News week 30 - 2024

Innovation center for digital health solutions. "Space Call" brings space closer to students. AI investment advisor from Axevil Capital. Energy Startup Cup in Mannheim. Deel takes over Hofy. F13: Baden-Württemberg launches AI assistance system for administration. Primary Portal secures 8.9 million euros. deepc completes Series A expansion. Main Capital Partners acquires mps.

Energy Startup Cup at the MAFINEX Technology Center in Mannheim

Startups showcased their solutions for the energy transition at the "Energy Startup Cup" at the MAFINEX Technology Center in Mannheim. Organized by the energy accelerator AXEL, fokus.energie e.V., Wirtschaftsförderung Mannheim and Green Industry Cluster e.V., the startups presented various projects to investors and interested parties, including optimized charging infrastructures, ammonia-hydrogen technologies, adaptable catalysts for electrolysis, digital twins for energy systems and micro wind turbines made of bamboo fibres. The participants chose their favorites in a playful tournament format with preliminary rounds and finals. "hydrop systems GmbH" from Stuttgart won with a plug-and-play adapter for analog water meters and received the "Energy Startup Cup" and 1,000 euros in prize money. "Varmo" took second place and also received a trophy and 500 euros. AXEL has been successfully supporting start-ups since 2018 and has so far supported 196 teams with around 450 founders to drive forward the energy transition.

"Space Call" brings space closer to schoolchildren worldwide

The Exploration Company, Space Elevator and Robinson Aerospace Systems are launching the educational project "Space Call", which involves schoolchildren worldwide. The aim is to develop a symbolic payload that will fly into space in 2025. This project aims to highlight the importance of space for the future of humanity, both scientifically and as a unifying force. Students from countries such as Australia, Rwanda, Singapore, Ukraine, Colombia, the UAE and the USA are working together to design a module that communicates via LEDs and Morse code. These modules will transmit messages in different languages in space.

Innovation center for digital health solutions in Essen

An innovation center for digital health has been set up in Essen, initiated by BRYCK, 10xD and the Essen University Medical Center. The aim is to integrate digital health innovations into practice more quickly. BRYCK, supported by the RAG Foundation, aims to support start-ups with capital and network resources in order to improve their market maturity and scalability. Philippa Köhnk from BRYCK emphasizes the need to integrate start-ups in order to ensure the future viability of the healthcare sector. Prof. Jochen Werner from the University Medical Center Essen focuses on the "Smart Hospital" concept for the digitalization of hospitals. The RAG-Stiftung acts as a bridge builder between innovation, business and politics in order to establish the region as an attractive location for digital health. 10xD from Düsseldorf is also supporting the project and is continuously looking for further partners and start-ups.

Claudia: New AI investment advisor from Axevil Capital

Axevil Capital, a global venture ecosystem, has introduced Claudia, a smart investment advisor powered by Anthropic Claude 3. Claudia helps venture capital investors make informed financial decisions by accessing Axevil's knowledge base, internal market analysis and non-public information on portfolio companies such as Klarna, Stripe and Databricks. Taras Chumachenko, co-founder of Axevil Capital, emphasizes the precision and leadership of the Anthropic model in the B2B space. Claudia, integrated into the Axevil Capital app, is designed to democratize access to the pre-IPO and late-stage investment market by providing comprehensive information on the investment process and detailed answers to specific questions.

Deel acquires Hofy

Deel is expanding its global HR and payroll platform with the acquisition of Hofy, a device management and delivery company. This integration aims to make it easier for HR and IT leaders to consolidate their tools and improve device lifecycle management. Deel IT, the new end-to-end IT services platform, will offer device management as well as software delivery, app access management and integrations with mobile device management. With over 4,000 team members and Hofy's experience in delivering around 5,000 devices to 98 countries, Deel IT will be fully integrated into the Deel platform and interoperable with any HRIS. The launch of Deel IT is planned for the end of the year and existing Hofy customers will be able to continue using their data seamlessly.

F13: Baden-Württemberg launches AI assistance system for the administration

Baden-Württemberg has taken a significant step towards digital administration with the introduction of the new F13 AI assistance system. In collaboration with GovTech Campus Deutschland, STACKIT and Aleph Alpha, the federal state is the first to provide its administrative staff with AI tools in its own data center. F13, which focuses on efficiency and transparency, will be available in public administrations from September 2024 and will meet the highest standards in terms of data sovereignty. The project, supported by the expertise of Aleph Alpha, PD GmbH and BITBW, aims to make public administration fit for the future. The Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn plays a central role in this by creating an innovation-promoting ecosystem for applied AI solutions such as F13.

Primary Portal secures 8.9 million euros

London-based Primary Portal has secured €8.9 million in a first round of funding to drive the digitization of equity capital markets. The round was led by Deutsche Börse's venture capital arm, DB1 Ventures, with additional investment from existing shareholders including Dutch Founders Fund and Flow Traders. Primary Portal, which is already used by over 90 banks and 400 institutional investors, plans to use the new funds to expand its offering and improve its data analysis tools. The aim is to make the processes between asset managers and banks more efficient and to enable end-to-end processing of capital market transactions for the first time.

deepc completes Series A expansion

deepc, a healthcare AI operating systems company, has closed its Series A financing round with a USD 13 million expansion, bringing its total funding to USD 30 million. The round was led by Sofinnova Partners and Bertelsmann Investments, with participation from new and existing investors. The funds will be used to accelerate growth and international expansion and to further develop the deepcOS® operating system. deepcOS® offers clinics access to over 60 AI-powered, regulatory-approved diagnostic solutions and is already used by various healthcare institutions in Europe.

Main Capital Partners acquires software provider mps

Main Capital Partners has announced the acquisition of mps public solutions, a German software provider for public administration and the social economy. Founded in 1978, the company, which generates annual revenues of around EUR 25 million, offers comprehensive software solutions for financial management, building yard and cemetery management and serves over 1,200 municipalities in Germany. With the support of Main Capital Partners, mps will expand in its next growth phase both organically and through strategic mergers. The existing management team, led by Dr. Tino Wagner, will continue to work closely with Main to promote its software offering and strong customer focus. The acquisition is Main's second platform investment since the launch of the new MC VIII fund in April 2024. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.