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AI & Fintech Trends Across DACH — March 2025 · Deep Tech Germany – AI, Robotics & Frontier Innovation by Startuprad.io™

• WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:08.580 Welcome to startuprad.io. 2 00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:12.880 Your podcast and YouTube blog covering the German 3 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:16.564 startup scene with news, interviews, and 4 00:00:16.564 --> 00:00:17.705 live events. 5 00:00:20.324 --> 00:00:24.005 Hello, and welcome, everybody. This is Joe from startuprate.o. 6 00:00:24.005 --> 00:00:27.064 Welcome to this month in German, Swiss, and Austrian startups, 7 00:00:27.125 --> 00:00:30.900 March 2025. Welcome to 8 00:00:30.900 --> 00:00:33.960 our regular startup news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship 9 00:00:34.260 --> 00:00:37.940 scenes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and even 10 00:00:37.940 --> 00:00:41.780 Liechtenstein. Our startup news is recorded again 11 00:00:41.780 --> 00:00:45.465 with Chris in New York City. How are you doing, man? Hi. I'm good. 12 00:00:45.524 --> 00:00:49.145 City is gray, but my heart is full of sun. 13 00:00:49.844 --> 00:00:53.225 That's why we love him. I'm joining from Frankfurt. 14 00:00:53.285 --> 00:00:56.880 Today's news card was already 03/21/2025 15 00:00:57.120 --> 00:01:00.960 due to us recording on a Monday. As always, all news not 16 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.640 included will be in our next news wrap up. Here a 17 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.160 little hint, the April news wrap up will be published on 18 00:01:08.160 --> 00:01:11.940 May 1, Labor Day in Europe, where a lot of people 19 00:01:12.415 --> 00:01:15.854 have free time. And as always, we need to cut the 20 00:01:15.854 --> 00:01:19.615 news very seriously. In case 21 00:01:19.615 --> 00:01:23.235 you celebrate it, between now and our next recording, 22 00:01:23.295 --> 00:01:27.070 happy Easter. Yes. Chris, 23 00:01:27.369 --> 00:01:30.810 Chris, my friend, you've always been a highlights guy. 24 00:01:30.810 --> 00:01:34.570 Right? Yes. So, I mean, I 25 00:01:34.570 --> 00:01:38.345 don't know how to follow, after Jesus's 26 00:01:38.645 --> 00:01:42.485 resurrection, but let's have a look at a couple of the highlights of this 27 00:01:42.485 --> 00:01:46.085 year. Chris, we just tell our audience that you are also a 28 00:01:46.085 --> 00:01:49.605 highlight. Exactly. I mean, Chris, it's like, you know, 29 00:01:49.605 --> 00:01:53.065 Christian. It's like it's all the same story anyway. So, 30 00:01:53.770 --> 00:01:57.450 let's get started. This month, startup news reveal 31 00:01:57.450 --> 00:02:00.890 again a pretty dynamic DACH region. So DACH being 32 00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:04.570 Deutschland, Osterreich, Schweitzer, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Austria, 33 00:02:04.570 --> 00:02:08.345 Switzerland. We are seeing significant financial 34 00:02:08.345 --> 00:02:12.025 movements, some strategic shifts. We see that ID now 35 00:02:12.025 --> 00:02:15.644 has an impressive €300,000,000 exit to Coase, 36 00:02:16.185 --> 00:02:19.870 underscoring the fintech sector's maturity, while 37 00:02:19.870 --> 00:02:23.470 Thomas Bravo's one point eight billion euro 38 00:02:23.470 --> 00:02:27.250 European fund signals a strong US US Investor 39 00:02:27.310 --> 00:02:31.010 confidence. Notably, the stablecoin market surged 40 00:02:31.070 --> 00:02:34.665 to a record 20, sorry, surged to a 41 00:02:34.665 --> 00:02:38.205 record $226,000,000,000, reflecting 42 00:02:38.425 --> 00:02:41.885 evolving digital finance landscape. And, however, 43 00:02:42.105 --> 00:02:45.450 though, as always, we also see that challenges persist with 44 00:02:45.690 --> 00:02:49.450 zombie VC trends. We will talk about what that means and selected 45 00:02:49.450 --> 00:02:53.129 insolvencies like element insurance highlighting market 46 00:02:53.129 --> 00:02:56.590 volatility. We are 47 00:02:56.890 --> 00:03:00.525 trying to come up with a 48 00:03:00.525 --> 00:03:03.885 view of the German Switzerland Austria text scene for 49 00:03:03.885 --> 00:03:07.645 you. And yeah. Well, as always, this 50 00:03:07.645 --> 00:03:11.340 month, also, we see that it's it's a bit of a whirlwind in these 51 00:03:11.340 --> 00:03:14.000 three countries. We see Volocopter's acquisition, 52 00:03:14.940 --> 00:03:18.380 by OneFeng Group. We see that 53 00:03:18.380 --> 00:03:20.960 Mainz's Biomed has a groundbreaking 54 00:03:22.140 --> 00:03:25.895 cancer detection discovery. We've tracked major 55 00:03:25.895 --> 00:03:29.655 funding rounds, including Tactile's fifty two million euros 56 00:03:29.655 --> 00:03:33.495 raise, and celebrated female led start up 57 00:03:33.495 --> 00:03:37.140 setting new records in Switzerland. We would talk more about that. 58 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:41.319 But as I said, it's not always, and everything's smooth sailing. 59 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:45.400 We are also witnessing legal battles, like Germany's 60 00:03:45.540 --> 00:03:49.220 top startup versus SAP and GDPR compliance 61 00:03:49.220 --> 00:03:52.715 reviews for DeepSeek, reminding us of the high 62 00:03:52.715 --> 00:03:54.175 stakes in the whole entrepreneurial 63 00:03:56.315 --> 00:03:59.915 landscape. So I would say, let's talk start 64 00:03:59.915 --> 00:04:03.510 ups. As 65 00:04:03.510 --> 00:04:07.030 already said, we are shifting to two publications a 66 00:04:07.030 --> 00:04:09.849 week. Let us know how you like it. 67 00:04:13.189 --> 00:04:16.894 As always, you could get our audio podcast wherever you'd like to get 68 00:04:16.894 --> 00:04:20.495 your podcast. And keep in mind that we do have a twenty four seven Internet 69 00:04:20.495 --> 00:04:23.795 radio station under startup.radio. 70 00:04:24.175 --> 00:04:28.015 For all others, use our link tree. We'll link it down here in the 71 00:04:28.015 --> 00:04:31.790 show notes. Chris, you also wanna do 72 00:04:31.790 --> 00:04:35.389 our top news pieces? Yeah. So let's 73 00:04:35.389 --> 00:04:38.830 look into what I already hinted at a bit, a bit more 74 00:04:38.830 --> 00:04:42.430 in-depth. So first off, ID. Now 75 00:04:42.430 --> 00:04:46.195 or Corsair. Corsair has a €300,000,000 76 00:04:46.195 --> 00:04:50.035 acquisition of IDNow, marking a pretty significant exit in 77 00:04:50.035 --> 00:04:53.555 the fintech sector, overall highlighting the 78 00:04:53.555 --> 00:04:56.535 continued interest in digital identity verification 79 00:04:56.915 --> 00:05:00.180 solutions. It's a Munich based 80 00:05:00.419 --> 00:05:03.860 company, and their sales signal, investor 81 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:07.620 confidence, obviously. And you can read more about it on 82 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:11.380 Business Insider, Handelsblatt, and, also on 83 00:05:11.380 --> 00:05:15.015 our own website where we have more about the CEO 84 00:05:15.475 --> 00:05:18.295 and ID now in an exclusive interview. 