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This Fintech Got 100 mn € From Goldman Sachs to Invest | Creditshelf | Podcast Episode #378 — Founder Interview

Updated: Apr 30

This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.

What Is This About?

Frankfurt-based CreditShelf secured €100 million from Goldman Sachs to fund SME lending through its digital platform. This interview explores how the German fintech bridges the funding gap for mid-market companies by connecting institutional capital with small business borrowers who struggle to access traditional bank loans.

  • This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.

  • Learn how CreditShelf, a leading German fintech company, secured 100 million euros of investment from Goldman Sachs and what that means for businesses seeking credit.

  • CreditShelf recently received 100 mn € from Goldman Sachs to lend out via their platform; Goldman joins other investors like the European Investment Fund.

  • If you are listening to our content for the 2nd time, please follow us on social media.

  • This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen.



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This Fintech Got 100 mn € From Goldman Sachs to Invest | Creditshelf | Podcast Episode #378 — Founder Interview Startuprad.io brings you independent coverage of the key developments shaping the startup and venture capital landscape across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.


Learn how CreditShelf, a leading German fintech company, secured 100 million euros of investment from Goldman Sachs and what that means for businesses seeking credit.

CreditShelf recently received 100 mn € from Goldman Sachs to lend out via their platform; Goldman joins other investors like the European Investment Fund. The fintech works with Raisin Bank to get SMEs loans within four weeks. They IPOed already in 2018 in Frankfurt as the first pure-play fintech in Germany.

We see there is a lack of funding for our clients from traditional credit providers e.g. banks.Daniel Bartsch — Co-Founder and CEO CreditShelf

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We manage dedicated credit vehicles e.g. from the European Investment Fund from which we take out the funds and match them with the applicants on our platform.Daniel Bartsch — Co-Founder and CEO CreditShelf

Our Enablers


This recording is supported by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen

This recording was made possible by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen. These organizations have made tremendous contributions to helping startup businesses succeed and thrive, providing a range of services from helping to find grants to ongoing partnerships. By taking advantage of these resources, startup companies can network and develop innovative strategies for success on the international stage. The dedicated support of HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen is paramount in providing startup businesses with the tools for lasting success. Look for our dedicated sub-podcast in partnership with them: Tech Startups Germany on our



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We also fund M&A situations, currently many SME company owners want to retire and we help to fund the successor to buy the company.Daniel Bartsch — Co-Founder and CEO CreditShelf

The Video Interview is set to go live on Thursday, April 12th, 2023



Find Us on Newsly

Newsly gathers the most trending web articles, reads them in a natural human voice, and showcases trending podcasts from over 80 countries. Newsly was recently selected by BestStartup.ca as the top 15 consumer apps in Canada and got to the top 3 daily products on Product Hunt.

Register here: http://www.newsly.me/ and use the coupon code “STARTUPRAD” to get a one-month free premium subscription.


The Audio Interview

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The Founder

We are thrilled to welcome Daniel Bartsch (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-bartsch-1960387a) back as a guest on our show. He was a guest in fall of 2018, shortly after CreditShelf IPOed in Frankfurt, at this time the only listed pure play fintech company in Germany to do so. Daniel is a highly accomplished finance executive with a wealth of experience in the industry. He holds an MBA from the prestigious University of Mannheim and a Ph.D. from the University of Düsseldorf. His impressive resume includes positions at well-respected firms such as Kienbaum and Bain & Company. Furthermore, he has spent eight years as an executive director for Swiss banking giant UBS, in their investment bank in Zürich and Singapore for FICC (Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities). In 2016, he co-founded CreditShelf with two friends, which provides innovative financing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Daniel currently serves as the CFO of CreditShelf, where he continues to make significant strides in the industry. Daniel is an expert in the field of alternative lending and has been instrumental in developing their successful platform. We are excited to hear more from Daniel about the current state of finance and his insights into the industry’s future.


The Startup

Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of Germany’s mighty economy. However, these companies often struggle to secure financing from traditional banks due to their size and lack of assets. That’s where CreditShelf (https://www.creditshelf.com/) comes in, providing a unique solution to bridge the gap between institutional investors and German Mittelstand (small and medium companies). What sets CreditShelf apart is its use of data-driven risk analysis software, which allows them to quickly and accurately assess a company’s creditworthiness. This means that loans can be approved and paid out in as little as four weeks, providing a fast and convenient solution for businesses looking to expand or make strategic acquisitions. With loans ranging from 100.000 € to 5 M € and terms up to 5 years, CreditShelf is changing the game regarding credit for small and medium enterprises in Germany. They allow to stretch up the repayment up to 5 years for supplies, scale-up, real estate, and even the acquistion of companies.

Especially for acquiring companies, they play a crucial role, where 28% of owner CEOs of Germany’s Mittelstand are in their 60s right now and want to sell the company to a successor. According to researchers up to 465.000 companies may have to shut down until 2025, due to a lack of successors.


