Startupnews week 38 - 2024

Signicat appoints Philipp Angermann as DFS. Eiffel Investment Group secures 777 million euros for Impact Debt II program. Gilion appoints Alexandre Hökfelt as new Head of Funding. EasyDMARC receives 20 million US dollars in Series A funding. Sergi Herrero becomes new CEO of Mangopay. TonerPartner acquires Trensco. Seaya Andromeda acquires majority stake in Zyclora. AMBOSS acquires Novaheal. zeroLabs revolutionizes non-alcoholic beer.

Personnel

Gilion appoints Alexandre Hökfelt as new Head of Funding

The Swedish growth and lending platform Gilion (formerly Ark Kapital) has appointed Alexandre Hökfelt, previously at Bridgepoint Development Capital, as its new Head of Funding. With over 15 years of experience in the international finance industry, Hökfelt will play a key role in fundraising and management as Gilion drives its growth strategy and expansion. Gilion is focusing on disruptive trends such as real-time data and the use of AI to transform the lending decision process for startups. Hökfelt brings extensive experience from previous positions at EQT Credit and J.P. Morgan.

Signicat appoints Philipp Angermann as Director Financial Services

Signicat, the European provider of digital identity and fraud prevention solutions, has appointed Philipp Angermann as its new Director Financial Services DACH. Angermann, previously with IDnow, will be responsible for driving the banking and financial sector in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, particularly with regard to the transformation of anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations. With his extensive industry experience and network, he will strengthen Signicat's innovative power in the region. In October, Signicat will also open a new office in Munich to expand its local presence.

Sergi Herrero becomes new CEO of Mangopay

Mangopay, a leading provider of payment infrastructure for platforms, has appointed fintech expert Sergi Herrero as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Herrero, who previously held senior positions at Meta, Square and BNP Paribas, takes over from Romain Mazeries, who remains on the company's board. With Herrero's extensive experience in the fintech industry, Mangopay aims to drive its international expansion and technological innovation.

Financing rounds

EasyDMARC receives 20 million US dollars in Series A funding

The email security company EasyDMARC has raised 20 million US dollars in a Series A financing round led by Radian Capital. The investment will be used to drive global expansion and strengthen the team, technology and partner network. EasyDMARC, founded in Armenia, provides DMARC email security and authentication solutions to protect organizations from phishing attacks. With over 83,000 customers in more than 130 countries, the company plans to further expand its market position and meet the increasing demands for email security worldwide.

M & A

TonerPartner takes over Trensco

The TonerPartner Group, an online retailer for printer ink and toner in Europe, has acquired Trensco GmbH & Co. KG, including the brands HD Toner and HQ-Fit. The takeover creates the largest German online provider in this segment with over one million active customers and an annual turnover of over 100 million euros. With this acquisition, TonerPartner, which already acquired the French provider Rousselle.com and later Druckerpatronen.de in 2021, is continuing its growth. TonerPartner's logistics center will be relocated to Uelzen in 2025, where Trensco already has its own warehouse.

Seaya Andromeda acquires majority stake in Zyclora

The Klimatech growth fund Seaya Andromeda has acquired a majority stake in Zyclora/Bike Ocasión, the leading provider of refurbished bicycles in Spain. Zyclora, which also operates in France, Italy and Germany and expects to reach a turnover of 13 million euros in 2024, plans to expand into other European markets with this investment. With Seaya's capital and expertise in the circular economy, Zyclora aims to strengthen its position as European market leader, open new businesses and drive its digitalization.

AMBOSS acquires Novaheal

AMBOSS, a knowledge and learning platform for medical professionals in Germany, has acquired the EdTech start-up Novaheal, a learning platform for nursing education. With this acquisition, AMBOSS is expanding its offering to include nurses, who are one of the largest professional groups in the healthcare sector alongside doctors. AMBOSS and Novaheal are pooling their knowledge to promote interprofessional collaboration and combat the shortage of specialists in the healthcare sector. Novaheal remains the leading digital companion for nursing training in Germany, while AMBOSS continues to expand its market leadership for medical professionals.

Funds

Eiffel Investment Group secures €777 million for Impact Debt II program

Eiffel Investment Group has successfully completed its fundraising for the Eiffel Impact Debt II program, raising €777 million in commitments from institutional investors - 35% more than the previous round. The Group now manages over 3.3 billion euros in private debt. Almost 60% of the new fund has already been deployed to finance the growth of 21 European SMEs and improve their ESG performance through 66 Impact Covenants®. Classified as SFDR Article 9 and LuxFLAG ESG certified, the program combines financial and ESG objectives to promote an equitable and ecological transformation.

Startups

zeroLabs revolutionizes non-alcoholic beer: Munich start-up focuses on conscious enjoyment

The Munich start-up zeroLabs, founded by Moritz Keller and Max Wittrock, wants to redefine non-alcoholic beer. Their first product, a naturally cloudy, sugar-free and alcohol-free beer called Unfiltered 0.0, focuses on quality and taste without making any compromises. With a minimal marketing budget and a focus on organic growth, they want to change the beer market with a modern and differentiated approach. The beer can be ordered online from September 30, and the first collaborations with restaurants are already being planned.