European Funding April 2025: €1.3B & a Fintech Fall

WEBVTT - > Music. - > Hello and welcome to our regular startup news from the startup and tech entrepreneurship - > scenes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Welcome to StartupRate.io.

- > Our startup news today is recorded with me, Chris, not in New York City, - > but in a hotel room in Hamburg, Germany, and Joe is joining from Frankfurt. Hey, guys. - > Hello uh today's day - > is april 25th 2025 um and - > that's also our cutoff date as always all news not included will be in our next - > news start up wrap up to be published on may 29th uh accession of christ a holiday - > in many german states and the day we celebrate in germany father's day, - > So if you are in Germany, that's a day when a lot of fathers walk around the countryside drunk.

- > We need you to cut our news today seriously short so you have a brief news overview. - > We will have news pieces in our blog post on startupraid.io slash blog that - > we simply cannot cover here. - > Otherwise, the news would stretch for more than one hour.

My estimate was even one and a half hours. - > So, yeah, let's get to it. And you are taking the lead with highlights. - > Yes, I do.

And for everybody, now is the time to pause this and get a snack - > and a drink because this is going to be long and intense. It's our highlights. - > March 2025 saw a remarkable surge in the DAX startup ecosystem with nearly 1.3 - > billion US dollars in disclosed startup funding rounds and over 5 billion US - > dollars in new venture fund announcements.

- > Little disclaimer, they are not all from the DAX region, but they do also invest here. - > From Ambers raising $250 million for global AI health expansion to Noctua's - > 92 million round for sovereign AI. - > Germany, Austria, and Switzerland continue to punch above their weight in innovation. - > Other major wins include Berlin's N8N, raising 55 million to rival Zapier, - > and Munich's Marvel Fusion securing 50 million for nuclear innovation.

- > Cross-border deals like Lyft's $175 million acquisition of FreeNow further demonstrate - > the growing international relevance of the region's scale-ups. - > At the time, venture capital activity is clearly rebounding across the Dach region. - > We'll also have some news about that. - > First Momentum Ventures unveiled a $100 million deep tech fund, - > while global players like Oakley Capital, 4.

5 billion, Revent, - > 100 million, and Compass, 150 million. - > Are backing the next generation of founders. This trend reflects shifting investor - > focus towards long-term value in an eye, climate tech, health tech, - > and infrastructure resilience. - > Challenges remain as seen in scrutiny of new broker trade republic and a wave of insolvencies.

- > But the overall outlook underscores the strategic trend in venture capital, - > entrepreneurship, and early-stage technology leadership. Leadership, I'm sorry. - > Startup Radio continues to be trusted media voice in the involving landscape. - > In March alone, the podcast network achieved top ranking in Apple Podcasts, - > business news and entrepreneurship categories across more than 20 countries.

- > Sub-podcasts like Blockchain Germany, Top 70, Web3 Podcasts, - > and Fintech Germany, Deep Tech Germany, Tech Startups Germany, - > and Our Startup News Podcast made it in the top 100 VC podcasts globally. - > All recognized by millionpodcast.com. They confirm Startup Radio's reach and - > relevance among startup founders, VC and innovation executives across Germany, - > Austria, Switzerland and the world.

- > If you're serious about staying informed and ahead, this is the voice of the - > dark startup scene you can't afford to miss. - > As always, we have a little bit on the customs upcoming holidays in late spring, - > early summer. We do have a lot here in Germany. - > Most of them are public holidays in most states.

- > So depending on where your partner, where your company is that you're doing - > business with, they may not apply. - > This year, three of them are on Thursdays, including May 1st, - > Europe White Labor Day, and Session of Christ, May 29th. - > Also Father's Day, as Chris already hinted, Corpus Christi, June 19th. - > And you should not expect people to pick up the phone on the Friday following - > that, because many people would take long weekends.

- > There's also with Monday on June 9th. So plan accordingly. - > I'm actually looking forward to four long weekends in the coming month. - > Note for the next upcoming public holiday is only reunification day on October 3rd.

- > This year, a Friday. - > Um... - > Chris, as always, you want to do top news, right? - > Yes.

After, in every episode, we talk about the many holidays and vacation days that the Germans get. - > We can also talk about, yeah, the top news. - > And this month, for example, we have a VC investment rebound, - > where we see that despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, - > venture capital investment in German startups is actually on the rise, - > according to a recent report in Handelsblatt. - > The article highlights a surprising resurgence in both early and late stage - > funding, signaling renewed investor confidence in the country's ecosystem.

