DACH Startup News July and August 2025: Unicorn Surge, €825M Hydrogen Win & Fintech Shakeups

Welcome to the DACH startup news roundup for August 2025, covering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. After our summer break, we return with one of the biggest episodes in years—so packed that we split it into two parts. Recorded in New York City and Frankfurt, this edition distills more than 350 startup news items into a clear wrap-up of funding, unicorns, fintech shakeups, and deep-tech breakthroughs. From Berlin’s AI unicorn n8n hitting a $2.3B valuation, to Swiss scale-up OrangeBat winning €825M from the European Hydrogen Bank, to N26’s CEO exit and Lilium’s defense pivot, this is your one-stop update on what’s shaping the DACH innovation economy.

Happy labor day to you, if you celebrate it. 

 TL;DR:

August 2025 DACH startup news — Unicorn surge (n8n), €825M hydrogen win (OrangeBat), N26 CEO exit, and Lilium’s defense pivot.

🦄 Our Startup News Highlights:

Startup funding momentum across Europe and the DACH region accelerated in August 2025, with AI, climate tech, and fintech taking center stage. Berlin’s AI ecosystem made global headlines as one stealth unicorn skyrocketed from a $350M to $2.3B valuation in just four months, underlining the region’s dominance in enterprise automation and SaaS-driven AI. Meanwhile, the macro backdrop remains tense — with Germany’s GDP contraction sparking recession fears — but venture capital continues to pour into deep-tech and energy innovation as hedge bets against cyclical slowdown.

Major deals shaped the month’s narrative. Climeworks raised $162M to advance its CO₂ capture technology, while Stuttgart-based Makersite secured €60M Series B to scale its sustainable supply chain software. Q-Ant added €62M Series A to push quantum-inspired climate solutions, and Munich’s Tanso closed €12M Series A, underscoring climate tech as a long-term growth pillar. On the fintech front, N26 faced regulatory heat and leadership shakeups, even as Scanbot SDK exited via acquisition and Bling absorbed Finstep, highlighting both consolidation and compliance challenges in Europe’s neobanking sectoer.

For founders and VCs, these developments signal a bifurcated market: late-stage climate and AI startups are attracting mega-rounds and unicorn valuations, while fintech and mobility players like Lilium navigate restructuring and defense pivots to secure survival. This month’s wave of scale-ups and exits reinforces the thesis that Europe’s competitive edge lies in climate innovation, quantum technologies, and enterprise AI — sectors now too big for global investors to ignore.

Let's talk startups.

Give us Feedback!

Let us know who you are and what you do. Give us feedback on what we do and what we could do better. Happy to hear from each and every one of you guys out there! 

https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

The Video Podcast Will Go Live on Thursday September 1st 2025

Note, we split the news into two pieces this month.

Startup News Summer News Part 1 (Going Live September 1st 2025)

👉 Watch Part 1 of Startuprad.io’s DACH Startup News Summer 2025 Wrap-Up on YouTube

Startup News Summer News Part 2 (Going Live September 4th 2025)

👉 Watch Part 2 of Startuprad.io’s DACH Startup News Summer 2025 Wrap-Up on YouTube

The video is available several days before to our channel members in what we call the Entrepreneur’s Vault.

The Startup News Audio Podcast Will Go Live Thursday September 1st 2025 and September 4th

You can subscribe to our podcasts here. Find our podcast on your favorite podcasting app or platform. Here are some of the links to subscribe.

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• Castbox

• Global Podcast Network (Formerly NY City Podcast Network)

• Good Pods

The audio and video is available up to 24 hours before to our substack members in what we call the Entrepreneur’s Vault.

Tune in to our Internet Radio Station here:

Be one of the people smartening up with our content, as well as that of many media partners, including but not limited to Tech.eu and Stanford University Radio Show Laptop Radio

www.startup.radio

Get Our Content to Your Inbox 

Decide what you want to read and when. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here: https://startupradio.substack.com/ 

Find All Other Channels Here

Find all options to subscribe to our newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel or listen to our internet radio station here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 

Top News

Our Top News This Month!

Berlin’s n8n rockets to $2.3B pre‑money as Accel leads mega round

Berlin-based workflow automation startup n8n has rocketed to a $2.3B pre-money valuation on August 13, 2025, after Accel led a mega round with Meritech Capital expected to join, marking one of Europe’s biggest AI-driven automation deals this year. The company’s value jumped from just $350M in March 2024—a more than 6× increase in 16 months—on the back of surging demand for AI agents and enterprise-grade workflow automation. With >$40M annual recurring revenue (ARR), a 200,000-member community, and over 127,000 GitHub stars, n8n has become a leading open-source alternative to Zapier and Make.com. The new capital signals intensifying VC competition for European applied-AI platforms, positioning n8n at the center of the shift toward composable, AI-native business stacks. For founders and investors, the round highlights both the velocity of Europe’s unicorn creation and the global battle to dominate automation + AI convergence.

[Internal Links]:

• n8n → https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-dach-startups-april-2025-startup-news-wrap-up

• DACH Unicorns → https://www.startuprad.io/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-startups-with-1b-valuation-in-germany-austria-and-switzerland-dach

• DACH Unicorn Index → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-unicorn-index-german-unicorns

[External Source Links]:

• https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/08/47096614/this-berlin-ai-startup-quietly-went-from-350m-to-2-3b-in-four-months-and-its-just-getting-started

• https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/business/neues-unicorn-berliner-ki-startup-n8n/

[FAQ]: Q: Who led n8n’s latest funding round? A: Accel led the round, with Meritech expected to join.

Q: How much is n8n valued at after its 2025 round? A: n8n reached a $2.3B pre-money valuation in August 2025.

Q: How fast did n8n’s valuation grow? A: From $350M in March 2024 to $2.3B in August 2025, a 6× jump in 16 months.

Q: What makes n8n stand out in workflow automation? A: It’s an open-source, AI-driven platform with 200k community members and 127k GitHub stars.

Q: Why does this funding matter for European AI? A: It shows global VCs are racing to back Europe’s applied-AI leaders in automation.

Lilium Brings In Pluta as Insolvency Advisor Amid Defense Pivot 

Munich-based air taxi startup Lilium (NASDAQ:LILM) faces mounting insolvency pressures as Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on August 13, 2025 that restructuring advisor AAMG Pluta has been called in to guide the company through its crisis. The move follows Handelsblatt’s revelations that Lilium is weighing a defense-sector pivot to generate near-term revenues, and Business Insider’s note on fresh investor interest to revive a €20M financing deal. Despite pioneering Europe’s eVTOL ambitions, Lilium has endured cash burn, layoffs, and delayed certification milestones, leaving its commercial launch uncertain. By considering dual-use applications in defense and emergency services, Lilium joins a wider European trend of aerospace startups turning to government-backed contracts to bridge long funding cycles. Yet the involvement of Pluta underscores that insolvency risk remains active, framing the new investor talks as potentially Lilium’s last chance to secure survival. For the DACH deeptech ecosystem, the case illustrates the volatility of capital-intensive mobility ventures and the strategic pressure to diversify into defense.

[Internal Links]:

• Lilium background → https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-news-november-2024-highlights-from-germany-austria-and-switzerland

[External Source Links]:

• https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/lilium-aamg-pluta-li.3300331

• https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/luftfahrt-lilium-retter-gedanken-ueber-einstieg-ins-verteidigungsgeschaeft/100149081.html

• https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/lilium-neuer-investor-will-flugtaxi-startup-wiederbeleben/

[FAQ]: Q: Who is advising Lilium in its restructuring? A: AAMG Pluta, a German insolvency expert, is guiding Lilium’s turnaround.

Q: Why is Lilium considering defense contracts? A: To secure near-term government-backed revenues while eVTOL certification drags.

Q: What investor lifeline is on the table for Lilium? A: A new backer may rescue a €20M financing deal to stabilize liquidity.

Q: Is Lilium at risk of insolvency in 2025? A: Yes, insolvency remains a possibility despite bailout talks.

Q: What does this mean for Europe’s eVTOL market? A: It highlights the sector’s reliance on defense and public-sector contracts for survival.

N26 CEO Valentin Stalf Resigns Amid BaFin Crackdown

Berlin neobank N26 is facing its most severe governance crisis since its founding, as co-founder and CEO Valentin Stalf stepped down on August 15, 2025, earlier than planned, per Golem and confirmed by FAZ. The exit follows BaFin’s special audit, which revealed “gravierende Mängel” (serious deficiencies) in fraud prevention and compliance, raising investor impatience and regulatory pressure. The move also coincides with leadership reshuffles, including a new Chief Risk Officer from Santander replacing N26’s outgoing CRO, as reported by Handelsblatt. Together, these developments mark a deep structural shake-up aimed at stabilizing the digital bank’s risk culture after years of warnings. Once Europe’s poster child for fintech hypergrowth, N26 now faces questions about sustainability, regulatory resilience, and board governance as it seeks to reassure investors and customers. For the European fintech ecosystem, the episode is a stark reminder that scaling neobanks without robust compliance carries existential risks.

[Internal Links]:

• N26 Series E close → https://www.startuprad.io/post/n26-quietly-completed-second-closing-of-series-e-round-in-2021-here-s-what-we-know

• N26 regulatory trouble → https://www.startuprad.io/post/blog-post-trouble-at-n26-bafin-considering-limiting-new-business-for-the-neobank

• N26 cluster (2025 funding pillar) → https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

[External Source Links]:

• https://www.golem.de/news/valentin-stalf-n26-co-chef-raeumt-posten-frueher-als-geplant-2508-199334.html

• https://www.faz.net/aktuell/finanzen/valentin-stalf-tritt-ab-n26-bekommt-neue-fuehrung-110644635.html

• https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/banken/n26-risikochefin-geht-nachfolger-kommt-von-santander/100138458.html

[FAQ]: Q: Why did N26 CEO Valentin Stalf resign? A: BaFin’s audit exposed serious compliance gaps, triggering investor and board pressure.

Q: When did Valentin Stalf step down from N26? A: On August 15, 2025, earlier than the company had internally planned.

Q: Who is replacing N26’s Chief Risk Officer? A: A Santander executive will succeed the outgoing CRO, reinforcing compliance.

Q: What did BaFin find at N26? A: “Gravierende Mängel” in fraud prevention, customer growth controls, and compliance.

Q: Why does this matter for fintech? A: It shows scaling neobanks must embed robust governance or risk collapse.

