top of page


2022 the start of a new VC Cycle? — European Startup Pulse
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? After the 2021 boom and 2022 correction, is European venture capital entering a new cycle? DEEP Ecosystems research from Munich analyzes quarterly VC data across Europe to identify whether the funding downturn has bottomed out and what signals point toward recovery for DACH startups. T
Jörn Menninger
Mar 157 min read


New York Times Best Selling Author of “The Lean Entrepreneur” — 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? Brant Cooper, New York Times bestselling author of "The Lean Entrepreneur," shares how lean startup methodology applies beyond Silicon Valley. His framework helps founders in any market — including DACH — validate ideas faster, reduce waste, and build products customers actually want.
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 min read


Swiss-Based Board Owl Matches Companies and Board Members — 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? Swiss startup Board Owl is a digital platform that matches companies with qualified board members. Founded by Daniel, a former UBS and Goldman Sachs banker turned headhunter, the platform addresses a critical governance gap — helping startups and SMEs find experienced board talent effi
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1527 min read


Reverse.Supply Offers Fashion Brands Second-Hand-Shops-as-a-Service — 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? Reverse.Supply offers fashion brands a turnkey second-hand-shops-as-a-service solution. Instead of building their own resale infrastructure, brands can plug into Reverse.Supply's platform to launch branded recommerce channels — capturing the growing demand for sustainable fashion while
Jörn Menninger
Mar 156 min read


Immer.App Reinvents Reading For The Digital Age — 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? Immer.App is reinventing how people read in the digital age. The startup builds immersive reading experiences that go beyond traditional e-books, combining interactive elements with storytelling to make digital reading more engaging — particularly for audiences who have shifted their a
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1528 min read


Happy New Year — Now Tackle 2023 — 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 this Starting Y podcast episode, Michelle and Jörn kick off 2023 by reflecting on the WHY of entrepreneurship. They discuss what motivates founders to keep going through downturns, how to set meaningful goals for the new year, and why purpose-driven startups tend to outlast those ch
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


From CTO of N26 to Founding a Non-Profit Online University
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 former CTO of neobank N26 left one of Germany's most prominent fintech unicorns to found a non-profit online university. This interview explores the unusual career pivot from scaling a billion-dollar startup to building accessible education infrastructure — and what the tech world
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1537 min read


Bonus: What We Know About the FTX Collapse? — 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? INSEAD Professor Antonio Fatas breaks down the FTX collapse and what it means for the crypto industry. This bonus episode examines the systemic failures, regulatory gaps, and governance breakdowns that led to one of the largest financial frauds in crypto history — and the lessons for E
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1527 min read


Starting Y Christmas Episode 2022 — On To A Fresh Start — 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 the 2022 Starting Y Christmas episode, Michelle and Jörn reflect on the entrepreneurial year that was — and look ahead. They discuss resilience, the importance of fresh starts, and why the holiday season is the perfect time for founders to recalibrate their purpose and energy for th
Jörn Menninger
Mar 154 min read


9am.works Is The “Operating System” for Freelancers — 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? 9am.works positions itself as the operating system for freelancers — a platform that handles the administrative burden of independent work including invoicing, contracts, tax compliance, and client management. The startup aims to let freelancers focus on their craft instead of paperwor
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1528 min read


QiTech Recycles Plastic Waste in 3D Printing Filament #GSA22 — 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? Milan, who graduated from high school in 2022, founded QiTech to recycle plastic bottle caps into 3D printing filament. Featured at the German Startup Awards #GSA22, this young entrepreneur demonstrates how circular economy thinking can start early — turning everyday plastic waste into
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1528 min read


Women Who Rock GSA a Female Entrepreneurship Podcast — 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? Women Who Rock GSA launches as a dedicated sub-podcast for female entrepreneurship in the German-speaking startup world. Co-hosted by Johanna, the show spotlights women founders, investors, and leaders who are shaping the DACH ecosystem — filling a gap in startup media coverage. This a
Jörn Menninger
Mar 155 min read


MedTech Startup Selfapy Offers Psychological Help Without Wait #GSA22 — 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 Selfapy is a MedTech startup offering app-based psychological therapy without the months-long waiting lists that plague Germany's mental health system. Featured at #GSA22, the startup provides evidence-based digital programs that patients can access immediately — bridging
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1523 min read


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 Traceless Replaces Plastics With Compostable Materials #GSA22 — 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? Traceless Materials founder Johanna Baare has developed compostable biomaterials that can replace conventional plastics. Featured at #GSA22, the Hamburg-based green startup produces materials from agricultural waste that fully decompose — offering brands a genuinely sustainable alterna
Jörn Menninger
Mar 1520 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 1524 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


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
bottom of page
