DACH Startup Funding 2025: Deep Tech, Defense, and Decacorns
- Jörn Menninger
- 13 minutes ago
- 39 min read
🚀 Management Summary
The DACH startup funding landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation in 2025, powered by record-breaking investments in deep tech, defense technology, and sovereign infrastructure. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are seeing a surge in unicorn creation and decacorn ascension, with Berlin and Munich emerging as dominant tech hubs. This blog post delivers a comprehensive analysis of funding trends, sectoral hot spots, and policy developments driving momentum for tech founders, scaleup leaders, and startup investors across the region. If you're seeking data-driven insights into the next wave of DACH innovation, you're in the right place.
📚 Table of Contents
Why DACH Startup Funding Is Surging in 2025
What Is the "Choose Europe" Scale-Up Strategy?
Who Are the New Unicorns and Decacorns of 2025?
Which VC Funds Are Fueling the DACH Tech Boom?
What Are the Key Sectors Dominating DACH Startup Investment?
Further Reading
The Video Podcast
The Audio Podcast
Connect with Us
About the Author
News Sources / Links
Automated Transcript
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📈 Why DACH Startup Funding Is Surging in 2025
DACH startup funding in 2025 has reached unprecedented levels, fueled by:
Rising investor appetite for sovereign technologies and dual-use applications
Strategic geopolitical positioning in AI, space, and defense
The European Union's new "Choose Europe" startup strategy
A wave of deep tech breakthroughs in healthtech, radiopharma, and fusion energy
Mega Funding Highlights:
Helsing (Berlin/Munich) — €600M Series C, now Germany's most valuable startup at €12B
ISA Aerospace (Munich) — €150M convertible round, new space unicorn
Luma Care (Berlin) — Unicorn status with FDA-approved phototherapy
ITM SE (Munich) — €262.5M non-dilutive radiopharma financing
Scalable Capital (Munich) — €155M Series E, fintech scaleup
Impossible Cloud (Hamburg) — Valuation hits €470M, decentralized cloud leader
🤖 What Is the "Choose Europe" Scale-Up Strategy?
Featured Snippet Answer: The EU's Choose Europe to Start and Scale strategy is a 2025 initiative to harmonize laws, attract capital, and retain startups within the bloc. It includes a €10B scale-up fund, the Blue Carpet initiative for global talent, and the Lab2Unicorn program to fast-track research commercialization.
This initiative is a direct response to startup fragmentation across member states, aiming to make Europe globally competitive with the U.S. and China for technology-driven entrepreneurship.
👩💼 Who Are the New Unicorns and Decacorns of 2025?
The DACH region now boasts a growing list of unicorns, driven by deep tech, vertical SaaS, and frontier healthtech:
Helsing — Defense AI, real-time battlefield software
ISA Aerospace — Flexible low-Earth orbit launch capabilities
Luma Care — FDA + CE-approved non-invasive photodynamic therapies
Scalable Capital — ETF-based investing, AI portfolio optimization
ITM SE — Targeted cancer therapies with isotope innovation
Berlin leads with over 60% of Germany's unicorns, but Munich is rapidly closing the gap in B2B SaaS and fintech scaleups.
👥 Which VC Funds Are Fueling the DACH Tech Boom?
Several venture capital funds have doubled down on the DACH region with newly announced war chests:
Project A — €325M Fund V (Germany/EU)
Picos Capital — €250M for early-stage startups
BGF — £500M tech growth fund
Main Capital — €520M for B2B SaaS expansion
GreenTech Growth Fund — €160M for sustainable scaleups
These funds align with high-growth verticals: AI, defense, biotech, Web3 infrastructure, fintech, and SaaS.
🌍 What Are the Key Sectors Dominating DACH Startup Investment?
Defense Tech & Dual-Use AI
Helsing, ISA Aerospace
HealthTech & Biopharma
Luma Care, ITM SE
Fintech & WealthTech
Scalable Capital, Sailors (fintech for seafarers)
Cloud Infrastructure & Web3
Impossible Cloud
Fusion Energy & Deep Tech
Proxima Fusion, Okapi Orbit
🧵 Further Reading
External Sources
From Startuprad.io Blog
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📝 About the Author
Jörn “Joe” Menninger is the founder and host of Startuprad.io — one of Europe’s top startup podcasts. Joe's work is featured in Forbes, Tech.eu, and more. He brings 15+ years of expertise in consulting, strategy, and startup scouting.
✅ FAQs
❓ Concepts & Definitions
Q1: What is DACH startup funding?A: DACH startup funding refers to venture capital investments in startups based in Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH). It encompasses seed to late-stage deals across sectors like tech, health, and fintech.
Q2: Why is 2025 significant for DACH startup funding?A: 2025 marks a surge in investment due to geopolitical shifts, sovereign tech priorities, and a supportive EU strategy. Defense, healthtech, and space are key verticals.
Q3: What are sovereign technologies in this context?A: Sovereign technologies are systems critical to national interests—such as defense AI, space launch platforms, or secure cloud infrastructure—that reduce dependency on foreign tech.
🛠️ Use Cases & Implementation
Q4: How are investors supporting dual-use AI startups?A: Investors are backing dual-use AI startups like Helsing that serve both military and commercial markets, seeking scalable, defensible business models with strategic value.
Q5: What role does the EU’s 'Choose Europe' strategy play?A: The Choose Europe initiative introduces harmonized regulation, a €10B scale-up fund, and incentives to retain talent—making Europe more founder- and VC-friendly.
Q6: Why are defense and deep tech gaining traction in DACH?A: Rising tensions and the need for European tech independence have pushed defense, aerospace, and radiopharma startups to the funding forefront in 2025.
🔍 Comparisons & Alternatives
Q7: How does funding in 2025 compare to previous years?A: Compared to 2024, DACH startup funding has grown by over 35%, led by mega-deals like Helsing’s €600M Series C and ITM’s €262.5M debt raise.
Q8: How do DACH funding trends differ from the US and China?A: While the US dominates late-stage funding and China emphasizes state-aligned sectors, DACH in 2025 is catching up with a focus on sovereignty and scale.
🚧 Risks & Challenges
Q9: What risks are associated with deep tech investment?A: Deep tech ventures have long development cycles, high capex, and regulatory hurdles, requiring patient capital and public-private alignment.
Q10: Can these new unicorns sustain long-term growth?A: Market volatility, execution risk, and scaling beyond Europe are major challenges for new unicorns, particularly in regulated or hardware-heavy sectors.
🔮 Future Outlook
Q11: What trends indicate Europe’s competitiveness in tech?A: Major fund launches, unicorn births, and a more unified policy framework point to Europe closing its innovation gap with global leaders.
Q12: How might AI regulation affect funding in the region?A: AI regulation could either boost trust and adoption or slow down innovation if compliance costs outweigh startup agility—much depends on enforcement.
🗞️ News Sources / Links
The insights in this blog were derived from Startuprad.io’s podcast episode recorded on June 30, 2025, along with supporting reports from EU-Startups, TechCrunch, Crunchbase, Deutsche Startups, and more. See the full transcript below for detailed references.
🦄 Our Highlights:
June 2025 catapulted the DACH startup scene into new heights, headlined by Germany’s ascension as a powerhouse in defense-tech and deep-tech. Berlin- and Munich-based Helsing became Germany’s most valuable startup, surpassing Celonis with a €600M Series C led by Daniel Ek’s Prima Materia, cementing its position as the country’s second decacorn. Simultaneously, Munich’s Isar Aerospace joined the unicorn club, raising €150M via convertible bonds to fuel its commercial space launch operations, with growing geopolitical demand for sovereign satellite capabilities across Europe. Meanwhile, Berlin’s stealth-mode healthtech LumaCare quietly entered unicorn territory with over 30M users and FDA/CE-approved phototherapy solutions, highlighting Berlin’s rising clout in medical innovation.
