startup ecosystem. [https://sifted.eu/articles/most-active-venture-debt-providers-in-2024]
Nordic family offices are increasing their VC activity, with a focus on climate tech and generational wealth impact. Sifted explores their strategic shift toward tech investments. [https://sifted.eu/articles/nordic-family-offices-to-tap-into]
Secondaries market is surging in Europe, as founders and early employees look for liquidity options. Sifted breaks down the rise of strip sales and their role in the venture ecosystem. [https://sifted.eu/articles/rise-strip-sales-secondaries-europe]
Startup fund development is in motion as Red Bull reportedly works on launching its own dedicated startup investment fund. As reported by Trending Topics, this move aims to capitalize on Austria’s growing tech ecosystem. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/scoop-red-bull-soll-an-hauseigenem-startup-fonds-arbeiten/]
Startup funding landscape evolves as AWS and ÖBAG, two major Austrian institutions, compete to manage the country’s new DACH-wide startup investment fund. Trending Topics highlights how the decision could shape regional innovation hubs. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/startup-dachfonds-aws-und-oebag-sind-im-rennen/]
Pension fund investment into venture capital is rising, with more European pension funds seeking higher returns amid changing market dynamics. Sifted reports the trend is reshaping startup funding across Europe. [https://sifted.eu/articles/pension-fund-investment-vc-brnd]
Venture capital fears intensify as Axios reports a cautious investor sentiment in 2025, highlighting concerns over inflated valuations and a cooling market despite isolated funding booms. [https://www.axios.com/2025/04/07/venture-capital-sum-of-all-fears]
European investment climate appears robust as the European Investment Bank (EIB) releases its 2024 Investment Report, indicating strong backing for innovation and green technology despite broader economic headwinds. [https://www.eib.org/en/publications/20240354-investment-report-2024]
Green Tech News
Greentech leadership in Switzerland is recognized as the country earns a top spot in TIME’s global greentech innovation rankings. Startupticker.ch highlights sustainable energy solutions and climate startups as drivers. [https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/switzerland-shines-in-time-world-s-top-greentech-ranking]
Enpal secures €110M equity led by TPG: 3 things to know about German solar energy unicorn https://techfundingnews.com/enpal-secures-e110m-equity-led-by-tpg-3-things-to-know-about-german-solar-energy-unicorn/
AI News
Black Forest Labs, a Berlin-based AI startup, has ended its collaboration with Elon Musk’s xAI project, citing divergent goals in synthetic data development. The partnership was originally aimed at integrating generative AI into privacy-preserving solutions. Business Insider covers the strategic pivot. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/deutsches-ki-startup-black-forest-labs-und-elon-musk-xai-beenden-zusammenarbeit/]
Startup reshuffle in AI continues with several new ventures emerging across Germany, including Reshape Energy, Senior Connect, and NYZZU. These startups tackle climate, elderly care, and B2B productivity, all powered by machine learning. Deutsche Startups provides the roundup. [https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/04/07/neue-startups-reshape-energy-senior-connect-nyzzu-panocular-ai-newlifejobs-deepdetectai/]
Fake AI scandal rocks fintech startup Nate as Business Insider reports on police investigations into its CEO over alleged investor deception involving non-existent AI capabilities. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/fintech/millionen-durch-fake-ki-ermittlungen-gegen-ceo-von-fintech-nate/]
Government funding summary outlines strategic goals and startup initiatives in Saxony. The official Sachsen publication provides a detailed overview of ongoing regional programs and funding allocations. [https://publikationen.sachsen.de/bdb/artikel/47203]
Space Tech News
Atmos Space Cargo launch marks a milestone for Germany’s private aerospace industry. Founders Magazin reports the successful orbital test, positioning the Munich-based startup as a leader in reusable payload systems. [https://founders-magazin.de/2025/04/23/start-up-atmos-space-cargo-startet-erfolgreich-ins-all/]
Isar Aerospace safety risk highlighted in BR24’s report on rocket engineering flaws. Concerns grow over component integrity and system failures, as testing continues in Bavaria.[https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/isar-aerospace-rakete-startet-zu-testflug-und-stuerzt-zu-boden,UguiCtG]related [https://www.br.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/isar-aerospace-deshalb-wird-die-rakete-recht-sicher-explodieren,UgS5M0r]
Here is a different take on Isar Aerospace from a Startup Medium: Isar Aerospace milestone documented by TrendingTopics as the Munich-based startup continues its mission to commercialize European spaceflight. The feature highlights Isar’s rocket developments and Germany’s growing presence in orbital launch markets. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/isar-aerospace-weltraumgeschichte/]
Spectrum rocket delay announced by German startup RFA due to unresolved technical issues. Deutschlandfunk reports the postponement as part of ongoing challenges in the European space race. [https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/deutsches-raumfahrt-startup-verschiebt-testflug-fuer-spectrum-rakete-erneut-102.html]
German new space boom analyzed by FAZ, highlighting Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) as key players in Europe’s private satellite market. [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/isar-aerospace-rfa-co-new-space-welle-rollt-110391068.html]
Union defense strategy emphasizes domestic rocket production as a strategic necessity. Stern.de details the CDU’s position on aerospace sovereignty amid geopolitical tensions. [https://www.stern.de/politik/deutschland/union-haelt-weltraumraketen-aus-deutschland-fuer-unverzichtbar-35597724.html]
Biotech News
Basel life sciences ecosystem is evolving into a biotech powerhouse, supported by public-private initiatives and pharma cluster development. Transkript emphasizes the region’s strategic importance. [https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/basel-life-sciences-als-wachstumstreiber/]
CureVac patent victory provides partial relief in its legal battle with BioNTech, with a European court recognizing aspects of its mRNA IP claims. Transkript discusses implications for the biotech sector. [https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/curevac-erzielt-teilerfolg-im-patentstreit-mit-biontech/]
Medigene insolvency reflects funding pressure in biotech, as the immunotherapy company fails to secure bridge financing. Transkript confirms the collapse of the once-promising German innovator. [https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/geht-medigene-das-geld-aus/]
Clinical trials map of Europe is launched to improve transparency and patient access. Transkript introduces the tool developed by leading research institutions. [https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/landkarte-der-klinischen-studien-in-europa/]
Siemens biotech deal involves a strategic acquisition to enter drug discovery, signaling the conglomerate's deeper push into life sciences. Transkript covers the implications for industry consolidation. [https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/siemens-kauft-sich-in-die-wirkstoffforschung-ein/]
