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How To Scale Globally — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Scaling a startup globally is one of the hardest transitions a founder can make. This Starting Y episode explores the practical challenges of international expansion — from adapting products for new markets to building distributed teams and navigating regulatory differences across bord
Jörn Menninger
Mar 156 min read


Green Startup CleanHub Fights Ocean Plastic Together with Brands — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? CleanHub CEO Joel Tasche built a platform that lets consumer brands fund ocean plastic collection in real time. By partnering with waste management organizations in coastal communities, CleanHub intercepts plastic before it reaches the ocean — giving brands a measurable, verified way t
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 min read


Meet INZMO one of Europe’s Fastest Growing Insurtech Startups — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? INZMO co-founder Meeri is building one of Europe's fastest-growing insurtech startups with a mobile-first approach to insurance. The Berlin-based company offers on-demand, fully digital insurance products — making coverage as simple as a few taps on your phone, targeting a generation t
Jörn Menninger
Mar 158 min read


Interviews from the European Angel Investment Summit (1/2)
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? At the EBAN European Angel Investment Summit, over 300 seed-stage startups competed for attention from Europe's most active business angels — with 25 selected to pitch live. This first part captures the pitches, investor reactions, and insights from one of Europe's premier early-stage
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1521 min read


The Network of European Startup Hubs 101 — Founder Interview
You have it all wrong. Europe is not full of competing startup hubs. They are increasingly forming a network for startups. The startups start at one knot in the network (frequently a university), move on to an accelerator, and end up in one of Europe's top 12 fundraising hubs to raise funds, sometimes becoming a unicorn. On their way, the startups leave traces, like R&D capabilities, sales teams, groups, investors, and so on. So they are not really the product of a city, but
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1510 min read


Berlin-based Green Startup Trilleco is on a Mission to help Businesses Analyze and Manage their E... — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Berlin-based Trilleco helps businesses measure, analyze, and manage their environmental impact with an intuitive software platform. Featured in the female entrepreneurship track, this green startup empowers companies to move beyond greenwashing toward data-driven sustainability decisio
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1525 min read


German Startups on the Rise — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? The 10th annual German Startup Monitor reveals how Germany's startup community has evolved over a decade. Key findings show North Rhine-Westphalia emerging as home to the most startups, while the survey tracks shifting founder demographics, funding patterns, and regional strengths acro
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1510 min read


Fintech Opportunities in Central Bank Digital Currency — Part 1 — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Central Bank Digital Currencies open new doors for fintech innovation. In this first part of an expert interview series, the conversation explores the practical opportunities CBDCs create for startups — from programmable payments to new financial products that aren't possible with trad
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 min read


A New Schedule for Our Radio Station — Founder Interview
Image by Republica from Pixabay What Is This About? Startuprad.io announces a new fall 2022 schedule for its internet radio station, adding shows like the Cleantech podcast with David Hunt and The Failure Guy to the lineup. This episode previews the expanded programming and explains the vision behind building the world's first tech entrepreneurship radio station. This article is part of our coverage of Scaleup Founder Interviews from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This bl
Jörn Menninger
Mar 154 min read


Startuprad.io Reaches #18 in iTunes’ Global Entrepreneurship Podcast Charts — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Startuprad.io reached #18 on Apple iTunes' global entrepreneurship podcast charts — a milestone for the DACH startup ecosystem's leading English-language podcast. This episode celebrates the achievement and reflects on what it means for the show's growing international audience. This a
Jörn Menninger
Mar 154 min read


Startups in Greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Area Raised in H1 2022 more Funding Than in All of 2021
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Startups in the greater Frankfurt/Rhine-Main area raised more venture capital in the first half of 2022 than in all of 2021. Large deals drove the numbers despite a worsening funding environment in Q2, signaling that the region's startup ecosystem continues to mature beyond Berlin's sh
Jörn Menninger
Mar 158 min read