85 00:05:20.035 --> 00:05:23.655 Germany's count of billion dollar startups is on the rise, 86 00:05:24.515 --> 00:05:28.355 showcasing that the nation's tech ecosystem is growing and pretty 87 00:05:28.355 --> 00:05:31.940 healthy. Search and valuations underscores the 88 00:05:31.940 --> 00:05:35.460 increasing maturity of the German venture capital landscape. The 89 00:05:35.460 --> 00:05:39.240 trend signals a fertile ground for innovation and investment. 90 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:43.385 So Heizer.de was counting Heizer.da also 91 00:05:43.385 --> 00:05:47.165 being a German tech website was counting the number of billion, 92 00:05:48.105 --> 00:05:51.865 euro startups in Germany and saw an 93 00:05:51.865 --> 00:05:55.650 increase. One thing, I already talked about that in 94 00:05:55.650 --> 00:05:59.330 the highlights too or in the little teaser in the beginning. The 95 00:05:59.330 --> 00:06:03.010 One Fang Group is set to acquire Volocopter, a company we've been talking 96 00:06:03.010 --> 00:06:06.370 about here quite often. So we are talking air 97 00:06:06.370 --> 00:06:09.350 taxis, helicopter taxis, however you wanna call them. 98 00:06:11.575 --> 00:06:15.195 Urban air mobility is sometimes the buzzword here used. 99 00:06:15.335 --> 00:06:19.035 But despite the acquisition, Volocopter will remain based in Baden. 100 00:06:20.935 --> 00:06:24.315 So we will see how that will 101 00:06:24.455 --> 00:06:27.970 work out. Panasonic's 102 00:06:28.350 --> 00:06:31.790 strategic investment in Tado shows the 103 00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:35.170 growing convergence of energy and smart home technologies. 104 00:06:36.030 --> 00:06:39.765 It's a partnership showing that there is 105 00:06:39.765 --> 00:06:42.825 movement in the market of energy efficiency solutions. 106 00:06:44.485 --> 00:06:48.265 Tado is a company that comes up with new approaches for home 107 00:06:48.405 --> 00:06:52.105 climate control and now has a strong partner 108 00:06:52.165 --> 00:06:54.990 with Panasonic. Housekeeping. 109 00:06:57.449 --> 00:07:01.050 Housekeeping. Yes. As always, we're thrilled to share our 110 00:07:01.050 --> 00:07:04.810 significant achieve oh, by by the way, I was, 111 00:07:05.530 --> 00:07:08.110 a guest in the corporate life podcast. 112 00:07:09.245 --> 00:07:12.785 You can have a look down here in the show notes where we talked about 113 00:07:12.925 --> 00:07:16.685 2025 tech trends. We are thrilled to share 114 00:07:16.685 --> 00:07:20.365 our significant achievements for start up radio in q one twenty twenty 115 00:07:20.365 --> 00:07:24.044 five, which has solidified our position as leading voice in 116 00:07:24.044 --> 00:07:27.800 the startup scene. We got the number one spot in 117 00:07:27.860 --> 00:07:31.540 Feedspot's top 15 German story podcast. By the way, 118 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:35.320 furschotterbrecher.a0+ number seven also made Female Entrepreneurship, 119 00:07:35.700 --> 00:07:36.840 our sub podcast. 120 00:07:39.935 --> 00:07:42.675 We got our podcast, Fintech Germany, 121 00:07:43.775 --> 00:07:47.375 at number 19 in million podcasts, top 100 122 00:07:47.375 --> 00:07:51.055 fintech podcasts globally. Completing these podcast triumphs, 123 00:07:51.055 --> 00:07:54.760 we've been named among the top 100 fintech companies and startups 124 00:07:54.760 --> 00:07:58.380 in Germany Twenty Twenty Five by f six s reinforcing 125 00:07:58.520 --> 00:08:02.280 our deep understanding of the investment landscape and our key role 126 00:08:02.280 --> 00:08:06.055 within the German startup and fintech community. Beyond 127 00:08:06.055 --> 00:08:09.655 these specific awards, our podcast consistently charts right 128 00:08:09.655 --> 00:08:13.115 now in, Chris, would you know? 15 to 20 129 00:08:13.254 --> 00:08:16.775 global, global podcast charts in any given 130 00:08:16.775 --> 00:08:20.260 day. We are everywhere. Almost. 131 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:24.240 Almost. But we are we are working on this. If you like to 132 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.540 work with us, drop us an email at 133 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.940 partners@startoperator.ao. Chris, 134 00:08:32.125 --> 00:08:35.105 you have always been very happy with the ecosystem. Right? 135 00:08:35.804 --> 00:08:38.945 Yeah. So, in this ecosystem 136 00:08:39.885 --> 00:08:43.664 segment, we are, at first looking at the ecosystem 137 00:08:43.964 --> 00:08:47.690 of the world, the worldwide ecosystem for start ups, taking a 138 00:08:47.690 --> 00:08:50.510 global pulse on the entrepreneurial spirit. 139 00:08:53.690 --> 00:08:56.750 We see that entrepreneur optimism, 140 00:08:57.930 --> 00:09:01.735 is increasing. Techstars survey a Techstars survey 141 00:09:02.195 --> 00:09:05.955 shows strong global confidence. So according 142 00:09:05.955 --> 00:09:09.415 to this recent Techstars pulse of the entrepreneur survey, 143 00:09:10.195 --> 00:09:14.035 global entrepreneur optimism remains remarkably high. The survey is 144 00:09:14.035 --> 00:09:17.779 conducted by Techstars, Stars, a leading accelerator and venture capital 145 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:21.460 firm, reveals a strong belief in future growth and 146 00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:25.140 innovation. The survey, which interviewed many early stage 147 00:09:25.140 --> 00:09:28.980 start up founders, shows that founders are extremely positive about 148 00:09:28.980 --> 00:09:32.675 the future of their businesses, But it 149 00:09:32.675 --> 00:09:36.515 is worth noting that the survey was likely taken before 150 00:09:36.515 --> 00:09:40.355 the recent tariffs and global trade tensions began to escalate. So 151 00:09:40.355 --> 00:09:43.890 that whole discussion was not part of it yet or is not, like, included yet. 152 00:09:44.210 --> 00:09:47.650 And as such, it is possible