- > So overall, suggesting that founders with scalable models and AI driven solutions - > are still attracting capital in Germany, even amid what is a more cautious global funding environment. - > We also see that Berlin-based new broker Trade Republic is facing a growing - > backlash after a series of repeated app outages during trading hours, even. - > So users were unable to access their accounts or execute trades. - > We have found several reports about this at Berzer Online, the Bavarian Public - > Broadcast, the BR and FAZ, - > all highlighting our user frustration over the platform's instability with many - > retail investors now considering alternative brokers.

- > The disruptions often occurring during peak market times have sparked calls - > for compensation and raised concerns over Trade Republic's infrastructure resilience, - > especially as other competitors ramp up reliability in response. - > Also, multiple users have reported disappearing balances from their accounts, - > prompting an internal investigation and mounting even more public information. - > According to Business Insider, the platform is now under potential regulatory - > scrutiny as the fintech community and watchdogs raise alarms over financial irregularities.

- > These issues are not only damaging the company's reputation, - > but also undermining user trust in the broader near broker segment, - > especially in Germany's heavily regulated financial environment. - > And I think also, especially in what still is a very cautious investing environment anyway, - > because, I mean, for decades, we've now been talking about how comparatively - > low the interest of Germans in investing in stocks is overall. - > Solaris Bank is facing internal turmoil as co-founder Andreas Bittner files - > a lawsuit against SBI's acquisition, accusing the Japanese investor of orchestrating - > a corporate raid, quote unquote.

- > This case sheds light on growing foreign influence in German fintech and raises - > concerns about governance in startup bank hybrids. - > More about that can be found in Manager magazine. - > Amboss, a Berlin-based chat GPT for doctors, has raised 240 million euros. - > So to expand its AI-driven clinical decision support platform globally, - > I was very tempted to say, well, okay, everything with the label AI on it still - > can attract a lot of money.

- > But actually, I mean, if you look into the AI field, - > it still seems to me, at least from the outside, that - > And Med.ai is actually - > one of the few fields where use - > cases actually surpass large language models and where it's more than just predictive - > rambling and where actually they are looking for patterns and improved the way - > of diagnosing illness, for example. - > So Ambos, the health tech startup, plans to enter new markets and prepare for - > potential IPO reports, trending topics, and silicon canals.

- > Lyft has acquired FreeNow, a German mobility startup, for 175 million euros. - > There's less money in the market than there used to be, but not that little. - > Marking a pivotal move in the global ride-sharing landscape, - > Lyft, as always, or since forever, fighting Uber's market dominance. - > But this acquisition strengthens Lyft's foothold in Europe, allowing the US-based - > mobility platform to tap into Freenow's established user base across major European cities.

- > Heiser online reports that the deal positions live to better compete with regional - > players too and expand its multimodal transportation offerings in those areas. - > Key urban markets. First Momentum Ventures, based in Karlsruhe, - > Germany, launched a 100 million euro deep tech fund to invest in academic spin-outs - > and highly technical founders. - > Target sectors include AI, biotech and hardware.

- > This positions the firm as a major early stage player and Europe's innovation economy rights sifted. - > And here we have to add in this disclaimer, I can do it. You are working as - > a startup scout for First Momentum, So full disclosure here. - > Noxtua, a Berlin-based AI startup, secured $92 million to develop sovereign - > language, large language models, LLMs, for legal and governmental use, - > emphasizing GDPR compliance and explainability.

- > The round was led by European institutions. - > N8N, the Berlin-based startup revolutionizing AI-powered workflow automation - > has closed 55 million Euro Series B to accelerate its fair code automation platform. - > They want to use the funding to expand the engineering and go-to-market teams, - > enabling the company to meet more global demand from developers and businesses - > seeking scalable open source alternatives to legacy automation tools. - > And 8n is known for a developer-centric approach and flexibility across systems.

- > And they are now trying to position themselves as a serious Zapier competitor - > in the enterprise and small and medium-sized business markets. - > Marvel Fusion, a Munich-based nuclear energy startup, raised 50 million euros - > to accelerate its laser-based fusion technology. - > The run includes investments from Siemens Energy, indicating growing corporate - > interest in clean fusion alternatives, right, Finsmes and Handelsblatt. - > And an overall look at the German economy as we do it regularly here.