Meet Byways — The Startup of Sennder’s Former Head of Product — And They Have the US in Sight — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Byways is a logistics SaaS platform founded by Sennder's former Head of Product, connecting warehouses, clients, and logistics companies to schedule transportation on demand. With the US market in their sights, the startup brings tech-driven efficiency to freight coordination. This art
Jörn Menninger
Mar 157 min read


Berlin-based Crypto Bank Nuri (Formerly Known as Bitwala) With 500.000 Clients Has to File for In... — Founder Interview
Image by WorldSpectrum from Pixabay What Is This About? Berlin-based crypto bank Nuri, formerly known as Bitwala, served 500,000 clients before filing for insolvency. After cutting 20% of its workforce and failing to secure a €30-40M funding round, the collapse became a cautionary tale about the crypto winter's impact on European fintech. This article is part of our coverage of Scaleup Founder Interviews from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This blog post first appeared fi
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


Save Now Buy Later Fintech Monkee Raises 1.5 m € — Founder Interview
Hintertux Glacier in Tyrol by Markus Fischer via Pixabay What Is This About? Austrian fintech Monkee raised €1.5 million for its "Save Now, Buy Later" model — the opposite of buy-now-pay-later. The app helps users set savings goals and build financial discipline, returning to Startuprad.io after their first appearance in September 2021 to share their funding news. This article is part of our coverage of Scaleup Founder Interviews from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This b
Jörn Menninger
Mar 154 min read


IDnow Raising Funds — Shelving Germany’s Largest Fintech Exit For Now
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Identity verification giant IDnow shelved what would have been Germany's largest fintech exit at $1 billion, instead raising €60 million in debt from BlackRock. The decision signals how the 2022 market correction forced even the strongest German fintechs to pivot from exit plans to sur
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


Neobank Deal Week: Qonto Confirms Buying Penta — Kontist Is Selling As Well At Discounted Price — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? In a single week, two major neobank deals reshaped the German fintech landscape: French unicorn Qonto confirmed its acquisition of Berlin-based Penta, while freelancer neobank Kontist sold at a steep discount for an estimated €10 million — highlighting the consolidation wave hitting Eu
Jörn Menninger
Mar 158 min read


French Neobank Unicorn Qonto in Advanced Talks to Buy Berlin-Based Neobank Penta
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? French neobank unicorn Qonto entered advanced talks to acquire Berlin-based business banking startup Penta — a deal confirmed on July 22nd, 2022. The acquisition marks Qonto's aggressive push into the German market, the largest SME banking opportunity in Europe. This article is part of
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


Instigo Started on its Way to Become an Autonomous Growth Hacking Ad Platform for Digital Marketers — Founder Interview
This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024. What Is This About? Vienna-based Instigo is building an autonomous growth hacking platform for digital marketers — a multi-platform advertising tool that automates campaign optimization across channels. The startup aims to make performance marketing accessible to businesses without dedicated growth teams.
Jörn Menninger
Mar 157 min read


Samsung Buys IP of German Startup Cynora for 300 m $ — All Employees Are Fired
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay What Is This About? Samsung acquired the intellectual property of German deep tech startup Cynora for $300 million — but fired all employees in the process. The deal, reported by Bloomberg, highlights the harsh reality of IP-focused exits where the technology survives but the team and company do not. This article is part of our coverage of Startuprad.io Knowledge Graph: The DACH Startup Ecosystem. This blog post first appeared first on old
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


Solarisbank is Exploring All Options From Fundraising to a Sale to a PE Fund — Founder Interview
Brandenburger Tor in Berlin via Pixabay What Is This About? Solarisbank, the Berlin-based banking-as-a-service platform, is exploring all options from raising new capital to a potential sale to a private equity fund. Driven by deteriorating market conditions for privately held tech companies, the move highlights the funding pressure facing even major German fintechs. This article is part of our coverage of Scaleup Founder Interviews from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Thi
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read
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