that future surveys may show a bit of a 153 00:09:47.650 --> 00:09:51.330 shift in this, optimism. Let's take a 154 00:09:51.330 --> 00:09:54.790 look at how these global trends are impacting specific 155 00:09:54.930 --> 00:09:57.810 regions, mostly Europe, ecosystem Europe, 156 00:09:59.595 --> 00:10:03.355 where, GDPR reform is a big topic. In 157 00:10:03.355 --> 00:10:06.574 a surprising turn, the conservative, member of the European 158 00:10:06.714 --> 00:10:10.014 Parliament Axel Foss and privacy advocate Max Schrems, 159 00:10:10.394 --> 00:10:13.935 which in Germany is known for having sued Facebook 160 00:10:13.995 --> 00:10:17.520 very early on, have reached a rare agreement on GDPR 161 00:10:17.660 --> 00:10:21.020 reform. Netspolitik reports, that's a 162 00:10:21.020 --> 00:10:23.280 German, website about web policies, 163 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:28.300 reports that the collaboration among the two aims to streamline data 164 00:10:28.300 --> 00:10:32.115 protection rules potentially impacting how European startups 165 00:10:32.175 --> 00:10:36.015 handle user data. And that could 166 00:10:36.015 --> 00:10:39.375 lead to regulatory challenges that actually 167 00:10:39.375 --> 00:10:42.975 affect many startups and websites doing 168 00:10:42.975 --> 00:10:46.610 business online. Moving on to a major 169 00:10:46.610 --> 00:10:49.910 funding milestone, European Union 170 00:10:50.130 --> 00:10:53.089 funded start ups have collectively reached a staggering 171 00:10:53.089 --> 00:10:56.690 €520,000,000,000 in valuation according to 172 00:10:56.690 --> 00:11:00.505 Broadcaster.com. It's a milestone underscoring how effective the 173 00:11:00.505 --> 00:11:04.105 European Union, invest European Union's 174 00:11:04.105 --> 00:11:07.725 investment in fostering tech and innovation growth is. 175 00:11:08.265 --> 00:11:12.045 The achievement highlights the strength of the European start up, ecosystem 176 00:11:12.265 --> 00:11:16.029 as a whole. You can read more about it in the lengthy article 177 00:11:16.029 --> 00:11:19.790 or the in-depth article of podcast.com. Speaking of 178 00:11:19.790 --> 00:11:23.550 supporting start ups, though, there's Unterneema TUM, 179 00:11:23.550 --> 00:11:25.970 which is from the University of Munich. 180 00:11:27.195 --> 00:11:30.654 Unterneema TUM has a technical university to be more 181 00:11:30.714 --> 00:11:31.214 precise. 182 00:11:37.115 --> 00:11:40.475 And and we should tell everybody who's not a German native 183 00:11:40.475 --> 00:11:44.220 speaker, Unterneema two means entrepreneurship, but here it is 184 00:11:44.220 --> 00:11:47.819 spelled in capital letters t u m, which also means Tag Nangle 185 00:11:47.819 --> 00:11:51.259 University Munich. Wordplay. It's a wordplay. It's 186 00:11:51.259 --> 00:11:54.779 funny. But Unterneema, t u 187 00:11:54.779 --> 00:11:58.595 m, has been recognized as Europe's best 188 00:11:58.595 --> 00:12:02.355 founding center for yet another year, a recognition that 189 00:12:02.355 --> 00:12:06.115 they have achieved before, again, highlighting their continued excellence in 190 00:12:06.115 --> 00:12:09.875 nurturing entrepreneurial talent in Southern Germany, or 191 00:12:09.875 --> 00:12:13.520 based coming from Southern Germany. You can hear more about their work in our 192 00:12:13.520 --> 00:12:17.200 recent interview that we did with the, COO of 193 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.460 Unterneema TUM on start up radio. 194 00:12:20.560 --> 00:12:24.000 Shifting gears. Get it? Because now we're talking about the 195 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:27.845 automotive sector. We are 196 00:12:27.845 --> 00:12:30.265 seeing in the European car market that several 197 00:12:32.805 --> 00:12:36.105 brands are struggling, namely smart, 198 00:12:36.965 --> 00:12:40.480 tiny compact cars, and Tesla. It's an 199 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:44.180 analysis by Automotoren Sport, probably the most renowned 200 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:47.839 German automotive monthly magazine. And 201 00:12:47.839 --> 00:12:51.440 that reveals a challenging year for Smart and Tesla and European new car 202 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:54.819 registrations, indicating a shift in consumer 203 00:12:54.880 --> 00:12:58.615 preferences with these brands facing declining interest. I 204 00:12:58.615 --> 00:13:01.995 mean, especially with the whole discussion going on about Elon Musk, Tesla 205 00:13:02.135 --> 00:13:05.895 has, is fighting a decline 206 00:13:05.895 --> 00:13:08.875 in sales from sometimes 70 to 80% 207 00:13:10.410 --> 00:13:14.250 in, monthly sales compared to last year. So 208 00:13:14.329 --> 00:13:18.170 yeah. But we are seeing, okay, that that these are trends in the 209 00:13:18.170 --> 00:13:20.589 European automotive market as a whole. 210 00:13:22.185 --> 00:13:25.805 Let's take a broader look at the European tech landscape. TechEU, 211 00:13:28.025 --> 00:13:31.705 has come up with their latest report 212 00:13:31.705 --> 00:13:35.404 providing a comprehensive overview of European tech trends and investment 213 00:13:35.465 --> 00:13:39.040 activity in February. You can 214 00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:42.879 access the full report, on a 215 00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:46.720 under a link that we have in our show notes. And 216 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.160 finally, a major development in digital finance. The 217 00:13:50.160 --> 00:13:53.600 European Central Bank president, Christine Lagarde, has 218 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.795 announced the launch of the digital euro CBDC 219 00:13:57.255 --> 00:14:00.695 set to begin in Europe in October as reported by 220 00:14:00.695 --> 00:14:04.395 BTC echo, and it's a move that marks a significant step 221 00:14:04.855 --> 00:14:08.490 in the evolution of digital currencies in Europe. And we 222 00:14:08.490 --> 00:14:12.250 will also see how it may may affect the, European 223 00:14:12.250 --> 00:14:15.950 fintech world. Moving on from Europe and to the DACH region, 224 00:14:16.570 --> 00:14:20.410 the core of our show. So DACH region again, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Dutch 225 00:14:20.410 --> 00:14:23.150 and Austria Schweiz. Today, we are 226 00:14:25.795 --> 00:14:29.015 exploring developments from AI breakthroughs to founding 227 00:14:29.154 --> 00:14:32.454 dynamics and even furry into outer space. 