Max Planck Society roadmap outlines a ten-point policy proposal for Germany's new federal government, advocating for improved innovation frameworks and science funding. Transkript details the recommendations from the renowned research institution. [https://transkript.de/hintergrund/2025/zehn-punkte-plan-der-max-planck-gesellschaft-fuer-die-neue-bundesregierung/]
Fintech News
Private banking fintech solutions are gaining traction among Europe’s wealth managers, says Sifted. Startups are enabling personalized portfolio services with embedded finance and AI tools. [https://sifted.eu/articles/private-banking-fintech]
Keep in mind the news with the outages at Trade Republic
PayPal phishing scams using legitimate-looking email domains are on the rise, warns HowToGeek. The report explains how threat actors mimic transactional messages and offers protection tips for consumers. [https://www.howtogeek.com/paypal-scam-uses-real-emails-heres-how-to-avoid-it/]related [https://www.br.de/nachrichten/netzwelt/chatgpt-revolutioniert-bildbearbeitung-photoshop-war-gestern,UgXkpWr]
Bavest, a Munich-based fintech, partners with eToro as a global broker client. Trending Topics highlights the significance of the deal for German fintech visibility. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/bavest-deutsches-fintech-gewinnt-globalen-broker-etoro-als-kunden/]
Pennylane expansion aims to broaden its accounting platform’s reach in the German market. FinanceFWD reports on its strategic moves to attract SMEs. [https://financefwd.com/de/pennylane-expansion/]
Revolut Switzerland surpasses one million customers, reinforcing its stronghold in European fintech expansion. The London-headquartered neobank continues to scale its digital financial services across key EU markets, according to Moneycab. [https://www.moneycab.com/finanz/revolut-hat-in-der-schweiz-jetzt-ueber-eine-million-kunden/]
General News
Germany's richest tech entrepreneur has been identified by Business Insider, shedding light on the pathways to massive tech wealth in the country. The report focuses on personal fortune and business legacy. [https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/das-ist-reichste-tech-unternehmer-deutschland/]
Germany's richest sports entrepreneur is profiled in Business Insider, tracing his journey from athlete to billionaire through strategic investments. The article details his major business successes. [https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/der-reichste-sport-unternehmer-deutschlands-so-wurde-er-milliardaer/]
Entrepreneur radar spotlights Otto’s potential downfall, analyzing the shifting dynamics in Germany’s e-commerce landscape. Digitalkaufmann raises concerns about legacy players adapting to modern startup competition. Otto has been the only large catalogue mailing service to make the jump into ecommerce. They have also been an active investor and acquirer in ecommerce [https://digitalkaufmann.de/entrepreneur-radar/ist-otto-noch-zu-retten/]Here are some investments of Otto Group tracked by Startup-Map: https://startup-map.berlin/companies/otto_group
Gold fraud investigation implicates investor Florian Fritsch, with allegations of up to 14 kilograms of gold being siphoned from his firm. Yahoo Finance Germany reports on this high-profile case shaking the investment world. [https://de.finance.yahoo.com/nachrichten/goldbarren-diebstahl-gropyus-investor-florian-162753937.html]
CycloTech’s successful test flight of a six-rotor air taxi in Linz could redefine urban air mobility. Futurezone showcases Austria’s leap into the flying vehicle race. [https://futurezone.at/start-ups/linzer-lufttaxi-6-rotoren-erfolgreiche-erstflug-cyclotech-blackbird-oesterreich/403029318]
German soonicorns are spotlighted in Sifted’s 2025 list, including rising stars across deeptech, fintech, and AI. The article showcases up-and-coming startups likely to reach unicorn status. [https://sifted.eu/articles/10-german-soonicorns-to-watch]
Bundeswehr satellite plans include launching a German rival to Starlink for secure military communications. Stadt Bremerhaven reveals details of the strategic defense tech investment. [https://stadt-bremerhaven.de/bundeswehr-plant-eigenes-starlink-konkurrenz-system/]
Bundeswehr AI projects show enormous potential in transforming Germany's defense sector, with ongoing research and development supported by government initiatives. Handelsblatt outlines the scope and future impact of these technologies. [https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/forschung-innovation/verteidigung-enormes-potenzial-das-sind-die-ki-projekte-der-bundeswehr/100117167.html]
German defense startups are increasingly opting out of relaunch strategies due to bureaucratic and funding hurdles, according to Handelsblatt. The report explores systemic barriers in fostering innovation. [https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/deutschland-warum-ruestungs-start-ups-von-einem-neustart-absehen/100123066.html]
Axel Springer's Idealo CEO resigns amid allegations, marking a leadership shake-up at the Berlin-based price comparison platform idealo. Handelsblatt investigates internal pressures and reputational fallout. [https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/axel-springer-idealo-chef-verlaesst-nach-vorwuerfen-die-vergleichs-plattform/100116024.html]
AutoHero celebrates the milestone, surpassing a quarter-million cars sold. IT-Times notes that the Berlin-based used-car platform continues to scale rapidly across Europe. [https://www.it-times.de/news/autohero-feiert-meilenstein-mehr-als-eine-viertelmillion-verkaufte-fahrzeuge-169394/]
HomeToGo financial outlook signals strong growth, with projected IFRS revenue above €300M and adjusted EBITDA over €35M in 2025. The Berlin-based travel tech company is positioning itself for profitability, as reported by IT-Times. [https://www.it-times.de/news/hometogo-veroeffentlicht-ausblick-fuer-gj-25-starkes-wachstum-der-ifrs-umsatzerloese-und-des-bereinigten-ebitda-auf-mehr-als-e300-mio-40-bzw-e35-mio-170-bei-positivem-free-cash-flow-169496/]
Mister Spex transformation remains on track, with profitability expected to rise sharply in 2025. IT-Times highlights how the Berlin-based eyewear startup’s digital-first strategy continues to pay off. [https://www.it-times.de/news/mister-spex-ist-bei-der-transformation-auf-kurs-2025-deutliche-steigerung-der-profitabilitaet-erwartet-169514/]
Cybersecurity contract award goes to Frankfurt-based startup from the EU cybersecurity agency, highlighting Germany’s tech defense capabilities. Reported via Starthub Hessen. [https://www.starthub-hessen.de/de/aktuelles/frankfurter-start-up-erh%C3%A4lt-auftrag-von-eu-agentur-f%C3%BCr-cybersicherheit/]
CO₂ concrete storage breakthrough launched in Vienna by Holcim and Neustark. Trending Topics highlights Europe’s first installation for carbon-storing cement, driving innovation in green construction. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/holcim-und-neustark-starten-erste-co%E2%82%82-speicheranlage-fuer-beton-in-wien/]
Jochen Schweizer exits his namesake experience platform, with ProSiebenSat.1 acquiring full ownership. Turi2 reports on the business shift and implications for the event and experience industry. [https://www.turi2.de/aktuell/jochen-schweizer-steigt-bei-jochen-schweizer-mydays-aus-p7s1-uebernimmt-anteile/]
Startup ecosystem insights explored in a new blog post by VC Magazin, identifying key enablers for founders and investors in 2025. The article stresses the importance of trust and access. [https://www.vc-magazin.de/blog/2025/04/22/schluesselakteur-fuer-start-ups-und-investoren/]