🛠️ Infrastructure and fintech also took center stage. Hamburg’s Impossible Cloud, a decentralized Web3-enabled enterprise cloud platform, reached a €470M valuation following a strategic injection from NGP Capital, further validating Europe’s ambition to develop hyperscaler alternatives. Munich-headquartered Scalable Capital closed a record €155M Series E round, aiming to become the Charles Schwab of Europe, with ETF investing, crypto access, and AI-powered wealth management tools. In biotech, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE secured a mammoth €262.5M in non-dilutive debt financing from Blue Owl Capital to scale its radiopharmaceutical pipeline and prep for FDA submission of ITM-11, its GEP-NET cancer therapy. These mega-deals confirm investor appetite for infrastructure-layer innovation, vertical SaaS, and frontier healthtech.
🌍 Policy and ecosystem moves rounded out the month with the long-awaited release of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, dubbed "Choose Europe to Start and Scale." The blueprint includes a €10B Scaleup Europe Fund, a unified "28th regime" for legal harmonization, and the Lab to Unicorn initiative to bridge research and commercialization — all key steps in making the EU globally competitive for tech founders. Regionally, Switzerland's €100B deeptech vision, new reports on DACH-CEE climate tech, and Germany’s improved ifo Business Climate Index pointed to cautious optimism despite capital concentration pressures. From rising unicorns like Helsing to smart policy bets and decentralized infrastructure champions like Impossible Cloud, Startuprad.io remains your go-to source for what’s next in DACH innovation, funding, and founder momentum.
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Top News
Our Top News This Month!
🦄Three new Unicorn this in these news and one is even a Decacorn! WOW Germany has a new Top Dog
Helsing Is Germany’s Second Decacorn and Now Germany’s Most Valuable Startup: Germany’s Defense-Tech Sector Sees Breakout Moment as Helsing Surpasses Celonis in Valuation
Germany's startup landscape just crowned a new champion. AI-driven defense startup Helsing has closed a monumental €600 million Series C funding round, propelling its valuation to a staggering $12 billion and dethroning Celonis as the country’s most valuable privately held tech company. The raise, led by Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek’s investment firm Prima Materia, marks a pivotal shift in European venture capital — from SaaS and fintech toward dual-use, deep-tech innovation. As only the second German decacorn, Helsing reflects growing investor appetite for sovereign AI and next-gen defense technologies. The Berlin- and Munich-based company develops real-time AI software for battlefield situational awareness, integrating sensor fusion and drone autonomy — a model gaining traction amid heightened geopolitical instability. This funding round cements Helsing’s status as Europe’s premier defense unicorn, with strategic partnerships in place, including Rheinmetall and a pending acquisition of Grob Aircraft, signaling a full-stack expansion into AI-powered aerospace systems. Ek’s backing is seen not just as capital infusion, but as a symbolic endorsement of a long-term thesis: that Europe must own the future of defense AI.
Source links:
Isar Aerospace Reaches Unicorn Orbit with €150M Convertible Raise — Germany’s Private Space Race Gains Momentum
Isar Aerospace has officially blasted into unicorn territory, following a €150 million convertible bond raise that positions the Munich-based rocket startup among the elite of Europe’s burgeoning commercial space sector. Founded in 2018 as a private launch services provider, Isar Aerospace has rapidly ascended from a “Soonicorn” to a unicorn, capitalizing on rising geopolitical demand for sovereign launch capabilities and satellite deployment independence. The funding round — confirmed by German business media — fuels the company’s ambitions to rival SpaceX and Arianespace by offering flexible, cost-efficient orbital delivery from European soil. The fresh capital will accelerate its Spectrum rocket program, set to deliver small- and medium-payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO), amid mounting demand from defense, climate-monitoring, and telecom clients. Isar's milestone comes as Germany doubles down on space-tech autonomy, placing the country at the forefront of a new industrial frontier. With major ESA contracts already secured and the new valuation crossing the billion-euro mark, Isar Aerospace exemplifies the resurgence of European newspace competitiveness.
Source links:
Berlin’s Quiet Healthtech Unicorn: LumaCare Surpasses €1B Valuation Amidst 30M User Milestone
Berlin-based healthtech startup LumaCare has discreetly entered the unicorn club, achieving a valuation exceeding €1 billion following its Series D funding round. Despite amassing over 30 million users, LumaCare has maintained a low profile, focusing on delivering innovative phototherapy solutions. The company's flagship product, the LumaCare® LC-122M lamp, offers a versatile, non-invasive treatment platform for conditions ranging from dermatological issues to oncology, utilizing photodynamic therapy (PDT) and phototherapeutic protocols. With CE-MDD and FDA approvals, LumaCare's technology is gaining traction in both clinical and research settings, addressing the growing demand for cost-effective and flexible medical treatments. As Europe's healthtech sector continues to expand, LumaCare's ascent underscores Berlin's emergence as a hub for medical innovation.
Sources:
Impossible Cloud Secures €470M Valuation with Backing from NGP Capital — Europe’s Decentralized Cloud Contender Rises
Hamburg-based Impossible Cloud has reached a €470 million valuation following a strategic investment from NGP Capital, signaling growing institutional confidence in decentralized infrastructure solutions. The startup, which operates a blockchain-powered cloud storage platform tailored to enterprise use, is positioning itself as Europe’s answer to centralized hyperscalers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. By combining Web3 architecture with enterprise-grade compliance and performance, Impossible Cloud is tapping into the surging demand for sovereign, distributed data services across the EU and beyond. NGP Capital’s investment underscores a larger capital reallocation trend toward infrastructure-layer startups that blend decentralization with real-world utility. This move also reinforces themes from our recent interview with NGP Capital on VC investment patterns in the DACH region, where the rise of vertical SaaS and frontier tech — including cloud, AI, and cybersecurity — is reshaping Europe’s venture landscape.
Sources:
ITM Secures €262.5M in Debt Financing — Germany’s Radiopharma Giant Gears Up for FDA Launch
Munich-based ITM Isotope Technologies has locked in up to €262.5 million in non-dilutive debt financing from funds managed by Blue Owl Capital, marking one of the largest capital raises in European biotech this year. The financing — led by Blue Owl’s credit platform — provides an immediate $140 million tranche to advance the U.S. regulatory submission and commercial readiness of ITM-11 (n.c.a. 177Lu-edotreotide), the company’s lead radiopharmaceutical candidate for treating gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). With promising Phase 3 clinical trial results and a 2025 FDA filing planned, ITM is emerging as a dominant player in targeted radiotherapeutics. The deal also supports the scale-up of Actinium-225 isotope production via Actineer, ITM’s joint venture, reinforcing Germany’s leadership in next-generation cancer therapies. In an era where biotech startups often face equity dilution, ITM’s non-dilutive structure stands out — signaling deep investor confidence in late-stage nuclear medicine innovation.
Sources:
EU Unveils Ambitious Startup and Scaleup Strategy to Bolster Innovation Across the Bloc
The European Commission has officially launched its comprehensive EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, titled "Choose Europe to Start and Scale," aiming to transform the EU into a global hub for technology-driven companies. This strategy addresses longstanding challenges faced by startups and scaleups, including fragmented regulations, limited access to finance, and talent shortages. Key initiatives include the introduction of a "28th regime" to harmonize insolvency, labor, and tax laws, the establishment of a €10 billion Scaleup Europe Fund to support deep-tech companies, and the "Blue Carpet" initiative to attract and retain top talent. The strategy also emphasizes faster market uptake through the "Lab to Unicorn" program, facilitating the transition from research to commercialization. This development aligns with our earlier report in February, where we anticipated the release of this strategy in the summer. For more details, refer to our February coverage: DACH Startup Scene: A February 2025 Roundup - Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Sources:
Scalable Capital Raises €155M in Series E to Expand Europe's Leading Retail Investment Platform
Munich-based fintech Scalable Capital has secured €155 million in its largest funding round to date, led by Belgian investment firm Sofina and pan-European growth equity investor Noteus Partners. This Series E round brings the total capital raised by Scalable Capital to over €470 million. The fresh funding will support the expansion of Scalable's digital investment platform across Europe, with a focus on markets like France and Italy. The company aims to grow its assets under management from €30 billion to over €100 billion within the next two to three years, positioning itself as the "Charles Schwab of Europe." Scalable Capital offers a comprehensive suite of investment products, including ETFs, stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and private equity, through its Scalable Broker and Scalable Wealth services. The platform also plans to introduce new features such as children's investment accounts and enhanced AI-driven portfolio management tools. Co-founder and Co-CEO Erik Podzuweit emphasized that the funding round is a significant step toward becoming Europe's leading retail investment platform.