October 2018 Interview

You can find the interview from Fall 2018 with Daniel here:


We provide our loans “Überall wo es dampft, zischt und raucht” everywhere it is ‘steaming, hissing and smoking.’ Meaning companies that produce physical products.Daniel Bartsch — Co-Founder and CEO CreditShelf

CreditShelf is Hiring!

You can learn more about the company that is still hiring


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Further Readings / Additional Resources


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The Interviewer

This interview was conducted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger, startup scout, founder, and host of Startuprad.io. Reach out to him:


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Topics Discussed in this Interview

In this interview, we are talking about

  • CreditShelf, a Frankfurt-based fintech, secured €100 million from Goldman Sachs to deploy as lending capital through its platform — a major validation from one of the world's most prominent investment banks.

  • CreditShelf targets Germany's Mittelstand (SMEs), which are the backbone of the economy but often struggle to secure credit from traditional banks, especially for acquisition financing where 28% of owner-CEOs are in succession planning.

  • The company provides loans "überall wo es dampft, zischt und raucht" (everywhere it is steaming, hissing, and smoking) — meaning they focus on real-economy businesses in manufacturing and industry, not just tech startups.

  • Goldman Sachs joins the European Investment Fund as a major institutional backer, signaling growing confidence in European fintech lending platforms as alternatives to traditional bank financing.

  • Founder Daniel Bartsch is a returning guest on Startuprad.io (first interview October 2018), showing the company's growth trajectory over five years. The recording was enabled by HTAI and the Enterprise Europe Network Hessen.

Entities

Companies

  • CreditShelf — Frankfurt-based fintech lending platform for German Mittelstand SMEs. Received €100M from Goldman Sachs.

  • Goldman Sachs — Invested €100M in CreditShelf for lending deployment.

  • European Investment Fund (EIF) — Existing institutional investor in CreditShelf.

People

  • Daniel Bartsch — Founder of CreditShelf. Returning Startuprad.io guest (first interview October 2018).

Organizations

  • HTAI (Hessen Trade & Invest) — Enabled the recording of this interview.

  • Enterprise Europe Network Hessen — Co-enabler of this recording.

Cities

  • Frankfurt — CreditShelf headquarters; Germany's financial hub.

Topics

  • Mittelstand Lending — Fintech solutions for Germany's underserved SME credit market.

  • Alternative Lending / Fintech Credit — Digital platforms replacing traditional bank SME lending.

  • Succession Financing — Credit for SME acquisitions as 28% of Mittelstand owner-CEOs plan succession.

  • Institutional Fintech Investment — Goldman Sachs and EIF backing European lending platforms.

Relationship Map

  • Goldman Sachs → CreditShelf: €100M investment for lending deployment on platform.

  • EIF → CreditShelf: Existing institutional investor alongside Goldman Sachs.

  • CreditShelf → German Mittelstand: Lending platform serving underbanked SMEs.

  • HTAI / EEN Hessen → Startuprad.io: Enabler for interview recording.

Quote Highlights

  • "We provide our loans überall wo es dampft, zischt und raucht — everywhere it is steaming, hissing, and smoking." — Daniel Bartsch, describing CreditShelf's focus on real-economy industrial businesses.

Internal Links

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What is CreditShelf?

CreditShelf is a Frankfurt-based fintech company that provides digital lending solutions to German small and medium enterprises (Mittelstand). The platform connects SMEs that struggle to secure credit from traditional banks with institutional investors willing to fund business loans. CreditShelf focuses on real-economy businesses in manufacturing and industry, offering an alternative to the often slow and restrictive bank lending process that many German SMEs face.

Why did Goldman Sachs invest €100 million in CreditShelf?

Goldman Sachs invested €100 million in CreditShelf to be deployed as lending capital through the platform, not as equity investment in the company itself. This signals institutional confidence in CreditShelf's credit assessment technology and the attractiveness of the German Mittelstand lending market. The investment allows CreditShelf to significantly expand its loan volume while Goldman Sachs gains access to the returns from a diversified portfolio of German SME loans.

Why do German Mittelstand companies struggle to get credit?

Germany's Mittelstand — the backbone of its economy — often faces challenges securing bank credit due to lengthy approval processes, strict collateral requirements, and traditional banks' risk aversion toward smaller businesses. This is particularly acute for succession financing, where 28% of Mittelstand owner-CEOs are planning succession and need acquisition financing. Fintech platforms like CreditShelf fill this gap with faster, more flexible lending decisions powered by digital credit assessment.

About the Host

Joern "Joe" Menninger is the host of the Startuprad.io podcast and covers founders, investors, and policy developments across the DACH startup ecosystem. Through more than 1,300 interviews and nearly a decade of reporting, he documents the evolution of the European startup landscape. Follow Joern on LinkedIn.

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Companies building in fintech, lending, and financial infrastructure use Startuprad.io to connect with founders, investors, and decision-makers across the DACH startup ecosystem. If your team is shaping the future of financial services, explore our partnership options here: Partner with Startuprad.io

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