Jägermeister defeat in a startup trademark dispute ends with the beverage giant losing a branding conflict. Founders Magazin explores the legal win for a challenger brand over a market incumbent. [https://founders-magazin.de/2025/03/26/platzhirsch-jaegermeister-unterliegt-start-up/]
Leadership change at Deutsche Giganetz as founder Jan Georg Budden unexpectedly resigns. Golem reports internal disagreements may have contributed to the departure from the German fiber optic provider. [https://www.golem.de/news/gruender-jan-georg-budden-deutsche-giganetz-chef-tritt-ueberraschend-ab-2504-195479.html]
Schumpeters Schöpferische Zerstörung ⇒ Creative Destruction (Layoffs insolvencies, layoffs and other bad news):
Startup “zombie” warning surfaces for former high-fliers Forto, Sorare, and Xentral, as their valuations and relevance sharply decline. Manager Magazin raises questions about sustainability in the startup ecosystem. [https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/start-up-zombies-ehemalige-hoffnungstraeger-forto-sorare-und-xentral-droht-absturz-a-28858004-ba12-4efa-89a2-08dacc932b10]
Zalando layoffs affect hundreds of employees at the Berlin-based fashion platform as part of a broader cost restructuring initiative. Berliner Zeitung provides insights into the workforce impact. [https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/news/berliner-unternehmen-zalando-entlaesst-hunderte-mitarbeiter-li.2314852]
Max Mobility bankruptcy confirmed, adding to a string of startup closures. The Austrian startup failed to secure rescue capital, Trending Topics reports. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/max-mobility-pleite/]
Salzburger beverage startup files for bankruptcy after financial struggles. Brutkasten covers the insolvency, which reflects the broader funding challenges in Austria’s consumer goods sector. [https://brutkasten.com/artikel/salzburger-getraenke-startup-muss-konkurs-anmelden]
Komoot restructuring follows its acquisition by an Italian firm. Business Insider reports the Potsdam-based outdoor startup plans to cut over 50% of its workforce in a major realignment. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/automotive-mobility/komoot-nach-verkauf-will-wander-app-mehr-als-50-prozent-der-stellen-abbauen-a-7a7db9b2-3e1e-4f9d-a5dc-707453ad1f60]
Forto layoffs continue as the Berlin-based logistics startup reduces headcount again. Business Insider reports this move reflects financial strain and changing demand in the European e-commerce fulfillment sector. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/automotive-mobility/logistik-startup-forto-entlaesst-zahlreiche-mitarbeitende-ndr/] Our Interview with Michael:
McMakler under investigation, as prosecutors scrutinize the Berlin proptech firm amid layoffs. Business Insider reports this as the third wave of staff reductions in 2025, raising operational and financial questions. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/staatsanwaltschaft-ermittelt-gegen-mcmakler/]
Doctorly bankruptcy declared by the Berlin-based healthtech startup after financial difficulties. Business Insider documents the collapse of the digital medical practice platform, once seen as a potential unicorn. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/health/arztpraxis-startup-doctorly-meldet-insolvenz-an/]
Campervan outfitter insolvency hits Vienna-based startup Easygoinc as it ends operations following a failed restructuring attempt. Trending Topics reports the pandemic's lingering effects and supply chain disruptions contributed to its downfall. [https://www.trendingtopics.eu/easygoinc-van-ausstatter-startup-nach-gescheitertem-rettungsversuch-endgueltig-insolvent/]
Keep in mind the Solaris news.
End on a High Note: Successful Fundraisings and Exits:
Keep in mind this is a small selection. The news here and their total value show how resilient the startup scene is. We included only selected fundraisings above 10 million Euros, CHF or USD. We will only bring you highlights here.
Biotech financing boom continues with Swiss-based MoonLake Immunotherapeutics securing up to $500M in funding from Hercules Capital to strengthen its autoimmune disease pipeline, according to Moneycab. [https://www.moneycab.com/finanz/moonlake-sichert-sich-finanzierung-von-hercules-capital-in-hoehe-von-bis-zu-500-millionen-us-dollar/]
Granite Bio, a biotech firm integrating AI in drug discovery based in Basel Switzerland, raised $100M to support its therapeutic pipeline targeting immune system modulation. The U.S.-based company is expanding its AI platform to new disease areas. Source: Finsmes. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/granite-bio-raises-100m-in-funding.html]
Hawk raised €52M for its fraud prevention tools, while Brighter AI finalized an exit. Source: Deutsche Startups. [https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/04/08/hawk-finmatics-brighter-ai/]
Flexvelop financing raises €44 million to scale its B2B equipment leasing solution for startups and SMEs. Silicon Canals highlights its flexible model and VC backing. [https://siliconcanals.com/flexvelop-secures-e44m/]
Solix, an AI-powered data management platform, raised $29.5M to expand enterprise adoption. The funding enables enhancements in unstructured data indexing and AI model integration. Reported by Finsmes. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/solix-raises-29-5m-in-funding.html]
Robotics startup, Symbiotic, a robotics startup based in Berlin, Germany, has secured $29M in Series A funding to scale its AI-driven automation platform for warehouse logistics. Finsmes reports that the funding will be used to enhance its intelligent robotics stack and expand market reach. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/symbiotic-raises-29m-in-series-a-funding.html]
Buynomics, a Cologne-based startup specializing in virtual shoppers and pricing AI, secured €27.5 million to expand its platform. The Series B round will fund scaling across European retail markets. EU-Startups reports on the startup’s trajectory. [https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/03/buynomics-secures-e27-5-million-for-its-virtual-shoppers-ai-technology/] related [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/03/buynomics-raises-30m-in-series-b-funding.html]
Digital identity verification sees a boost as Hamburg-based startup Nect secures €25M for its AI-powered onboarding solutions. The round is expected to fuel international expansion. Covered by Startbase. [https://www.startbase.de/news/nect-sichert-sich-25-millionen-euro/]See also our interview with the founder: https://www.startuprad.io/post/meet-nect-germany-s-most-downloaded-self-identification-app
ICU technology is getting a major upgrade as German medtech startup Clinomic secures €23M to enhance its AI-based “Doctor Mona” system for intensive care units. The funding round aims to expand their hospital partnerships across Europe. Reported by EU-Startups. [https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/04/doctor-meet-mona-clinomic-scores-e23-million-to-upgrade-icu-care/] related [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/clinomic-raises-e23m-in-series-b-funding.html]
Hepatic treatment innovation accelerates as HepaRegenix, a biotech firm from Tübingen, Germany, closes €21.5M in funding to advance its regenerative therapies for liver diseases. Finsmes reports growing investor interest in biotech resilience. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/heparegenix-closes-e21-5m-in-funding.html]