Sources:
Scalable Capital Press Release: https://de.scalable.capital/en/newsroom/en-funding-round-2025
Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/a599713f-c467-48ea-a49b-a93d31eaeb3c
Tech Funding News: https://techfundingnews.com/scalable-capital-lands-e155m-to-make-investing-simple-smart-and-open-to-all/de.scalable.capital+2
Ecosystem
World
Nothing here this time.
Europe
One Trillion Euro Fund?: Parkwalk + Northern Gritstone team up on new UK-based EIS fund — ambition: Europe’s first trillion-euro startup. Source: EU Startups. https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/06/northern-gritstone-and-parkwalk-team-up-for-new-eis-fund-will-it-deliver-the-uks-first-trillion-euro-startup/
EIF defense tech fund: European Investment Fund launches its first defense tech initiative — part of a growing strategic investment wave. Source: Sifted. https://sifted.eu/articles/eif-first-defence-tech-fund
DACH-CEE climate tech: Report highlights the fastest-growing climate tech startups across DACH and Central Eastern Europe in 2025. Source: Sifted. https://sifted.eu/articles/dach-cee-fastest-growing-climate-tech-startups
EU AI Act enforcement timeline: European Commission confirms phased enforcement of AI Act begins Q3 2025 — fines expected in 2026. Source: EU Commission. https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/eu-ai-act-enforcement-guidelines_en
Germany Chris
IFO index: June climb: Germany’s IFO Business Climate Index increases for the 6th straight month — driven by optimism in manufacturing and services. Source: Tagesschau. https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/konjunktur/ifo-juni-sechster-anstieg-100.html
German VC funding: Ten VCs are actively investing millions into German startups across sectors like AI, fintech, and SaaS — a bullish signal for the local ecosystem. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/27/10-vcs-die-jetzt-millionen-in-deutsche-startups-investieren/
Federal Minister on startups: First public appearance of Germany’s Startup Minister highlights a vision-driven approach to supporting founders. Source: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/perspektive/erster-auftritt-der-bundesministerin-reiche-vor-startup-publikum-der-glaube-an-die-eigene-vision-ist-groesser/
Digital Wallets: Germany’s digital minister Wildberger outlines aggressive goals for nationwide wallet infrastructure and startup partnerships. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/tech-digitale-wallet-start-ups-das-sind-wildbergers-ehrgeizige-ziele/100130839.html
KfW startup insights: KfW’s latest research highlights increased German startup activity despite macro headwinds. Source: KfW. https://www.kfw.de/%c3%9cber-die-KfW/KfW-Research/Auf-einen-Blick.html | https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/kfw-studie-deutsche-gruenden-wieder-mehr-kehrt-der-gruendergeist-zurueck/100132404.html
Merz on tech: CDU’s Friedrich Merz criticized for calling himself “Plan B” for digital minister — raises concern over tech policy expertise. Source: Manager Magazin. https://www.manager-magazin.de/politik/deutschland/friedrich-merz-ceconomy-chef-als-digitalminister-nur-zweite-wahl-a-1460cfc9-35ca-4a00-9cf9-ada589e17c55
Startup policy gap: German entrepreneurship org and ifo Institute call for stronger government support to unlock startup growth. Source: Unternehmertum. https://www.unternehmertum.de/presse/ifo-institut-und-unternehmertum-deutschland-sollte-startup-potenzial-besser-nutzen
Capital crunch piece: Deep dive into capital concentration in Germany’s VC landscape — who still gets funding in 2025? Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/30/kapitalkonzentration-wer-2025-noch-geld-bekommt/
Bitkom optimism: German tech association Bitkom says founders are optimistic about the new federal government’s stance on innovation and capital markets. Source: Bitkom. https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/Startups-blicken-zuversichtlich-auf-neue-Bundesregierung#msdynttrid=bN0oLDYZ2kDAN-QGcghdjF6sPJ20lvk5t5aneGtY448
Berlin vs Munich unicorns: Analysis reveals Berlin home to 60% of Germany’s unicorns — Munich catching up in B2B SaaS. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/standortvergleich-berlin-vs-muenchen-unicorn-start-ups/100138117.html
Austria
Austria’s tech fund: Fonds Zukunft Österreich to disburse €140M in 2026, though only €50M has been reserved to date. Source: Trending Topics. https://www.trendingtopics.eu/fonds-zukunft-oesterreich-schuettet-140-mio-euro-aus-fuer-2026-bisher-nur-50-millionen-reserviert/
Switzerland
Swiss deeptech report: New Swiss report shows deeptech startup creation rising in medtech, AI, and robotics. Source: Startupticker. https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/first-swiss-deep-tech-report-paints-a-bright-picture-overall
Related: Swiss deeptech €100B vision: New insights position Switzerland as Europe’s €100B deeptech innovation engine — driven by public-private R&D. Source: Tech.eu. https://tech.eu/2025/06/26/switzerlands-100b-deeptech-engine-comes-into-focus/
Peter Kessel award: Swiss angel investor Peter Kessel named Business Angel of the Year 2025. Source: Moneycab. https://www.moneycab.com/startups/peter-kessel-zum-business-angel-des-jahres-2025-gekuert/
General News / Tech News / Companies News Section
VC News and New Funds, in case you are looking for money (also only a selection):
Project A closes Fund V: Project A closes oversubscribed €325M Fund V, pushing total AUM past €1.2B — focused on data-first tech. Source: Tech.eu. https://tech.eu/2025/06/24/project-a-closes-eur325m-fund-v-boosting-total-assets-to-eur12b/
Top AI VCs Europe: PitchBook reveals the 10 most active VC firms investing in European AI startups, led by Atomico and Earlybird. Source: PitchBook. https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/meet-the-10-most-active-investors-in-european-ai-startups
Picus Capital fund: Picus Capital announces €250M Fund II to support early-stage startups from pre-seed to Series A in Europe and the U.S. Source: Tech Funding News. https://techfundingnews.com/from-seed-to-scale-picus-capitals-e250m-fund-ii-empowers-game-changing-startups/
BGF £500M fund: UK-based BGF commits £500M to European tech investments, targeting growth-stage scaleups. Source: UK Tech News. https://www.uktech.news/news/investment-news/bgf-commits-500m-to-startup-investments-20250527
Main Capital Fund V: Main Capital Partners raises €520M to support B2B software ventures across Europe. Source: Silicon Canals. https://siliconcanals.com/main-capital-partners-closes-e520m-fund/
Crypto VC launch: Ex-Chorus One CIO Xavier Meegan launches $20M crypto VC fund Frachtis to support next-gen DeFi and protocol tooling. Source: Tech.eu. https://tech.eu/2025/06/23/ex-chorus-one-cio-xavier-meegan-launches-20m-crypto-fund-frachtis/
VC book launch: Alex von Frankenberg releases “Das ehrliche Geld,” exploring VC transparency and founder psychology. Source: VC Magazin. https://www.vc-magazin.de/blog/2025/06/05/neuerscheinung-das-ehrliche-geld-von-alex-von-frankenberg/ 💬Interview with Alex, when he was still CEO at HTGF
Green Growth Fund closes €160M: Germany’s Green Growth Fund hits final close at €160M — focus on decarbonization scaleups. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/green-growth-fund-abschluss-100137839.html
Deep Tech News
Proxima Fusion unicorn path: Munich-based Proxima Fusion secures €130M to build the world’s first stellarator power plant — Europe’s largest private fusion raise. Source: Tech Funding News. https://techfundingnews.com/europes-largest-private-fusion-investment-proxima-fusion-grabs-e130m-for-worlds-first-stellarator-power-plant/Note: We have an upcoming interview with Proxima Fusion in the making. Stay tuned!
