Startupnews week 13 - 2024

UnitPlus and Goldman Sachs Asset Management launch CashPlus KMU on the German market. eROCKIT - eBikes with a top speed of 100 km/h. SP Tech Solutions receives almost 3 million euros investment for European expansion. Finalists of the Green Alley Awards 2024. Circula: New management team drives European growth. Strong increase in patent applications in Europe in 2023. Aware: Dr. Isam Haddad as new CTO

eROCKIT - eBikes with a top speed of 100 km/h

The German company eROCKIT impressed during a three-day roadshow in Brunnen, central Switzerland, where it was invited to join ecovolta, a long-standing partner in battery technology and electrification. The event included informative presentations on the collaboration and future plans of the two companies. There was also the opportunity for test rides on the eROCKIT bikes, which are known for their top speed of 100 km/h. In addition to their exceptional performance, the bikes also impressed in terms of handling, agility and safety. The event was characterized by happy faces, great enthusiasm and lively exchanges. Andreas Zurwehme, CEO of eROCKIT AG, was positive about the response in Switzerland and announced the delivery of the first bikes for 2025 as well as the admission of the first Swiss shareholders to the stock corporation. Interested parties also have the opportunity to visit the company directly in Brandenburg.

SP Tech Solutions receives almost 3 million euros investment for European expansion

SP Tech Solutions, a company in the railroad technology sector, has recently received an investment of almost 3 million euros from Vinci HiTech Fund, managed by Vinci S.A.. This financing marks a significant milestone for the company, which is known for its solutions to increase the efficiency of rail transportation and has important customers such as Lotos Kolej and PKP Cargo. The investment from Vinci HiTech Fund, totaling twelve million Polish zlotys, aims to consolidate SP Tech Solutions' presence in Poland and pave the way for expansion into Germany and other parts of Western Europe. The company's flagship product, the Raily system, addresses challenges of the railroad sector, such as optimizing journey planning, cost reduction and process automation. With a strong base in Poland and Germany, SP Tech Solutions is poised for further growth and aims to benefit from the changing transportation landscape.

Succession secured: WMS and management acquire majority stake in IMM electronics

WMS Wachstumsfonds Mittelstand Sachsen, together with the future management, has acquired 90% of the shares in IMM electronics GmbH, a medium-sized electronics company. The previous shareholder retains 10%. IMM offers electronics services and has 132 employees worldwide and an annual turnover of over 20 million euros. The current management is looking forward to working with WMS. WMS considers the investment in IMM to be promising in view of the dynamic EMS market and the growing potential in medical technology.

Circula: New management team drives European growth

Berlin-based SaaS fintech Circula announces an ambitious transformation and growth plan to become Europe's leading employee spending platform. The new leadership team, led by Co-Founder and CEO Nikolai Skatchkov, includes Alistair Newman as CRO, Johannes Kochs as CFO, Niko Thielsch as VP Sales Germany and Etienne Echinard as VP Marketing. These experienced executives will help Circula to strengthen its position in the market and drive international growth.

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Expansion of the management team at Aware: Dr. Isam Haddad as new CTO

Berlin-based healthtech company Aware has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Dr. Isam Haddad as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Haddad will drive forward the technological infrastructure and, among other things, lead the integration of external health data into the Aware app. The expansion of the team, which also includes Florian Meissner and Ferdinand Schmidt-Thomé, aims to develop the Aware app into a central point of contact for holistic insights into personal health. In addition to integrating external health data, Haddad will also support the development of more precise and individualized treatment by bringing together health data. The appointment of Marie Demont as VP Marketing demonstrates Aware's ambition to further expand its market presence and position itself as a leader in proactive healthcare.

Finalists of the Green Alley Award 2024

The Green Alley Award has selected its finalists for 2024 after receiving over 300 applications. Six start-ups will present their solutions in Berlin on April 25, 2024, with the winning start-up receiving €25,000 in prize money. Since 2014, Landbell Group has presented this award to start-ups pursuing innovative approaches in the circular economy. This year's finalists offer solutions for various areas such as sustainable packaging, recycling and the recovery of waste. The six start-ups selected as finalists for the Green Alley Award 2024 are

1. AraBat (Italy)
2. Carbon Cell (UK)
3. Ecopolplast (Poland)
4. Novapedra (Spain)
5. PulpaTronics (Great Britain)
6. Rheiazymes (Switzerland)

Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Landbell Group, emphasizes the importance of such initiatives for the circular economy.

UnitPlus and Goldman Sachs Asset Management launch CashPlus KMU on the German market

UnitPlus, together with Goldman Sachs Asset Management, has announced the launch of "CashPlus KMU", a platform offering liquidity management solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany. The platform enables companies of all sizes to easily and securely invest their capital in the money market by gaining access to a money market fund managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. This initiative is designed to help German SMEs increase their competitiveness by providing them with profitable investment opportunities that were previously the preserve of large corporations. CashPlus SME aims to preserve invested capital, ensure daily liquidity and maximize current income. The platform will launch in Germany in the coming weeks, with interested companies currently able to join a waiting list. Please note that it is important to read the company's extensive disclaimer and we only report on this on Startbase!

Sharp rise in patent applications in Europe in 2023, focus on digital technologies and clean energy

In 2023, the European Patent Office recorded an increase of 2.9% in patent applications, which represents a new high and continues the positive trend of previous years. Digital technologies and clean energy played a significant role, with the electrical machinery, apparatus and energy segment standing out in particular with growth of 12.2 %. The USA, Germany, Japan, China and, for the first time, Korea were the top 5 patent countries, while companies such as Huawei, Samsung and LG led the way in terms of patent applications. Interestingly, almost a quarter of patent applications in Europe come from small or medium-sized enterprises, and around 27% of applications name at least one woman as an inventor. The new unitary patent was very well received, with 22.3% of all new European patents granted in the second half of 2023 applying for unitary effect. Overall, there was increased interest in innovation, particularly in the fields of digital communications and energy technology, and the European Patent Office continues to take action to support SMEs, universities and female inventors.