- > Here, it's, well, if not grim, at least dark-ish. - > Germany's economic outlook remains subdued in the spring of 2025 with the federal - > government projecting now just like a zero growth for the year. - > They released that yesterday. - > The still governing economy minister, Mr.

- > Economy Minister, Robert Harbeck, attributed the slowdown to continued geopolitical - > instability, high energy transition costs and subdued investment activity. - > Up to last week, the projection was 0.3 percent GDP growth. - > So that has gotten worse.

We've seen it also with the International Monetary - > Fund also lowering their expectations for the overall year. - > Most of all, Donald Trump is being blamed with his tariff policies. - > And the latest EFO Business Climate Index also showed only a slight uptick in - > April, indicating that while industrial producers are cautiously optimistic, - > service sectors and small and medium-sized enterprise remain wary. - > Credit Reform Spring report confirms that although order volumes are stabilizing, - > many Mittelstand companies are postponing investments due to interest rate uncertainty - > and general low confidence.

- > So together, all of these indicators, they highlight a pretty fragile and uneven - > recovery across Germany's key economic systems. - > And as always, with the insecurity coming from the Ukraine war, - > from the war in Gaza, but most of all from the US, adding to the trouble. - > Now up to you. Housekeeping.

Bragging. All of it. - > Housekeeping. Yeah, just a tiny bit.

- > I'm getting daily emails on where we are scoring with all the StartupRate.io podcasts. - > And I actually just took a snapshot with more than 20 countries where we are - > charting as of early this week. - > Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Moldova, Egypt, Netherlands, Turkey, - > South Korea, Luxembourg, and Saudi Arabia.

- > Plus, we have also been named a Top 70 Web 3 podcast with our Blockchain Germany by a Million podcast. - > And in the Top 100 Global Venture Capital podcasts, - > made it FinTech Germany, Deep Tech Germany, Tech Startups Germany, - > and our Startup News podcast, StartupBite.io, did not qualify because they are listed on other lists. - > Let's talk a little bit about the ecosystem.

system. - > In the world, startup investor activity surged in Q1 2025. - > With SoftBank Y Combinator leading global deal volume, according to Crunchbase, - > early stage funding focused heavily on AI, fintech and health tech. - > Let's look a little bit more into Europe.

AI startup founders in Europe are - > being recognized as key operators to watch with SIFT profiling 10 entrepreneurs - > driving innovation in synthetic media, health tech and enterprise automation. - > These leaders are setting the tone for AI's next phase of growth. - > European missile defense, supported by German defense startups, - > could see AI-backed radar and tracking integration amid rising tensions with Russia. - > NTV highlights the evolving geopolitical stakes and funding needs.

- > EOFintech regulations are intensifying, prompting startups to strengthen compliance frameworks. - > International Banker reports that stricter KYC, Know Your Customer, - > and Anti-Money Laundry, AML, standards are reshaping digital finance across Europe. - > Chris, handing over to Germany's ecosystem news. Yes, let's zoom in a bit.

- > We did not include the March EFU index in the last news, so we now have two for you. - > EFU Business Climate Index, I was just talking about it. A key indicator of - > German economic sentiment showed only a slight improvement in March 2025, - > and the business outlook for April 2025 also reveals a continued positive trend - > among German businesses. - > Expectations are improving, especially among industrial producers, - > despite all the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

- > German household wealth increased nominally in 24, but inflation adjusted figures - > show real purchasing power declined, says a Bundesbank study, - > so a German central bank. - > Wealth inequality in Germany also remains unchanged. So Germany being a relatively low. - > Wealth, like, distributes wealth relatively equal compared to other countries, - > but the indifferences are, the differences are bigger, I think, - > than a lot of Germans would actually believe of the country themselves.

- > Female founders are still underrepresented, according to the Female Founders Monitor 2025. - > The report covered by Starting Up reveals a slight increase in women-led startups, - > but it stresses also the need for more systemic support and funding and leadership. - > And I think adding to that, as we always see, it's not only a gender problem. - > I think it's also usually a problem in terms of the background.

- > Are there enough migrants in the startup community? Are there enough people - > who experience poverty in their socialization? - > So, So yeah, usually the startup scene is catering to white males in Germany, - > as in many other countries. - > In Switzerland, we don't see anything new, but in Austria, we see the Tesla - > subscription declines in Vienna affects multiple local startups with user fatigue - > and Elon Musk polarizing moves cited as causes.