228 00:14:34.355 --> 00:14:37.750 Germany boasts world class AI research but faces 229 00:14:37.750 --> 00:14:41.210 challenges in translating that innovation into practical applications, 230 00:14:41.830 --> 00:14:45.589 writes Entifah, a German news channel. This 231 00:14:45.589 --> 00:14:49.350 report, their report highlights the discrepancy between academic 232 00:14:49.350 --> 00:14:52.985 excellence and commercial implementation. So the German AI 233 00:14:52.985 --> 00:14:56.665 research landscape might be strong, but there are issues with the practical 234 00:14:56.665 --> 00:15:00.345 applications of their research. On a more 235 00:15:00.345 --> 00:15:04.045 positive note, Germany's broader tech ecosystem is making waves. 236 00:15:04.589 --> 00:15:08.370 Tech EU reports that the tech ecosystem is a significant 237 00:15:08.589 --> 00:15:12.110 driver of global change with its startups and 238 00:15:12.110 --> 00:15:15.410 innovations making an impact on the world string stage, 239 00:15:15.709 --> 00:15:19.410 actually showing that the, German tech industry's standing 240 00:15:19.470 --> 00:15:22.945 is improving. Moving south to Switzerland 241 00:15:23.245 --> 00:15:27.005 where funding is a key topic, venture capital for 242 00:15:27.005 --> 00:15:30.605 the Swiss fintech startups is tied, but Amnis is 243 00:15:30.605 --> 00:15:34.045 proving to be a notable exception, reports money 244 00:15:34.045 --> 00:15:37.220 today. This highlights the nature of investment 245 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:41.060 selective nature of the investments in the Swiss fintech sector, but at least 246 00:15:41.060 --> 00:15:44.580 it's one success story. And a bright spot for female 247 00:15:44.580 --> 00:15:47.380 founders in Switzerland, startup ticker 248 00:15:48.375 --> 00:15:51.975 CH reports that female led startups in 249 00:15:51.975 --> 00:15:55.515 Switzerland have achieved another record breaking year. 250 00:15:56.055 --> 00:15:59.655 Continuing growth here demonstrates the increasing influence of 251 00:15:59.655 --> 00:16:02.695 women in the Swiss entrepreneurial landscape and, 252 00:16:03.255 --> 00:16:06.610 women catching up. Shifting east 253 00:16:06.910 --> 00:16:10.750 from Switzerland to Austria, where also AI and funding 254 00:16:10.750 --> 00:16:14.430 are key themes, Linz, the city of Linz, has launched an 255 00:16:14.430 --> 00:16:18.050 AI excellence cluster focused on the development of flexible artificial 256 00:16:18.110 --> 00:16:21.834 intelligence rights Factory Net, an initiative 257 00:16:21.894 --> 00:16:25.355 aiming to position LINZ as a leading hub for AI innovation. 258 00:16:26.375 --> 00:16:29.675 And Austria has also seen movement on the funding front, 259 00:16:30.935 --> 00:16:34.475 where the Austrian DACH Fund for start up investments 260 00:16:37.390 --> 00:16:41.070 is set to launch, reports trending topics. It's a fund that 261 00:16:41.070 --> 00:16:44.910 aims to boost investment in Austrian start ups and foster regional 262 00:16:44.910 --> 00:16:48.430 collaboration. Finally, a surprising development in 263 00:16:48.430 --> 00:16:52.154 Austrian aviation, Lower Austria is entering the 264 00:16:52.154 --> 00:16:55.995 space race, Lower Austria being the name of 265 00:16:55.995 --> 00:16:59.695 the state of Austria, with Vienna Airport transforming 266 00:16:59.915 --> 00:17:03.640 into a space hub, reports trending topics. It's a 267 00:17:03.640 --> 00:17:07.480 pretty unexpected development signaling Austria's growing interest in 268 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.160 space exploration and technology. And that wraps 269 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:14.540 up our look at the dynamic start up and tech scenes across 270 00:17:15.605 --> 00:17:18.345 the DACH region. Let's talk general news. 271 00:17:19.445 --> 00:17:23.205 I also wouldn't have, Lower Austria on my cards talking 272 00:17:23.205 --> 00:17:26.805 about space race here. Let's go to the general news, 273 00:17:26.805 --> 00:17:30.309 our VC pulse. New funds and information from the 274 00:17:30.309 --> 00:17:34.150 VC world with relevance for the DACH region. Welcome to 275 00:17:34.150 --> 00:17:37.130 our investment pulse check where we delve into the largest 276 00:17:37.669 --> 00:17:41.210 latest venture capital news and new fund launches. 277 00:17:41.935 --> 00:17:45.395 Post star capital launches of 500,000,000 e mobility 278 00:17:45.535 --> 00:17:46.835 infrastructure fund, 279 00:17:49.055 --> 00:17:52.675 dedicated to accelerating zero emission logistics infrastructure. 280 00:17:53.615 --> 00:17:57.279 This significant investment e 281 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:00.720 mobility sector and is its potential to 282 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:04.240 revolutionize transportation. EU startups provides the 283 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:07.380 details. Next, a look at impact investing, 284 00:18:07.600 --> 00:18:11.195 KFW Capital, the capital armor of KfW 285 00:18:11.335 --> 00:18:14.155 Bank, a state owned bank here in Germany, unveiled 286 00:18:14.215 --> 00:18:17.035 200,000,000 impact fund facility. 287 00:18:18.775 --> 00:18:22.615 This is aimed at supporting impact funds. This initiative underscores the 288 00:18:22.615 --> 00:18:26.370 growing emphasis on sustainable and social response 289 00:18:26.750 --> 00:18:30.190 responsible investment within the venture capital 290 00:18:30.190 --> 00:18:33.950 landscape. VC magazine provides more details. Moving on 291 00:18:33.950 --> 00:18:37.230 to successful fund closures, fund f reaches 292 00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:40.850 28,000,000 final closing backing diverse found founders. 293 00:18:41.885 --> 00:18:45.644 Now for major European fundraise, Thoma Bravo raises 294 00:18:45.644 --> 00:18:49.485 1,800,000,000.0 for European venture fund. Thoma Bravo 295 00:18:49.485 --> 00:18:52.924 has successfully raised €1,800,000,000 for 296 00:18:52.924 --> 00:18:56.240 its first European venture fund. This substantial 297 00:18:56.380 --> 00:19:00.059 capital raise signals significant interest in European tech 298 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:03.360 companies from major US Investors. TechCrunch 299 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:06.799 provides more details. A look at unique investments. 