Startupnews week 38 - 2025

Investments

Factor2 Energy secures 9.1 million US dollars for CO₂-based geothermal pilot project

Duisburg-based Factor2 Energy has raised USD 9.1 million in a seed round from investors including At One Ventures, HTGF, Gründerfonds Ruhr, Verve Ventures and Siemens Energy Ventures to develop its CO₂-based geothermal technology and a pilot power plant; the process replaces water with CO₂, which is injected into geological formations, driven by heat and used in a closed cycle to generate electricity. According to the company, this works with up to twice the energy yield at lower costs and the added benefit of permanent CO₂ storage.

BIOWEG receives 16 million euros for the expansion of biodegradable microplastic alternatives

The biotech start-up BIOWEG has closed a Series A financing round of 16 million euros. The round was led by Axeleo Capital, with the European Innovation Council, NBank Capital, BONVENTURE and seed investor Dr. Frank Jenner also participating. BIOWEG intends to use the capital to build a production plant for bacterial cellulose in Germany and transfer its technologies from the pilot phase to industrial production. Founded in 2019, the company uses fermentation and green chemistry to develop biodegradable alternatives to microplastics, including microparticles for cosmetics, bio-based additives for household and care products and coatings for seeds and fertilizers.

Awards & Events

MediaTech Hub Conference 2025

On September 24 and 25, Studio Babelsberg will host the MediaTech Hub Conference 2025, the industry gathering for film, TV and streaming. The opening keynote will be held by director and actress Maria Schrader, known for Unorthodox and Ich bin dein Mensch. On the stages, representatives from Banijay, BBC Studios, ITV, RTL and ZDF Studios will join Google, AWS and ByteDance to discuss trends such as virtual production, streaming tech and generative AI. Other highlights include the creator economy, new market strategies, trust in AI and the guest country Denmark with insights into its internationally successful storytelling culture. The program is complemented by new Bitkom data, the MTH Startup Demo Day, practical workshops and a supporting program with a concert and networking.

TechVillage 2025: founders and investors network in Moldova

At TechVillage 2025, 36 startup founders and 26 international investors from the EU, Western Balkans and Eastern partner countries met in the village of Butuceni for three days of pitches, mentoring and more than 180 curated 1:1 meetings. The aim of the event was to facilitate real conversations and long-term partnerships between founders and investors. Eight deals are already under negotiation. With participants from over ten countries as well as VCs such as BADideas.fund, EstBAN and Catalyst Romania, the event underlined Moldova's growing role as a bridge between local talent and the global innovation scene. TechVillage was organized by XY Partners with the support of international funding programs that plan to continue in 2026.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Kenbi Academy acquires kenbi brand

Kenbi Akademie has taken over the brand and IP rights of Kenbi GmbH as part of the insolvency proceedings, thereby strengthening its position in the continuing nursing education market. Founder Clemens Raemy emphasizes the need to further develop the brand in a new context and to offer high-quality, practical training for nursing staff and managers. The offering ranges from wound management and mandatory training to PDL qualifications and expert courses that can be completed flexibly online. With the takeover, the Kenbi Academy is focusing on continuity and expanding its reach in order to strengthen nursing staff in the long term.

Cloud Coach takes over JustOn

Cloud Coach, a provider of professional services automation software based in the USA, has acquired the German billing and financial software specialist JustOn. The integration expands Cloud Coach's PSA portfolio with financial and billing process capabilities and strengthens its presence in Europe and North America. JustOn, founded in 2010 in Jena, Germany, specializes in Salesforce-native solutions for the automation of billing, receivables and sales management. The combination creates an end-to-end solution in the Salesforce ecosystem that combines project execution and financial management on a single platform to increase efficiency, transparency and growth for customers.

RiskConcile acquires Fitz Partners

RiskConcile, the Belgian provider of cloud-based solutions for regulatory reporting and risk calculations, has acquired the British fund data specialist Fitz Partners. The acquisition is the first step in the international buy-and-build strategy since the entry of Main Capital in 2024 and combines Fitz's market-leading fee and cost databases with RiskConcile's reporting and risk platform. Together, the two companies aim to provide asset and fund managers across Europe with integrated solutions for regulatory transparency, cost analysis and efficient risk management. Fitz Partners, founded in London in 2013, already serves over 65 international asset managers and plans to expand into France.