AWS Sovereign Cloud: Amazon Web Services launches a dedicated European Sovereign Cloud to meet GDPR, national security, and compliance demands. Source: OnlineMarktplatz. https://www.onlinemarktplatz.de/256710/aws-european-sovereign-cloud/
Green Tech News
Circular economy mapping: A new startup map highlights innovators across Europe working on sustainable, circular economy solutions. Source: Starting Up. https://www.starting-up.de/geschaeftsideen/trends/neue-start-up-landkarte-fuer-die-circular-economy.html
AI News
Black Forest Labs AI: Germany’s Black Forest Labs launches a new image-generation AI to compete with OpenAI’s DALL·E. Source: Trending Topics. https://www.trendingtopics.eu/black-forest-labs-bringt-neue-bild-ki-um-staerker-mit-openai-zu-konkurrieren/
Synthflow voice AI: Synthflow is building next-gen German voice assistants, signaling new competition in conversational AI. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/23/synthflow-sprachassistenten/
OpenAI in Germany: OpenAI confirms its new German office location in Munich — marking a major commitment to EU expansion. Source: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/openai-eroeffnet-buero-in-deutschland-diese-stadt-erhaelt-zuschlag/
Biotech News
BioNTech billion deal: BioNTech inks multi-billion-dollar licensing and acquisition deal with U.S. pharma giant, expanding its oncology pipeline. Source: Tagesschau. https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/rheinlandpfalz/swr-biontech-schliesst-deal-mit-us-pharmakonzern-in-milliardenhoehe-100.html
Related: BioNTech cancer drug: BioNTech’s antibody-based cancer treatment shows promise for targeting multiple tumors — early signals from clinical research. Source: SWR. https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/hoffnung-auf-biontech-krebs-medikament-gegen-mehrere-tumore-antikoerper-100.html
Related: BioNTech buys competitor CureVac (We talked about both companies frequently) https://investors.biontech.de/de/news-releases/news-release-details/biontech-kuendigt-strategische-transaktion-zur-uebernahme-von
QUMEA award: Swiss medtech QUMEA wins the 2025 Swiss Medtech Award for breakthrough radar-based patient monitoring. Source: Startupticker. https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/swiss-medtech-award-2025-geht-an-qumea
Mainz Biomed grant: Mainz Biomed secures public funding to develop a next-gen pancreatic cancer detection test. Source: Mainz Biomed. https://mainzbiomed.com/mainz-biomed-secures-public-funding-to-advance-innovative-pancreatic-cancer-screening-test/
Learn more about the company in our interview
Lots of fundings, especially in Switzerland. we will cover this later in the news
Fintech News
Keep in mind the massive Scalable Funding
Getsafe strategy shift: German insurtech Getsafe exits insurance license model, pivoting to white-label and partner-based strategies. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/versicherer/insurtech-getsafe-verkuendet-neue-strategie-ohne-versicherungslizenz/100132897.html
Sailors fintech exit: Berlin-based fintech for seafarers scores exit after surprise traction — founders close funding and acquisition in Q2. Source: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/fintech/fintech-fuer-seefahrer-zwei-berliner-starten-verrueckte-idee-jetzt-millionen-exit/
Deep Tech News
Bosch AI investment: Bosch announces billion-euro initiative to deepen AI-driven development for automotive and manufacturing verticals. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/autoindustrie-bosch-treibt-ki-entwicklung-mit-milliarden-investition-an/100137214.html
AI Gigafactory gridlock: Major European tech firms fail to agree on centralized AI chip manufacturing — undermining EU's “AI Gigafactory” ambition. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/kuenstliche-intelligenz-tech-firmen-koennen-sich-nicht-auf-gemeinsame-ai-gigafactory-einigen/100135892.html
General News
German Startup Awards: Founders Magazin celebrates the winners of the 2025 German Startup Awards, with a focus on resilience and originality. Source: Founders Magazin. https://founders-magazin.de/2025/05/23/german-startup-awards-2025-gruendermut-wird-belohnt/
Note: We will have an interview series with the winners of the German Startup Awards in Fall and Winter this year - like we did the last years, giving you an unparalleled chance to pick their head and dive deep into the minds of these amazing founders and investors
Forbes 30 Under 30: German founders featured in Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 include innovators across fintech, climate, and software. Strong presence highlights startup talent density. Source: Munich Startup. https://www.munich-startup.de/109957/forbes-30-under-30-europe-2025/
German unicorn watch: Startups like Levl, Aufinity, and Synthflow show breakout potential on Germany’s next unicorn tracker radar. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/23/startupticker-levl-aufinity-einhoerner/
Auto1 founder Hakan Koç teases bold new venture: Auto1 co-founder Hakan Koç is reportedly launching a “highly sensitive” new venture in the digital mobility space, blending automotive, insurance, and B2B fintech in stealth. Source: FAZ. https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/auto-verkehr/auto1-gruender-hakan-koc-schmiedet-einen-brisanten-neuen-plan-110555504.html
FlixTrain concerns: Internal business report raises doubts about FlixTrain’s long-term growth projections amid EU expansion ambitions. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/bahn-konkurrent-geschaeftsbericht-weckt-bedenken-zum-flixtrain-grossprojekt/100133483.html Learn more in our interview with the FLIX CEO
Flaschenpost stagnates: German beverage delivery scaleup Flaschenpost reports flat 2024 revenue, despite market expansion efforts. Note: They were in the past big news since their exit was rumored to be approaching one billion. Source: Exciting Commerce. https://excitingcommerce.de/2025/05/29/flaschenpost-konnte-seine-umsaetze-2024-kaum-steigern/
HelloFresh revolt: Executives at HelloFresh face shareholder dissent ahead of AGM — pay packages and culture at the center. Source: Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-06/hellofresh-executives-face-growing-dissent-over-pay-ahead-of-agm
Babbel CEO change: U.S. executive named as new CEO of Babbel, Germany’s leading language learning app — signaling global push. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/babbel-us-amerikaner-wird-chef-der-deutschen-sprachlernplattform/100137242.html
Wingcopter capital round: Drone logistics startup Wingcopter secures new funding to scale international delivery routes. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/luftfahrt-weitere-kapitalrunde-bei-drohnen-start-up-wingcopter/100137583.html You can learn more about them in our interview here
Techstars Berlin & Paris pause: Techstars suspends Berlin and Paris accelerators, citing changing founder support needs and operational models. Source: Tech.eu. https://tech.eu/2025/06/17/techstars-pauses-berlin-and-paris-accelerators/
Reiseland IPO canceled: Reiseland AG withdraws IPO due to “market turbulence” — analysts cite lack of international demand. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/boerse-reiseland-sagt-boersengang-ab/100137965.html
Also the 2nd attempt of Autodoc to IPO failed one day before. Background is that there was not enough demand for the shares in the price range, but the minority shareholding PE fund would not go lower: https://www.wiwo.de/finanzen/boerse/autodoc-ipo-darum-platzte-der-boersengang-von-autodoc/100136984.html
Kleinanzeigen clones surge: New wave of secondhand marketplace clones emerge across DACH as eBay Kleinanzeigen tightens policies. Source: Gruenderszene. https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/kleinanzeigen-alternativen-boomen/
Schumpeters Schöpferische Zerstörung ⇒ Creative Destruction (Layoffs insolvencies, layoffs and other bad news):
Goyaa shutdown: Hamburg-based Goyaa shuts down after product-market fit issues — adds to list of 2025 startup casualties. Source: Silicon Canals. https://siliconcanals.com/hamburgs-goyaa-decides-to-wind-down-operations/
MyRobin collapse: Austrian gig work startup MyRobin files for bankruptcy after burning through €11.4M in funding. The company failed to reach sustainable scale. Source: Trending Topics. https://www.trendingtopics.eu/myrobin-pleite-114-millionen-euro/
Startup insolvency watch: Trending Topics’ Insolvenz-Ticker covers top young startup collapses across DACH. Source: Trending Topics. https://www.trendingtopics.eu/insolvenz-ticker-2025-das-sind-die-groessten-pleiten-von-jungfirmen-und-unternehmen-kw-01/
Medigene insolvency: German biotech Medigene files for insolvency — hopes linger on late-stage pipeline acquisition or buyout. Source: Transkript. https://transkript.de/artikel/2025/insolvente-medigene-ein-fuenkchen-hoffnung/
Käfer AI shuts down: AI-generated wine tasting notes startup Käfer AI fails to secure follow-on funding and shuts down operations. Source: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/insights/startup-fail-kaefer-ki-weinbeschreibung/
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.
