Startupnews KW 29 - 2025

Investments

Q.ANT secures 62 million euros for the expansion of photonic processors

Q.ANT has raised 62 million euros in a Series A financing round to further develop its photonic processors for AI and high-performance computing and bring them to market. The technology is based on light-based computing, which is significantly more energy-efficient and powerful than conventional semiconductors. The company plans to use the capital to expand production, develop new chip generations and expand internationally, particularly in the USA. Investors include Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners and imec.xpand. Q.ANT sees its technology as an important contribution to solving the growing energy and scaling problems in the field of AI infrastructure.

MOTOR Ai secures 20 million US dollars

The Berlin-based start-up MOTOR Ai has received 20 million US dollars from Segenia Capital, eCAPITAL and other private investors in a seed financing round. The company intends to use the capital to complete the final steps towards certification of its explainable and compliant autonomous driving technology and to launch its first deployments on public roads in Germany from 2025. Initially, there will be a safety driver on board, but this will no longer be necessary from 2026. MOTOR Ai is pursuing the goal of establishing a safe and trustworthy infrastructure for autonomous driving in accordance with European standards.

SCALARA receives 3 million euros in growth capital from BfW Bank

PropTech SCALARA has successfully completed a financing round of 3 million euros. The funds come from BfW Bank, which specializes in the housing industry and is thus investing in a technology provider for the first time. The aim of the investment is to expand the SCALARA platform to include fully digital application channels and integrated banking solutions, which are to be developed jointly with BfW Bank. The bank also acquired shares worth 1.5 million euros from existing investors. Other partners such as BeyondBuild, Bauwens and neoteq ventures converted an additional 2 million euros into equity. SCALARA emphasizes that it will remain owner-managed and independent. The financing underlines the strategic focus on sustainable growth and the digitalization of property management.

Fiber Elements secures EUR 2.6 million for the industrialization of sustainable basalt building materials

The Austrian startup Fiber Elements has raised EUR 2.6 million in a seed financing round to further expand its automated production of three-dimensional basalt fiber structures for the construction industry. The round was led by LEA Partners and the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund. Founded by architect Wolfgang Fiel, the company offers a climate-friendly alternative to steel-reinforced concrete with up to 70% less CO₂ emissions. The technology is based on mineral composites, which are lighter and stronger than steel, and was developed in cooperation with several Austrian universities.

DaphOS receives 5 million euros for expansion

Healthtech startup DaphOS has raised €5 million in a seed funding round led by Venture Stars with YZR Capital as co-lead. Other investors are D11Z. Ventures, PUSH Ventures and OÖ HightechFonds. The company intends to use the capital to further develop its AI-supported platform for planning and decision support in the health, care and social sectors and expand throughout the DACH region. DaphOS is already being used in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and care facilities. The project is supported by OÖ Gesundheitsholding, KABEG Kärnten and the Know-Center, among others. DaphOS is also opening new locations in Zurich and Munich in preparation for international expansion.

Awards & Events

EVERSION wins Baden-Württemberg 2025 start-up award for medical innovation

The Constance-based medtech start-up EVERSION Technologies GmbH has been awarded 1st place in the Baden-Württemberg 2025 Founder's Prize of the Sparkassen. The startup was recognized for its 0° sole, which, in combination with a long-term gait analysis, contributes to the early detection and correction of musculoskeletal complaints. The solution aims to achieve sustainable pain reduction through individual insoles and has already shown an average pain reduction of 66% in a pilot study with the Technical University of Munich. The award, presented by Economics Minister Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut and Savings Bank President Matthias Neth, comes shortly before EVERSION's planned market launch in late summer 2025.

New Mobility Congress 2025 with record program

The New Mobility Congress 2025, the largest event for sustainable mobility in Central and Eastern Europe, will take place at the International Congress Center Katowice from 23 to 25 September. Organized by the Polish Association for Alternative Fuels (PSNM) and E-Mobility Europe, this year's program presents over 250 panels, lectures and workshops on ten stages as well as more than 20 premieres on 12,000 m² of exhibition space. Key topics include clean mobility, urban innovations, infrastructure, climate policy and health aspects. With strong participation from local governments, the focus will be on urban development in particular. The congress programme emphasizes the economic relevance of sustainable transformation for Poland and the region, for example in the areas of electromobility, logistics, digitalization and energy supply. International experts from politics, research and business as well as over 400 speakers are expected to attend.

