Startupnews KW 2-25

EnBW subsidiary Enpulse founds solar start-up roof by roof - Senseera with 7 million dollar seed Senseera with 7.1 million dollar seed - Pepticom secures 6.6 million dollars - SignPath receives 5 million euros - Main Capital Partners invests in UnameIT - SignPath receives 5 million euros - Stephan Kuntner becomes Executive Director at Aon - NeXtWind acquires twelve wind farms in Germany - ScreenPoint Medical acquires Biomediq A/S - Bizzdesign acquires Alfabet - Savings banks invest in neoshare AG

EnBW subsidiary Enpulse founds solar startup Dach für Dach

The EnBW subsidiary Enpulse is driving forward the expansion of solar energy in apartment buildings with the new start-up Dach für Dach. While only 1% of Germany's 3.3 million apartment buildings are currently equipped with photovoltaic systems, the start-up is the first to offer a profitable model for smaller buildings with up to 12 residential units. The focus is on simplified tenant electricity solutions that enable landlords to generate long-term returns of 5 to 15% while reducing electricity costs for tenants. The core of the approach is an intelligent combination of modern electricity meter hardware and innovative software for planning, management and billing.

Main Capital Partners invests in UnameIT to promote automotive software

Main Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in UnameIT, a leading Dutch provider of software solutions for the automotive industry. UnameIT offers a comprehensive suite of solutions for the sales and aftersales sector, including lead and sales management and marketing campaigns. With customers such as Renault, Ford and Bosch, the company addresses dealers, OEMs and leasing companies. Main plans to strengthen UnameIT through internationalization and targeted acquisitions. CEO Robert van Adelerhof sees the partnership as an important step towards expansion in Europe. Main wants to support the company in digitizing the industry and entering the German market.

Senseera with a 7.1 million dollar seed

The biotech start-up Senseera, which specializes in liquid biopsies and chromatin-based epigenomics, has closed a seed financing round of 7.1 million dollars led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This investment will accelerate the further development of the GEM BIOMARKERS™ platform, which uses cfChIP-seq technology to provide precise molecular insights from simple blood samples. The platform is aimed at the early detection and monitoring of disease, particularly liver disease, which affects 25% of the global population.

SignPath receives €5 million to expand software supply chain security

TIN Capital, a leading European cybersecurity investor from the Netherlands, is investing 5 million euros in the Austrian company SignPath. SignPath is known for secure, automated code signing solutions that protect software supply chains and ensure integrity and compliance. The funds from the Series A financing will enable platform expansion, increased market development in Europe and growth in the USA. TIN Capital sees SignPath as a key player in securing modern software development and pipeline integrity against cyber threats.

Pepticom secures 6.6 million dollars

Pepticom, a company specializing in AI-based peptide therapeutics, has closed a $6.6 million Series A1 funding round led by Japan Israel High Tech Ventures 2 LP. The funds will be used to develop an oral IL-17 inhibitor program for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Pepticom uses machine learning to design stable, synthetic cyclic peptidomimetics with high potency. Its proprietary platform combines cutting-edge biochemistry with the ability to explore over 10⁸⁰ possible peptide structures, dramatically reducing development costs and timelines.

Personnel

Stephan Kuntner becomes Executive Director for China Global Solutions Europe at Aon

Aon strengthens its strategic focus on the Chinese growth market and appoints Dr. Stephan Kuntner as Executive Director for China Global Solutions Europe. Kuntner, an experienced lawyer with over 13 years of expertise in international business with a focus on China, will further expand the support of Chinese investors in Germany and Europe. He previously headed the Funk Group's China Division. His predecessor, Jan Körner, will focus on his role as COO of Aon Germany. The appointment underlines Aon's commitment to internationalization and the expansion of its market presence in Europe.

Further startup news

NeXtWind acquires twelve wind farms in Germany

NeXtWind has acquired twelve wind farms in western, northern and eastern Germany. The plants, which currently have a capacity of 140 MW, are to be expanded to over 300 MW through repowering. This means that NeXtWind now has 230 wind turbines in 37 wind farms and a repowering capacity of 1.4 GW, which corresponds to the supply of around one million households. The acquisition was part of a share deal with Nadara, a large independent power producer in Europe. NeXtWind plans to reach a generation potential of 3,000 MW by 2028 and to further expand energy production through technological optimization and cooperation with local communities.

ScreenPoint Medical acquires Biomediq A/S

The Dutch company ScreenPoint Medical has acquired Biomediq A/S, a specialist in the development of quantitative image biomarkers. The acquisition adds enhanced risk analysis capabilities to the AI-powered breast cancer screening platform Transpara. Based on volumetric density measurement, lesion detection and texture analysis, Transpara supports early cancer detection and personalized screening. The integration of Biomediq's technology further extends Transpara's leading position in providing better breast cancer screening outcomes for women worldwide.

Bizzdesign acquires Alfabet

Bizzdesign has acquired Alfabet from Software AG. With this third strategic acquisition following the acquisition of MEGA International, Bizzdesign expands its offering and strengthens its global presence. The combined group serves 2,000 customers worldwide and offers comprehensive solutions for EAM, SPM and Business Process Management (BPM) with the Horizzon, HOPEX and Alfabet platforms. The acquisition underlines Bizzdesign's long-term growth strategy and its focus on innovation and customer added value.

Advisense with acquisition of CR Consulting

Advisense, a leading provider of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) services in the Nordic region, announces the acquisition of Danish consulting firm CR Consulting. CR Consulting, founded in 2019, specializes in credit risk management and regulatory processes for banks. With this acquisition, Advisense expands its risk management expertise to a total of 130 experts and increases its capacity for international expansion and cross-selling.

Savings banks invest in neoshare AG

Hamburger Sparkasse, Sparkasse KölnBonn, Sparkasse Hannover and Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg have acquired shares in neoshare AG and are joining the Volksbanken as strategic partners. Together, they are creating a cross-group industry solution for commercial real estate financing that enables more efficient collaboration between institutions and with customers and partners. The additional capital will flow into the further development of the AI-based platform, the expansion of research and the expansion of neoshare, which will continue to be managed independently and with the founder holding a majority stake.