300 00:19:07.659 --> 00:19:11.475 Peter Thiel's fund receives 50,000,000 from 301 00:19:11.475 --> 00:19:15.235 Matthias Stufner Sand. Peter Thiel Venture Fund has 302 00:19:15.235 --> 00:19:18.754 secured a 50,000,000 investment from Matthias Stufner Sand. This 303 00:19:18.754 --> 00:19:22.590 investment is notable for its connection to prominent figures in both 304 00:19:22.830 --> 00:19:26.529 tech and media. Manager magazine reports on the transaction. 305 00:19:26.990 --> 00:19:30.510 Chris, can you can you give us a few ideas about Matthias 306 00:19:30.510 --> 00:19:33.970 Stefner? Well, he's, I mean, one of the 307 00:19:34.510 --> 00:19:38.135 biggest players in German media and has been 308 00:19:38.135 --> 00:19:41.835 for years. He's gotten huge shares in media 309 00:19:41.895 --> 00:19:45.575 from Frida Springer from Springer Fallak. So this is 310 00:19:45.575 --> 00:19:48.795 like an aging aging dorian 311 00:19:48.935 --> 00:19:52.720 matriarch in, one of the biggest German publishing 312 00:19:52.780 --> 00:19:55.980 houses. A bit like 313 00:19:56.300 --> 00:20:00.059 often criticized for running the biggest tabloid in Germany, Bild Zeitung, with 314 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:03.120 sometimes, problematic business practices. 315 00:20:03.915 --> 00:20:07.615 And, Dafna also is known 316 00:20:08.155 --> 00:20:11.455 for modernizing the company, and, he 317 00:20:11.995 --> 00:20:15.755 is the one who came up with, the idea also 318 00:20:15.755 --> 00:20:19.230 to invest in Politico. So that is now part of 319 00:20:19.230 --> 00:20:22.770 that, company. But, he's also being criticized. 320 00:20:23.470 --> 00:20:27.310 Business Insider. Exactly. And but he's also sometimes 321 00:20:27.310 --> 00:20:30.670 criticized for, for example, what was leaked 322 00:20:30.670 --> 00:20:34.335 was, him saying behind the scenes that business wise, it would be 323 00:20:34.335 --> 00:20:38.095 really great if Trump became president. And so he's 324 00:20:38.095 --> 00:20:40.115 sometimes also considered to be, 325 00:20:42.335 --> 00:20:46.110 very conservative and sometimes even, let's 326 00:20:46.110 --> 00:20:49.730 say, right wing populist, curious business leader. 327 00:20:50.990 --> 00:20:54.610 However, not all investors are finding it easy. Some BVC 328 00:20:55.070 --> 00:20:58.605 challenge investors struggle to raise funds. Business 329 00:20:58.605 --> 00:21:02.445 insider just talked about it reports on the rising challenges faced by 330 00:21:02.445 --> 00:21:05.985 venture capitalists with many struggling to raise new funds. 331 00:21:06.205 --> 00:21:09.345 This trend, dubbed some BVC, highlights the increasing 332 00:21:09.565 --> 00:21:13.020 difficulty in securing capital in the current market 333 00:21:13.340 --> 00:21:17.020 even for VCs. Finally, a major capital raise in The 334 00:21:17.020 --> 00:21:19.900 US, Khosla Ventures seeks 335 00:21:19.900 --> 00:21:23.500 3,500,000,000.0 in fresh capital. It it is 336 00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:27.020 seeking to raise 3,500,000,000.0 US dollars in 337 00:21:27.020 --> 00:21:30.645 fresh capital. This significant fundraise effort 338 00:21:30.645 --> 00:21:34.025 underscores the continued appetite for large scale investments 339 00:21:34.404 --> 00:21:38.005 in innovative tech companies. This is here because you can 340 00:21:38.005 --> 00:21:41.365 basically not deploy the money without going a little bit to Europe and 341 00:21:41.365 --> 00:21:44.830 Germany. That concludes our roundup of the latest VC 342 00:21:44.830 --> 00:21:48.510 news and fund launches. Let's go a little bit into 343 00:21:48.510 --> 00:21:51.970 our biotech updates. Gotting start up day highlights 344 00:21:52.110 --> 00:21:55.950 regional biotech boom. Chris is showing thumbs up because that's 345 00:21:55.950 --> 00:21:59.445 his area. It's my home region. Yeah. It's a university city that 346 00:21:59.445 --> 00:22:03.285 is, had has always been strong in medicine and 347 00:22:03.285 --> 00:22:07.125 now is surprisingly seems to be doing surprisingly well for, 348 00:22:07.445 --> 00:22:11.090 modernizing itself. Yes. They had a successful startup 349 00:22:11.090 --> 00:22:14.390 day in Gottingen that has spotlighted the region's 350 00:22:14.450 --> 00:22:18.289 burgeoning entrepreneurial activity in the biotech sector. 351 00:22:18.289 --> 00:22:22.130 This event underscores the growing importance of regional hub in 352 00:22:22.130 --> 00:22:25.335 driving innovation. Transcript provides coverage. 353 00:22:26.115 --> 00:22:29.794 Moving on to major patent dispute. Moderna wins patent 354 00:22:29.794 --> 00:22:33.554 battle against BioNTech and Pfizer. They have emerged 355 00:22:33.554 --> 00:22:37.395 victorious in a patent dispute against BioNTech and Pfizer as 356 00:22:37.395 --> 00:22:41.230 reported by Antifoul. This ruling could have significant implications 357 00:22:41.770 --> 00:22:45.150 for the m r a vaccine market and future collaborations. 358 00:22:46.090 --> 00:22:49.630 Shifting focus to BioNTech financial and development 359 00:22:49.770 --> 00:22:53.530 updates. BioNTech reports business figures cancer track 360 00:22:53.530 --> 00:22:57.135 progress. BioNTech has released its latest business 361 00:22:57.135 --> 00:23:00.975 figures and provided an update on its cancer track development. According 362 00:23:00.975 --> 00:23:04.575 to SWR, it's a public broadcaster in Germany. The 363 00:23:04.575 --> 00:23:08.355 company is making strides in its oncology pipeline with significant 364 00:23:08.655 --> 00:23:12.450 milestones on the horizon. Chris, you wanna say something? No. 365 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:16.530 I'm sorry. BioNTech is also targeting 366 00:23:16.590 --> 00:23:20.210 key approval updates, for CancerTrac in 367 00:23:20.429 --> 00:23:24.195 2026 as reported by focus dot d e. 368 00:23:24.355 --> 00:23:28.054 And finally a major discovery in cancer diagnostics Minds Biomate 369 00:23:28.195 --> 00:23:31.715 announces breakthrough in pancreatic cancer detection in 370 00:23:31.715 --> 00:23:35.475 collaboration with Liquid Bioscience. They have announced a 371 00:23:35.475 --> 00:23:39.270 groundbreaking discovery of mRNA biomarkers for blood 372 00:23:39.270 --> 00:23:43.030 based detection of pancreatic cancer, very aggressive kind 373 00:23:43.030 --> 00:23:46.790 of cancer. This development could revolutionize early detection of 374 00:23:46.790 --> 00:23:50.310 this type of cancer. For more in-depth information, listen to our 375 00:23:50.310 --> 00:23:53.910 interview with Mainz Biomed or look at 376 00:23:53.910 --> 00:23:57.645 the news coverage. Going from biotech 377 00:23:57.784 --> 00:24:01.304 to fintech, as 378 00:24:01.304 --> 00:24:04.765 Chris already highlighted in the highlights, webboy, 379 00:24:04.985 --> 00:24:08.524 stablecoin market hits record 22, 380 00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:12.830 226,000,000,000. The stablecoin market has 381 00:24:12.830 --> 00:24:16.370 reached record high signaling significant growth 382 00:24:16.430 --> 00:24:19.870 within the cryptocurrency sector. This search underscores the 383 00:24:19.870 --> 00:24:23.650 increasing adoption of stablecoins as a reliable digital assets. 