- > Their standard, an renowned Austrian newspaper reports a downward trend in urban e-mobility. - > Moving on from the countries to our general news section, where we have the - > tech news and the company's news section, - > we have organized this in several verticals, and we start with VC news and new - > funds in case you're looking for money. - > As always, this is only a selection. We also had to cut it short.

- > In the show notes, there's more of these. But we start with private equity growth - > continuing as Oakley Capital closes its flagship fund six at 4.5 billion euros, - > hitting the fund's hard cap. - > My Juncker Group reports that the London-based PE firm will target technology, - > consumer and education companies across Europe.

- > The Duffney Fund's closing secures €215 million for its third fund, - > aiming to back European startups with a strong tech and design edge. - > TechCrunch profiles the firm's ongoing investment strategy in our show notes. - > Compass VC Fund 2 raises €150 million, focusing on early-stage tech startups - > with sustainability goals. - > The Berlin-based venture capital firm aims to scale impact-driven companies, writes StartBase.

- > Revenz, 100 million euro impact fund, is targeting startups focused on climate and social impact. - > Blending AI with mission-driven business models, as they say. - > Based in Berlin, the VC firm is seeking planet-positive returns from its new funds. - > So an interesting way probably also to look into how they are actually measuring this.

- > TechCrunch has some more details in their report article about this. - > And that's it to keep the VC funds short. And we move on to Greentech. - > Yes, Greentech news.

Greentech leadership in Switzerland is recognized as the - > country earns a top spot in Time's global Greentech innovation ranking. - > Startup Ticker.ch highlights sustainable energy solutions and climate startups - > as drivers. NPAS secures 110 million equity led by Texas Pacific Group TPG.

- > Three things to know about the German solar unicorn. - > AI News. Black Forest Labs, a Berlin-based AI startup, has ended its collaboration - > with Elon Musk's ex-AI project, citing divergent goals in synthetic data development. - > The partnership was originally aimed at integrating generative AI into privacy-preserving solutions.

- > Business Insider covers this topic. Startup reshuffle in AI continues with several - > new ventures emerging across Germany, including Reshape Energy, - > Senior Connect, and Naisu. - > These startups tackle climate, elderly care, and B2B productivity more on deutsche startups. - > There's a fake AI scandal rocks fintech startup Nate as Business Insider reports - > on a policy investigation into its CEO of alleged investor deception involving - > non-existing AI capabilities.

- > And government funding summary outlines strategic goals and startup initiatives in Saxony. - > The official Saxon publication provides a detailed overview of the ongoing regional - > programs and funding allocations. This time, for the first time, - > we do have space tech news because there was such a lot. - > We do have Atmos Space Cargo launch marks a milestone for Germany's private aerospace industry.

- > Founder Magazine reports the successful orbital test positioning the Munich-based - > startup as lead in reusable payloads. - > ESA aerospace safety risk highlights in BFNZ, meaning Bavarian broadcaster, - > the News Channel 24, on rocket engineering flaws concerning growth over component - > integrity and system failures as testing continues in Bavaria. - > But here's an interesting piece because we find the same news from a different - > source on ESA Aerospace from a startup medium.

- > And there they say ESA Aerospace milestone documented by trending topics as - > the Munich-based startup continues its mission to commercialize European spaceflight. - > The feature highlights ESA's rocket development and Germany's growing present - > in orbital launch markets. Sounds pretty different, right? - > Spectrum rocket delay announced by German startup RFA due to its unresolved technical issues.

- > Deutschlandfunk reports the postponement as a part of ongoing challenges in - > the European space race. - > And that means rocket factory Augsburg RFA. - > Biotech news. Keep in mind that biotech is not our focus.

- > That's why we will have later also a few big biotech funding news that didn't - > make it into our highlights. - > Basel Life Sciences ecosystem is evolving into a biotech powerhouse supported - > by private-public initiatives and pharma cluster development. - > Transcript emphasizes the region's strategic importance. - > QVAC Patent Victory provides a partial relief in its legal battle with BioNTech, - > with the European Court recognizing aspects of its mRNA IP claims.

- > Medigen insolvency reflects funding pressure in biotech as the immunotherapy - > fails to secure bridge financing. - > Clinical Trials Map of Europe is launched to improve transparency and patient access. - > Siemens Biotech Deal involves a strategic acquisition to add a truck discovery - > signal against the conglomerate's deeper push into life sciences. - > Max Planck Society Roadmap outlines a 10-point policy proposal for Germany's - > new federal government advocating for improved innovation frameworks and science funding.

