Startupnews KW 21 - 2025

German Startup Awards 2025: Wasteer expands the use of AI in European waste management. DIGITALHUB.DE receives two awards. SENovation Award seeks startups. Joachim Herz Foundation supports start-ups. Application phase for Women Start-up Award. allygatr invests in Swiss start-up Skriba. ProSiebenSat.1 acquires majority stake in Studio Bummens. Martin Teiber becomes new CEO of EVANA AG. Andreas Thorsheim becomes Chairman of the plancraft Advisory Board. Kickstart 2025 opens application phase. STADTFUCHS e-bike wins three awards. Ravical receives 7.3 million euros. Volksbank Lahr launches partnership with NAO. Flexvelop and Lenovo launch "ThinkFlex". Flip expands Series A. Freshflow receives 6.5 million euros.

German Startup Awards 2025

Outstanding personalities from the German startup ecosystem were honored at the German Startup Awards 2025 in Berlin. The award winners include Ghazaleh Madani (CanChip) and Dr. Francesco Sciortino (Proxima Fusion) as Newcomer of the Year, Irene Klemm (Edurino) and Daniel Khachab (Choco) as Founder of the Year and Dr. Inga vom Holtz (UnternehmerTUM) and Philipp Möhring (Tiny Supercomputer) as Investor of the Year. Dr. Julia Freudenberg (Hacker School) and Thomas Bachem (CODE University) were honored as Impact Entrepreneurs for their contribution to society. The special award went to High-Tech Gründerfonds for its many years of support for young companies. The event took place in the TIPI am Kanzleramt with over 500 guests and was supported by numerous partners from business and politics.

Investments

allygatr invests in Swiss start-up Skriba

The Berlin-based HR tech investor allygatr is investing in the Swiss startup Skriba, which specializes in the digital creation of job references. The platform automates the reference process, from creation to approval and archiving. Co-founder Soleil Zumbrunn originally developed the solution in her day-to-day work before founding a start-up together with her brother. The aim is to use AI to create certificates more efficiently and consistently. The investment supports the planned expansion into Germany and the further development of the platform in the DACH region.

Ravical receives 7.3 million euros

The Belgian startup Ravical has closed early-stage financing of 7.3 million euros under the leadership of venture capitalist Lakestar. The aim is to develop specialized AI agents for professional service companies in areas such as tax, law, accounting and insurance. The virtual assistants are intended to take over up to 80 percent of repetitive specialist work, thereby relieving employees and making consulting services scalable. Ravical was co-founded by serial entrepreneur Joris Van Der Gucht, who previously built up Silverfin and successfully sold it in 2023.

Flip expands Series A financing round by 28 million US dollars

The Berlin-based scale-up Flip, provider of a platform for employees in the operational area, has expanded its Series A financing round by 28 million US dollars. The round, led by LEA Partners, increases the total investment to over 60 million US dollars. The aim is to expand the new AI platform "Flip Intelligence", which automates processes such as shift planning, onboarding and knowledge management. The fully integrated solution is aimed specifically at blue-collar employees and is designed to make their day-to-day work more efficient. In addition to technological progress, the focus is also on international expansion: in addition to LEA Partners, investors include HV Capital, Notion Capital and Roland Berger.

Freshflow receives 6.5 million euros

The Berlin start-up Freshflow has closed a financing round of 6.5 million euros, led by Capnamic Ventures, World Fund, Venture Stars, Caesar Ventures and Catatumbo Capital. The aim is to accelerate the rollout of the AI solution for fresh food planning in food retail. The technology is already being used successfully by leading retailers in Germany and France. Measurable successes so far: higher sales, fewer markdowns and less food waste. Freshflow's AI also processes chaotic, unstructured data and enables precise orders where traditional systems reach their limits. The company intends to use the capital to further expand its team and product development.

M & A

ProSiebenSat.1 acquires majority stake in Studio Bummens

ProSiebenSat.1 has acquired a majority stake in Berlin-based podcast publisher Studio Bummens, thereby further expanding the production business of its podcast unit Seven.One Audio. The aim is to establish a joint "podcast powerhouse" that integrates production and marketing more closely and also leverages synergies for the streaming service Joyn. Studio Bummens is one of the leading podcast publishers in Germany and is responsible for formats such as "Baywatch Berlin" and "Apokalypse & Filterkaffee". The collaboration is also intended to open up new potential for the advertising market. The first joint project is "The Sophie Passmann Podcast", which has been published weekly since the end of March. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price; the deal is expected to be closed at the end of May.

Cooperations

Volksbank Lahr launches partnership with WealthTech NAO

Volksbank Lahr is the first cooperative bank to cooperate with the Berlin-based FinTech NAO to provide its customers with access to professional private market investments. Via NAO's digital platform, private investors can invest in alternative asset classes such as private equity, infrastructure and private debt from as little as EUR 1,000. This area was previously reserved for institutional investors. The collaboration takes advantage of the regulatory relief provided by the ELTIF 2.0 reform and expands Volksbank's investment offering to include digital, diversified investment opportunities.

machtfit expands mental health offering through partnership with Mindance

The corporate health platform machtfit is now cooperating with the eHealth startup Mindance to expand its mental health offering in a targeted manner. The integration into the existing platform enables companies to offer their employees low-threshold access to on-demand content, online coaching and a 24/7 psychological hotline. In view of increasing psychological stress in the world of work, machtfit aims to close gaps in care and reduce absenteeism. Mindance is a subsidiary of PME Familienservice, Germany's largest provider of employee assistance programs.