Career Day Family Business 2025 at FIEGE in Münster

On November 14, 2025, the Family Business Career Day will take place in the new X-Dock of the logistics company FIEGE at the port of Münster. Over 50 well-known family businesses such as HARIBO, B. Braun, Rossmann and GOLDBECK have confirmed their participation. Pre-selected specialist and management talents will have the opportunity to discuss individual career opportunities directly with company decision-makers. The event, which has the motto "Connectedness makes us strong", is regarded as the most important recruiting and networking fair for family businesses in Germany. It is hosted by the international logistics service provider FIEGE, a fifth-generation family business with over 22,000 employees worldwide. The closing date for applications is October 20, 2025. Further information can be found at: www.karrieretag-familienunternehmen.de.

Brandenburg Freedom Award 2025 goes to GrundGesetzVerstehen e.V.

The association GrundGesetzVerstehen e.V. has been awarded the Brandenburg Freedom Prize 2025. The jury, chaired by Bishop Dr. Christian Stäblein, thus honors the commitment of the non-profit association, which brings school classes throughout Germany closer to the Basic Law in an understandable form. Under this year's motto "Freedom through education", the jury emphasizes how important political education is for strengthening the free and democratic basic order. The prize, endowed with 15,000 euros, will be awarded on October 11 in Brandenburg Cathedral. The laudatory speech will be held by former German President Dr. Joachim Gauck.

Munich Startup Festival 2025: Network, promote, grow

On July 16, 2025, around 1,500 founders, investors and representatives of the Munich startup scene came together for the third Munich Startup Festival at Backstage. With keynotes, panels, pitches, workshops and networking areas, the event offered a varied program. UniteLabs won the Munich Startup Award 2025 and 10,000 euros in prize money. Politics and business highlighted Munich's innovative strength, but also emphasized the need for global networking. Formats such as speed networking and practical workshops were popular. The after-party with live music rounded off the festival and showed that Munich's start-up ecosystem thrives on exchange - both locally and internationally.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Zenchef and CoverManager join forces for European restaurant platform

Restaurant tech providers Zenchef (France) and CoverManager (Spain) are joining forces to create a leading European platform for digital revenue management in the restaurant industry. With a combined customer base of over 36,000 restaurants in more than 20 countries, the companies combine their strengths in reservation management, guest loyalty and data-driven revenue optimization. Both brands will be retained, as will the respective locations in Paris and Seville. The new group will be managed under a joint holding structure, with Thomas Jeanjean (Zenchef) as CEO. The aim is to offer independent, commission-free technology solutions to restaurants in Europe and Latin America. The merger will be supported by Zenchef's previous majority shareholder PSG Equity, which will also accompany the new group. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025.

Cooperations & partnerships

Universal Quantum and TU Hamburg develop software for scalable quantum computing

Universal Quantum Deutschland GmbH and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) are working together to develop a scalable software platform for quantum computers with up to 100,000 qubits. The aim of the cooperation is to make fault-tolerant quantum computing suitable for practical use through new programming interfaces, developer tools and benchmarking protocols. The project is funded by the Hamburgische Investitions- und Förderbank. Universal Quantum is contributing its modular chip architecture and expertise in quantum error correction, while the TUHH aims to further develop benchmarking in particular. The collaboration is intended to enable applications in areas such as drug discovery or climate modeling and strengthen confidence in large-scale quantum solutions.

Omio expands long-distance bus services through strategic partnership in the USA

Omio, a global travel booking platform, entered into a strategic partnership with Transcor Data Services (TDS), a US mobility technology provider, in June 2025. The aim of the partnership is to integrate over 20 new travel service providers and more than 40 long-distance bus companies, including well-known providers such as Peter Pan and Coach USA. The agreement will come into effect in the third quarter of 2025 and will significantly expand the long-distance bus and multimodal offering, particularly in the USA. It will open up hundreds of new routes and strengthen Omio's position in the North American market.

Personnel

eleQtron strengthens management team with Silicon Valley manager Kaoru Naganuma

The quantum computer startup eleQtron from Siegen has brought Kaoru Naganuma, an internationally experienced technology expert with positions at Apple, Intel and Tesla, into the company as Chief Product Officer (CPO). With his arrival, eleQtron is setting the course for the next phase of growth and is focusing on product maturity, industrial scaling and marketable applications for the company's proprietary quantum computing technology. Naganuma will be responsible for the entire value chain from concept development to series production and will strengthen the bridge between research and industrial implementation. The company continues to pursue the goal of developing powerful quantum computers made in Germany for real industrial applications.

Ryan Richardson to leave BioNTech's Executive Board effective September 30

BioNTech SE announced today that Ryan Richardson will leave the Management Board by mutual agreement effective September 30, 2025. He is stepping down from his roles as Chief Strategy Officer and Board Director in subsidiaries to pursue new professional challenges. Richardson joined the company in 2018 and played a key role in the Series B financing, the IPO on the Nasdaq and strategic acquisitions and partnerships. He also led the development of the Global Strategy department and was responsible for Investor Relations. The Management Board and Supervisory Board would like to thank him for his services during a formative growth phase.