OrangeBat Wins €825M EU Hydrogen Bank Funding

Swiss clean-tech scale-up OrangeBat has secured a landmark €825 million allocation from the European Hydrogen Bank, according to Moneycab (August 2025). The funding will be used to expand industrial-scale hydrogen production and infrastructure projects across Europe, making it one of the largest single hydrogen allocations tied to a DACH-based company. OrangeBat’s win underscores Brussels’ determination to accelerate green hydrogen commercialization as part of the EU’s decarbonization strategy, and positions the Swiss player alongside continental leaders such as Sunfire (Germany) and H2 Mobility. By targeting both industrial energy users and cross-border hydrogen corridors, OrangeBat aims to become a central enabler of Europe’s clean-tech transition. For founders and investors, the deal highlights that EU-backed hydrogen infrastructure is emerging as a category-defining funding channel, with OrangeBat now firmly placed among the DACH region’s most influential sustainability ventures.

[Internal Links]:

• DACH deeptech & climate funding → https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

• DACH Unicorn Index → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-unicorn-index-german-unicorns

[External Source Links]:

• https://www.moneycab.com/dossiers/orange-bat-sichert-sich-825-millionen-euro-der-europaeischen-hydrogenbank/

• https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems-integration/hydrogen/european-hydrogen-bank_en 

[FAQ]: Q: How much funding did OrangeBat secure from the European Hydrogen Bank? A: OrangeBat received €825 million to expand hydrogen infrastructure and production.

Q: Why is this funding significant? A: It’s one of the largest hydrogen allocations to a DACH-linked clean-tech, positioning OrangeBat as a European leader.

Q: What will OrangeBat use the funds for? A: To commercialize industrial hydrogen production and scale infrastructure across Europe.

Q: How does this fit into Europe’s energy transition? A: It supports the EU’s decarbonization strategy by accelerating green hydrogen commercialization.

Q: Which other companies compete with OrangeBat in hydrogen? A: Peers include Sunfire (Germany) and H2 Mobility, among other European hydrogen ventures.

Housekeeping & Time to Brag

We have bragged enough in the last episodes. 

Interested in Working with us?

Welcome to Startuprad.io™, your premier source for news and insights into the vibrant world of German, Austrian, and Swiss tech innovation! As a decision-maker, you’re invited to dive into our content, featuring Emmy award winners, New York Times bestsellers, and Forbes top lists luminaries. Our platform offers a curated selection of interviews with industry leaders, game-changing entrepreneurs, and influential investors. Our focus on startups around Series A funding ensures that you get exclusive insights into the rising stars of tomorrow. By advertising with us, you tap into an audience that values forward-thinking and impactful partnerships. Join us at Startuprad.io and let your message reach the innovators shaping the future: partnerships@startuprad.io

Subscribe & Follow

Don’t miss out on our latest episodes and updates! Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for more exclusive content: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

Ecosystem

Europe

• European Innovation Council selects 40 startups for new funding roundSilicon Canals (July 2025) reported that the European Innovation Council (EIC) selected 40 startups across Europe for equity and grant support. The companies span biotech, AI, and sustainability, reflecting EU-level support for scaling deeptech. Several DACH startups are included, though not all names were disclosed.[Source]: Silicon Canals — https://siliconcanals.com/eic-selects-40-european-startups/

• Qwant and Ecosia Launch Staan, Europe’s Independent Search Index August 8, 2025, TechCrunch reported that French search engine Qwant and German eco-search provider Ecosia jointly launched Staan, a European search index. Designed as a privacy-first alternative to Google, Staan aims to enhance Europe’s digital sovereignty and lay the groundwork for AI-native retrieval systems. The launch could reshape the European search and ad-tech market. [Source]: TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/06/qwant-and-ecosia-debut-staan-a-european-search-index-that-aims-to-take-on-big-tech/

Germany 

• IFO index: German ifo Business Climate Index edges higher in July 2025: On July 25, 2025, the ifo Institute in Munich reported a modest increase in its closely watched Business Climate Index, reflecting cautious optimism in the German economy. Sentiment improved in industry and services but remained weak in construction and retail. For DACH startups and VCs, the uptick signals a stabilizing macro backdrop that could support late-2025 funding activity, particularly in B2B SaaS, industrial deep tech, and AI. [Source]: ifo Institute — https://www.ifo.de/fakten/2025-07-25/ifo-geschaeftsklimaindex-leicht-gestiegen-juli-2025 

• Dresden Tops SumUp’s 2025 Cost Ranking for Founders; Leipzig and Bremen Follow: August 2025, SumUp’s analysis of 71 German cities ranked Dresden #1 (76.61 pts) for cost‑efficient funding, citing low retail rents (~€95/m²), utilities (~€288/mo) and competitive effective corporate tax (31.57%). Leipzig placed second (€115/m² retail rent; tax 31.92%), Bremen third (lowest utilities ~€258/mo), while Munich ranked last among the top‑20 due to high rents (~€377.50/m²) and utilities (~€345/mo). The study weighs median wages, unemployment, rents, utilities, and effective corporate tax, signaling cost advantages in East German hubs for early‑stage teams. [Source]: StartingUp — https://www.starting-up.de/news/wettbewerbe-initiativen-studien/staedteranking-deutschland-hier-gruendest-du-kostenguenstig.html [Internal Links]: DACH Startup Ecosystem Hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub Funding 2025: Deep Tech, Defense & Decacorns → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

• KfW Gründungsmonitor 2025 reports stable startup activity despite economic headwinds August 13, 2025, Munich Startup summarized the KfW Gründungsmonitor 2025, showing that the number of new businesses in Germany remained robust. Early-stage activity is supported by resilience in tech and digital sectors, even as macro-economic uncertainty weighs on financing. Policymakers are watching indicators closely to refine support schemes. [Source]: Munich Startup — https://www.munich-startup.de/111828/kfw-gruendungsmonitor-2025/ [Internal Links]: DACH ecosystem hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub German policy & startup regulation → https://www.startuprad.io/post/germany-s-roadmap-for-the-ai-act-enabling-innovation-without-repeating-gdpr-pitfalls

• German GDP dips again, technical recession looms in Q2 2025On August 14, 2025, Tagesschau reported that Germany’s economy shrank by 0.2% in Q2 after a flat Q1, meeting the definition of a technical recession. Exports and industrial output weakened, while private consumption stagnated despite easing inflation. The downturn adds pressure to fiscal debates and heightens importance of startup/innovation-driven growth narratives in DACH.[Source]: Tagesschau — https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/konjunktur/rezession-daten-bruttoinlandsprodukt-100.html  [Internal Links]: German economy context → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns 

• Berlin to set new financial rails for defense startups to speed procurement and scale On August 2025, Handelsblatt reported the federal government will establish funding/ procurement “Weichen” to help defense‑tech startups commercialize faster. Aligns with dual‑use momentum and NATO‑related demand. No new budget/timeline vs. our prior entry. [Source]: Handelsblatt — https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/ruestung-bund-stellt-start-ups-kuenftig-finanzielle-weichen/100144765.html

• Germany Clears Path for Remote‑Operated Driving Pilots, Opening Door for Teleoperation StartupsOn July/August 2025, German authorities signaled the go‑ahead for remote‑controlled driving pilots, establishing the framework for teleoperation in logistics and mobility. The policy shift could benefit companies building tele‑driving stacks, remote ops centers, and safety cases aligned with EU rules. The article does not name specific startups.[Source]: regionalHeute — https://regionalheute.de/verkehrsminister-ebnet-weg-fuer-ferngesteuertes-fahren-1753761662/[Internal Links]: Inside Germany’s Autonomous‑Driving Law (we were 2021 quite ahead of the curve) → https://www.startuprad.io/post/a-look-inside-the-world-s-first-law-regulating-autonomous-driving-bonus DACH Mobility / AV Roundups → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-may-2025-unicorns-m-a-and-vc-surge

Bavaria (Bayern)

• Bavaria passes landmark resolution to unlock foundation capital for startups and VC funds: On August 2025, Silicon Canals reported the Bavarian parliament approved a pro‑startup resolution enabling foundations to invest in startups and VC funds. This policy tweak could mobilize significant endowment capital into DACH venture markets, complementing federal and EU‑level initiatives aimed at deep‑tech financing. [Source]: Silicon Canals — https://siliconcanals.com/bavarian-parliament-landmark-resolution/

Austria

• Austria’s “Gründerwelle”: clear uptick in new company formationsOn August 2025, Brutkasten noted a significant increase in new company formations in Austria, despite macro headwinds. The surge indicates resilient founder activity and improving access vehicles (public co‑funding, corporates, and regional initiatives). Data Gap: detailed sector split and seed/series totals not specified in the short note. brutkasten [Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/gruenderwelle-deutliches-plus-bei-neuen-unternehmen [Internal Links]: DACH ecosystem hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub

• Vienna-based Allocator One launches fund-of-funds for European VCBrutkasten (August 18, 2025) profiled Allocator One, a Vienna-based fund-of-funds platform designed to channel institutional money into European VC funds. The startup’s model aims to diversify LP risk and simplify access to venture investments. This marks a growing trend of fintech platforms targeting institutional capital pools in the region. [Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/allocator-one-so-funktioniert-der-fund-of-funds-aus-wien  [Internal Links]: VC ecosystem Austria → https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns 

Switzerland

• Pinterest launches new AI tech hub in Zürich to strengthen DACH region footprint

Horizont (August 18, 2025) covered Pinterest’s launch of a new AI tech hub in the DACH region, signaling a major investment in local R&D. The hub will focus on personalization, generative AI, and content safety. It underlines the growing importance of DACH as a testing ground for international tech companies expanding their AI presence. [Source]: Horizont — https://www.horizont.net/medien/nachrichten/ki-offensive-pinterest-staerkt-dach-region-mit-neuem-tech-hub-229767

End part 1 - Start Part 2

“Welcome back to Part Two of our Startup News wrap-up. In this segment we’re diving into the movers shaping Europe’s innovation landscape — from new venture capital funds and leadership shake-ups, to deep-tech breakthroughs, green-tech milestones, and the latest fintech plays. Whether you’re raising money, tracking cutting-edge tech, or following the biggest shifts in the DACH startup scene — we’ve got you covered.”

