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The Hybrid Founder: When Founding in Germany Means Keeping the Day Job
KfW's 2026 edition: 40% of 2025 German founders kept the day job. The "hybrid founder" finding reframes who the word "founder" actually refers to in Germany.
Jörn Menninger
Jun 115 min read


Germany's Under-30 Founding Wave: Real Signal or Statistical Mirage?
KfW 2026's most hopeful finding: 40% of founders are under 30. But 22% are still in Studium. The series finale asks if this is a generational shift or stage-of-life artefact.
Jörn Menninger
Jun 45 min read


Three Years of KfW Gründungsmonitor: Germany's Founding-Quality Problem Is Now a Pattern
Three editions, three years, one pattern: Vollerwerb flat at 206k, takeover share stuck at 17%, own-equity financing peaks at 74%. KfW's longitudinal diagnosis.
Jörn Menninger
May 287 min read


Germany's 690,000 New Founders Are Mostly Side-Hustlers — What the KfW Gründungsmonitor 2026 Actually Says
KfW's 2026 report shows 690,000 German founders in 2025 — but Vollerwerb stayed flat at 206,000. Germany has more side-hustlers, not more startups.
Jörn Menninger
May 216 min read


Clark Reportedly Loses Unicorn Status: What Allianz's Markdown Says About Europe's Insurtech Reset
Manager Magazin reports Clark has been marked from €1bn to €613m. What the Allianz markdown says about Europe's unicorn reset — with Startuprad.io archive.
Jörn Menninger
May 217 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — January 2023
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 January 2023 DACH startup news roundup kicks off the new year with key developments from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — covering early-year funding activity, ecosystem predictions, regulatory updates, and the founder stories setting the tone for the startup landscape in 2023.
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — December 2022 Wrap-Up
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 December 2022 wrap-up closes the year with the final monthly roundup of startup news from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — covering year-end funding activity, notable exits, ecosystem milestones, and the trends that defined the DACH startup scene in 2022. This article is part of
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1521 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — November 2022 Wrap-Up
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 November 2022 DACH startup news roundup covers the month's key developments across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — including late-year funding activity, ecosystem updates, and the stories shaping the startup landscape as the region heads into year-end. This article is part of o
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1511 min read


Female Founders at the European Angel Investment Summit (2/2) — 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? At the European Business Angel Network (EBAN) summit, female founders pitched their startups to a room full of Europe's most active angel investors. This second part captures the pitches, feedback, and insights from women entrepreneurs navigating the early-stage funding landscape acros
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 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


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — October 2022 Wrap-Up
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 October 2022 DACH startup news roundup covers the month's most significant developments across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — including Q4 funding activity, notable founder moves, regulatory updates, and ecosystem trends heading into the final quarter of 2022. This article is
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1521 min read


Meet Tvarit — Hidden Industrial AI Champion making manufacturing sustainable — 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? Tvarit is a hidden champion in industrial AI, using machine learning to optimize metal casting processes in manufacturing. The startup helps factories reduce defect rates, save energy, and improve yield — proving that some of Germany's most impactful AI companies operate far from the c
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1522 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — September 2022
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 September 2022 DACH startup news roundup covers the month's developments as Germany prepares for a potentially rough economic winter — including funding updates, ecosystem shifts, and the stories defining the startup landscape across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This article
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1526 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — Summer 2022 Wrap-Up
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 summer 2022 DACH startup news wrap-up covers July and August developments across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — including mid-year funding trends, notable deals, ecosystem milestones, and the stories that defined the startup landscape during the summer months. This article is
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1539 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — June 2022
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 June 2022 DACH startup news roundup wraps up the first half of the year with updates from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — covering funding activity, ecosystem developments, and the stories shaping the startup landscape as it heads into summer amid growing economic uncertainty.
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1513 min read


Germany has approved Cannabis For Medical Use, and Legalization for Recreation Is Next — 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? Germany's coalition government approved cannabis for medical use and is moving toward recreational legalization — creating significant startup opportunities. This episode explores what legalization means for the emerging German cannabis industry, from cultivation and distribution to fi
Jörn Menninger
Mar 158 min read


This Month in German, Swiss, and Austrian (GSA) Startups — May 2022
Picutre via Pixabay: A cart track in May in Germany What Is This About? The May 2022 DACH startup news roundup covers mid-spring developments across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — including funding updates, notable deals, and ecosystem trends as the market begins showing early signs of the correction that would define the rest of 2022. This article is part of our coverage of Monthly Startup News from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This blog post first appeared first
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1511 min read


EXALOAN Wants to Bridge the Funding GAP of SMEs Across the Globe
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? EXALOAN started as a rating agency for digital assets and pivoted to bridging the massive funding gap facing small and medium enterprises globally. The Frankfurt-based fintech connects institutional investors with SME lending opportunities — tackling a market where traditional banks co
Jörn Menninger
Mar 157 min read


This Month in German, Swiss and Austrian Startups — April 2022
Spring Flowers in Germany via Pixabay What Is This About? The April 2022 DACH startup news roundup covers spring developments across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — including funding rounds, ecosystem updates, and the stories shaping the startup landscape as the market begins its mid-year transition. This article is part of our coverage of Monthly Startup News from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://me
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1510 min read


Fastbill’s Exit to Canada Based Unicorn FreshBooks
This story was migrated from our old blog, originally published on November 18th, 2021. What Is This About? German accounting software startup Fastbill was acquired by Canadian unicorn FreshBooks — marking a notable cross-border exit in the DACH fintech space. The deal shows how European SME-focused fintechs can attract international acquirers looking to expand their market footprint into German-speaking markets. This article is part of our coverage of Scaleup Founder Intervi
Jörn Menninger
Mar 156 min read
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