Dalma pet startup raises €20M to expand its European footprint. Business Insider highlights the French-born company’s backers and growing demand for digital pet insurance and services. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/haustier-startup-dalma-20-millionen-euro-von-investoren/]
Doinstruct, a Berlin-based AI training software startup, secured €16.5M in Series A funding to expand its industrial training simulations powered by generative AI. The investment will support scaling into manufacturing and logistics. Finsmes reports. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/03/doinstruct-raises-e16-5m-in-series-a-funding.html]
Space-tech startup, OkapiOrbits, a space-tech company from Braunschweig, Germany, raises €13M in seed funding to expand its space traffic management platform. The round, as reported by Finsmes, was led by San Francisco-based Munich Re Ventures and strengthens OkapiOrbits' mission to prevent orbital collisions. [https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/okapiorbits-raises-e13m-in-seed-funding.html]
Killer drone investment sees Peter Thiel backing German defense startup STARK. Manager Magazin details the firm’s controversial push into autonomous weapons. [https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/tech/killer-drohnen-hersteller-stark-peter-thiel-steckt-millionen-in-deutsches-start-up-a-18517db7-c173-40ba-b6ff-50a654fe3593]
Mergers and Acquisitions, and IPOs
Synthetic data startup Gretel has been acquired by NVIDIA to bolster its synthetic data and AI capabilities. Based in San Diego, Gretel’s technology will support NVIDIA’s focus on generative AI and machine learning infrastructure. Reported by IT-Times. [https://www.it-times.de/news/nvidia-kauft-gretel-ki-startup-verstaerkt-bereich-synthetische-daten-169361/]
Brighter AI, a Berlin-based deep tech startup focused on GDPR-compliant visual anonymization, has been acquired by Danish Milestone Systems after reportedly attracting interest from Apple. The firm developed AI tools for identity masking in public surveillance footage. Business Insider reports on its strategic exit. [https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/selbst-apple-soll-interesse-gehabt-haben-brighter-ai-schafft-exit/]
Latido, a Vienna-based healthtech startup, acquires 4myHealth to strengthen its SaaS solutions for medical practice management. Brutkasten reports the move supports regional consolidation. [https://brutkasten.com/artikel/latido-wiener-healthtech-startup-uebernimmt-praxisverwalter-4myhealth]
DeepL IPO plans are now targeted for 2026, positioning the German AI translation leader for a major public debut. Sifted covers the company’s global ambitions and investor interest. [https://sifted.eu/articles/deepl-ipo-2026]
Wellhub–Urban Sports Club merger unites two major fitness and wellbeing platforms in a move to consolidate Europe’s wellness tech market. Wellhub confirms the strategic partnership. [https://wellhub.com/de-de/blog/pressemitteilungen/wellhub-und-urban-sports-club-schliessen-sich-zusammen/]
Hamburg X-ray empire acquisition sees a prominent family invest in medical diagnostics infrastructure, continuing the city’s legacy in healthtech leadership. Abendblatt reports on the transaction. [https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article408847703/prominente-hamburger-familie-kauft-roentgen-imperium.html]
Lunar dust solar cells could one day provide sustainable energy on the Moon, as researchers explore extraterrestrial photovoltaic solutions. Basic Thinking shares the future vision. [https://www.basicthinking.de/blog/2025/04/21/solarzellen-aus-mondstaub/]
Contentserv and Centric Software announce a partnership to enhance product lifecycle and information management, aiming to serve global fashion and retail brands. Contentserv’s official statement confirms the integration. [https://www.contentserv.com/press/contentserv-joins-forces-with-centric-software]
Trala music education expands by acquiring Skoove, integrating digital music training for learners. The US-based company broadens its reach with Berlin-founded Skoove’s adaptive learning platform. [https://www.skoove.com/blog/de/trala-ist-jetzt-teil-der-band/]
SPAC market trends show a $4 billion wave despite IPO struggles, as reported by PYMNTS. Analysts point to continued investor interest in alternative funding mechanisms. [https://www.pymnts.com/spac/2025/spacs-riding-4-billion-wave-as-ipo-market-struggles/]
Today Our Last News Piece is Useless Knowledge
LEGO tire production earns the brand the title of the world’s largest tire manufacturer by volume, as highlighted in a feature by Coruba. The playful but real stat underscores the scale of LEGO’s plastic wheel output. [https://www.coruba.co.uk/blog/lego-the-worlds-largest-tyre-manufacturer/]
Stay Ahead of the Curve:
VC investment transformation is underway as AI tools like Navigate, developed by Nikkhoo Ventures, start influencing deal flow analysis. This shift could alter how investors source and evaluate startups, signaling a new era of data-informed funding decisions. Source: Crunchbase. [https://news.crunchbase.com/ai/transforming-vc-investment-nikkhoo-navigate/]
AI job displacement is on the horizon, with experts identifying three professions at highest risk. Entrepreneur Magazine explores the roles most threatened by generative models and automation, highlighting calls for upskilling and policy intervention. [https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/ai-is-most-likely-to-replace-these-3-professions-ai-experts/489655]
Venture funding trends reveal that US VC startup deals hit record highs in 2023, with a strong rebound led by mega-rounds in AI and fintech. Crunchbase News provides insights into how investor appetite has shifted despite economic headwinds. [https://news.crunchbase.com/biggest-us-vc-startup-funding-deals-2023/]
Startup funding resilience under pressure due to ongoing trade tensions, as reported by Crunchbase News. Canadian startups in particular are navigating challenges in cross-border funding amid new tariffs and market uncertainty. [https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/trade-war-tariff-canada-startup-funding-2024/]
Feedback
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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:
About us: Stay ahead of the curve with Startuprad.io
Welcome to Startuprad.io™, the audio and video podcast, one of the premier sources for news and insights into the world of German, Austrian, and Swiss tech innovation!
If you’re looking for insightful conversations with industry leaders, game-changing entrepreneurs, and influential investors, you’ve come to the right place. Our platform is designed for decision-makers like you, with Nobel Laureates, Emmy Award winners, authors of New York Times bestsellers, and Forbes 40 under 40, Top Capital 40 unter 40, and Forbes 30 under 30, as guests. Dive into our content that offers a curated selection of interviews with current and future movers-and-shakers.
Discover which partnerships are driving growth in the European tech space. We especially pride ourselves, that “You likely never have heard of our guests, but you will in the future.” We interview entrepreneurs early in their journey, to unicorn founders and CEO of NASDAQ listed companies, but our focus is on startups starting around Series A funding. Join us at Startuprad.io, where every conversation inspires new possibilities.
Our origins are the audio podcast, but now we also run a 24/7 internet radio station (Startup.Radio) with partners, a blog (Startuprad.io/blog), a YouTube Channel (Youtube.com/startupradio), a TikTok Channel, eight sub-podcasts, and more than two dozen social media accounts (including for our sub-podcasts) to share curated news 24/7.