384 00:24:24.255 --> 00:24:27.795 BTC Echo provides related market analyzers. 385 00:24:28.335 --> 00:24:32.175 Moving on to major initiative from the European Central Bank, they 386 00:24:32.175 --> 00:24:35.315 plan BLT, distributed ledger technology 387 00:24:35.535 --> 00:24:38.995 transaction settlement with central bank money, 388 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:43.040 a new platform. They are planning a new 389 00:24:43.040 --> 00:24:46.880 platform utilizing Central Bank Money. This initiative aims 390 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:50.480 to streamline and secure digital assets digital 391 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:53.965 asset transactions within the European financial system, 392 00:24:54.184 --> 00:24:58.024 Fintech Futures reports on this development. Shifting focus 393 00:24:58.024 --> 00:25:01.625 to potential IPOs IPO speculations, raising 394 00:25:01.625 --> 00:25:05.130 IPO buzz fueled by strong internal numbers. Internal 395 00:25:05.130 --> 00:25:08.730 numbers from Raizen are fueling speculation about a potential 396 00:25:08.730 --> 00:25:12.570 IPO. This development suggests the fintech company has 397 00:25:12.570 --> 00:25:16.330 experienced significant growth and may be preparing for public 398 00:25:16.330 --> 00:25:19.965 offering. Manager Magatine provides the inside scoop. Finally, 399 00:25:19.965 --> 00:25:23.505 a major shift in the neobank landscape. Vivid Money 400 00:25:23.725 --> 00:25:27.405 exits neobank raise. Vivid Money has announced its 401 00:25:27.405 --> 00:25:31.184 exit from the competitive neobank race. The decision marks a significant 402 00:25:31.325 --> 00:25:34.809 shift in the European fintech landscape. Details 403 00:25:35.429 --> 00:25:39.110 available at manager market scene. So that means they're going out of the 404 00:25:39.110 --> 00:25:42.950 retail market into the business market. That concludes our 405 00:25:42.950 --> 00:25:46.645 fintech news. And I hand over again to Chris. Yes. And 406 00:25:46.645 --> 00:25:50.405 while we're talking a bit, general news, in this 407 00:25:50.405 --> 00:25:54.085 general news segment, we cover the latest developments across the 408 00:25:54.085 --> 00:25:57.685 tech and startup landscapes, also including some of the 409 00:25:57.685 --> 00:26:01.500 established companies where we think they are and when we think 410 00:26:01.500 --> 00:26:05.100 they are important. This time, it is about 411 00:26:05.100 --> 00:26:08.860 legal battles, AI breakthroughs, regional startup spotlights, and 412 00:26:08.860 --> 00:26:12.554 even robotic innovations. Germany's most valuable 413 00:26:12.554 --> 00:26:16.095 startup has filed a lawsuit against the software 414 00:26:16.155 --> 00:26:18.895 giant SAP as reported by Antifa. 415 00:26:19.595 --> 00:26:22.895 This, legal battle could have significant implications 416 00:26:23.434 --> 00:26:27.150 for the German tech sector, and, it 417 00:26:27.150 --> 00:26:30.990 might be interesting to see how Celonis, that being that, 418 00:26:31.390 --> 00:26:34.750 highest, most valuable startup, is 419 00:26:34.750 --> 00:26:38.110 actually fighting SAP. The 420 00:26:38.110 --> 00:26:41.810 lawsuit actually, takes place in San Francisco, 421 00:26:42.015 --> 00:26:45.535 And, it's 422 00:26:45.535 --> 00:26:49.295 about fees that SAP is asking for, 423 00:26:49.295 --> 00:26:52.675 and Salona says this is actually hindering competition. 424 00:26:53.615 --> 00:26:57.179 Shifting to the forefront of innovation, from, like, the 425 00:26:57.179 --> 00:27:01.019 backroom fighting to the forefront of innovation, Business Insider has 426 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:04.539 highlighted a list of German AI start ups that are making waves in the 427 00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:08.320 industry, showing that there are companies 428 00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:11.820 pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence also 429 00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:15.495 in Germany. And a look at startup 430 00:27:15.635 --> 00:27:19.255 communication challenges is provided by Deutsche Startups. 431 00:27:20.035 --> 00:27:23.635 The website's reports that 73% of startup press 432 00:27:23.635 --> 00:27:26.935 releases are deemed overly promotional and lacking 433 00:27:27.075 --> 00:27:30.860 informative informative content. So, 434 00:27:30.860 --> 00:27:34.460 yeah, we can also only advocate for this because it 435 00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:38.220 highlights the needs for more balanced communication strategies within 436 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:41.925 the start up ecosystem. Highlighting new 437 00:27:41.925 --> 00:27:45.605 players in the start up scene, Deutsche Start Up has showcased a 438 00:27:45.605 --> 00:27:49.305 lineup of new start ups, including Admi, Navu, Satellite, 439 00:27:49.684 --> 00:27:52.585 MobilityDexter, and Mimicry AI. 440 00:27:54.120 --> 00:27:57.000 Just dropping some of the names here. If you wanna know more, you can have 441 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.460 a look at Deutsche Startups. And DeepSeek 442 00:28:00.600 --> 00:28:04.440 GBPR, compliance is under scrutiny. We 443 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:08.275 already talked about this in the, highlight section or 444 00:28:08.275 --> 00:28:12.115 in the previous section. The state data protection authorities are 445 00:28:12.115 --> 00:28:15.655 reviewing deep seek for GDPR compliance in Germany 446 00:28:15.715 --> 00:28:19.555 according to Security Insider. Overall, 447 00:28:19.555 --> 00:28:22.980 definitely an investigation that underscores the importance of data 448 00:28:22.980 --> 00:28:26.820 privacy in the AI sector, something I think we will talk a 449 00:28:26.820 --> 00:28:29.720 lot about in months and years to come. 450 00:28:31.060 --> 00:28:34.835 Deutsch shifting to regional startup spotlights, Deutsche Startups 451 00:28:35.054 --> 00:28:38.815 has highlighted seven exciting start ups from Munich that are 452 00:28:38.815 --> 00:28:42.255 making a name for themselves. I won't rattle them here 453 00:28:42.255 --> 00:28:45.934 because I imagine they are lacking too many vowels 454 00:28:45.934 --> 00:28:49.440 anyway. Another in their names. Another regional 455 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.720 startup scene is highlighted in Aachen. Also in, 456 00:28:53.040 --> 00:28:56.800 Deutsche startups, they have found 11 young companies to know in 457 00:28:56.800 --> 00:29:00.160 Aachen, a, like, mid sized town in North Rhine 458 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:03.875 Westphalia in the West Of Germany. Also 459 00:29:03.875 --> 00:29:07.335 known for a very good technical university. And 460 00:29:07.475 --> 00:29:11.175 for being in medieval times the, seed 461 00:29:11.235 --> 00:29:15.075 of the German not king even, like the German 462 00:29:15.075 --> 00:29:18.620 Caesar. Charlemagne. There you 463 00:29:18.620 --> 00:29:22.080 go. Looking at startup hub growth, 464 00:29:22.380 --> 00:29:25.120 Silicon Canal Canals reports 465 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:30.240 on, the significant growth of the Leipzig SpinLab 466 00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:34.075 startup hub, underscoring the city's emerging status as 467 00:29:34.075 --> 00:29:37.595 a tech center. So, also, here we see that that's a city in Eastern 468 00:29:37.595 --> 00:29:41.195 Germany. We see that, really, innovation and innovation 469 00:29:41.195 --> 00:29:43.590 clusters are happening all over the country right now. 470 00:29:44.789 --> 00:29:48.409 Look into EdTech, trending topics reports 471 00:29:48.470 --> 00:29:52.150 that GoStudent has further reduced earnings for its two 472 00:29:52.150 --> 00:29:55.830 tutors. So we will 473 00:29:55.830 --> 00:29:59.450 see whether, they will actually be able to 474 00:29:59.804 --> 00:30:02.784 maintain their roster of tutors online. 475 00:30:05.404 --> 00:30:09.184 Moving from human help to robotic innovation, 476 00:30:09.884 --> 00:30:13.559 Machine and Mark reports that the circus robot is 477 00:30:13.559 --> 00:30:17.240 ready for series manufacturing. They 478 00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:21.080 hope it's gonna be a significant milestone in robotics technology. You can 479 00:30:21.080 --> 00:30:24.760 read more about that in the show notes. And finally, a look into drone 480 00:30:24.760 --> 00:30:28.375 innovations. Wingcopter is expanding its capabilities from 481 00:30:28.375 --> 00:30:31.034 medical cargo deliveries to surveying missions, 482 00:30:31.815 --> 00:30:35.595 reports TechEU, and expansion widening 483 00:30:35.735 --> 00:30:39.280 drones the drones application. And lastly, a robotics 484 00:30:39.280 --> 00:30:42.640 AI acquisition, Agile robots has 485 00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:45.620 acquired Odeering according to German, 486 00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:49.680 business news, paper Handelsblatt. This 487 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:52.820 acquisition is a move to improve the AI of the robotics 488 00:30:53.794 --> 00:30:57.635 company. Back to you. Yes. And 489 00:30:57.635 --> 00:31:01.335 back to creative destruction. We're covering layoffs, insolvencies, 490 00:31:01.875 --> 00:31:05.575 and the stark realities faced by some companies. MacMarkler 491 00:31:05.794 --> 00:31:09.419 announces yet another round of layoffs. They have announced 492 00:31:09.419 --> 00:31:13.100 another round of layoffs just two month after its previous 493 00:31:13.100 --> 00:31:16.700 workforce reduction as reported by Business Insider, and we 494 00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:20.539 already talked about it as well. Moving to a struggle in biotech 495 00:31:20.539 --> 00:31:24.235 industry, Bluebird Bio Bio seeks acquisition. 496 00:31:24.774 --> 00:31:28.154 Amidst gene therapy challenges, Bluebird Bio 497 00:31:28.615 --> 00:31:32.135 facing significant challenges in the gene therapy sector is 498 00:31:32.135 --> 00:31:35.830 seeking acquisition according to transcript. This development 499 00:31:35.970 --> 00:31:39.330 underscores the difficulties and high risks associated with 500 00:31:39.330 --> 00:31:42.690 innovative die biotech ventures. Legal tech 501 00:31:42.690 --> 00:31:46.450 startups are also facing headwinds. Right now, legal 502 00:31:46.450 --> 00:31:49.885 tech startup fights for insolvency. Right now a legal tech 503 00:31:49.885 --> 00:31:53.425 startup has filed for insolvency as reported by Handelsblatt. 504 00:31:53.885 --> 00:31:57.425 This news highlights the competitive nature of legal tech market 505 00:31:57.725 --> 00:32:01.505 and challenges startup face in scaling. The insurance market 506 00:32:01.940 --> 00:32:05.720 the insurance tech market isn't immune as well. Element 507 00:32:05.940 --> 00:32:09.780 insurance declares insolvency according to efforts at this 508 00:32:09.780 --> 00:32:13.080 event marks a significant setback for the insurtech sector 509 00:32:13.299 --> 00:32:17.135 highlighting the risk of this market. Moving from insurance to 510 00:32:17.135 --> 00:32:20.815 travel freeway camper rental fights also for 511 00:32:20.815 --> 00:32:24.175 insolvency. The Lilium story continues with 512 00:32:24.175 --> 00:32:27.855 employee issues. Lilium faces employee issues 513 00:32:27.855 --> 00:32:30.675 with unpaid salaries and insolvency funds 514 00:32:31.350 --> 00:32:35.110 including and Lilium is facing 515 00:32:35.110 --> 00:32:38.710 employee issues including unpaid salaries and problems with 516 00:32:38.710 --> 00:32:42.470 insolvency funds according to business insider. This adds another 517 00:32:42.470 --> 00:32:46.010 layer of complexity to the company's existing challenges. 518 00:32:46.515 --> 00:32:49.335 A radio station is also in facing insolvency. 