Startupnews week 32

Investments

BOB raises USD 21 million for expansion of Bitcoin DeFi hybrid chain

BOB, a Berlin-based provider of a hybrid blockchain for Bitcoin DeFi, has raised a total of USD 21 million in several financing rounds since December 2024. Investors include Castle Island Ventures, Ledger Cathay Capital, RockawayX, Amber Group and Sats Ventures. The capital is intended to accelerate the further development of BOB's hybrid chain, which combines the security of Bitcoin with the DeFi functions of Ethereum. BOB aims to unlock new applications and liquidity potential and recently launched its native Bitcoin DeFi on the testnet, which is based on the BitVM bridge and will be available on the mainnet in the future.

ToysReloved secures €180,000 for sustainable second-hand toy platform

The Berlin-based start-up ToysReloved has received €180,000 in a financing round, including from the Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. (BACB). The platform facilitates the purchase and sale of tested, high-quality second-hand toys and aims to strengthen the circular economy in the toy market. The fresh capital will be used to expand the platform, extend the product range and optimize the customer journey to make second-hand toys the first choice for families.

Media for equity deal for vivido

The travel tech startup vivido is getting a media boost thanks to a media partnership with SevenAccelerator. The online tour operator is launching its first TV campaign in October. The aim is to increase brand awareness in the DACH region and establish vivido as the place to go for individually curated adventure trips. As part of the deal, the accelerator is making a media investment worth millions in the start-up, which was founded in 2022. vivido enables personalized travel packages from island hopping to safaris with a focus on experiences via an intuitive booking platform. The campaign aims to position vivido as an emotionally charged brand in the mass market.

FINEXITY launches capital increase and plans stock market listing in Munich

FINEXITY AG has decided on a capital increase with subscription rights at a ratio of 11:1 in order to finance the establishment of a regulated, DLT-based trading and settlement system, planned acquisitions and company growth. Shareholders can choose between two tranches: freely tradable shares at EUR 42.50 or shares with lock-up until August 2027 at EUR 29.50. The subscription period runs from August 12 to 26, 2025, oversubscription is possible. Unsubscribed shares will be offered in a private placement. The measure is the last financing round before the planned direct listing in the m:access segment of the Munich Stock Exchange and is intended to support share price stability after the IPO through long-term lock-up commitments from management, investors and partners.

SNIPR BIOME secures EUR 35 million Series B funding for the development of CRISPR therapies

SNIPR BIOME, a Danish biotech company, has closed a EUR 35 million Series B financing from new and existing investors. The capital will support the development of CRISPR-based therapies for the treatment of respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis, the elimination of antibiotic resistance genes and the further clinical development of the product SNIPR001 in a Phase 1b study.

Awards & Events

Pitch Night in Berlin: Aroundtown invites start-ups

Aroundtown will soon be organizing the Aroundtown ( ATechX ) Pitch Night in Berlin. The event is aimed at technology-oriented start-ups from FinTech to GreenTech and AgriTech. It offers founders the chance to present their ideas to a renowned jury and a broad audience. In addition to visibility and direct feedback from industry experts, participants can expect intensive networking with investors and representatives of the Berlin tech scene as well as prizes for the best pitches. With the new event format, Aroundtown is underlining its commitment to innovation and specifically promoting the exchange between the real estate industry and the startup ecosystem. Applications are open until August 30, 2025.

Twilio is looking for AI startups for innovation competition

With the AI Startup Searchlight 2025 competition, Twilio is calling on startups worldwide to present creative applications that combine artificial intelligence with Twilio technologies for communication and customer interaction. The prize will be awarded to 20 startups that can demonstrate market-ready solutions with innovative use of technology and a convincing user experience. In addition to Twilio credits of up to 10,000 US dollars and OpenAI API credits, the winners will receive media visibility, individual feedback from the Twilio Ventures team and access to co-marketing opportunities. Applications are open until September 5, 2025, and the prize will be awarded in November. Prerequisite: less than USD 200 million in VC funding and a ready-to-use demo.

Partnerships

Rolls-Royce Power Systems and INERATEC plan e-fuels for climate-friendly data centers

Rolls-Royce and INERATEC are launching a strategic partnership to use climate-neutral e-fuels in the emergency power supply of data centers. Synthetic e-diesel made from green hydrogen and CO₂ will initially replace fossil fuels in generators in Germany. The partners are thus responding to the growing energy requirements of digital infrastructures and offering a CO₂-neutral alternative. The e-fuels meet international environmental standards and are produced at the ERA ONE plant in Frankfurt. With its mtu systems, Rolls-Royce is already contributing e-fuel-compatible technology to the cooperation to enable a secure and sustainable energy supply for data centers.

LumenHaus becomes a premium partner of Bayer 04 Leverkusen

LumenHaus, provider of networked home energy solutions with a focus on photovoltaics, storage and heat pumps, will become an official premium partner of Bayer 04 Leverkusen for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The strategic partnership was signed at the BayArena at the end of July. The aim is to use the reach of the Bundesliga platform to raise awareness of the LumenHaus brand and focus on topics such as smart living and sustainability. Both partners emphasize their shared values.

Wolt cooperates with EIT Food and FEBA

The Wolt trading platform has entered into strategic partnerships with EIT Food, Europe's leading innovation initiative in the food sector, and the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA). The aim is to reduce food waste, combat food insecurity and drive innovation for a greener food system in Europe. Wolt is working with EIT Food on projects relating to sustainable packaging and new approaches to combating waste. The cooperation with FEBA, whose members include Tafel Deutschland e.V., aims to improve the supply of food to people in need and test new redistribution models.

More exciting news

Campus development starts in Nauen

With the development plan coming into force and the signing of a 200-megawatt grid connection contract, maincubes is pressing ahead with the development of its new data center campus in Nauen. The central legal and infrastructural requirements for the construction of the "mainHub Berlin" campus have thus been met. The first data center (BER02) is already at an advanced stage of planning, and an application has been submitted for its own 110 kV transformer station. The location to the west of Berlin is positioned as a strategically important hub for cloud and AI applications and is characterized by a stable energy supply, good regulatory conditions and access to a highly innovative environment. In addition to the use of renewable energies, the use of waste heat for local heating networks is also planned.

Accumulus Synergy founds Accumulus Technologies

The industry association Accumulus Synergy has spun off a new, independent technology company, Accumulus Technologies, in order to scale its cloud-based Accumulus platform, which is already used in over 60 countries, on a global scale. The platform accelerates collaboration between life science companies and regulatory authorities, shortens approval times by up to 90% and supports models such as mutual recognition and parallel submissions. Accumulus Technologies acquires the platform and development team, gains entrepreneurial flexibility for fundraising and partnerships, and plans to expand into new markets such as medical devices or generics. Accumulus Synergy remains active as a non-profit organization.