Personnel

Management change at Studyflix: Mathias Klement becomes new CEO

Studyflix, part of EMBRACE since 2023 and Germany's largest study platform with over six million monthly active users, is entering its next growth phase: founders Reinhard Blech and Benedikt Bergner are handing over the management to Mathias Klement, who has extensive experience in scaling digital business models. He will be supported by Andreas Binder, who will become Chief Product Officer. The founders will oversee the handover until the end of the year. EMBRACE CEO Gero Hesse and Felix von Zittwitz emphasize the synergies in the HR tech portfolio, which Studyflix aims to integrate even more closely with Ausbildung.de, MeinPraktikum.de and Trainee.de in the future.

TrueCommerce focuses on growth with new management team and AI innovations

The supply chain company TrueCommerce has introduced strategic changes to its management team and new AI-supported solutions. Bill Glass, new CEO, is focusing on innovation, customer experience and operational excellence. He is supported by Lee Kimball, who is responsible for the global product strategy as Chief Product Officer. In its in-house Dev Lab, TrueCommerce is working on AI initiatives to optimize supply chains, which should enable faster results and more efficient processes.

LeanVal realigns leadership and customer strategy

The LeanVal Group is realigning its management and customer strategy: Axel Frein will leave the Management Board of LeanVal Asset Management AG on September 30, 2025 and will take over the further development of capital market activities and the expansion of relationships with institutional investors, banks and savings banks as Executive Director at LeanVal Invest GmbH from October 1. In this way, the Group intends to pool its resources and coordinate its approach to key accounts. The Management Board of LeanVal Asset Management AG will in future consist of Thomas Wiegelmann (Chairman) and Axel Gauß, who will take over Frein's responsibilities.

Virtune appoints Benedict von Lucke as Country Manager for Germany

The Swedish crypto-asset manager Virtune has appointed Benedict von Lucke as Country Manager for Germany. With this strategic appointment, the company is driving its European expansion and strengthening its presence in one of the most important markets for digital and traditional assets. Von Lucke has extensive experience in the area of exchange-traded products and funds, including at PIMCO and Columbia Threadneedle in London. In his new role, he will drive the development of partnerships with brokers, financial advisors, institutional investors and private investors in Germany and establish Virtune's range of regulated crypto ETPs in the market.

More news from the ecosystem

Green Club opens second location in Munich

Bowl specialist Green Club has opened its second location in Munich-Haidhausen, taking over the former Heartbeet location on Rosenheimer Straße. Just a few months after its successful launch in Maxvorstadt, the company is continuing to grow and at the same time significantly expanding its delivery area - to Bogenhausen, Trudering-Riem and Unterhaching, among others. The opening party attracted numerous guests and underscored the high demand for the customizable bowls. With the new store, Green Club now operates ten locations nationwide.

CMI Media Group opens global hub in Paris

CMI Media Group, a media agency in the healthcare sector, is pushing ahead with its international expansion and opening a new global hub in Paris. With the appointment of Aurélie Rizzo as Global Director, the agency is strengthening its local expertise and further expanding its reach in key markets. Following the launch of its first European location in London in 2023, CMI Media Group now serves clients in over 100 countries. The new hub will link global campaigns even more closely with local specifics, particularly in the highly regulated French healthcare market.#

Start-up association calls for acceleration of WIN initiative

One year after the launch of the WIN initiative, the Startup Association takes stock and calls for more speed. The programme, which aims to mobilize twelve billion euros for startups and scaleups by 2030, was an important signal, says Vice President Zoé Fabian-Frey. As the coalition is now even aiming for 25 billion euros, there is an urgent need for better framework conditions for private investors. Only a few of the ten political measures have been implemented so far and central financing instruments are still a long way off. In an international comparison, Germany is clearly lagging behind: in the USA, four times as much venture capital flows into start-ups in terms of GDP, and three times as much in the UK. The association is therefore calling for improvements to the Location Promotion Act, tax incentives for venture capital, a strengthening of employee participation and reforms to pension schemes

UnternehmerTUM launches ETA Hub for business succession

UnternehmerTUM, Europe's leading center for start-ups, is expanding its portfolio with the new ETA Hub (Entrepreneurship through Acquisition). The aim is to close the growing succession gap in the German SME sector. According to KfW, around 231,000 companies are planning to shut down by the end of 2025 due to a lack of successors. ETA offers an alternative to setting up a new company by allowing talented entrepreneurs to take over existing companies and develop them further. The hub promotes knowledge transfer, connects talents, companies and investors and positions UnternehmerTUM as an interface between business, science and politics. The founding partners are Novastone Partners, Deutsche Bank WM and Tengelmann Growth Partners.