519 00:32:50.355 --> 00:32:53.715 Ego FM seeks investors to survive this 520 00:32:53.715 --> 00:32:57.495 insolvency. A large company closes a recently 521 00:32:57.555 --> 00:33:01.380 acquired startup, Mars, Yes, the company from the with the 522 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:05.139 chocolate bars, ends food spring operations after six 523 00:33:05.139 --> 00:33:08.580 years. Mars had decided to end food spring 524 00:33:08.580 --> 00:33:12.419 operations six years after acquiring the Berlin based fitness brand 525 00:33:12.419 --> 00:33:16.105 for €250,000,000. This decision 526 00:33:16.105 --> 00:33:19.544 underscores the volatile nature of brand acquisition and market 527 00:33:19.544 --> 00:33:23.385 strategies. After so much bad news, let's end on a 528 00:33:23.385 --> 00:33:26.985 high note with Chris. I was so irritated. I was reading up 529 00:33:26.985 --> 00:33:30.130 about, Foolspring just now. What a, like, 530 00:33:30.130 --> 00:33:33.670 €250,000,000. It's a lot of money. Anyway, 531 00:33:34.770 --> 00:33:38.550 we're ending our broadcast with a burst of positive news showcasing 532 00:33:38.610 --> 00:33:42.370 the resilience and dynamic dynamism of the 533 00:33:42.370 --> 00:33:46.174 start up scene, because we can see that despite the challenges we are 534 00:33:46.174 --> 00:33:49.794 talking about, significant funding rounds and strategic acquisitions, 535 00:33:50.975 --> 00:33:54.335 are demonstrating that investor confidence is still 536 00:33:54.335 --> 00:33:58.174 there. Market opportunities exist. So let's have a look at some of 537 00:33:58.174 --> 00:34:01.670 the highlights. Tektai has successfully raised 538 00:34:01.670 --> 00:34:04.970 €52,000,000 from prominent investors, signaling 539 00:34:05.110 --> 00:34:07.530 confidence in the company's growth potential. 540 00:34:09.430 --> 00:34:13.110 And it's a, company it's a tech 541 00:34:13.110 --> 00:34:16.484 company. Moving to Switzerland, 542 00:34:17.264 --> 00:34:20.645 Spalter, Swiss yeah, Spalter has secured 543 00:34:20.705 --> 00:34:24.304 $52,000,000 in a series b funding 544 00:34:24.304 --> 00:34:28.145 round. Finsmez has 545 00:34:28.145 --> 00:34:31.049 some details here. Spata 546 00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:34.889 is a provider of real time intelligence 547 00:34:35.429 --> 00:34:39.190 for commodity traders. A major 548 00:34:39.190 --> 00:34:42.809 series a funding is the 549 00:34:43.665 --> 00:34:46.225 funding round of Unique, which has raised 550 00:34:46.225 --> 00:34:49.585 $30,000,000, demonstrating investor 551 00:34:49.585 --> 00:34:53.364 interest in their approach to agentic AI 552 00:34:53.665 --> 00:34:55.205 workforce technology. 553 00:34:58.020 --> 00:35:01.160 Vital has secured €14,200,000, 554 00:35:01.620 --> 00:35:05.380 in investment. They have a company that 555 00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:08.920 works on digital reusable packaging solutions, 556 00:35:10.275 --> 00:35:13.655 and was also on, Diehule Derleuwen, Germany's 557 00:35:14.035 --> 00:35:17.875 version of Shark Tank. In the 558 00:35:17.875 --> 00:35:21.175 e mobility market, we are also seeing funding successes. 559 00:35:21.810 --> 00:35:24.690 Dans, an e mobility startup, has raised 560 00:35:24.690 --> 00:35:26.150 €12,000,000, 561 00:35:28.290 --> 00:35:31.830 highlighting the continued investment in sustain sustainable 562 00:35:32.210 --> 00:35:35.935 transportation solution. Obviously, they have 563 00:35:35.935 --> 00:35:39.615 the best name of the whole month with Dan's. It 564 00:35:39.615 --> 00:35:43.075 was actually also founded by the founders of SoundCloud, 565 00:35:43.615 --> 00:35:47.055 two of the founders, and it's a, 566 00:35:47.375 --> 00:35:49.395 mobility subscription service. 567 00:35:53.430 --> 00:35:56.870 Seed funding is also prevalent. Alpine Eagle 568 00:35:56.870 --> 00:35:57.850 has secured 569 00:35:58.710 --> 00:36:02.470 €10,250,000 in seed 570 00:36:02.470 --> 00:36:06.015 funding, signaling early stage 571 00:36:06.015 --> 00:36:09.615 investor confidence in their business. And now let 572 00:36:10.095 --> 00:36:13.315 yep. And now let's talk a little bit m and a here. 573 00:36:14.095 --> 00:36:17.795 Now let's shift some key acquisition. Lohmann Rauscher 574 00:36:18.494 --> 00:36:21.190 acquires teleder teledermatology 575 00:36:25.170 --> 00:36:28.470 startup. Oh, sorry. Online doctor. 576 00:36:28.770 --> 00:36:32.150 Lohmann L and R has acquired the teledermatology 577 00:36:33.010 --> 00:36:36.605 startup, meaning Online Skin Doctor, yes, marking a 578 00:36:36.605 --> 00:36:40.385 strategic expansion into the digital health sector. MoneyCap 579 00:36:40.525 --> 00:36:44.125 reports on the acquisition. A Tesla subsidiary makes 580 00:36:44.125 --> 00:36:47.500 a acquisition. A Tesla 581 00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:51.280 subsidiary acquires parts of Mans Heutlingen, 582 00:36:53.480 --> 00:36:56.720 formerly, insolvent company. 583 00:36:57.180 --> 00:37:00.615 And, they that is an investment in 584 00:37:00.615 --> 00:37:03.595 advanced manufacturing technology, SWR 585 00:37:04.375 --> 00:37:07.355 reports. And finally, in acquisition in EdTech space, 586 00:37:08.615 --> 00:37:11.595 Educated acquires EdTech Pioneer 587 00:37:11.975 --> 00:37:15.800 Pierce Solution. Educated, one word, 588 00:37:15.940 --> 00:37:19.780 has acquired Pierce Solution, a pioneer in EdTech AI. This 589 00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:23.000 move is a strategic consolidation in the education technology 590 00:37:23.140 --> 00:37:25.240 sector, TechEU reports. 591 00:37:28.755 --> 00:37:32.455 A lot, a lot. And I learned I should have taken an allergy pill. 592 00:37:33.075 --> 00:37:36.835 Yeah. Me too. And we do have a lot of stuff that 593 00:37:36.835 --> 00:37:40.515 didn't make it into the news in, by stay ahead of the 594 00:37:40.515 --> 00:37:44.220 curve. For example, somebody tracked Jeff Bezos in Westbank's 595 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:47.900 twenty twenty five. Agile robots acquire 596 00:37:48.680 --> 00:37:52.359 Odorin. Kit and IBM, work 597 00:37:52.760 --> 00:37:56.460 cooperate on generative AI and so on and so forth. 598 00:37:56.635 --> 00:38:00.395 So there is still a lot. We are always looking for ways to make 599 00:38:00.395 --> 00:38:04.235 our show better. Please please, leave us feedback in the feedback 600 00:38:04.235 --> 00:38:07.915 form here. And, of course, you can always talk directly to us. 601 00:38:07.915 --> 00:38:11.250 There are links to our LinkedIn profile and Twitter 602 00:38:11.710 --> 00:38:15.470 x profile in the show notes. Chris, it was a 603 00:38:15.470 --> 00:38:19.150 pleasure working with you as always. Thank you very much. Thank 604 00:38:19.150 --> 00:38:22.770 you. Have a nice spring, everyone. Bye bye. 605 00:38:22.990 --> 00:38:23.490 Bye. 606 00:38:28.425 --> 00:38:31.805 That's all, folks. Find more news, streams, 607 00:38:32.265 --> 00:38:34.425 events, and interviews at 608 00:38:34.425 --> 00:38:37.805 www.startupgrad.io. 609 00:38:37.945 --> 00:38:39.980 Remember, sharing is 610 00:38:46.496 --> 00:38:46.996 caring.