Flexvelop and Lenovo launch "ThinkFlex"

Hamburg-based fintech Flexvelop and technology group Lenovo have launched "ThinkFlex", a new device-as-a-service solution for small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. The offer combines state-of-the-art Lenovo hardware with flexible rental models, including individual terms of 12, 24 or 36 months, integrated purchase and return options as well as premium support. Available via IT system houses, ThinkFlex gives SMEs access to the latest IT infrastructure without a high initial investment. The partnership aims to promote digitalization and sustainability, including through better controllability of IT lifecycles and the promotion of the circular economy.

Awards, programs & funding

SENovation Award seeks start-ups for the ageing society

The SENovation Award is aimed at start-ups and start-up teams that want to develop innovative solutions for older people and exploit the potential of demographic change. Teams in the pre-foundation phase and start-ups that are no more than three years old can apply. We are looking for marketable concepts in the areas of health, safety, mobility, housing or social participation. The competition, which is endowed with 5,000 euros and individual coaching, runs until June 30, 2025 and aims to promote age-appropriate innovations and contribute to improving the everyday lives of older people. More Info here.

DIGITALHUB.DE wins twice: "Space of the Year" and "Most Innovative Space" 2025

Bonn-based coworking space DIGITALHUB.DE has been recognized by the German Coworking Spaces Association in the categories "Space of the Year" and "Most Innovative Space". In a competition with around 100 entries, DIGITALHUB.DE impressed the judges with its comprehensive concept, which includes flexible workspaces, digital tools for space and communication management and start-up support services. The jury particularly emphasized the support of over 250 start-ups and the use of modern technologies.

Joachim Herz Foundation supports start-up funding at ESMT Berlin

With the new "DEEP Pioneers" program, the Institute for Deep Tech Innovation (DEEP) at ESMT Berlin is now supporting technology-driven start-up projects from research. The aim is to translate scientific findings into marketable start-ups. The Joachim Herz Foundation is providing financial support for the one-year pilot phase. The focus is on research teams that often lack entrepreneurial skills. DEEP brings together founders, research institutions and investors in a targeted manner and provides the teams with intensive support. In the long term, the program is intended to contribute to the development of a nationwide platform to systematically promote deep-tech start-ups and strengthen Germany as a location for innovation.

Application phase for the Women Start-up Award

With the newly launched Women Start-up Award 2025, UnternehmerTUM, together with the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and other partners, aims to specifically support women in the tech start-up scene. The award is aimed at early-stage start-up teams with at least one woman in the management team and a connection to Bavaria. In addition to prize money of 1,000 euros, the winners receive access to coaching, networks, events and other support services. The application phase runs until June 25, 2025, and the finalists will present their projects at a pitch event in October. The aim of the program is to strengthen the visibility and support for women in the tech sector. More information here.

Kickstart 2025: Innovation program opens application phase for finance and insurance startups

Startups from the finance and insurance sector can now apply for the international Kickstart 2025 innovation program. The nine-part program starts in Switzerland in September and is aimed at young companies worldwide, particularly from Germany and Austria. The focus is on topics such as finance, cyber security, data protection and insurance. Partners such as AXA, Swisscom, PostFinance, Sanitas and la Mobilière support the participating start-ups in the further development of their business models. According to CB Insights, Kickstart is one of the world's leading open innovation platforms and has supported over 490 start-ups and facilitated more than 340 business deals since 2015. The aim of the program is to promote innovative collaborations between startups and established companies and to bring technological solutions to the market. More information here.

Triple design success for sustainable STADTFUCHS e-bike

The STADTFUCHS urban e-bike has won three international awards: the Green Product Award 2025, the MUSE Design Award in Gold and the New York Design Award in Platinum. Winning the Green Product Award in the "Mobility" category in particular highlights the company's holistic approach to sustainability, local production using 3D printing, recyclable design and fair supply chains. The juries praised the iconic e-bike as aesthetic, forward-looking and socially relevant.

Personnel

Martin Teiber becomes new CEO at EVANA AG

Martin Teiber has been the new CEO of EVANA AG since May 10, 2025. The digital strategist and real estate expert succeeds Süleyman Acar, who has led the restructuring of the PropTech company over the past two years. Teiber has been part of EVANA AG since 2017 and was most recently Vice President of Customer Success. In his new role, he will focus in particular on expanding the AI-supported EVANA360 platform and driving business development in the real estate industry and other sectors. Acar welcomes the decision and will remain associated with the company in an advisory capacity.

Otovo CEO Andreas Thorsheim becomes Chairman of the plancraft Advisory Board

The Hamburg-based SaaS company plancraft has appointed Andreas Thorsheim, CEO of solar technology market leader Otovo, as Chairman of its Advisory Board. The Norwegian serial founder has extensive international experience in scaling digital business models and will provide strategic support for plancraft's European expansion. In addition to Thorsheim, the advisory board includes founders Alexander Noll and Julian Wiedenhaus as well as investors Staffan Helgesson (Creandum) and Martin Möllmann (HTGF). With this prominent reinforcement, plancraft intends to further develop its software solution for the skilled trades and target different European markets.

More exciting startup news

Wasteer expands the use of AI in European waste management

The Berlin-based AI startup Wasteer has received new orders from the British enfinium Group and the Italian utility A2A. Following successful pilot projects, Wasteer's technology is now also being used at the Welsh plant Parc Adfer and the mandate in Acerra has been significantly extended. The AI-supported solution enables real-time analysis of waste compositions and automatic contaminant detection, among other things. Wasteer is thus helping to modernize and increase efficiency in over 20 waste recycling plants. Further international projects are in preparation.