General News / Tech News / Companies News Section

VC News and New Funds, in case you are looking for money (also only a selection):

Smart Infrastructure Ventures launches €30M SiVentures II to back early-stage German startupsEU-Startups (August 2025) announced Smart Infrastructure Ventures (Leipzig) closed €30M SiVentures II, targeting early-stage DACH startups in energy, mobility, and digital infrastructure. Follows SiVentures I (2019) and builds on strong Leipzig ecosystem momentum. [Source]: EU-Startups — https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/08/german-vc-fund-smart-infrastructure-ventures-launches-e30-million-siventures-ii-fund-to-support-early-stage-startups/ 

[Internal Links]:

VC & fund tracking hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

Sebastian Borek joins HTGF as co-managing director, completing new leadership trio

August 13, 2025, VC Magazin reported that Sebastian Borek, co-founder of Founders Foundation, has joined High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) as a managing director. He complements existing leaders Alex von Frankenberg and Jörg Goschin, forming a trio to steer Germany’s leading early-stage VC. The reshuffle underscores HTGF’s ambition to scale seed investments across deep tech and digital ventures.

[Source]: VC Magazin — https://www.vc-magazin.de/blog/2025/08/13/sebastian-borek-komplettiert-neues-geschaeftsfuehrer-trio-des-htgf/ 

[Internal Links]: HTGF interview (podcast) → https://www.startuprad.io/podcast/high-tech-grunderfonds-alexander-von-frankenberg/ German VC ecosystem → https://www.startuprad.io/post/venture-capital-in-germany-2025 

Deep Tech News

Freiburg team building Germany’s first brain‑inspired AI chip, but testing must occur abroadOn August 7, 2025, Business Insider (Gründerszene) reported that a Freiburg‑based founder/team is developing neuromorphic “brain” chips for ultra‑low‑power AI; due to regulatory constraints, prototype testing is allowed only outside Germany. The contract cited in coverage points to rising European demand for deep‑tech compute alternatives. Data Gap: company name, deal size, and investors not disclosed in the linked article. 

[Source]: Business Insider — https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/freiburger-baut-1-deutschen-gehirnchip-testen-darf-er-nur-im-ausland/ 

[Internal Links]: Deep‑tech hardware & compute pillar → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

Vienna’s QTLabs Achieves 265M‑km Signal Hop With NASA ProbeIn August 2025, QTLabs (Vienna) reported a milestone: communicating with a NASA spacecraft ~265 million km away, showcasing long‑range, high‑fidelity space communications grounded in quantum‑adjacent expertise. The feat underscores Austria’s rising deep‑tech profile and potential dual‑use applications in secure comms and space infrastructure. Funding and investors were not disclosed in the piece. 

[Source]: brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/qtlabs-wiener-startup-kommuniziert-mit-nasa-raumsonde-ueber-265-mio-kilometer-hinweg 

[Internal Links]: AI & Deep Tech: Europe’s Ultimate Guide → https://www.startuprad.io/post/ai-deep-tech-startups-europe-s-ultimate-guide DACH Funding 2025 (deep tech context) → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

Green Tech News 

Keep in minds all the 825 million € for OrangeBat

Salzstrom and Burgenland Energie launch sustainable salt-based storage offensiveOn August 2025, Brutkasten reported Vienna startup Salzstrom teamed with Burgenland Energie to scale a sustainable salt-based electricity storage project. The joint initiative aims to provide long-duration, recyclable energy storage as Austria accelerates renewable grid integration. Data Gap: investment volume and rollout timeline not disclosed.[Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/wiener-startup-salzstrom-und-burgenland-energie-starten-nachhaltige-speicheroffensive

Biotech News 

CureVac, GSK, and Pfizer/BioNTech Resolve mRNA Patent DisputeAugust 8, 2025, Reuters confirmed that CureVac and partner GSK settled their long-standing mRNA patent dispute with Pfizer/BioNTech. The agreement ends years of litigation over COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property. This settlement clears the legal overhang for all parties, allowing BioNTech to double down on oncology pipelines while CureVac and GSK pursue new vaccine development without IP uncertainty. 

[Source]: Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/curevac-gsk-settle-mrna-patent-dispute-with-pfizer-biontech-2025-08-08/

Fintech News

Bitpanda more than doubles 2024 revenue to €393M; EBITDA margin >30%On August 1, 2025, BTC‑Echo reported Bitpanda achieved €393M 2024 revenue (>2× YoY) with EBITDA margin >30% and 7M+ users, underpinning a broader EU expansion. Strategic banking partners include Deutsche Bank, LBBW, Raiffeisen, N26. No new numbers beyond our earlier block. [Source]: BTC‑Echo — https://www.btc-echo.de/schlagzeilen/bitpanda-verdoppelt-umsatz-weitere-expansion-in-europa-geplant-212635/ 

German fintech Bling acquires startup FinStep to expand youth bankingOn August 7, 2025, Starting-Up reported Berlin-based Bling has acquired FinStep, a fintech focused on family- and youth-oriented finance solutions. The acquisition strengthens Bling’s positioning in Gen-Z financial services, adding complementary savings and pocket-money features to its platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  [Source]: Starting-Up — https://www.starting-up.de/news/news-investments/fintech-bling-uebernimmt-start-up-finstep.html 

Deep Tech and AI News

Quantum Systems signals valuation surge amid European defense demand

On August 6, 2025, Handelsblatt reported Munich-based defense‑drone maker Quantum Systems could triple its valuation to around €1.5B, powered by NATO/Ukraine contracts and Europe’s defense rearmament cycle. The company’s AI‑enabled reconnaissance platforms and expanding order book underline dual‑use momentum across the DACH defense stack. (No new funding amount disclosed in this piece.) 

[Source]: Handelsblatt — https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/ruestung-quantum-systems-koennte-firmenbewertung-bald-verdreifachen/100145542.html

[Internal Links]: Quantum Systems - German Defense Tech Startup: Drone-Driven Unicorn Emerges https://www.startuprad.io/post/quantum-systems-germany-s-drone-driven-unicorn-emerges 

Dresden startup secures large neuromorphic AI chip contract inspired by the human brain

On August 7, 2025, t3n reported a Dresden-based startup won a major order for its neuromorphic chips, designed after the human brain. The chips promise ultra-low energy AI processing, targeting both automotive and industrial automation. The contract demonstrates European potential in deep-tech hardware — though regulatory hurdles still require that prototype testing occurs outside Germany.[Source]: t3n — https://t3n.de/news/ki-chips-nach-vorbild-des-gehirns-dresdner-startup-ergattert-grossauftrag-1699723/

CoachHub rolls out AIMY™, a 24/7 AI coaching layer for enterprise L&DOn August 7, 2025, Handelsblatt profiled AIMY™, CoachHub’s AI coach designed to extend access beyond human coaching pools. The Berlin scaleup positions AIMY for multilingual, company‑wide deployment with enterprise integrations. Following 2023 revenue of €56M, the product push targets margin improvement and broader attach across HR suites.[Source]: Handelsblatt — https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/start-up-coachhub-setzt-auf-ki-coach-aimy/100143400.html

Peec AI launches to help brands track visibility in AI search (ChatGPT, Perplexity)

August 13, 2025, Deutsche‑Startups spotlighted Peec AI (Berlin), founded by Marius Meiners, Tobias Siwonia, Daniel Drabo. The SaaS monitors brand mentions, citations and growth across AI search tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, giving SEOs and marketers a new analytics layer as SGE/AI answers disrupt classic rankings. Data Gap: funding, investors and valuation not disclosed. [Source]: Deutsche‑Startups — https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/08/13/neue-startups-peec-ai-straion-balu-warmwind-sqior/  [Internal Links]: AI & Deep Tech hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/ai-deep-tech-startups-europe-s-ultimate-guide DACH AI leaders (context) → https://www.startuprad.io/post/top-ai-startups-in-the-dach-region-in-2025

General News

Uber consolidates position in Germany’s ride-hailing market

FAZ (August 18, 2025) reported that Uber is finally establishing itself in Germany after years of regulatory battles and resistance from taxi associations. With legal frameworks clarified and consumer demand shifting, Uber now competes directly in major German cities. Analysts see this as a turning point for mobility startups in the DACH region, with implications for local players like FreeNow and Bolt.  [Source]: FAZ — https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/taxi-vermittlung-uber-setzt-sich-jetzt-auch-in-deutschland-durch-110628899.html  [Internal Links]:Mobility platforms → https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns 

VCs pour fresh millions into German startups across AI, SaaS, and climate tech

On August 8, 2025, Deutsche-Startups highlighted new VC investments into German startups, with multi-million euro deals across AI SaaS, fintech, and climate tech verticals. The report points to continued early- and growth-stage capital inflows despite macroeconomic headwinds. This reflects resilience in the German venture market and investor focus on deep tech and green transition sectors.[Source]: Deutsche-Startups — https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/08/08/vcs-millionen-deutsche-startups/

AUTO1 Group posts double-digit growth across all core metrics in H1 2025On August 7, 2025, IT-Times reported Berlin-based AUTO1 Group achieved strong growth across revenue, gross profit, and unit sales in the first half of 2025. As Europe’s leading digital used-car trading platform, AUTO1 credits its margin expansion to Autohero retail growth and supply-chain efficiency. Investors view this as validation of its post-IPO turnaround strategy. (Exact revenue not disclosed in the article.)

[Source]: IT-Times — https://www.it-times.de/news/auto1-group-verzeichnet-starkes-wachstum-in-allen-wichtigen-kennzahlen-172490/  [Internal Links]: German scaleups tracker → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-unicorn-index-german-unicorns 

AUTO1 Group Joins MDAX https://startupradio.substack.com/p/auto1-group-joins-mdax 

Doctolib faces German government scrutiny over market power and data practices

On August 6, 2025, stadt‑bremerhaven reported that Doctolib came under review by federal ministries in Germany regarding market dominance and data‑protection concerns. Regulators are examining the platform’s role between patients, practices, and insurers; no remedies or penalties were announced at this stage. [Source]: stadt‑bremerhaven — https://stadt-bremerhaven.de/doctolib-geraet-ins-visier-der-bundesregierung/

REWE rolls out ‘Startup Lounge’ nationwide to fast‑track shelf access for early‑stage brands

HORIZONT reported on August 2025 that German retailer REWE is expanding its Startup Lounge across the country, giving young FMCG brands structured in‑store pilots and national shelf access. This institutionalizes a retail on‑ramp for consumer startups and can compress time‑to‑market cycles for product‑market fit validation. (Cohort sizes/criteria not disclosed.)