- > By the way, there will be a news piece coming up between this recording and - > the actual publication where I talk about what I see in the new coalition contract. - > A little hint, not a lot about startups. - > It's 185 pages and startups and digital innovation only start at page 139 and - > they only cover a few lines. - > Let's go on to fintech news.

Private banking fintech solutions are gaining traction - > among Europe's wealth managers, says Sifted. Keep in mind the news with the - > outages at Trade Republic. - > PayPal phishing scams using legitimate-looking email domains are on the rise, warns How2Geek. - > Barvest, a Munich-based fintech, partners with eToro as a global broker client.

- > Trending topic highlights the significance of the deal for German fintech visibility. - > Penny Lane expansion aims to broaden its accounting platform reach in the German - > market, Finance Forward reports. - > Revolut Switzerland suppresses one million customers, reinforcing its stronghold - > in the European fintech expansion. - > And we will be back with Chris with the general news after a little ad break.

- > Welcome back after the break. As Joe said before the break, we are back with general news. - > Germany's richest tech entrepreneur has been identified by Business Insider, - > shedding light on the pathways to massive tech wealth in the country. - > The report focuses on personal fortune and business legacy.

- > And if German listeners are curious what his name is, I was actually surprised. - > His name is Andreas von Bechtholzheim, one early investor in Google. - > Yeah, but he's also the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, I do believe. - > And they say he is worth 13 billion euro.

- > Germany's richest sports entrepreneur is also profiled in Business Insider, - > tracing his journey from athlete to billionaire through strategic investment. - > And he is valued at 1.7 billion euros. - > And one of the guys between bet and win, today Bwin, which is now listed in - > the stock exchange in Vienna.

- > Entrepreneur Radar spotlights Otto's potential downfall, analyzing the shifting - > dynamics in Germany's e-commerce landscape. - > We often talked about Otto because it is actually a quite successful business - > case and actually a legacy company that was able to reinvent itself in the digital market. - > But now Digital Kaufmann raises - > concerns about legacy players adapting to modern startup competition. - > Otto so far has been the only large catalog mailing service to make the jump - > into e-commerce.

but they have also been an active investor and acquirer in e-commerce. - > Some investments of the Otto Group are tracked by Startup Map. - > Both of the articles are in our show notes. - > Gold fraud investigation implicates investor Florian Fritsch with allegations - > of up to 14 kilograms of gold being siphoned from his firm.

- > Yahoo Finance Germany reports on this high-profile case. - > Cyclotech successful test flight of a six rotor air taxi in Linz might redefine urban air mobility. - > FutureZone has a bit more about this. - > News piece from Austria.

- > Then German Sunicorns are spotlighted and sifted 2025 lists of 10 companies - > or startups that might become unicorns soon, including rising stars across deep tech, fintech, and AI. - > Bundeswehr, the German military satellite plans, include launching a German - > rival to Starlink for more secure military communications. - > The Stadt Bremerhaven website reveals details of this strategic defense investment. - > By the way, that's just a tag block that has nothing to do with the actual city, yeah?

Yeah. Yeah. - > And then Bundeswehr AI projects show enormous potential in transforming Germany's defense sector. - > With ongoing research and development supported by government initiatives, - > Handelsblatt is outlining the scope and future impact of these technologies.

Yeah. - > Also, again, in the defense sector, startups are increasingly opting out of - > relaunch strategies due to bureaucratic and funding hurdles. - > We see there in a report by Handelsblatt that there are systemic barriers in fostering innovation. - > Axel Springer's Idealo CEO resigns amid allegations marking a leadership shakeup - > at the Berlin-based price comparison platform Idealo.

- > Internal pressures and reputational fallout are being reported. - > Auto Hero celebrates the milestone surpassing a quarter million cars sold. - > IT Times notes that the Berlin-based used car platform continues to scale rapidly across all of Europe. - > Home to Go's financial outlook signals strong growth with projected IFRS revenue - > above 300 million euros and an adjusted EBITDA over 35 million euros in 2025.

- > It's a Berlin-based travel tech company. - > Mr. Speck's transformation remains on track with profitability for the Berlin-based - > eyewear startup expected to rise sharply in 2025. - > They also are now pursuing a digital first strategy that seems to pay off.