Zama raises $57M: Privacy-preserving ML startup Zama closes $57M Series B to advance homomorphic encryption tooling for AI developers. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/06/zama-raises-57m-in-series-b-funding.html
Symbiotic raises €29M: Healthtech startup Symbiotic secures €29M Series A to advance gut-brain-axis treatments. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/symbiotic-raises-29m-in-series-a-funding.html
Trawa Series A: Trawa raises €24M to advance sustainable energy forecasting and management for enterprise clients. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/05/trawa-raises-e24m-in-series-a-funding.html
Aufinity payments: Aufinity Group raises €23M to bring seamless payments to Europe’s automotive sector. Source: EU Startups. https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/05/german-fintech-startup-aufinity-group-raises-e23-million-to-innovate-payments-in-the-automotive-sector/
Dataplor lands $20.5M: U.S.-based dataplor secures $20.5M to expand its AI-powered mapping tools into emerging global markets. Source: Tech Funding News. https://techfundingnews.com/exclusive-dataplor-pockets-20-5m-to-map-the-worlds-toughest-markets-with-ai-and-human-insight/
Synthflow AI €20M: Voice AI startup Synthflow raises €20M Series A — enabling smart assistants for customer support in regulated industries. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/06/synthflow-ai-raises-20m-in-series-a-funding.html
Ostrom €20M Series B: Energy-tech startup Ostrom secures €20M to expand its smart meter platform and enter French market. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/06/ostrom-raises-e20m-in-series-b-funding.html
Rewe Group investment: Rewe invests $17M in Fulfillmenttools, betting on distributed order management to win global eCommerce market share. Source: Rewe Group. https://www.rewe-group.com/de/presse-und-medien/newsroom/pressemitteilungen/rewe-group-investiert-17-millionen-usd-in-fulfillmenttools-auf-dem-weg-zum-weltmarktfuehrer-fuer-distributed-order-management-systeme/
Remberg funding: Munich-based industrial SaaS startup Remberg raises €15M in Series A to streamline after-sales service workflows. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/05/remberg-raises-e15m-in-series-a-funding.html
OkapiOrbits seed round: Space-tech startup OkapiOrbits raises €13M to build sustainable satellite traffic management. Source: Finsmes. https://www.finsmes.com/2025/04/okapiorbits-raises-e13m-in-seed-funding.html
Baobab Insurance deal: Baobab secures €12M Series A to scale its embedded insurance platform across Europe. Source: Starting Up. https://www.starting-up.de/news/news-investments/berliner-insurtech-baobab-insurance-sichert-sich-12-mio-euro-finanzierung.html
Smartfleet €12M Series A: Munich-based Smartfleet raises €12M to scale AI-powered fleet management for electric last-mile logistics. Source: EU Startups. https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/06/smartfleet-secures-e12m-to-optimise-last-mile-logistics/
Climatiq funding: Berlin-based Climatiq raises €10M to embed climate impact scoring into business intelligence systems. Source: EU Startups. https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/06/berlin-based-climatiq-raises-e10-million-to-put-climate-impact-at-the-centre-of-business-decision-making/
Kolibri founder return: After a €120M Kolibri Games exit, co-founder raises €5M for a new multiplayer game studio — pitch deck reveals strong investor traction. Source: Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/nach-120-millionen-exit-kolibri-mitgruender-bekommt-fuenf-millionen-fuer-neues-game-mit-diesem-pitchdeck/
No funding, but a comeback we will also count in the good news column: Robo Wunderkind comeback: Austrian edtech robot company Robo Wunderkind relaunches after bankruptcy by pivoting its business model. Source: Brutkasten. https://brutkasten.com/artikel/robo-wunderkind-comeback-nach-konkurs-durch-business-modell-shift
M&A News
Hornetsecurity exit: US cybersecurity firm Proofpoint acquires Germany’s Hornetsecurity, marking a notable cross-border consolidation in enterprise IT. Source: Handelsblatt. https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/cybersecurity-us-konkurrent-uebernimmt-deutsches-start-up-hornetsecurity/100128634.html https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/23/dealmonitor-hornetsecurity-proofpoint/
OneDoc acquisition: Swiss appointment booking platform OneDoc acquires a local competitor to consolidate medical SaaS offerings. Source: Startupticker. https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/arzttermin-buchungsplattform-onedoc-uebernimmt-mitbewerber
Today Our Last News Piece is Useless Knowledge
🧀 Germany's Cheese Export Surplus Hits Record High in June 2025
In June 2025, Germany achieved a record surplus in cheese exports, surpassing €1.2 billion for the first time. This milestone was attributed to increased demand for specialty cheeses in international markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East.
While this might seem like a niche statistic, it highlights Germany's unexpected prowess in the dairy export sector, even amidst broader economic challenges.
Stay ahead of the curve
TED Talks for founders: A roundup of inspirational TED Talks every entrepreneur should watch, from leadership to resilience. Source: 99signals. https://www.99signals.com/ted-talks-for-entrepreneurs/
Fresh startup list: New players like Welded.io, Fertia Health, ChipTwin, Tenably, and Donista enter the DACH startup scene. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/27/neue-startups-welded-io-fertia-health-chiptwin-tenably-donista/
New startup list: Leeana, Qutime, Localmind, Factorymaker, Planyo debut in the latest emerging startup tracker. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/06/02/neue-startups-leeana-qutime-localmind-factorymaker-planyo/
NRW startup list: Ten standout startups from North Rhine-Westphalia include AI, mobility, and greentech innovators. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/06/02/10-spannende-startups-aus-nrw-die-alle-kennen-sollten/
Startup launches: Aybee, Nextract Energy, Camppilot, Paddy, Swarm Biotactics enter the scene — spanning energy, AI, and biotech. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/06/03/neue-startups-aybee-nextract-energy-camppilot-paddy-swarm-biotactics/
May 2025 funding overview: Deutsche Startups’ monthly funding recap shows rising fintech and climate-focused investment activity in Germany. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/06/04/investitionen-mai-2025/
New German startups: Zepta, Wempyr, Astra Labs, Autonomous Teaming, and Squr emerge with fresh ideas in AI, robotics, and collaborative tech. Germany’s innovation pipeline stays hot. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/05/26/neue-startups-zepta-wempyre-astra-labs-autonomous-teaming-squr/
Startup launches: Superduper, Atension Life, Pelicad, Co-Power, and LogicStar debut in DACH — spanning gaming, biotech, and AI. Source: Deutsche Startups. https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/06/04/neue-startups-superduper-atension-life-pelicad-co-power-logicstar/
We will be back with the summer wrap-up on September 1st. Then we will stick with you monthly until the end of the year. Expect the last news to drop on December 18th and our Fintech Review likely on December 23rd
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:
📅 Automated Transcript
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:00]:
Foreign.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:09]:
Your podcast and YouTube blog covering the German startup scene with news, interviews and live events. Hello and welcome everybody. This is Joe from StartupRate IO. You are listening to this month in German, Swiss and Austrian startups June 2025 together with my and Chris. Hey, how you.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:32]:
Hey, I'm good.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:34]:
Awesome. Chris is as always joining us from New York City and I'm in Frankfurt. Welcome to our regular startup news from the startup at tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We are recording this on 30 June. As always, all news not included will be part of our news wrap up at this time. The summer wrap up to be published on September 1st where we're wrapping up July and most of August. August our news is taking summer break in July and August and then we will be back with regular news from September on. We needed to cut again our news very, very seriously.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:01:14]:
We had like 17 pages of raw news and that would have been something for like an hour. Everything all as always you could find on our blog, sort of rate IO forward slash blog or all the sources where you can dig in quite a lot of news pieces. Have several news source links. Chris, are you going to celebrate Independence Day the day after this publication?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:01:42]:
Yes, I will be celebrating with friends who always rent out a hotel room in order to have a better view at the fireworks in New York.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:01:53]:
Where are the fire fireworks taking place this year?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:01:56]:
On the east river and it's, it's really big and then we all sneak into a tiny room. We have drinks in the bathtub and some food and it's usually like 10 to 12 people. It's super fun.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:02:10]:
Sounds good. Let's go to our highlights. June 2025 catapulted the dark startup scene into new heights. Headlined by headlines by Germany's Ascension and as a powerhouse in defense tech and deep tech, Berlin and Munich based Helsing became Germany's most valuable startup, surpassing salonis with a 600 million series C funding. 600 million euros. Sorry, series C funding led by Daniel X Primera matera if the noun, if the name Daniel X sounds familiar, he's one of the founders of Spotify, cementing its position as the country's second deca corn and overtaking Celonis in the process. Simultaneously, Munich's ISA Aerospace joined the unicorn club, raising 150 million via convertible bonds to fuel its commercial space launch operations. With growing geopolitical demand for sovereign satellite capabilities across Europe.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:03:13]:
Meanwhile, Berlin based stealth mode HealthTech Luna Care quietly entered unicorn territory with over 30 million users. FDA CA approved phototherapy solutions highlighting Berlin's rising cloud in media innovation, in medical innovation and by the name guys by the way guys for Luma Care. We really had to dig deep to find this infrastructure and Fintech also took center stage. Hamburg's Impossible Cloud, a decentralized Web3 enabled enterprise cloud platform reached a 470 million valuation ash strategic invest injection from NGP NGP Capital sorry. Further validating Europe's ambition to develop hyperscaler alternatives. Munich's headquartered scalable capital close a record €155 million Series E round aiming to become the Charles Schwarb of Europe with ETF investing, crypto access and AI powered wealth management tools in biotech ITM isotope technologies, Munich SE secured a mammoth 262.5 million Euro in non dilutive debt financing from Blue Owl Capital to scale its radiopharmaceutical pipeline and prep for FDA submission of ITM 11 its GEP net cancer therapy. These mega runs deals confirm investors appetite for infrastructure, layer innovation, vertical SaaS and frontier health. Tech policy and ecosystem moves rounded out the month with a long awaited release of the EU startup and scale up strategy dubbed Choose Europe to Start and Scale.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:05:07]:
The blueprint includes a 10 billion scale up Europe fund, a unified 28th regime for legal harmonization and Lab to Unicorn initiative to bridge research and commercialization, all key steps in making the EU globally competitive for tech founders regionally. Switzerland's 100 billion deep tech vision, new reports on D Cee Climate Tech and Germany's improved E4 business climate index pointed to cautious optimism despite capital concentration, pressure from rising unicorns like Helsing to smart policy bets and decentralized infrastructure champions like a password Cloud startup radio remains your go to source for what's next in Dach innovation funding and founder momentum. So let's talk startups. As we said, this news piece will go live Thursday, July 3rd, 2025. You can listen to it on our radio station and we will be back after short ad break with Chris with the top news.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:06:20]:
So let's pay some more attention to a couple of the top news of this month. Some of it had you had already mentioned. First up there's three new unicorns this in these news and even one is even a Decacorn. So Helsing is Germany's second Decacorn and now Germany's most valuable startup. The German defense tech sector sees a breakout moment as Helsing surpasses CES in valuation. It is a pretty remarkable development because now we see that Germany's startup landscape has a new champion so the AI driven defense startup Helsing has closed a monumental 600 million euros CUC funding, propelling its valuation to a staggering $12 billion and dethroning Celonus as the country's most valuable privately held tech company. Ways, as you mentioned led by Spotify co founder Daniel X investments firm Prima Materia marks a pivotal shift in European venture capital from software as a service and fintech towards dual use deep tech innovation. It's only the second German Decacorn and Helsing reflects growing investors growing investor appetite for sovereign AI and next generation defense technologies.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:07:43]:
The company is based in Berlin and Munich and develops real time AI software for battlefield situational awareness, integrating sensor fusion and drone autonomy. A model gaining traction among heightened geopolitical instability. Probably you've heard that a lot of countries, especially the NATO countries are discussing increasing their funding for for military operations. So this right now seems to be well within this trend. And the funding round cements Helsing's status as Europe's premier defense unicorn with strategic partners ships in place including R Mital and the pending acquisition of Crop aircraft signaling a full stack expansion into AI powered aerospace systems. So ISA Aerospace, again related in the same field, reaches the unicorn orbit with 150 million euros in a convertible race. Germany's private space race gains momentum Here they had a 150 million euro convertible bond race, positioning the Munich based rocket startup among the elite of Europe's burgeoning commercial space sector. Founding in 2018 as a private launch services provider, ISA Aerospace now has rapidly ascended from a SUNY corn to unicorn, capitalizing on rising geopolitical demand for sovereign launch capabilities and satellite deployment independence.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:09:18]:
Funding round confirmed in by German business media fuels the company's ambitions to rival SpaceX, Ariana Space and Ariana Space by offering flexible cost efficient orbital delivery from European soil. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate its spectrum rocket program set to deliver small and medium payloads to low earth orbit LEO amid mounting demand from defense, climate monitoring and telecommunications clients. Yeah. Also this milestone comes as Germany doubles down on space tech autonomy, placing the country at the forefront of a new industrial frontier with major AZA contracts. So that's the European Space Agency already secured and the new valuation crossing the billion euro mark, ISA Aerospace exemplifies the resurgence of European new space competitiveness. And you also already mentioned that the Berlin based health tech startup Luma Care has very discreetly entered the unicorn club, achieving evaluation exceeding 1 billion euros following its Series D funding round. Despite amassing over 30 million euros users, Luma Care has maintained a low profile focusing on delivering innovative phototherapy solutions. They have a flagship product called the Luma KLC 122M lamps, a versatile non invasive treatment platform for conditions ranging from dermatological issues to oncology utilizing photodynamic therapy called PDT and phototherapeutic protocols.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:10:58]:
The company has ce, MDD and FDA approvals and therefore Luma Cares technology is gaining traction in both clinical and research settings in a field that has a growing demand for cost effective and flexible medical treatments. Also here we can see since they are based in Berlin that the European health tech sector is expanding and Berlin is becoming more of a hub for medical innovation there and Hamburg based Impossible Cloud has reached a 470 million euro valuation following a strategic investment from NGP Capital, signaling growing institutional confidence in decentralized infrastructure solutions.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:11:41]:
Chris, does this sound for you very much like Sunycoin as well?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:11:46]:
Yeah, yeah. But yeah. So I mean 470 million. Yeah, because I mean numbers? Do they matter these days anymore? Who knows? Up is down. The startup, which operates a blockchain powered cloud storage platform tailored to enterprise use, is positioning itself as a European answer to hyperscalers like AWS from Amazon, Google Cloud and Azure. By combining Web3 architecture with enterprise grade compliance and performance, Impossible Cloud is tapping into the surging demand for very like sovereign and distributed data services across the EU and beyond. NGP Capitals investment underscores larger capital reallocation trend toward infrastructure layer startups that blend decentralization with real world real world utility. We also see that this move reinforces themes from our recent interview with NGB Capital on VC investment patterns in the region where the rise of vertical SaaS and frontier tech including cloud, AI cybersecurity is reshaping Europe's venture landscape.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:12:56]:
Three more to go people Bear with me. Munich based ITM Isotope Technologies has locked up to to 262.5 million euros in non dilutive debt financing from funds managed by Blue Old Capital, marking one of the largest capital raises in European biotech this year. The financing, led by Blue Old Credit Platform, provides an immediate $140 million Tron trench to advance the US regulatory submission and commercial readiness of ITM11, the company's lead radiopharmaceutical candidate for treating gastroentero pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. GEP nets JAP nets. I think they jet nets. That sounds more like a something you want to fight. With promising Phase 3 clinical trial results and a 2025 FDA filing planned, ITM is emerging as a dominant player in targeted radiotherapeutics. The deal also supports the scale up of actinium 225 isotope production via Actinier, ITM's joint venture reinforcing Germany's leadership in next generation cancer therapies.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:14:12]:
So we see here that we are in an era where biotech startups often face equity delusion. ITM's non dilutive structure is standing out, signaling deep investor confidence in late stage nuclear medicine innovation. A very dynamic market as of now, especially given the developments in the us. So we will see how it goes for European companies here and the European Commission has officially launched its comprehensive EU startup and scale up strategy titled Choose Europe to Start and Scale, aiming to transform the European Union into a global hub for technology driven companies. The strategy addresses long standing challenges faced by startups and scale ups including fragmented regulations, limited access to finance, talent shortages and key initiatives now introduce include the introduction of a 28th regime to harmonize insolvency, labor and tax laws. 28th regime here referring to the fact that the European Union has 27 membership countries and therefore 27 secretaries because each country needs to have one secretary or commissioner in the European Commission. Also the establishment of a 10 billion scale up Europe fund to support deep tech companies and the Blue Carpet Initiative to attract and retain top talent. The strategy also emphasizes faster market uptake through the Lab2 unicorn program, facilitating the transition from research to commercialization.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:15:54]:
This whole development aligns with our earlier report in February in which we anticipated the release of the strategy in the summer. For more details you can refer to our February coverage where we had the D Startup scene, a February roundup and there we are talking a bit more about that. And last but not least, Munich based Fintech Scalable Capital has secured 155 million euros in its largest funding round to date, led by Belgium investment firm the Zofina and the Pan European Growth Equity Investor not WAS Partners. This Series E round brings a total capital raised by Scalable capital to over 470 million euros. Fresh funding will support the expansion of scalable's digital investment platform across Europe with a focus on markets like France and Italy. The company wants to grow its assets under management from 30 billion euros right now to over 100 billion euros within the next two to three years. Positioning themselves you already said it. As the Charles Schwab of Europe, Scalable Capital offers a suite of investment products including ETFs, stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, private equity through its Scalable Broker and Scalable wealth services.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:17:06]:
The platform also plans to introduce new features such as children's investments accounts and enhanced AI driven portfolio management tools. Woohoo. Co Founder and co CEO Eric Potsovite emphasized that the funding round is a significant step toward becoming Europe's leading retail investment platform. And now we are done with taking some time off for the real big stories. A bit of housekeeping and then we can look at the ecosystem.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:17:38]:
Actually I don't have a lot for housekeeping. I was just checking the monthly wrap up we get from because we got.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:17:44]:
Our house in order that's why house.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:17:47]:
In order we we scored in the last in last 30 days in more than 30 countries in the world in some of them in multiple podcast charts. If you're interested to work with us, email us at Partnerships Celebrated IO you can subscribe and follow on our link tree and now we are already onto the ecosystem. First have a look at Europe 1 trillion euro fund power walk and Northern Grid Stone team up on a new UK based EIS fund Ambition Europe's first Trillion Euro Startups Source EU Startups EIF Defense Tech Fund European Investment Fund launches its first Defense Tech initiative, part of a growing strategic investment wave. Darce Climate Tech Report highlights the fastest growing climate tech startups across Dach and Central east and Eastern Europe in 2025 EU AI act enforcement Timelines the European Commission confirms phased enforcement of AI act begins in Q3 2025 fines expected in 2026 now let's talk a little bit about Germany. And there I hand it back over to Chris, who's usually the guy for Germany.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:19:10]:
Yeah, and so interesting how different governments are trying to rein in some of the AI companies. It's also always part here of the discussions in the US in the finance packaging. And there's even discussion whether if some states individually in the US try to regulate AI, whether they are receiving government funding or whether the federal government stops giving them money. Moving on to Germany though, you already said it. But we always look at the E4 index, which is a business climate index based on a survey, and we see that it increases for the sixth straight month. Driven by optimism in manufacturing and services, 10 VCs are actively investing millions into German startups across sectors like AI, fintech and SaaS. A bullish signal for the local ecosystem rights. Deutsche Startups we have now a federal minister on startups.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:20:08]:
It's part of the new government here. The first public appearance of Germany's startup minister highlights a vision driven approach to supporting founders. Business Insider writes a bit more about this then when we look at digital wallets. The that secretary that I was just talking about Virger. He outlined aggressive goals for nationwide wallet infrastructure and startup partnerships. More about that in Handle's blood. The crit unbarred KFW has some new startup insights. They have their latest research highlights increased German startup activity despite macro headwinds and Germany's new chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized for calling himself Plan B for a digital minister.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:20:55]:
He raises concerns over tech policy expertises. So yeah we see that the that this whole new secretary or this new ministry is kind of has still like some like growth pain growing pain to do German entrepreneurship org and E4 institute call for stronger government support to unlock startup growth the we have a deep dive into capital concentration in Germany's VC landscape at Deutsche Startups asking who still gets funding in 2025 and Bitcoin. Com the German tech association says founders are optimistic about the new federal government stance on innovation and capital market markets. And in the fight between the two cap capitals or metropolises of Berlin and Munich, we have a new analysis that reveals Berlin is home to 60% of Germany's unicorns. But Munich is catching up in B2B SARs and moving on to Austria. There we see that Austria's tech fund Sukuntai is going to disperse 140 million euros in 2026, though only to 50 million euro has been reserved to date. So if you intend to move to Salzburg, there's money and in Switzerland we have a deep tech report. There a new Swiss report is showing that deep tech startup creation rises in medtech, AI and robotics.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:22:30]:
Related to that, there's a deep tech 100mil billion billion Eurovision new insights position Switzerland as Europe's 100 billion euro deep tech innovation engine driven by public private research and development rights tech, EU and Swiss angel investor Peter Kessel is named Business angel of the year 2025. Congratulations HairCastle General News Joe VC funds for people who are looking for money. Show me the money.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:23:04]:
Yeah, a few of you guys I'm sure are looking for money. Some VCs, VC news and funds in case you're looking for money. And as always, there's just a selection project A closes fund number five, oversubscribe, 325 million euros Top AIVCs in Europe's PitchBook reveals the 10 most active VC firms investing in European AI startups led by Atomico and early bird. Third Pico's capital fund announces 250 million euros fund number two to support early stage startups from Pre C to Series A in Europe and the US BGF 500 million pound fund UK based BGF commits 500 million pounds to European tech investment targeting growth startup and scale ups Main capital fund number five they raised 520 million euros to support B2B software across Europe. Crypto VC launch Javier Megan launches 20 billion euros 20 million US dollars sorry Crypto VC fund next gen DeFi protocol tooling VC launch book Alex von Frankenberg releases Das Elishe Gel, the Honest Money Exploring VC transparency and Founder Psychology course. You can listen to the interview we had with Alex when he was still CEO of Germany's High tech order, or HTGF. Green Tech Growth Fund closes 160 million euros focus on decommodization Scale ups Deep Tech News Proxima Fusion on the unicorn path they secured 130 million euros to build the world's first Stellarator power plant Europe's largest price private fusion race Note we have an upcoming interview with them. You'll see it very likely Late summer early spring AWS Sovereign Cloud Amazon Web Services launches a dedicated European sovereign cloud to meet GDPR on the Green Tech News Circular Economy Mapping A startup map highlights innovators across Europe working on sustainable circular economy solution look it up at starting up what way AI news Black Forest Labs AI launch a new image generation AI to compete with OpenAI's AI open AI's Dall? E synflow voice AI they're building the next generation German voice assistant signaling a new Competition in conversational AI and OpenAI in Germany Open their first office in Germany in Munich.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:25:58]:
Take a deep breath Going to the Biotech news Biotech Billion Deal Bio and Tech Inc's multi billion deal licensing and acquisition deal with US pharma giant expanding its oncology pipeline Related their cancer truck Antibody based cancer treatment shows promises of targeting multiple tumors. You can read more on Public Broadcasters SWR Kumia Awards with MedTech Kumia wins 2025 Swiss MedTech Award for Breakthrough and Minds BioMed Grant they secure public funding to develop a next generation pancreatic cancer detection. Of course you can learn more about them in our interview. And somehow the news that Biontech bought Curevac is not in here with link. I'll repair that and Chris takes over the fintech news yes.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:26:51]:
So yeah, before we start, keep in mind the massive scalable funding that we already talked about. But more fintech news Get Safe has is showing a strategy shift. It's a German insuretech company and they exit the insurance license model and are pivoting to white label and partner based strategies. Sailors a Berlin based fintech for seafarers scores an exit after surprise traction Founders close funding and equity acquisition in the second quarter, writes Business Insider. Moving on from Fintech to Deep Tech Bosch big company that we've been talking about quite often is.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:34]:
Didn't you work for them at one point? No, no.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:38]:
They. I applied when I was 19 but they didn't want me.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:42]:
Okay.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:43]:
Which is totally fine. I totally. I'm totally not holding a grudge anymore. 26 years later so the company announced a billion euro initiative to deepen the AI driven development for automotive and manufacturing verticals. The AI gigafactory sees a gridlock Major European tech firms fail to agree on centralized AI chip manufacturing undermining the AI gigafactory ambition of the European Union Union Moving on towards General News the general.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:28:19]:
News the German Startup Awards have been handed out. They celebrate the winners of the 2025 German startup awards with a focus on resilience and originality. Note we will have interview series with the winners of the German Startup Awards to be published in fall and winter this year. That is something that will keep us busy during the summer like we did last year, giving you an unparalleled chance to their hat and dive deep into the minds and these of these amazing founders and investors. Forbes 3030 German founders featured in Europe Forbes 3030 German unicorn watch startups like Level Affinity Synflow show breakout potential on Germany's next unicorn tracker Radar on Deutsche startups out to one Founder Hakan Kong teases bold new venture he is reportedly in a highly sensitive new venture in the digital mobility space planning, Automotive Insurance and B2B FinTech in stealth according to efforts at the Flix train concerns internal business report raises doubt about Flix trains long term growth projections amid you expansion ambitions. Of course you can always listen to what the former CEO thinks about it in our interview with them dating a few years back. Also flashing post stagnates Chris, you remember we had large coverage because they were rumored to have an exit that was approaching 1 billion. Yeah, it turned out it wasn't that much.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:00]:
And now the German beverage delivery scale up reports flat 2024 revenue despite market expansion efforts. There's a revolt at HelloFresh. You notice anything from that in New York?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:15]:
No, but I don't see them anymore. Anyway. I don't know.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:19]:
Yeah, I. I get the feeling they scaled back the marketing, right?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:23]:
Yeah, they. Yeah, they came and went a bit. Just like the super fast supermarkets. We've seen so many come and go already. You and I, haven't we?
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:33]:
We. Yes, exactly. It's. It sounds like a Very old couple, right?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:39]:
Yeah. But yeah, and it's a bad sign for all the AI companies because we've seen enough hypes by now. Yeah.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:30:49]:
Going back to the hello Fresh Revolt Executives at HelloFresh face shareholder dissent ahead of the annual general meeting. Pay packages and culture are at the center. According to Bloomberg. Bubble changes in its CEO but the the the speech learning app the B A B B E L executive named as new CEO of Bubble Germany's leading language learning app Signal Ling a global push and Wing Copter cattle around drone logistics startup Wing Copter secures new funding to scale international delivery roads as always, they don't publish the valuation, they don't publish the amount. But you can learn of course more in our interview with them. Isn't that a surprise? Chris In Berlin and Paris techstars pause or suspends their accelerator programs citing changing founder support needs and operational models According to Tech eu there is quite some protests going on in respective cities about that. IPO canceled Riceland AG withdraws IPO due to market turbulences Analysts cited lack of international demand Also second attempt of Autodoc to IPO failed one day before the IPO Background is that there was not enough demand for the shares in the price range they offered but the minority shareholder private equity fund would not go lower. Also Kleinansheigen the what is it Chris Classified ads yeah, yeah, classified ads.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:32:26]:
Kleinantzegon clones searched you they used to be a part of ebay and there's new wave of sales second hand marketplaces clones emerging across the dark region as as ebay Kleiner Tigging tightens the policies now do a little bit of creative destruction Goya is shut down Hamburg startup My Robin collapses in Austria startup Insolvency watch at TrendingTopics EU Medellin is insolvent Kefa AI shuts down on handing over to Chris to end on a high.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:33:00]:
Note yes more optimistic stuff Sama raises $57 million symbiotic raises €29 million a health tech startup Trava announces a series A It's working in sustainable energy forecasting Affinity Group raises 23,000,000€000 for to bring seamless payments to Europe's automotive sector Data Plural lends $20.5 million they are based in the US and want to expand their AI powered mapping tools Synth Flow AI gets €20 million It's a voice AI startup enabling smart assistance for customer support in regulated industries Has a series B of 20 million euros it's an energy tech startup and that money allows them to expand smart meter plat their smart meter platform and enter the French market. Rever Group invests $17 million in fulfillment tools betting on distributed order management tool in global e commerce or to gain global e commerce market share. Remberg It's a Munich based industrial software as a service startup raises 15 million euros in a series A to streamline after sales service workflows. The space tech startup okapi orbit raises 13 million euros to build sustainable satellite traffic management. Baobab gets an insurance deal of 12 million euros to scale an embedded insurance platform across Europe. Smart Fleet €12,000,000 for a Series A it's AI powered fleet management for electric last mile logistics Climatic With a queue in the end a Berlin based company raised 10 million euros to embed climate impact scoring into business intelligence systems. Colibri AFT has a founder return after 120 million euro. Colibri Games exit the co founder now raises 5 million for a new multiplayer game studio and no funding but a comeback.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:35:17]:
We will also include here in the good news column Robo an Austrian edtech robot company Robo Wunderkind. They relaunched after bankruptcy by pivoting its business model. So congratulations there.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:35:35]:
And I also want to hint for our audience for our listeners, Synflow AI the 20 million year race. Remember they have been mentioned in the Sunycon bracket as well. Guys, there is just a little bit M and a news. Hornet Security Exit USA cybersecurity firm Proofpoint acquires Germany's Hornet security and One Dock acquisitions with appointment booking platform One Dock acquires a local competitor to consolidate Chris, you want to take the last news? Useless knowledge. Knowledge.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:36:11]:
I think it's very useful knowledge because in June 2025 Germany achieved a record surplus in cheese exports, surpassing 1.2 billion euros for the first time, a milestone that was attributed to increased demand for specialty cheeses in international markets, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. This might seem a niche statistic, but it definitely highlights Germany's unexpected prowess in the dairy export sector, even amidst broader economic challenges. And that also allows me to end with a cheese pun because which cheese do you need to hide a horse?
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:36:52]:
No idea.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:36:53]:
The mask? A pony.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:36:58]:
Awesome. Guys, we do have a lot at the state ahead of the curve. TED talks for founders, a lot of fresh startup lists and Chris, I would say that's a month wrap. We will be back with the startup news on September 1st for our summer wrap up. And until then you can expect a weekly dose of startup. Mostly for me. Chris, when is your next episode going live?
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:24]:
Oh inshallah. Always be on your toes.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:29]:
Yes, I'm very confident it will come soon.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:34]:
Bye bye.
Jörn "Joe" Menninger | CEO and Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:40]:
That's all folks. Find more news streams, events and interviews@www.startuprad.IO. remember, sharing is caring.
Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:37:58]:
Sam.
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