[Source]: HORIZONT — https://www.horizont.net/marketing/nachrichten/startup-strategie-rewe-rollt-startup-lounge-deutschlandweit-aus-229511

Storebox launches parcel service alternative to Post, GLS, and DPD

Brutkasten (August 2025) reported that Austrian logistics startup Storebox is entering the parcel service market, positioning itself as an alternative to incumbents Post, GLS, and DPD. Storebox plans to double its revenues with this move, leveraging its existing urban micro-hubs for last-mile delivery. This diversification signals a strategic expansion beyond storage-as-a-service into logistics infrastructure.

[Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/storebox-startet-alternative-zu-post-gls-und-dpd-mit-dem-ziel-umsatzverdoppelung

Schumpeters Schöpferische Zerstörung ⇒ Creative Destruction (Layoffs insolvencies, layoffs and other bad news): 

Leoni says insolvency avoided, restructuring chosen as only path

On August 2025, Handelsblatt reported automotive supplier Leoni confirmed that insolvency would have been the only alternative to its restructuring deal, which secured creditor support and prevented liquidation. The plan provides runway for the shift to EV wiring and e-mobility, but underscores industrial stress in Germany’s supply chain. For startups, the case illustrates risks/opportunities in legacy–startup partnerships. [Source]: Handelsblatt — https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/leoni-die-einzige-alternative-waere-die-insolvenz-gewesen/100145285.html

Duolingo shares plunge 12% after growth slowdown spooks Wall Street

On August 14, 2025, Yahoo Finance reported Duolingo (DUOL) fell more than 12% intraday after Q2 results showed slower-than-expected user and bookings growth. Analysts flagged saturation in developed markets and rising competition from AI-native language apps, raising questions over Duolingo’s premium pricing. The pullback highlights volatility in consumer-edtech, contrasting with capital flowing into AI-driven B2B SaaS. [Source]: Yahoo Finance — https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-duolingo-duol-shares-plunging-205542915.html

MyWorld (ex-Lyoness) files for bankruptcy amid collapse of cashback empire

In August 2025, TrendingTopics reported MyWorld (previously Lyoness) has gone insolvent. The Graz-based company once ran a sprawling cashback/MLM empire, repeatedly facing legal action across Europe. Bankruptcy underscores the systemic risks in unregulated referral schemes and marks the end of one of Austria’s most controversial “scaleups.” Financials and creditor exposure not yet disclosed.

[Source]: TrendingTopics — https://www.trendingtopics.eu/myworld-pleite-lyoness/

[Internal Links]: Austrian startup ecosystem hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub 

Idagio enters insolvency; ~€35M invested since 2015 as Lansdowne took majority

On July 31, 2025, deutsche‑startups.de confirmed insolvency proceedings for Idagio; Sven Kirchner appointed trustee. Founders Till Janczukowicz and Christoph Lange (no longer active); investors included Tengelmann Ventures, btov Partners, Macquarie, later Lansdowne Partners. No new facts beyond our earlier block. deutsche-startups.de

[Source]: Deutsche‑Startups — https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/07/31/startupticker-mitte-shiny-idagio/ 

Prewave reduces workforce by 8% amid growth strategy shift

Brutkasten (August 2025) revealed that Vienna-based Prewave, a supply-chain risk intelligence scaleup, is cutting 8% of its workforce. The company cited strategic realignment and efficiency gains as reasons. Despite the layoffs, Prewave continues to expand its AI-driven platform for monitoring ESG and supply chain disruptions. [Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/prewave-wiener-lieferketten-scaleup-baut-8-prozent-seiner-mitarbeiterinnen-ab 

End on a High Note: Successful Fundraisings and Exits: Chris

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.  

Berlin’s Talon.One raises $114.7M to expand incentive automation platform

Silicon Canals (July 2025) reported that Berlin-based Talon.One, a SaaS platform for promotion and loyalty program management, secured $114.7 million. The scaleup plans to expand internationally and strengthen its AI-driven incentive personalization engine. Talon.One’s platform powers major brands’ retention and customer acquisition strategies. [Source]: Silicon Canals — https://siliconcanals.com/berlins-talon-one-raises-114-7m/

Oculis upsizes BlackRock loan facility to €106.2M to advance eye‑disease pipeline

On August 12, 2025, Oculis amended its BlackRock loan facility, raising potential access to CHF 100M (≈€106.2M) to accelerate therapies for ophthalmic and neuro‑ophthalmic diseases. The non‑dilutive capital extends the runway for late‑stage clinical programs and positions Oculis to push pivotal trials while preserving equity. Silicon Canals

[Source]: Silicon Canals — https://siliconcanals.com/oculis-upsizes-blackrock-loan-facility-to-e106-2m/

Nuclidium secures €84M Series B for radiopharmaceutical innovation

Finsmes (July 2025) covered that Munich-based Nuclidium raised €84 million in a Series B round to advance its radiopharmaceutical pipeline. The funding will drive clinical trials for cancer diagnostics and therapies. Nuclidium’s scale-up marks another step forward for Germany’s emerging healthtech champions.

[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/07/nuclidium-raises-e84m-in-series-b-funding.html

Q.ANT confirms €62M Series A to scale photonic processors and quantum sensors

On August 5, 2025, Finsmes confirmed Q.ANT’s €62 million Series A to industrialize photonic computing and quantum sensing. The Stuttgart‑based spin‑out (part of TRUMPF Group) plans to expand production and engineering while targeting energy‑efficient AI acceleration and navigation‑grade sensors. This post serves as a source‑of‑record duplicate; no new terms beyond prior reports. FinSMEs

[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/08/q-ant-raises-e62m-in-series-a-funding.html[Internal Links]: Deep‑tech/quantum pillar → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

Makersite raises €60M Series B to scale sustainability SaaSFinsmes, DS.de, and Trending Topics (July 2025)

confirmed that Stuttgart-based Makersite secured €60 million Series B. Makersite offers AI-driven product lifecycle management (PLM) focused on sustainability and compliance. The round positions Makersite among Europe’s top SaaS sustainability scaleups.[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/07/makersite-raises-e60m-in-series-b-funding.html | DS.de — https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/07/22/dealmonitor-makersite-4screen/ | Trending Topics — https://www.trendingtopics.eu/makersite-stuttgarter-software-scale-up-erhaelt-60-millionen-euro/ 

Buena Confirms $58M Series A to Scale AI‑Powered Local Services Marketplace

On July 2025, Buena closed a $58 million Series A to expand its AI‑driven local services marketplace across Europe. The company plans to scale the product and go‑to‑market to capture fragmented, high‑frequency categories. Today’s item is a duplicate of prior coverage; no new investors, valuation or geography were added here.[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/07/buena-raises-58m-in-series-a-funding.html

[Internal Links]: DACH Startup Ecosystem Hub → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub

German SaaS startup PlanCraft raises €38M Series B to digitize European constructionAugust 13, 2025, Finsmes confirmed that PlanCraft, a German construction SaaS, raised €38 million in Series B financing. The startup provides digital workflow solutions for contractors and SME builders, tackling inefficiencies in project and compliance management. The round was led by international VCs (not named). Proceeds will fund European expansion and AI-based product upgrades. 

[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/08/plancraft-raises-e38m-in-series-b-funding.html

Swiss Biotech Mabylon AG Raises CHF 30M for Antibody Therapies

On August 8, 2025, Zurich-based biotech Mabylon AG announced a CHF 30 million funding round to expand its antibody immunotherapy platform. The company develops next-generation treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The investment highlights Switzerland’s continued strength in biotech innovation amid broader European funding headwinds.  [Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/08/mabylon-ag-raises-chf-30m-in-funding.html

Candi Solar raises $24M (convert + mezzanine) to scale C&I solar in India & South Africa

On August 8, 2025, Moneycab reported Candi Solar secured $24M from existing backers, including a $20M convertible (Norfund & STOA) and a $4M mezzanine top‑up (EEGF/Triple Jump). The company’s active portfolio expanded by 60+ MW in the past 12 months, reaching 132 MW contracted capacity across 22 Indian states/UTs and 8 South African provinces; a Series D is planned for 2026.

[Source]: Moneycab — https://www.moneycab.com/startups/candi-solar-sammelt-24-millionen-dollar-ein/

Motor AI secures $20M for autonomous driving AI

Finsmes (July 2025) announced that Berlin-based Motor AI raised $20 million to enhance its autonomous driving software stack. The startup develops explainable AI systems for vehicle decision-making, addressing regulatory and safety hurdles in Europe’s autonomous driving race.

[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/07/motor-ai-raises-20m-in-funding.html

German regtech startup Certivity raises €13.3M Series A to expand compliance software

On August 15, 2025, Finsmes reported that Munich-based Certivity closed a €13.3 million Series A round to grow its regulatory compliance platform. The SaaS helps enterprises manage complex EU regulations in automotive and industrial sectors. Backers include prominent European VCs. Funds will scale engineering and expand into additional regulated industries.  [Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/08/certivity-raises-e13-3m-in-series-a-funding.html 

Tanso closes €12M Series A to scale carbon accounting SaaS for SMEs

Business Insider (August 2025) confirmed Tanso (Munich) raised €12M Series A, led by Capnamic & UVC Partners. Focus: GHG accounting software to help SMEs comply with EU CSRD rules. Matches our earlier entry; no new delta beyond investor/amount validation.

[Source]: Business Insider — https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/muenchner-climate-tech-startup-tanso-bekommt-12-millionen-euro/

Hololight raises €10M to advance XR streaming platform

Finsmes (July 2025) reported that Austrian XR company Hololight raised €10 million to accelerate development of its immersive streaming platform for enterprises. The platform enables complex 3D visualizations in AR/VR environments, targeting engineering and design-heavy industries.