- > Cyber security contract award goes to Frankfurt-based startup from the EU cybersecurity - > agency, highlighting Germany's tech defense capabilities, reported by Startup Hessen. - > And a carbon dioxide concrete storage breakthrough seems to be launched in Vienna by Holcim and Neustag. - > Holcim, I guess, with a C. - > Trending topics highlights Europe's first installation of a carbon-storing cement cement, - > driving innovation in green construction.

Jochen Schweitzer exits his namesake - > experience platform with ProSiebenSat1 acquiring for ownership. - > Yeah, Jochen Schweitzer, some kind of, it was like a platform where you could - > just buy experiences and activities. - > Like ParachuteJump, BungeeJump or stuff like this. - > Yes.

And now it was bought by ProSiebenSat1, which is a German private broadcaster. - > Startup ecosystem insights explored in a new blog post by VC magazine, - > identifying key enablers for funders and investors in 2025, stressing the importance - > of trust and access in the system. - > And then Jägermeister, the German liquor defeat in a startup trademark dispute, - > ends with the beverage giant losing a branding conflict. - > Founders magazine explores the legal win for a challenger brand.

- > And we see a leadership change at Deutsche Giganets as founder Jan-Georg Budden unexpectedly resigns. - > More about this can be found in an article from Golem, which also reports internal - > disagreements that may have contributed to the departure from the German fiber optic provider. - > And now creative destruction, layoffs, insolvencies. - > And other bad news.

Yes, Schumpeter's Kreative Zerstörung. - > Keep in mind, this article is not from us. It's from Manager Magazine, - > a well-respected periodical here in Germany. - > Startup zombie warning surface for former high-fliers like Foto, Zorara, Inc.

Central. - > As the valuation and relevance sharply decline, Manager Magazine raises questions - > about sustainability in the startup ecosystem. Zalando layoffs affect hundreds - > of employees at the Berlin-based fashion platform as part of a broader cost - > restructuring initiative. - > Max Mobility Bankruptcy confirmed, adding to the string of startup closures.

- > Salzburger Beverage Startup files for bankruptcy after financial struggles. - > Prudcast covers the insolvency, which reflects on the broader funding challenges - > in Austria's consumer goods sectors. - > Komod Restructuring following its acquisition by an Italian firm. - > Business Insider reports the Potsdam-based outdoor startup plans to cut over - > 50% of its workforce in a major realignment.

- > Photo layoffs continue as Berlin-based logistics startup reduces headcount again. - > Business Insider reports this move reflects financial strain and changing demand - > in European e-commerce fulfillment. - > I have an interview with the founder who's now a member of the supervisory board. - > But keep in mind, they have been mostly dealing with imports from China with container shipment.

- > McMarkler, under investigation as prosecutor, scrutinized the Berlin prop tech firm amid layoffs. - > Dr. Lee bankruptcy declared by a Berlin-based health tech startup after financial difficulties. - > Kemper Van outfitter insolvency hits Vienna-based startup easygoing with a C at the end.

- > As it ends operations following a failed restructuring attempt. - > And now, Chris, you end on a high note for us, right? - > Almost, almost, almost. - > Yeah, so keep in mind, this section about successful fundraising and exits is only a small selection.

- > But the news here and their total value show how resilient the startup scene is. - > So let's rattle off some of the selected fundraising above 10 million euros, - > Swiss francs or US dollars. - > The biotech financing boom continues with Swiss-based Moon Lake Immunotherapeutics - > securing up to $500 million in funding from Hercules Capital to strengthen its - > autoimmune disease pipeline. - > Granite Bio, a biotech firm integrating AI and drug discovery based in Basel, - > Switzerland, raised $100 million to support its therapeutic pipeline targeting - > immune system modulation.

- > HAWK raised 52 million euros for its fraud prevention tools, - > while Brighter AI finalized an exit. - > FlexValop financing raises 44 million euros to scale its B2B equipment leasing - > solution for startups and SME. - > Solix, an AI-powered data management platform, raised $29.5 million to expand enterprise adoption.

- > The funding enables enhancements in unstructured data indexing and AI model integration. - > The robotic startup Symbiotic, a startup based in Berlin, has secured $29 million - > in a Series A funding to scale its AI-driven automation platform for warehouse logistics. - > Binomics, which is a Cologne-based startup specializing in virtual shoppers - > and pricing AI, secured €27.5 million to expand its platform.