Automated Transcript
Narrator Dorsey Jackson [00:00:05]:
Welcome to startuprad.io. Your podcast and YouTube blog covering the German startup scene with news, interviews, and live events.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:20]:
Hello, and welcome to our regular startup news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Welcome to startuprate.io. Our startup news today is recorded with me, Chris, not in New York City, but in a hotel room in Hamburg, Germany, and Joe is joining from Frankfurt.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:00:42]:
Hey, guys.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:44]:
Hello. Today's day is 04/25/2025 and that's also our cutoff date as always all news not included will be in our next news start up wrap up to be published on May 29. Accession of Christ. A holiday in many German states and the day we celebrate in Germany Father's Day So if you are in Germany that's a day when a lot of fathers walk around the countryside drunk. We need you to cut our news today seriously short so you have a brief news overview. We will have news pieces in our blog post on startupraid.i0/blog that we simply cannot cover here otherwise the news would stretch for more than one hour my estimate was even one and a half hours So, yeah, let's get to it. And you are taking the lead with highlights.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:01:45]:
Yes. I do. And for everybody, now is the time to pause this and get a snack and a drink because this is going to be long and intense. Our highlights, March 2025 saw a remarkable surge in the dust startup ecosystem with with nearly 1,300,000,000.0 US dollars in this closed startup funding rounds and over 5,000,000,000 US dollars in new venture fund announcements. Little disclaimer, they are not all from the DACH region, but they do also invest here. From Ambus gaining two raising 250,000,000 for global AI, health expansion to NOxtwoas NOxtwo? NOxtwoas, ninety two million round for sovereign AI. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland continue to punch above their weight in innovation. Other major wins include Berlin's N Eight N raising €55,000,000 to rival Zapier and Munich's Marvell Fusion securing €50,000,000 for nuclear innovation.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:02:45]:
Cross border deals like Lyft's one hundred and seventy five million euros acquisition of FreeNow further demonstrate the growing international relevance of the region's scale ups. At the time venture capital activity is clearly rebounding across the DACH region. We'll also have some news about that. First momentum ventures unveiled a 100,000,000 deep tech fund while global players like Orkly Capital four point five billion euros Revent one hundred million euros and Compass one hundred and fifty million euros are backing the next generation of founders. This trend reflects shifting investor focus towards long term value in an eye, climate tech, health tech, and infrastructure resilience. Challenges remain as seen in security of new broker trade Republic and a wave of insolvencies. But the overall outlook underscores the strategic trend in venture capital entrepreneurship and early stage technology leaders leadership. I'm sorry.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:03:48]:
Startup Radio continues to be trusted media voice in the evolving landscape. In March alone, the podcast network achieved the top ranking in Apple Podcasts business news, and entrepreneurship categories across more than 20 countries. Sub podcasts like Blockchain Germany, Top 70, Web three Podcasts, and Fintech Germany, DeepTech Germany, Tech startups Germany, and our startup news podcast made it in the top 100 VC podcasts globally, all recognized by amillionpodcast.com. They confirm Startup Radio's reach and relevance among startup founders, VC, and innovation executives across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the world. If you're serious about staying informed and ahead, this is the voice of the startup scene you can't afford to miss. As always, we have a little bit on the customs upcoming holidays in late spring, early summer. We do have a lot here in Germany. Most of them are public holidays in most states.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:04:50]:
So depending on where your partner, where your company is that you're doing business with, they may not apply. This year, three of them are on Thursdays, including May 1, year white Labor Day, and session of Christ, May twenty ninth, also Father's Day as Chris already ended, Corpus Christi, June nineteenth. And you should not expect people to pick up the phone on the Friday following that because many people would take long weekends. There's also with Monday on June 9, so plan accordingly. I'm actually looking for one to four long weekends in the coming month. Note for the next upcoming public holiday is only reunification day on October 3 this year, a Friday. Chris, as always, you wanna do top news. Right?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:05:41]:
Yes. After After in every episode, we talk about the many holidays and vacation days that the Germans get. We can also talk about, yeah, the top top news. And this month, for example, we have a VC investment rebound, where we see that despite, ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, venture capital investment in German startups is actually on the rise according to a recent report in Handelsblad. The article highlights a surprising resurgence in both early and late stage funding signaling renewed investor confidence in the country's ecosystem. So overall suggesting that founders with scalable models and AI driven solutions are still attracting capital in Germany even amid what is a more cautious global funding environment. We also see that Berlin based neobroker Trade Republic is facing a growing backlash after a series of repeated app outages during trading hours even. So users were unable to access their accounts or execute trades.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:06:46]:
We have found several reports about this at Berzer Online, Bavarian the Bavarian public broadcaster and all highlighting our user frustration over the platform's instability with many retail investors now considering alternative brokers. The disruptions often occurring during peak market times have sparked calls for compensation and raised concerns over trade republic's infrastructure resilience, especially as other competitors ramp up reliability in response. Also, multiple users have reported disappearing balances from their accounts, prompting an internal investigation and mounting even more public, criticism according to business inside of the platform is now under potential regulatory scrutiny as the fintech community and watchdogs raise alarms over financial irregularities. These issues are not only damaging the company's reputation, but also undermining user trust in the broader Neobroker segment, especially in Germany's heavily regulated financial environment. And I think also especially in what still is a very cautious investing, environment anyway because, I mean, for decades, we've now been talking about how, comparatively low the interest of Germans in investing in stocks is overall. So Larvest Bank is facing internal turmoil as cofounder Andreas Bittner files a lawsuit against SBI's acquisition, accusing the Japanese investor of orchestrating a corporate raid, quote unquote. This case sheds light on growing foreign influence in German fintech and raises concerns about governance in start up bank hybrids more about that is can be found in manager Margot Sien. Ambos a Berlin based chat GPT for doctors has raised €240,000,000.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:08:33]:
So, to expand its AI driven clinical decision support platform globally, I was very tempted to say well okay everything with the label AI on it still can attract a lot of money, but, actually, I mean, if if you look into the AI field, it still seems to me, at least from the outside, that med AI is actually one of the few fields where use cases actually surpass like large language models and where it's more than just like predictive rambling and where actually they are looking for patterns and improved the way of diagnosing illness, for example. So Ambos, the health tech startup, plans to enter new markets and prepare for potential IPO reports, trending topics, and silicon canals. Lyft has acquired FreeNow a German mobility, startup for a hundred and €75, a hundred and €75,000,000. There is less money in the market than there used to be but not that little marking a pivotal move in the global ride sharing landscape, Lyft as always or since forever, fighting Uber's market dominance. But, this acquisition strengthens Lyft's foothold in Europe, allowing The US based mobility platform to tap into FreeNow's established user base across major European cities. Heizer online reports that the deal positions Lyft to better compete with regional players too and expand its multimodal transportation offerings in those key urban markets. First Momentum Ventures based in Karlsruhe, Germany launched a hundred million euro deep tech fund to invest in academic spin outs and highly technical founders. Target sectors include AI biotech and hardware.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:10:29]:
This positions the firm as a major early stage player in Europe's innovation economy. Rights sifted. And here we have to add in this disclaimer, I can do it. You are working as a startup scout for First Momentum, so full disclosure here. NoxTuur, a Berlin based AI startup, secured $92,000,000 to develop sovereign language large language models LLMs for legal and governmental use emphasizing GDPR compliance and explainability. The round was led by European institutions. N8N, Knighton, the Berlin based startup revolutionizing AI powered workflow automation has closed €55,000,000 series b to accelerate its fair code automation platform. They want to use the funding to expand the engineering and go to market teams enabling the company to meet more global demand from developers and businesses seeking scalable open source alternatives to legacy automation tools.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:11:34]:
And a n is known for a developer centric approach and flexibility across systems, and they are now trying to position themselves as a serious Zapier competitor in the enterprise and small to medium sized business markets. Marvel Fusion, a Munich based nuclear energy start up raised €50,000,000 to accelerate its laser based fusion technology around includes investments from Siemens Energy indicating growing corporate interest in clean fusion alternatives, right, Finsmas and Handelsblatt. And, an overall look at the German economy as we do it regularly here. Here, it's well if if not grim at least darkish. Germany's economic outlook remains subdued in the spring of twenty twenty five with the federal government projecting now just like a zero growth for the year and they released that yesterday. The, still governing economy mister mister economy minister, Robert Habeck attributed attributed the slowdown to continued geopolitical instability, high energy transition costs, and subdued investment activity. Up to last week, the projection was 0.3 GDP growth, so that has gotten worse. We've seen it also with the International Monetary Fund also lowering their expectations for the overall year.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:12:59]:
Most of all, Donald Trump is being blamed with his tariff policies. And the latest e for business climate index also showed only a slight uptick in April indicating that while industrial producers are cautiously optimistic, service sectors and small and medium sized enterprise remain worry. Credit reform spring report confirms that although order volumes are stabilizing, many Mittel stand companies are postponing investments due to interest rate uncertainty and general low confidence. So together all of these indicators, they highlight a pretty fragile and uneven recovery across Germany's key economic systems and as always with the insecurity coming from the Ukraine war, from the war in Gaza, but most of all from The US adding to the trouble. Now up to you. Housekeeping, bragging, all of it.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:13:50]:
Housekeeping. Yeah. Just a tiny bit. I will, I'm getting daily emails on where we are scoring with all the start up right.0 podcast and actually just took a snapshot with more than 20 countries where we are charting as of early this week, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Moldova, Egypt, Netherlands, Turkey, South Korea, Luxembourg, and Saudi Arabia. Plus we have also been, named a top 70 web three podcast with our Blockchain Germany by a million podcasts and in the top 100 global venture capital podcasts, made it fintech Germany, deep tech Germany, tech startups Germany, and our startup news podcast, Startup by dot o, did not qualify because they are listed on other lists. Let's talk a little bit about about the ecosystem in the world. Startup investor activity surged in q one twenty twenty five with SoftBank Y Combinator leading global deal volume according to Crunchbase, early stage funding focused heavily on AI, fintech, and health tech. Let's look a little bit more into Europe.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:15:02]:
AI Startup Founders in Europe are being recognized as key operators to watch with sifted profiling 10 entrepreneurs driving innovation in synthetic media, health tech and enterprise automation. These leaders are setting the tone for AI's next phase of growth. European missile defense, supported by German defense startups, could see AI backed radar and tracking integration amid rising tensions with Russia. NTV, Ntifau highlights the evolving geopolitical stakes and funding needs. EU fintech regulations are intensifying prompting startups to strengthen compliance frameworks. International Banker reports that stricter KYC, know your customer, and anti anti money laundering, AML, standards are reshaping digital finance across Europe. Chris, handing over to Germany's, ecosystem use.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:15:58]:
Yes. Let's zoom in a bit. We did not include the March e four index in the last news, so we now have two for you e four business climate index. I was just talking about it. A key indicator of German economic sentiment showed only slight improvement in March 2025 and the business outlook for '20, for April 2025 also reveals a continued positive trend among German businesses. Expectations are improving especially among industrial producers despite all the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. German household wealth increased nominally in '24 but inflation adjusted figures show real purchasing power declined says a Bundesbank study so a German central bank. Wealth inequality in Germany also remains unchanged.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:16:46]:
So Germany being a relatively wealth like distributes wealth relatively equal compared to other countries, but the differences are the differences are bigger I think than a lot of Germans would actually believe of the country themselves. Female founders are still underrepresented according to the female founders monitor 2025. The report covered by starting up reveals a slight increase in women that startups but it stresses also the need for more systemic support in funding and leadership and I think adding to that as we always see, it's not only a gender problem. I think it's also usually a problem in terms of the background very are there enough migrants in the start up community? Are there enough people with who experience poverty poverty in their socialization? So, yeah, usually, the start up scene is catering to white males in Germany as in many other countries. In Switzerland, we don't see anything new, but in Austria, we see the Tesla subscription declines in Vienna affects multiple local startups with user fatigue and Elon Musk polarizing moves cited as causes. Der Standa, the Austrian renowned Austrian newspaper reports a downward trend in urban e mobility. Moving on from the countries to the our general news section where we have the tech news and the companies news section. We have organized this in several verticals and we start with VC news and new funds in case you're looking for money.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:18:26]:
As always, this is only a selection. We also had to cut it short in the show notes. There's, more of these, but we start with private equity growth continuing as Oakley Capital closes its flagship fund six at €4,500,000,000, hitting the funds hard cap. Mayunka Group reports that the London based PE firm will target technology, consumer, and education companies across Europe. The Daphne Fund is closing secures the Daphne Fund's closing secures €215,000,000 for its third fund aiming to back European startups with a strong tech and design edge. TechCrunch profiles the firm's ongoing investment strategy in our show notes. Compass VC Fund two raises €150,000,000 focusing on early stage tech startups with sustainability goals. The Berlin based venture capital firm aims to scale impact driven companies, writes Startbase, Revend's hundred million euro impact fund is targeting startups focused on climate and social impact, blending AI with mission driven business models as they say.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:19:36]:
Based in Berlin, the VC firm is seeking planet positive returns from its new funds. So an interesting, way probably also to look into how they are actually measuring this. Tech Report TechCrunch has some more details in their in their report article about this. And that's it to keep the VC funds short and we move on to green tech.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:20:05]:
Yes. Green tech news. Green tech leadership in Switzerland is recognized as the country earns a top spot in Times global green tech innovation ranking. Startup ticker. Ch highlights sustainable energy solutions and climate startups as drivers. NPAL secures 110,000,000 equity led by t Texas Pacific Group, TPG. Three things to know about the German solar, unicorn. AI news.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:20:38]:
Black Forest Labs, Berlin based AI startup, has ended its collaboration with Elon Musk's xAI project, citing divergent goals in synthetic data development. The partnership was originally aimed at integrating generative AI into privacy preserving solutions. Business insider covers this topic. Startup reshuffle in AI continues with several new ventures emerging across Germany, including Reshape Energy, Senior Connect, and NaiSue. These startups tackle climate, elderly care, and b two b productivity more on Deutsche startups. There's an fake AI scandal, rocks fintech startup Nate, as Business Insider reports on a policy investigation into its CEO over alleged investor deception involving non existing ai capabilities and government funding summary outlines strategic goals and startup initiatives in Saxony. The official Saxony publication provides a detailed overview of the ongoing regional programs and funding allocations. This time for the first time we do have space tech news because there was such a lot.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:21:47]:
We do have Atmos space cargo launch marks a milestone for Germany's private aerospace industry. Founder magazine reports the successful orbital test positioning the Munich based startup as leader in reusable payloads. ESA aerospace safety risk highlights in b, Vianswanzig, meaning Bavarian broadcaster, the the news channel twenty four, on rocket and engineering flaws, flaws concerning growth over component integrity and system failures as testing continues in Bavaria. But here's an interesting piece because we find the same news from a different source on ESA Aerospace from a startup medium. And there they say, ESA Aerospace milestone documented by trendy topics as the Munich based startup continues its mission to commercialize European spaceflight. The feature highlights ESA's rocket's development in Germany growing present in orbital launch markets. Sounds pretty different. Right? Spectrum rocket delay announced by German startup RFA due to its unresolved technical issues.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:22:50]:
Deutsche Wafung reports the postponement as a part of ongoing challenges in the European space race, and that means rocket factory Augsburg RFA. Biotech news. Keep in mind that biotech is not our focus. That's why we will have later also a few big, biotech funding news that didn't make it into our highlights. Bas life sciences ecosystem is evolving into biotech powerhouse Supported by private public initiatives and pharma cluster development, Transcript emphasizes the region's strategic importance. QVAC patent victory provides a partial relief in its legal battle with bio and tech with the European court recognizing aspects of its mRNA IP claims. MidiGen insolvency reflects funding pressure in biotech as the immunotherapy fails to secure bridge financing. Clinical trials map of Europe is launched to improve transparency and patient access.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:23:53]:
Siemens biotech deal involves a strategic acquisition to add a truck discovery signal again the conglomerate's deeper push into life sciences. Max Planck's society roadmap outlines a 10 policy proposal for Germany's new federal government advocating for improved innovation frameworks and science funding. By the way, there will be a news piece coming up between this recording and the actual publication, where I talk about what I see in the new, coalition contract. Little hint, not a lot about startups. It's 185 pages. And startups and digital innovation only start at page 139, and they only cover a few lines. Let's go on to fintech news. Private banking fintech solutions are gaining traction among Europe's Wealth Managers, says Sifdet.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:24:48]:
Keep in mind the news with the outages at Trade Republic. PayPal phishing scams using legitimate looking email domains are on the rise, warns how to geek. Barvest, a Munich based fintech, partners with eToro as a global broker broker client. Trending topic highlights the significance of the deal for German fintech visibility. Penny Lane expansion aims to broaden its accounting platform reach in the German market, finds forward reports. Revolut Switzerland suppresses 1,000,000 customers reinforcing its stronghold in the European fintech expansion. And we will be back with Chris with the general news after a little ad break.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:25:37]:
Welcome back after the break. As Joe said before the break, we are back with general news. Germany's richest tech entrepreneur has been identified by Business Insider shedding light on the pathways to massive tech wealth in the country. The report focuses on personal fortune and business business legacy And if German listeners are curious what his name is, I was actually surprised. It's, his name is Andreas von Bechtolsheim, one one early investor in Google.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:26:10]:
Yeah. But he's also the cofounder of Sun Microsystems, I do believe.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:26:14]:
And they say he is worth €13,000,000,000. Germany's richest sports entrepreneur is also profiled in Business Insider tracing his journey from athlete to billionaire through strategic investment, and he is, valued at 1,700,000,000. And one of the guys, between Bet and Win, today bwin, which is now listed in the, stock exchange in Vienna. Entrepreneur Radar radar spotlights Otto Otto's potential downfall analyzing the shifting dynamics in Germany's e commerce landscape. We often talked about Otto because it is actually a quite successful business case and actually a legacy company that was able to reinvent itself in the digital market. But now Digitagaufman raises concerns about legacy players adapting to modern start up competition. Auto Sofa has been the only large catalog mailing service to make the jump into e commerce, but they have also been an active investor and acquirer in e commerce. Some investments of the auto group are tracked by Startup Map.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:28]:
Both of the articles are in our show notes. Gold fraud investigation implicates investor Florian Fritsch with allegations of up to 14 kilograms of gold being siphoned from his firm Yahoo Finance Germany reports on this high profile case. Cyclotec successful test flight of a six rotor air taxi in Linz might redefine urban air mobility. Future zone has a bit more about this. News piece from Austria. Then German Sunicorns are spotlighted in SIFTED twenty twenty five lists, of 10 companies or startups that might become unicorns soon, including rising stars across deep tech, fintech, and AI. The German military, satellite plans include launching a German rival to Starlink for more secure military communications. The website reveals details of this strategic defense investment.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:28:33]:
By the way, that's just a tack block that has nothing to do with the actual city. Yeah?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:28:38]:
Yeah. And then Bundeswehr AI projects show enormous, potential in transforming Germany's defense sector with ongoing research and development supported by government initiatives. Handelsblatt is outlining the scope and future impact of these technologies. Also again, in the defense sector, startups are increasingly opting out of relaunch strategies due to bureaucratic and funding hurdles. We see Idealo, resigns amid allegations marking a leadership shakeup at the Berlin based price comparison platform, Idealo. Internal pressures and reputational fallout are being reported. Autohero celebrates the milestone suppressing surpassing a quarter million cars sold. IT Times notes that the Berlin based used car platform continues to scale rapidly across all of Europe.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:29:38]:
Home2Go financials out Home2Go's financial outlook signals strong growth with projected IFRS revenue above €300,000,000 and an adjusted EBITDA over, €35,000,000 in 2025. It's a Berlin based travel tech company. Mister Speck's transformation remains on track with, profitability for the Berlin based eye eyewear startup expected to rise sharply in 2025. They also are now pursuing a digital first strategy that seems to pay off. Cybersecurity contract award to goes to Frankfurt based startup from the EU cybersecurity agency highlighting Germany's tech defense capabilities reported by start startup Hessen, and carbon dioxide concrete storage breakthrough seems to be launched in Vienna by a Holkim and Neustadag, Holtzen. Hoe Kim, I guess, with a c. Trending Topics highlights Europe's First installation of a carbon storing cement driving innovation in green construction. Jacob Schweitzer exits his namesake experience platform with for ownership.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:52]:
Yeah, Jochem Schweitzer some, yeah, some kind of it's it was like a platform where you could just buy experiences and activities.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:31:03]:
Like like parachute jump, bungee jump, or stuff like this.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:31:07]:
Yes. And now it was bought by Prossibben Zereins, which is a German private broadcaster. Startup ecosystem insights explored in a new blog post by VC Magazine identifying key enablers for funders and investors in 2025, stressing the importance of trust and access in the system. And then, Jagermeister, the German liquor, defeat in a start up trademark dispute ends with the beverage giant losing a branding conflict. Founders Magazine explores the legal win for a Challenger brand, and we see a leadership change at Deutsche GigaNets as founder Jan Georg Bodden unexpectedly resigns. More about this can be found in an article from Golem, which also reports internal disagreements that may have contributed to the departure from the German fiber optic provider. And now creative destruction, layoffs, insolvencies, and other bad news.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:32:05]:
Yes. Keep in mind, this article is not from us. It's from Manjar Magatine, a well respected periodical here in Germany, startup zombie warning surface for former high flyers like Foto, SORARO, and Xcentral as the valuation and relevance sharply decline. Manager Magatine raises questions about sustainability in the start up ecosystem. Talando layoffs affect hundreds of employees at the Berlin based fashion platform as part of a broader cost restructuring initiative. Maxx Mobility bankruptcy confirmed adding to the string of start up closures. Salzburga beverage start up files for bankruptcy after financial struggles. Brudgaston covers the insolvency, which reflects on the broader funding challenges in Austria's consumer goods sectors.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:32:48]:
Comot restructuring following its acquisition by an Italian firm. Business insider reports the Potsdam based outdoor startup plans to cut over 50% of its workforce in a major realignment. Photo layouts continue as Berlin based logistics startup reduces headcount again. Business Insider reports this move reflects financial strain and changing demand in European ecommerce fulfillment. I have an interview with the founder who's now a member of the supervisory board. Keep in mind, they have been mostly dealing with imports from China with container shipment. MacMarkler under investigation as prosecutors scrutinized the Berlin prop tech firm amid layoffs. Doctor Li bankruptcy declared by Berlin based health tech startup after financial difficulties.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:33:35]:
Kempervan, outfitter insolvency, hits Vienna based startup, easygoing with a c at the end, as it ends operations following a failure re failed restructuring attempt. And now, Chris, you end on a high note for us. Right? Almost. Almost. Almost.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:33:55]:
Yeah. So keep in mind, this section about successful fundraising and exits is only a small selection. But, the news here and their total value show how resilient the start up scene is. So let's rattle off some of the selected fundraising above €10,000,000 Swiss francs or US dollars. The biotech financing boom continues with Swiss based Moon Lake Immuni Therapeutics securing up to $500,000,000 in funding from Hercules Capital to strengthen its autoimmune disease pipeline. GraniteBio, a biotech firm integrating AI and drug discovery based in Basel, Switzerland raised hundred million dollars to support its therapeutic pipeline targeting immune system modulation. Hawk raised €52,000,000 for its fraud prevention tools while Bright AI finalized an exit. FlexVELOP financing raises €44,000,000 to scale its b to b equipment leasing solution for start ups and SME.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:34:54]:
Solix, an AI powered data management platform, raised $29,500,000 to expand enterprise adoption. The funding enables enhancements in unstructured data indexing and AI model integration. The robotics startup Symbiotic, a startup based in Berlin, has secured $29,000,000 in a series a funding to scale its AI driven automation platform for warehouse logistics. Binomics, which is a Cologne based startup specializing in virtual shoppers and pricing AI, secured €27,500,000 to expand its platform that will allow them to fund scaling across European retail markets. Digital identity verification sees a boost as the Hamburg based start up, NECT, n e c t, secures 25,000,000 for its AI powered onboarding solutions, also expected to view international expansion.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:35:50]:
Yes. Because that is one of the cases where you most likely never heard of our guests, but you will in the future. We had a few years ago a, interview with the NetFounders. We also link it here. Sorry Chris, handing over back to you.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:36:06]:
ICU technology is getting a major upgrade as German medtech startup Cleanomic secures €23,000,000 to enhance an AI based Doctor. Mona system for intensive care units allowing them to expand hospital partnerships across Europe. Hepartic Treatment innovation accelerates as Hepa Regenexx, a biotech firm from Tubingen, Germany close to Stuttgart, and they close a €21,500,000 in funding to advance its regenerative therapies for liver diseases. Daima, a pet startup, raises €20,000,000 to expand its European footprint. The French born companies backers and growing demand for digital pet insurance and services are among, the highlighted aspects in a Business Insider article regarding this topic. Do Instruct, a Berlin based AI training software startup, secured €16,500,000 in a Series A funding to expand its industrial training simulations powered by GenAI. Space tech startup Okapi Orbits, a company from Braunschweig in Central Germany raises $13,000,000 €30,000,000 in seed funding to expand its space traffic management platform. The round as reported by Finsmas was led by San Francisco based Munich Re Ventures Munich Re Ventures and strengthens Okapi Okapi Orbit's mission to prevent orbital collisions.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:35]:
I think a problem that is actually growing. Killer drone investment sees Peter Thiel backing German defense startup, Stark. Manager Margot Sien details the firm's controversial push into autonomous weapons. And now last but not least some mergers and acquisitions and some IPOs we wanted to highlight.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:37:57]:
Yes. And then at the end, Chris, you get the news useless facts. I think they're pretty funny. Synthetic, mergers acquisition and IPOs. Synthetic startup data startup Kritel has been acquired by NVIDIA to bolster its synthetic data and AI capabilities. Praetor AI, a Berlin based deep tech startup focused on GDPR compliant visual anonymization, has been acquired by Danish Milestone Systems after reportedly attracting interest from Apple. Lakido, a Vienna based health tech startup, acquires For My Health, four like the number, to strengthen its SAS SaaS solutions for medical practice management. DeepL IPO plans are now targeted for 2026, positioning the German AI translation leader for major public debut.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:38:50]:
WellHub, open sports club merger, unites two major fitness and well-being platforms in a move to consolidate your wellness tech market. Hamburg X-ray Empire acquisition sees a prominent family, invests in medical diagnosis infrastructure, continue the city's legacy in health tech leadership. Lunar dust solar cells could one day provide sustainable energy on the boon as researchers explore extraterrestrial photovoltaic solution. Basic thinking shares the future vision. Content serve and centric software announced partnership to enhance product life cycle and information management aiming to serve global fashion and retail brands. Traala music education expands by acquiring Skove, integrating digital music training for learners. And spec markets that's actually international but still relevant to the global startup market. Spec market trends show a 4,000,000,000 US dollar wave despite IPO struggles as reported by payments.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:39:51]:
Analysts point to the continued investor interest in alternative funding mechanisms. And Chris you have the last news piece which may be good as a.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:40:02]:
I was gonna say I'm very sure that you're gonna use this information for whatever conversation you will be getting stuck in in the next couple of weeks because we found a little article that actually told us who is the largest tire manufacturer by volume in the world, and it is not Continental. It is not, like, Chevrolet or whatever. It is no car manufacturer, Michelin. It's not Michelin, but it is as playful as the Michelin men, I would say. So a feature by Koruba actually highlighted that the world's largest tire tire manufacturer by volume is LEGO. So I had Have fun with that.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:40:49]:
Them on my radar. Yes. It's it's it's a little bit surprising. Guys, that's a new start up wrap. There is more news. Stay ahead of the curve. And as we said, we will be back, at the May on for this day to give you another dose of startup news. And, again, this time, it's incomplete.
Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:41:12]:
We did ban a lot of our news to the blog post you can find down here in the show notes. Thank you, Chris. It was a pleasure talking to you as always.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:41:21]:
Thank you too. Bye bye.
Narrator Dorsey Jackson [00:41:27]:
That's all, folks. Find more news, streams, events, and interviews at www.startuprad.io. Remember, sharing is caring.
About the Author:
Jörn “Joe” Menninger is the founder and host of Startuprad.io -- one of Europe’s top startup podcasts that scored as a global Top 20 Podcast in Entrepreneurship. He’s been featured in Forbes, Tech.eu, Geektime, and more for his insights into startups, venture capital, and innovation. With over 15 years of experience in management consulting, digital strategy, and startup scouting, Joe works at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship, and business transformation—helping founders, investors, and corporates turn bold ideas into real-world impact.
Follow his work at Startuprad.io or connect with him on LinkedIn.