[Source]: Finsmes — https://www.finsmes.com/2025/07/hololight-raises-e10m-in-funding.html

Vienna’s ZeroThird raises $10M to advance quantum computing

Brutkasten (August 18, 2025) reported that Vienna-based ZeroThird secured a $10 million investment to scale its quantum computing solutions. The startup focuses on hardware-software co-design for industrial applications. Funding will accelerate lab-to-market transitions and position ZeroThird within Europe’s emerging deeptech ecosystem.  [Source]: Brutkasten — https://brutkasten.com/artikel/zerothird-zehn-millionen-dollar-investment-fuer-wiener-quanten-startup [Internal Links]: Quantum startups → https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns 

M&A News

Nect acquires Hamburg-based Acadias to expand ID verification platformHamburg Startups (August 18, 2025) revealed that Nect, the Hamburg-based ID verification scaleup, acquired Acadias, another local startup, to extend its authentication and onboarding capabilities. This marks a consolidation move in Germany’s regtech ecosystem. Backlink note: Nect is already covered in your interview archive. [Source]: Hamburg Startups — https://www.hamburg-startups.net/nect-uebernimmt-hamburger-startup-acadias/ [Internal Links]: Nect (Startuprad.io Interview) → https://www.startuprad.io/post/meet-nect-germany-s-most-downloaded-self-identification-app 

Rumble explores interest in Northern Data amid AI‑compute expansion strategyOn August 18, 2025, FAZ reported Rumble is interested in Frankfurt‑based Northern Data, a European AI/HPC compute operator. Any transaction could give Rumble closer control over GPU infrastructure for AI and video workloads, highlighting the strategic value of European compute capacity. Discussions remain exploratory; no deal terms disclosed. [Source]: FAZ https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/youtube-konkurrent-rumble-an-northern-data-interessiert-110631697.html

US materials startup Lyten to acquire Northvolt’s remaining assets after insolvency

On August 6, 2025, Silicon Canals reported Lyten plans to acquire all remaining assets of Northvolt following the Swedish battery maker’s insolvency. The deal would transfer manufacturing and IP assets to Lyten’s lithium‑sulfur and advanced materials roadmap, preserving parts of Europe’s battery supply chain footprint under new ownership. (Financial terms not disclosed.) Silicon Canals — https://siliconcanals.com/lyten-to-acquire-northvolts-all-remaining-assets/

Frank Thelen sells Scanbot SDK to Apryse

Handelsblatt (July 2025) revealed that VC Frank Thelen sold Scanbot SDK, a German document scanning software provider, to Canadian firm Apryse. Financial terms were undisclosed, but the deal reflects consolidation in the enterprise document tech space. For Thelen, this marks another notable exit from his portfolio. [Source]: Handelsblatt — https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/start-ups/frank-thelen-verkauft-start-up-scanbot-sdk-an-apryse/100140531.html

dwpbank buys lemon.markets; closing targeted Autumn 2025 (BaFin approval pending)

August 6, 2025, DealMonitor confirmed dwpbank will acquire lemon.markets and keep it as a standalone unit post‑close. IT‑Finanzmagazin adds that closing is slated for Autumn 2025, subject to BaFin and customary approvals; the aim is to add a digital neo‑brokerage platform to dwpbank’s infrastructure. [Source]: Deutsche‑Startups — DealMonitor (Aug 6, 2025); IT‑Finanzmagazin (deal conditions). https://www.it-finanzmagazin.de/dwp-bank-uebernimmt-lemon-markets-ziel-ist-der-ausbau-digitaler-wertpapierservices-231136/ https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/08/06/dealmonitor-dwpbank-lemon-markets/ 

[Internal Links]: Fintech review → https://www.startuprad.io/post/fintech-review-2024-navigating-trends-and-innovations-in-startups 

Today Our Last News Piece is Useless Knowledge

🧀 There’s a new record holder for Coca-Cola memorabilia

Our useless knowledge is not necessarily connected to the DACH startup scene, but it is about a very dedicated person nonetheless. Her name is Debbie Indicott, she lives in Lenoir, North Carolina and, in 1990, she was in a diner in Las Vegas. It was Coca-Cola themed, meaning red and white everywhere. Indicott thought: THAT’s what I want at home!

So she starts collecting. In 2020, she gets the Guinness Book of Records Title for “Most Coca-Cola memorabilia”, because she had 2.028 items in her collection. Someone else took over, she got it back. Someone took over, now Debbie has the record again: She owns 5.623 items!

Stay ahead of the curve

Deutsche-Startups — 7 faszinierende Recycling-Startups (08/12)

7 German recycling startups you should know in 2025On August 12, 2025, Deutsche-Startups profiled seven standout recycling startups in Germany. These companies tackle challenges like plastic waste, e-waste, circular textiles, and industrial byproduct reuse. The feature underscores the rise of circular economy entrepreneurship as Germany faces EU recycling targets and funding incentives for sustainability innovation. [Source]: Deutsche-Startups — https://www.deutsche-startups.de/2025/08/12/7-faszinierende-recycling-startups-die-alle-kennen-sollten/

DefenceTech 2025: Red Tape Creates Moats as EU Demand AcceleratesOn August 2025, StartingUp’s DefenceTech Report 2025 outlined how procurement cycles and compliance hinder early scaling yet protect incumbents and well‑funded challengers. With NATO/EU demand and dual‑use momentum rising, the report frames opportunities for sensor, C2, autonomous systems and space startups across DACH. Specific company funding data are not enumerated in the public summary.[Source]: StartingUp — https://www.starting-up.de/geschaeftsideen/trends/defensetech-report-2025.html

Women now hold almost 20% of top venture capital roles globallyWSJ (August 18, 2025) published a study showing that women occupy nearly one-fifth of senior roles in venture capital firms, a record high. While still underrepresented, the trend indicates gradual structural change in global VC, including Europe. The data may influence LP allocations and startup fundraising dynamics, especially with diversity mandates. WSJ — https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-now-occupy-almost-a-fifth-of-top-venture-roles-study-finds-8339aadb

Tonies Unveils Toniebox 2 With Interactive Games to Deepen Edutainment PlayOn August 2025, Tonies introduced Toniebox 2, adding interactive games to its popular children’s audio platform. The refresh strengthens the company’s edtech/gamified learning positioning across DACH, building on Tonies’ scale‑up status since its SPAC listing on Frankfurt. Pricing and ship dates were not disclosed in the article, but the feature set expands the addressable market beyond audio storytelling. Data Gap: no round/valuation in the source. [Source]: ifun.de — https://www.ifun.de/toniebox-2-neue-version-kommt-mit-interaktiven-spielen-261262/[Internal Links]: Tonies (background mention) → https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-startups-december-2021 DACH Consumer/Edtech Coverage → https://www.startuprad.io/post/german-startups-the-backbone-of-innovation-in-europe 

Survey shows majority of German firms plan to expand home-office policies despite criticismOn August 13, 2025, t3n reported on a new study highlighting that more German companies plan to expand remote and home-office offerings. The survey suggests executives see productivity and cost benefits, although critics point to risks around collaboration, compliance, and worker isolation. The trend indicates long-term structural shifts in the German workplace. Data Gap: no individual startup named. [Source]: t3n — https://www.t3n.de/news/homeoffice-fuer-deutsche-firmen-ueberwiegen-die-vorteile-doch-es-gibt-auch-kritik-1702299/ 

[Internal Links]: DACH ecosystem insights → https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub

We will be back with the next startup news on October 2nd 2025. 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:

Joe on LinkedIn

Joe on Twitter

Chris on LinkedIn

Chris on Twitter

About us: Stay ahead of the curve with Startuprad.io

Welcome to Startuprad.io™, the audio and video podcast, one of the premier sources for news and insights into the world of German, Austrian, and Swiss tech innovation! 

If you’re looking for insightful conversations with industry leaders, game-changing entrepreneurs, and influential investors, you’ve come to the right place. Our platform is designed for decision-makers like you, with Nobel Laureates, Emmy Award winners, authors of New York Times bestsellers, and Forbes 40 under 40,  Top Capital 40 unter 40, and Forbes 30 under 30, as guests.  Dive into our content that offers a curated selection of interviews with current and future movers-and-shakers. 

Discover which partnerships are driving growth in the European tech space. We especially pride ourselves, that “You likely never have heard of our guests, but you will in the future.” We interview entrepreneurs early in their journey, to unicorn founders and CEO of NASDAQ listed companies, but our focus is on startups starting around Series A funding.  Join us at Startuprad.io, where every conversation inspires new possibilities.

Our origins are the audio podcast, but now we also run a 24/7 internet radio station (Startup.Radio) with partners, a blog (Startuprad.io/blog), a YouTube Channel (Youtube.com/startupradio), a TikTok Channel, eight sub-podcasts, and more than two dozen social media accounts (including for our sub-podcasts) to share curated news 24/7.

About the Author

Podcast Host & Startup Analyst

Jörn “Joe” Menninger is the founder and host of Startuprad.io -- one of Europe’s top startup podcasts that scored as a global Top 20 Podcast in Entrepreneurship. He’s been featured in Forbes, Tech.eu, Geektime, and more for his insights into startups, venture capital, and innovation. With over 15 years of experience in management consulting, digital strategy, and startup scouting, Joe works at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship, and business transformation—helping founders, investors, and enterprises turn bold ideas into real-world impact.

Follow his work on LinkedIn.

📚 Consolidated FAQ Block

(designed for FAQPage schema + AI-search snippets — short Q&A, clear wording, entity-rich)

Top FAQs About DACH Startups (Summer 2025)

Q1: What was the biggest unicorn news in DACH startups in August 2025?A1: Berlin’s automation startup n8n soared to a $2.3B valuation after Accel led a mega funding round.

Q2: Which clean-tech company secured major EU backing this summer?A2: Swiss scale-up OrangeBat received €825M from the European Hydrogen Bank to expand hydrogen infrastructure.

Q3: Why did N26’s CEO Valentin Stalf resign in August 2025?A3: He stepped down after BaFin’s audit revealed major compliance gaps, triggering investor and board pressure.

Q4: What challenges is Lilium facing in 2025?A4: The Munich air taxi startup brought in insolvency advisors and is exploring a defense pivot to survive.

Q5: Which climate-tech startups raised funding in Summer 2025?A5: Climeworks ($162M), Makersite (€60M), Q-Ant (€62M), and Tanso (€12M) all secured growth capital.

Q6: What deep-tech milestones were reported in DACH this summer?A6: QTLabs in Vienna reached a 265M-km NASA signal hop, and Dresden teams advanced neuromorphic AI chips.

Q7: Which fintech consolidation moves happened in August 2025?A7: Bling acquired FinStep, while N26 faced a leadership shake-up under regulatory pressure.

Q8: How did Germany’s economy impact startups in Q2 2025?A8: Germany entered a technical recession, but startup funding remained resilient in AI, climate, and defense tech.

Q9: Which VC news shaped the ecosystem this summer?A9: Smart Infrastructure Ventures launched €30M SiVentures II, and HTGF appointed Sebastian Borek as co-MD.

Q10: What are the standout funding highlights for August 2025?A10: Talon.One raised $114.7M, Nuclidium €84M, Oculis €106.2M debt facility, and PlanCraft €38M Series B.