- > That will allow them to fund scaling across European retail markets. - > Digital identity verification sees a boost as the Hamburg-based startup NECT, - > NECT, secures 25 million euros for its AI-powered onboarding solutions. - > Also expected to fuel international expansion. Yes, because that is one of the - > cases where you most likely never heard of our guests, but you will in the future.

- > We had a few years ago an interview with the NECT founder. - > We also link it here. Sorry, Chris. Henning, over back to you.

- > ICU technology is getting a major upgrade as German medtech startup Klinomics - > secures 23 million euros to enhance an AI-based Dr. - > Mona system for intensive care units. Yes. - > Allowing them to expand hospital partnerships across Europe.

- > Hepatic treatment innovation accelerates as HEPA Redgenix, - > a biotech firm from Tübingen, Germany close to Stuttgart and they close at 21.5 - > million euro in funding to advance its regenerative therapies for liver diseases. - > Dalma, a pet startup, raises 20 million euros to expand its European footprint. - > The French-born company's backers and growing demand for digital pet insurance - > and services are among the highlighted aspects in a Business Insider article regarding this topic.

- > Do Instruct, a Berlin-based AI training software startup secured 16.5 million - > euros in a Series A funding to expand its industrial training simulations powered by Gen AI. - > Space tech startup Okapi Orbitz, a company from Braunschweig in central Germany, - > raises 13 million euros in seed funding to expand its space traffic management platform. - > The round, as reported by FinnsMess, was led by San Francisco-based Munich Re - > Ventures and strengthens Okapi Orbit's mission to prevent orbital collisions.

- > I think a problem that is actually growing. - > Killer Drone Investment sees Peter Thiel backing German defense startup Stark. - > Manager Magazine details the firm's controversial push into autonomous weapons - > and now last but not least some mergers and acquisitions and some IPOs we wanted to highlight. - > Yes, and then at the end, Chris, you get the useless facts.

I think they're pretty funny. - > Synthetic mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs. - > Synthetic data startup Kretel has been acquired by NVIDIA to bolster its synthetic - > data and AI capabilities. - > Prior to AI, a Berlin-based deep tech startup focused on GDPR-compliant visual - > anonymization, has been acquired by Danish Milestone Systems after reportedly - > attracting interest from Apple.

- > Latido, a Vienna-based health tech startup, acquires 4MyHealth, - > 4 like the number, to strengthen its SAS SaaS solutions for medical practice management. - > DeepL IPO plans are now targeted for 2026, positioning the German AI translation - > leader for major public debut. - > WellHub Urban Sports Club merger unites two major fitness and well-being platforms - > in a move to consolidate your wellness tech market. - > Hamburg X-Ray Empire Acquisition sees a prominent family, invest in medical - > diagnosis infrastructure, continue the city's legacy in health tech leadership.

- > Lunar dust solar cells could one day provide sustainable energy on the moon - > as researchers explore extraterrestrial photovoltaic solution. - > Basic thinking shares the future vision. - > ContentServe and Centric Software announce a partnership to enhance product - > lifecycle and information management aiming to serve global fashion and retail brands. - > Trala Music Education expands by acquiring Scove, integrating digital music training for learners.

- > And spec markets that's actually - > international but still relevant to the global - > startup market spec market trends show a four billion u.s dollar wave despite - > ipo struggles as reported by payments analysts point to the continued investor - > interest in alternative funding mechanisms and chris you have the last news - > piece which may be uh good as a conversation. - > I was going to say, I'm very sure that you're going to use this information - > for whatever conversation you will be getting stuck in in the next couple of weeks, - > because we found a little article that actually told us who is the largest tire - > manufacturer by volume in the world.

- > And it is not continental. It is not like Chevrolet or whatever. - > It is no car manufacturer. - > Michelin.

It's not Michelin. - > But it is as playful as the Michelin men, I would say. - > So a feature by Kuruba actually highlighted that the world's largest tire manufacturer by volume is Lego. - > I had them on my radar.

- > It's a little bit surprising. Guys, that's a new startup wrap. - > There's more news they had of the curve. And as we said, we will be back at - > the end of May on for this day to give you another dose of startup news.

- > And again, this time it's incomplete. We did ban a lot of our news to the blog - > posts you can find down here in the show notes. - > Thank you, Chris. It was a pleasure talking to you as always.

Thank you too. Bye bye. - > Music.