Automated Transcript Startuprad.io's Summer 2025 News Wrap-Up Part 1

Below you’ll find the full transcript of this month’s DACH startup news episode. We include this for transparency, accessibility, and to help researchers, founders, and journalists easily navigate the startup ecosystem.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:00]:

Foreign Your podcast and YouTube blog covering the German startup scene with news, interviews and live events.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:00:20]:

Hello and welcome. I would like to say it's a sunny welcome but unfortunately it's rather gray here in New York. We welcome you to our regular startup news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship scenes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Switzerland we are back from our summer break. I only cling on to this like floral motive short sleeve I'm wearing and we bring you a massive news episode today. In fact it's so long we had to cut it into two episodes. So like double the fun. Our startup news is recorded with me in New York City.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:00:51]:

Joe is joining from Frankfurt.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:54]:

Hey from Nightly Frankfurt. Hey guys, how you doing?

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:00:57]:

And now I started to mention myself first which if you want to get into German idioms in German you usually learn the donkey always mentions himself first. I learned that when I grew up. Today's News cut is August 19th. As always, all news not included will be in our next shows next news wrap up to be published October 2, wrapping up September and the remaining August. Then we needed to cut our news seriously today so you can have a brief news overview. We will have newspaper see other news pieces in our blog posts on StartupRaid IO blog. Those are the ones that we simply cannot cover here, otherwise the news would stretch far too long. To give you a bigger bit of background this time we went through more than 350 news pieces for you.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:01:49]:

Therefore we decided for the first time in the history of StartupRate IO that we will split this news recording into two pieces to keep them short and crisp. Happy Labor Day to you. If you are celebrating and entrepreneurs since they are working so much, I guess have a special relationship to Labor Day. But before I talk myself even more into a corner, I'm going to hand it over to you Joe to kick us off with the highlights.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:02:16]:

Yes, thanks Chris. I always appreciate your energy here. The highlights by the way, I love Labor Day because it usually frequently coincides with my birthday. Our highlights Startup funding momentum across Europe and the dark region accelerated in August with AI, climate tech and fintech taking center stage. Berlin's AI ecosystem made global headlines as one stealth unicorn skyrocketed from US$350 million to 2.3 billion valuation in just four months, underlining the region's dominance in enterprise, automation and SAS driven AI. Meanwhile, the macro backdrop remains tense with Germany's GDP contracting sparking recession fears. But venture capital continues to pour into deep tech and energy innovation as hedge bets against cyclical slowdown. Major deals shape this month Narrative Climeworks raised US$162 million to advance its CO2 capture technology.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:03:24]:

What Stuttgart based maker site secured 60 million euros Series B to scale its sustainable supply chain software q and added 62 million Series A 60 million euros Series A to push quantum inspired climate solutions and Munich's Tanzo or Tanzo closed 12 million euros Series A, underscoring climate tech as a long term growth pillar. On the fintech front, N26.6 faced regulatory heat and leadership shakeups even as Scanbot SDK exited via acquisition and Blynk absorbed Finstep, highlighting both consolidation and compliance challenges in Europe's neo banking sector. For founders and VCs, these developments signal a bifurcated market. Late stage climate and AI startups are attracting many mega rounds and unicorn valuations while fintech and mobility players like Lilium navigate restructuring and defense pivots to secure survival. This month wave of scale ups and exit reinforces the thesis that Europe's competitive edge lies in climate innovation, quantum technologies and enterprise AI sectors now too big for global investors to ignore. Let's talk startups. There's link you can give us feedback. As we said, the first interview the first piece of this news will go live September 1, 2025 and I'm just turning around and checking and number two part two will go live on September 4, 2025.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:05:14]:

Chris, you always you look pretty sharp in your shirt and by the way, without discussing it upfront, we both are wearing shirts. Chris to take over the top news, especially if you just so nice for.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:05:26]:

Once we clean up, I'm going to kick things off with Berlin's N8N. It's a workflow automation startup that has rocketed to a $2.3 billion pre money valuation in August like a week ago after Excel led a mega round with Maritech Capital expected to join, marking one of Europe's biggest AI driven automation deals. This year the company's value has jumped from just $350 million in March 24, so within one and a half years we have seen more than six times increase there on the back of surging demand for AI agents and enterprise grade workflow automation, they say they have an annual recurring revenue of more than $40 million and a 200, 000 member community and NH N8N has become a leading open source alternative to zapier and make.com Lilium brings in Pluta as insolvency advisor amid their defense pivot. So Lilium, we talked about them quite often in our podcast already based in Munich is an air taxi startup that faces mounting insolvency pressures as zu Deutsche Zeitung has reported, for example several times last time last week. And restructuring advisor AAMG Pluta has been now called in to guide the company through its crisis that follows Handel's Blood's revelations that Lillium is weighing a defense sector pivot to generate near term revenues. With the defense sector right now being quite booming in European countries because they're investing more due to the Ukraine war and the US being a less reliable path partner than in the business Insiders note on Fresh investor interest is to is reviving a 20 million euro financing deal. Despite pioneering Europe's EVTOL ambitions, Lilium has endured cash burn layoffs and delayed certification milestones, so it's still relatively uncertain what their commercial future will bring. And now thinking about dual use applications in defense and emergency services, Lilium is pivoting, kind of hedging the risk and they are joining a wider European trend of aerospace startups turning to government based contracts to bridge long funding Cycles Cycles N26 another company we've been talking about a lot here, a NEO bank based in Berlin, is facing a severe governance crisis since probably the most severe one since its founding as their co founder and CEO Valentin Steiff stepped down a couple of days ago August 15th earlier than planned reported for example by Golem and efforts at the the exit follows Baffin's special audit Bafin being the regulatory committee institution in financial supervisor.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:08:51]:

So they audited N26 and revealed serious deficiencies in fraud prevention and compliance revasing, raising investor impatience and regulatory pressure. The move also coincides with leadership reshuffles including a new risk officer Chief risk officer From Santander replacing N26 outgoing Croatia and together these developments mark a deep structural shakeup at a company where we've had a lot of shakeups. I mean we are we have been talking about them quite often now and watching them from being a company where a lot of people were expecting great things from to something that right now feels as if every month we come up with new with a new talk about okay this is their next issue.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:09:44]:

And the sad thing is that for example companies like a revolut show that the new bank model can work. So it's it's really sad that this at least right now is not working out as it could be.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:09:57]:

Mm Moving on to Switzerland where we see the cleantech scale up orange bet having secured a landmark 825 million euros allocation from the European Hydrogen bank. According to Moneycap. The funding will be used to expand industrial scale hydrogen production and infrastructure projects across Europe. So Orange Bat is going to become one of the largest single hydrogen allocations tied to a dark based company. Orange bets win underscores Brussels determination to accelerate green hydrogen commercialization as part of the EU's decarbonization strategy, and it also positions the Swiss player alongside other continental leaders such as Sunfire From Germany or H2 Mobility Sun. Sorry. Orange Bat is targeting both industrial energy users and cross border hydrogen corridors and aims to become a central enabler of Europe's clean tech transitions. And that's it with the really Big Top news section.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:11:13]:

And that leaves us with our first little ad break.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:11:23]:

Taking over after the ad break from Chris we do we don't put anything here in housekeeping and trying to back time to brag this month, but there'll be more coming up. Talking about the ecosystem here in Europe, the European innovation council selects 40 startups for new funding round reported by Silicon Canals. They select the 40 startups from across Europe for equity and grant support. The companies span biotech, AI and sustainability, reflecting EU level support for scaling deep tech. Several dark startups are included, though not all names were disclosed in this article. A2 companies Quant Qwant and Ecosia Lounge Stan St AAN Europe's independent search index TechCrunch reported that French search engine Quant and German Echo search provider Ecosia jointly launch Stan, a European search index designed as a privacy first alternative to Google. They aim to enhance Europe's digital sovereignty and lay the groundwork for AI native retrieval systems. The launch could reshape the European search and ad tech market.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:12:48]:

The talk going to Germany here the E4 business climate index edges higher in July 2025 On July 25, 2025, the Ifo Institute in Munich reported a modest increase in its closely watched Business Climate Index, reflecting cautious optimism in the German economy. Sentiment improved in industry and services, but remained weak in construction and retail. In other news Dresden tops sum up 2025 cost ranking for founders Leipzig and Bremen Follow Sum ups Analyzers of 71 German cities ranked Dresden number one for cost efficient funding, citing low retail ren utilities and competitive effective corporate tax. Leipzig placed second, Bremen third while Munich ranked last among the top 20 due to high rents and utilities. But apparently you could still work as a high rent startup hub. The study weights median wages, unemployment, rents, utilities and effective corporate tax, signaling cost advantages in East German hubs for early stage teams. KFW, meaning the Founding Monitor 2025 reports stable startup activity despite economic headwinds. Munich Startup summarized the Kfw Kronungs monitor 2025 showing that the number of new businesses in Germany remains robust.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:14:27]:

Early stage activity is supported by resilience in tech and digital sectors. Even as macroeconomic uncertainty of waits on financing policymakers are watching indicators closely to refine support schemes. German GDP dips again Technical Recession looms in Q2 2025 Tageschauer it's like the main news source in Germany, right? Everybody watches Tageschau in Germany. It's the law. You have to watch the law. Yeah. They reported that Germany's economy shrank by 0.2% in Q2 after flat Q1 meeting the definition technical recession. Exports and industrial output weakened while private consumption stagnated despite easing inflation.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:15:15]:

The downturn adds pressure to fiscal debates and heightens importance of startup innovation driven growth narratives in the D region. Berlin to set new financial rains for Rails for defense startups to speed procurement and scale Handels Blood reported the federal government will establish funding procurement vision, meaning Rails to help defense tech startups commercialize faster. Aligns with dual use momentum and NATO related demand to use. Didn't we just have something with lilium like that? No new budget timelines versus our priority entry. Germany clears the path for remote operated driving pilots opening the door for tailor up for teleoperation startups. German authorities signal the go ahead for remote control driving pilots establishing the framework for teleoperation in logistics and mobility. The policy shift could benefit companies building teledriving stacks, remote op centers and safety cases align with EU rules. The article does not name specific startups.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:16:27]:

And Chris, you know what's very interesting? We actually talked about it. I talked with lawyer about it inside Germany's autonomous driving law in 2021 because this was already within the frame of a law. So we have been quite ahead of the curve here. But Chris, you looks pretty Bavarian. You want to take over Bavaria here? It's. It's a unique thing that they are highlighted here.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:16:53]:

I mean you're white and you're dressed in white and blue too. But yeah, I mean autonomous driving, this is also a story that is with. Has been with us forever and we've been promised that we are so close to finally actually making it. Waymo apparently works pretty well on the US west coast. But so far, I mean I'm sure if you went back in the archives that you would be able to find assumptions, promises that would have said okay, in 2025 there will be autonomous driving everywhere and not much, not much has happened.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:17:29]:

But we've already discussed it in 2021. So there will be one person ahead of a lot of screens and if, if any autonomous driving vehicle gets into trouble, a human driver from a center takes over. That was basically the idea we discussed in 2021 and now it seems to become reality, at least in ports.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:17:49]:

There also was a huge report in Guardian based on reporting I think even for hundreds platform Germany about how nonchalant Tesla actually deals with really deadly crashes and the car taking over when the drivers don't really want it. And then actually a lot of times the people who are the, who survive, who are the survivors of the of the dead people probably never get answers for what actually happened in the car and why the crash happened, why it accelerated. It was really, it was a really disturbing reading. Anyway, Bavaria, we established it already. White and blue state in the German south passes a landmark resolution to unlock foundation capital for startups NVC funds. The Bavarian parliament approved a pro startup resolution to invest in startups MVC funds. A little policy tweak that aims at attracting more endowment capital into dark venture markets. Austria, to the south of Bavaria and to the south of Germany.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:19:08]:

There we see what they call a Grundave founders wave, meaning there's a clear uptick in new company formations in Austria, despite the macro headwinds, a surge indicating resilient founder activity, improving access vehicles, public co funding corporates and regional initiatives. We have in the show notes details split for different sectors and seed series totals. Vienna based Allocator1 launches a fund of funds for European VC. It's a platform designed to channel institutional money into European VC funds and the startup model aims to diversify LP risk and simplify access to venture investment investments. Switzerland, as we say in geography, to the left of Austria, west of Austria.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:20:07]:

Has you just said to the left of Chris.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:20:11]:

Yeah, that's what we say. Pinterest launches a new AI tech hub in Zurich in order to strengthen their Dach region footprint and also signaling a major investment in local research and development. The hub will focus on personalization, generate generative AI and content safety. And this, our dear friends, is already the end of part one of our startup news. We will be back in three days. For those of you who listen to us on day one, if you download us later, you can also wait three days. But you can also just go into your app and download the second part if you want to. So thanks for now and we'll hear you soon.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:21:01]:

Talk soon. Bye guys. That's all folks. Find more news, streams, events and interviews@www.startuprad.IO. remember, sharing is car.

Automated Transcript Startuprad.io's Summer 2025 News Wrap-Up Part 2

Below you’ll find the full transcript of this month’s DACH startup news episode. We include this for transparency, accessibility, and to help researchers, founders, and journalists easily navigate the startup ecosystem.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:00:00]:

Foreign Your podcast and YouTube blog covering the German startup scene with news, interviews and live events. Hey guys, welcome Back to part two of this month in German, Swiss and Austrian startups 2025. This goes live on September 4, 2025 and in between the recording, which for some of you may have been three days in between for Chris and me, just three minutes, we established that Chris had a clown for breakfast. He is super fun today. Welcome back to Part two of our Startup News Wrap Up. In this segment we're driving into the movers shaping Europe's innovation landscape. From new venture capital funds and leadership shakeups to deep tech breakthroughs, green tech milestones and latest fintech plays. Whether you're raising money tracking cutting edge tech or following the biggest shifts in the dark startup scene, we got you covered.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:01:10]:

And talking about this. There is the general news section here where we have tech news, companies news and so on. Right now we will focus on VC news, new funds in case. So simply if you're looking for money Smart Infrastructure Ventures launches 30 million euros SI Ventures two to back early stage German startups and especially focused on smart infrastructure. Sebastian Borick joins HTTF High Tech Renefant which was at the time I was interviewing the former CEO Alex von Frankenberg. I think 2020, end of 2020 they've been the most active seed investor in Europe as I said. Sebastian Borick joins HTGF as co Managing Director completing the new leadership trio reports VC Magazine and then I already hand it over to Chris.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:02:10]:

Yeah, and I get to look a bit more into the deep tech news of our program. First up is a team from Freiburg in the very southwest of Germany where.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:02:26]:

Team of wouldn't you want to say down into the left, down.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:02:30]:

Down in the. In the left. Down in the left. They are building what they claim is Germany's first brain inspired AI chip, but also ran into the fact that they must test it abroad. To be a bit more specific, they are developing a neuromorphic they're developing neuromorphic brain chips for ultra low power AI and there are regulatory constraint constraints. So prototype testing is only allowed outside of Germany. The contract cited in coverage it Business Insider points to rising European demand for deep tech compute alternatives. Vienna in Austria is the home of QT Labs which is reporting a milestone communicating with a NASA spacecraft around 265 million kilometers away.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:03:30]:

And so QT Labs is showcasing long range, high fidelity space communications grounded in quantum adjacent expertise. That's also, that's also me. I also have quantum adjacent expertise and the feed underscores Austria Rising Austria's rising deep tech profile and potential dual use applications, insecure comms and space infrastructure. Moving on to green tech news where you can keep in mind the 825 million euros for orange bed that we talked about in our top news section in the first part of our episodes. But moving on Saltstrom and Bottom Bogenland Energy or Bogenland Energy launch a sustainable salt based storage offensive so Borgen Land is a state of Austria and they aim at scaling this like sustainable salt salt based electricity storage project aiming at providing long duration recyclable energy storage as Austria specifically accelerates renewable grid integration. Biotech News Moving on from the green tech news already CureVac, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer BioNTech resolve MRNA patent dispute news agency Reuters confirmed that these three companies settled their long standing MRNA patent dispute with sorry that CureVac and partner GSK settled it with Pfizer Biontech. The agreement ends years of litigation over the COVID 19 vaccines intellectual property and the settlement clears the legal overhang for all parties allowing Biontech to double down on oncology pipelines. Now a an area of research that is also very much in flux since the US announced that they probably might retract from MRNA based research and development with like huge implications thanks to RFK.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:05:46]:

Jr. We we should also keep in mind that we had in the last news that Q Work agreed to be bought by Bio and Tech. So this news that the litigation is stopped shouldn't surprise anyone here. Chris, taking over from you for the fintech news. Bit Panda Modern doubles 2024 release revenues to 993 million euros with an EBITDA margin of more than 30%, BTC Echo reported. BitPanna achieved this revenue more than two times year on year with an EBITDA margin of more than 30% and 7/ million users underpinning a broader EU expansion. Strategic partners include Deutsche Bank LBBV, a German formerly state owned bank, Reif Isen and 26. No new numbers beyond our earlier BL German fintech bling acquires startup Finstep to expand Youth banking starting up reported Berlin based Bling has acquired Finstep, a fintech focused on family and youth oriented finance solutions.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:06:53]:

The acquisition strengthens Berlin's position as Gen Z Financial Services center, adding complementary savings and pocket money features to its platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Guys, we will be back after a short break talking about Europe's deep tech frontier from brain inspired chips in TR to AI coaches in Berlin, plus the rise of AI Search analytics startups.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:07:26]:

And back from the break, we are looking at deep tech and AI news some more Munich based defense drone maker Quantum Systems could triple its valuation to around 1.5 billion euros powered by NATO and Ukraine contracts and Europe's defense rearmament cycle. The company's AI enabled reconnaissance platforms and expanding order book underline dual use momentum across the Dach defense stack. In the reporting in Hannel's blood there was no new funding amount disclosed, but at least we know that the company is really doing well. A Dresden based startup won a major order for its neuromorphic chips. Designed after the human brain, the chips promise ultra low energy AI processing targeting both automotive and industrial automation. The contract demonstrates European potential in deep tech hardware and this obviously brings high hopes for the startup spin cloud in Dresden in eastern Germany. Coach Hub Rolls Out AI M y Amy I guess Coach Hubs AI coach designed to extend access beyond human coaching pools. It's a Berlin scale up and POS trying to position Amy for multilingual company wide deployment with enterprise integrations following a 2023 revenue of 56 million euros.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:09:02]:

The product push targets margin improvement and broader attach across HR suites.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:09:11]:

And Chris, do you know what this new says Coaches AI is coming for your job?

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:09:18]:

Yeah, well we will see about that. Can it, can it pull off a shirt like this though? I don't think so. Peak AI Launches It's a Berlin based company founded by Marius miners, Tobias Livonia and Daniel Darabo Software as a service company monitoring brand mentioned citations and growth across AI search tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. Giving SEOs and marketers a new analytics layer as SGE AI answers disrupt classic Rankings. So Peak AI PEC could be some worthwhile alternative for you if you want to know more about coverage and citations. Moving on to the general news, taking.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:10:08]:

Over from Chris here again to the general news. Uber consolidates position in Germany's right Hailing Market efforts had reported that Uber is finally establishing itself in Germany after years of regulatory battles and resistance from taxi associations. With legal framework clarified and consumer demand shifting, Uber now competes directly in major German cities. Analysts see this as a turning point for mobility startups in the D region with implication for local players like FreeNow and Bolt. And one should keep in mind that FreeNow has just been bored. We had this in one of our last news by Uber competitor lift VCs pour fresh millions into German startups across AI SaaS and climate tech. Deutsche Startups highlights new VC investments into German startups with multi million euro deals across AI SaaS, fintech and climate tech verticals to report points to continued early and growth stage capital inflows despite macroeconomic headwinds. This reflects resilience in the German venture market and investor focus on deep tech and green tech transition sectors.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:11:23]:

Auto One Group We've been talking about them quite frequently post double digit growth across all core metrics in the first half of 2025, IT Times reported. Berlin based Auto1 Group achieved strong growth across revenue, gross profit and unit sales in the first half of 2025 as Europe's leading digital used car trading platform. Auto1 credits its margin expansion expansion to Auto Hero, the retail part, their retail growth and supply chain efficiency. Investors view this as a validation of the post IPO Turnaround strategy. DocLib it's it's an app in Germany where you can book doctor's appointment they face government scrutiny over market power and data practices. They are they came under review by federal ministries in Germany regarding market dominance and data protection concerns. Regulators are excited examining the platform's role between patients practices and insurance. No remedies or penalties were announced at this stage.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:12:30]:

Rea, a retail giant here in Germany. I would say something like Whole Foods. Would you agree? Chris yes. Yep. Rose out the startup lounge nationwide to fast track shelf access for early stage brands, reports Horizon Storebox launches parcel service alternative to Post the German dhl, GLS and DPD Broadcasten reported that Austrian logistics startup Storebox is entering the parcel service market, positioning itself as an alternative to incumbents. We do a little bit good old Schumpeter Leonie says Insolvency voided, Restructuring chosen as only path hundreds but reported automotive supplier Leone confirmed that insolvency would have been the only alternative to its restructuring deals, which secured credited support and prevented liquidation. They plan to provide Runway for the shift to EV wiring and E mobility. Duolingo shares plunged 12%.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:13:38]:

They are not insolvent and just bad news after growth slowdown spooks Wall Street Yahoo Finance reported Duolingo fell more than intraday after Q2 results showed slower than expected user and booking growth. My World ex Linus they file for bankruptcy amid collapse of cashback empire trending Topics reported. My World, previously known as Linus, has gotten insolvent. The Graz, Austria based company once ran a sprawling cashback MLM empire, repeatedly facing legal actions across Europe. Bankruptcy underscores the systemic risk in unregulated referral schemes and marks the end of one of Austria's most controversial scale ups, Idagio and its insolvency around 35 million years were invested since 2025 at Land Zone took majority. Deutsche Startup confirmed the insolvency proceedings for Idagio. Sven Kirschner appointed trustee founders Till Young, Chukovsky and Christoph Lange no longer active Investors include Tangleman Ventures, BTOV Partners, Macquarie later lands on partners Pre Wave reduces workforce by 8% a mid growth strategy Shift Broadcasting revealed that Vienna based Pre Wave, a supply chain risk intelligence scale up, is cutting 8% of its workforce. The company cited strategic realignment and efficiency gains as reason.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:15:25]:

Despite layoffs, Prewave continues to expand its AI driven platform to monitor ESG and supply chain disruptions. And Chris, you are always the person who hands on a high note, right?

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:15:37]:

I'm very much ending on a high note. But also I would like to add a bit more depth to Leonie where you said the wiring company that avoided insolvency because that is actually a fascinating company because they are not necessarily a startup. Do you know when they opened up their first shop? As in like repair shop, their first vaccine?

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:16:03]:

Nope.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:16:04]:

And they're in Nuremberg in take a guess the year 1980, 1569.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:16:14]:

Yes. But as we always said in the general news that their repair shop, they're more or less aligned with what we were doing here.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:16:22]:

Yes. So and they have a hundred thousand people working for them. And so it's really and it's actually considered to be a crucial company in Germany because they have such a, or at least had had such a unique position in terms of the wiring for cars which nowadays has gotten so much more important with there being so many computers and processors on in every car anyway.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:16:48]:

And of course a lot of the startups rely on this because they are bringing the tech to the cars.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:16:53]:

Yes. So yeah successful fundraisings, the high notes that you talked about. Keep in mind this is as always a small section the news here and the total value of the company always show how resilient the startup scene actually is. This time we included selected fundraisings above 10 million euros Swiss francs or US dollars and let me rattle through some of them. Berlin's Talon 1 raises $114.7 million to expand incentive automation platform software as a service platform for promotion and loyalty program management. The scale up plans to use that for international expansion. Oculus amended its BlackRock loan facility raising potential access to 100 million Swiss francs, that is around 106 million euros to accelerate therapies for ophthalmic and neuro ophthalmic diseases. This capital extends the Runway for late stage clinical programs and positions Oculus to push pivotal trials and helps them to preserve equity because it's non dilutive capital.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:18:12]:

Munich based Neuclidium raises 84 million euros in a series B round to advance radiopharmaceutical their radiopharmaceutical pipeline. The funding is going to drive clinical trials for cancer diagnostics and therapies. Another step forward for Germany's health tech as a For Germany as a health tech country then Q and Q A N t has a 62 million euro Series A to industrialize photonic computing and quantum sensing. It's a Stuttgart based company my old hometown and it's a spin out part of the Trump Group planning to expand production engineering while targeting energy efficient AI acceleration and navigation grade sensors. Also Stuttgart based is the maker site, a company that secured 60 million euros in the series B funding as well. They offer AI driven product lifecycle management PLN focused on sustainability and compliance. Buena closed a $58 million Series A to expand their AI driven local services marketplace across Europe. They want to scale the product and go to market to capture fragmented high frequency categories.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:19:43]:

Plan Craft a German construction software as a service startup raised 38 million euros in a series B financing company provides digital workflow solutions for contractors and small and medium sized enterprise builders tackling inefficiencies in project and compliance management. Zurich based biotech Marbilon AG announced a 30 million Swiss franc funding round to expand its antibody immunotherapy platform. The company develops next generation treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and Candy Solar secures $24 million from existing backers including a 20 million convertible and 4 million dollar mezzanine. Top up the company's active portfolio expanded by 60 plus megawatt in the past 12 months, reaching now 132 megawatt contracted capacity across 22 Indian states and 8 South African provinces. Berlin based Motor AI raised $20 million to enhance its autonomous driving software. Stack the startups the startup develops explainable AI systems for vehicle decision making, addressing regulatory and safety hurdles in Europe's autonomous driving race. We talked a bit about that topic already. Munich based certificate closed a 13.3 million euro Series A round to grow its regulatory compliance platform.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:21:19]:

It's the the software as a service helps enterprises manage complex EU regulations, which is all EU regulations in automotive and industrial sectors. Backers include prominent European VCS. Tanzo from Munich raised 12 million euros in a Series A led by Cap Namec and UVC Partners. They are building accounting Software to help SMEs comply with EU CSRD rules. Austrian XR company HoloLite raised 10 million euros to accelerate development of its immersive streaming platform for enterprises. They Their platform enables complex 3D visualizations in AR and VR environments targeting engineering and design heavy industries and Vienna based Zero Third secured a $10 million investment to scale its quantum computing solutions. Zero Third is a company that focuses on hardware software co design for industrial applications. Funding here will accelerate lab to market transition and help 0 third to gain a better position within Europe's deep tech ecosystem.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:22:36]:

M&A's M&A's Next one of our former guests of course we linked the interview down here in the show. Notes acquires Hamburg based a to expand ID verification platform, another local startup to extend its authentication and onboarding capabilities. At the time we interviewed them they have been already the most neck. I mean nect here they have been the most downloaded self identification app in Germany. That was back in 2021 Rumble explores interest in Northern Data amid AI compute expansion strategy F8 said Frankfurt Alge reported Rumble is interested in Frankfurt based Northern Data, a European AI HPC compute operator. Any transaction could give Rumble closer control over GPU infrastructure for AI video workloads, highlighting the strategic value of European compute capacity. Discussions remain exploratory. No deal terms have been disclosed.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:23:47]:

US Material startup Lighten to acquire Northworld's remaining assets you remember guys, they have been pretty big from Scandinavia and they want to build up a big factory in northern Germany. We talked about like the little village that was the last one that had to prove all of that and it unfortunately went under. So now we are in the story and Silicon Canals reported Lightens plans to acquire all remaining assets of Northwold following the Swedish battery makers insolvency. The deal would transfer manufacturing and IP assets to Lightens, Lilium Sulfur and Advanced Materials Roadmap, preserving parts of Europe's battery supply chain footprint under new ownership. Frank Thielen, one of the investors in or in the first round of investors of Germany's shock tank called Lionstent. At the time Handelsbad revealed that VC Frank Thielen sold Scanbot SDK, a German document scanning software provider, to Canadian firm A Price. Financial terms were undisclosed, but the deals reflect consolidation in the enterprise document text base for talent. This marks another another notable asset for his portfolio.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:25:05]:

DVP bank basically Security service bank buys Lemon Markets closing targeted autumn 2025 BaFin approval pending Deal Monitor confirms DBP bank will acquire Lemon Markets and keep it as a standalone unit post close. IT Finance magazine adds that closing is slated for autumn 2025, subject to BaFin and customary approvals the aim is to add digital non brokerage platform to DVP Bank's infrastructure. And Chris, you are the person who is closing this record long recording. I think in total we are now at almost an hour of recording time and you will end it with some awesome useless knowledge, right?

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:25:56]:

Yes, our users knowledge today is not necessarily connected to the dach startup scene but it's about a very dedicated person nonetheless. Her name is Debbie Indicot. She lives in Lenoir, North Carolina and in 1990 she was in a diner in Las Vegas. The diner was Coca Cola themed so red and white everywhere and Indicot must have thought that's what I want at home. So she started collecting Coca Cola memorabilia and did so for three decades until in 2020 she got the Guinness Book of Records title for the collection with the most Coca Cola memorabilia in the world. Because she had 2028 items based on Coca Cola in her collection. Then someone else took over the record. Apparently it's a very, it's very sought after.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:26:51]:

She got her record back, someone else took over. But now I'm happy to report Debbie has the record again and and has been newly certified as the person in the world with the biggest collection of Coca Cola memorabilia with now an individual number of items. 5623 Congrats.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:13]:

Definitely awesome to close those record news with a dedicated with such a dedicated person. Chris, was a pleasure talking to you.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:27:21]:

Yes, I won't finish this. Also a favorite type of Coke is Diet Coke.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:26]:

She said oh okay. Mine would be the vanilla Coke.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:27:31]:

Yeah. And she said Diet Coke but I also like cherry. So fine.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:36]:

What's your favorite Coke?

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:27:39]:

Diet. I don't fully care. Yeah, I sometimes go for or Coke Light, whatever. I don't think is there. Yeah, Coke Light, Coke Zero. Is there a difference? Who knows?

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:27:49]:

I think Coke Light is more targeted towards women and Coke Zero more towards men. Guys, we do have also a lot of stay ahead of the curve including Defense Tech 2025 report women now hold almost 20% of top venture capital rose globally and Tony's box unveils Tony Box 2 and much, much more. We will be back, Chris and I with the startup news to be published on October 2nd. And guys, keep in mind October 3rd is German's unity Day so we all do have a public holiday there. Chris, as always a pleasure talking to you.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:28:25]:

Yes, same Goodbye. Truce.

Christian "Chris" Fahrenbach | Co-Founder Startuprad.io [00:28:28]:

Goodbye. Bye guys. That's all folks. Find more news, streams, events and interviews@www.startuprad.IO. remember, sharing is caring.

Jörn 'Joe' Menninger | Founder and Editor in Chief | Startuprad.io [00:28:47]:

Sam.