Startupnews KW 5 - 25

Anchor secures 20 million US dollars in Series A - INNO INVEST cooperates with Privatize - Upvest relies on Clearstream - Ivy brings on Sascha Bross - Career Day Family Business - HHL DIGITAL SPACE Görlitz launches free online seminar series - Swobbee and Oonee receive 3.7 million US dollars - Trade Republic expands to Italy - Variolytics secures growth financing - Cologne's Startup Ecosystem 2024

Anchor secures 20 million US dollars in Series A funding

US fintech Anchor has closed a 20 million dollar Series A financing led by Mosaic General Partnership and Zeev Ventures. With its free Autonomous Billing & Collections platform, Anchor is revolutionizing the billing and payment process for SMEs with a fully digital, automated solution. Instead of manual and error-prone processes, Anchor enables interactive, digital contracts, allowing companies to increase profits by over 30%, reduce revenue leakage from over 5% to less than 1% and cut the time to contract signature from 45 days to less than 24 hours.

Upvest relies on Clearstream for fund processing and distribution

Upvest, Europe's leading investment infrastructure provider, has selected Clearstream as its partner for fund processing, execution and distribution. By using Clearstream's Vestima platform, Upvest will be able to optimize its operational processes and offer its clients access to a broad international fund universe of over 400 asset managers. The collaboration enables Upvest to efficiently manage high transaction volumes while focusing on strategic growth and regulatory compliance.

INNO INVEST cooperates with Privatize

The liability umbrella INNO INVEST has entered into a strategic partnership with the Privatize platform to provide asset managers and multi-family offices with access to private market funds such as private equity, private debt and real assets. Privatize offers a digital platform with market insights, portfolio simulations, knowledge transfer and reporting to facilitate the provision of advice to wealthy clients. The aim is to meet the growing demand for individual investment solutions that go beyond standard products. According to INNO INVEST Managing Director Stefan Schmitt, the cooperation strengthens the offering for discerning investors and positions the company as a modern provider of exclusive investment strategies.

The events

HHL DIGITAL SPACE Görlitz launches free online seminar series for entrepreneurship

HHL DIGITAL SPACE Görlitz is launching the free "Entrepreneurship Seminar Series", which offers practical insights into business start-ups and management throughout Germany. The eight online modules are aimed at SMEs, start-ups, students and interested parties and can be booked independently of each other and without prior knowledge. Contents include financial analysis, company valuation, business models, financing options and product innovations. The seminars will take place in two sessions from February 19 to June 16, 2025 and from August 27 to October 9, 2025. Registration is free of charge. Further information can be found at: Entrepreneurship seminar series - to register.

Family business career day: Opportunities for talents in Ingelfingen-Criesbach

On June 6, 2025, the 34th Family Business Career Day will take place on the Criesbach campus of Bürkert Fluid Control Systems. Over 50 leading family businesses, including Kärcher, dm, Würth and the Schwarz Group, will offer pre-selected talents the opportunity to find out about career opportunities and talk directly to decision-makers. The event is regarded as the most important recruiting fair for family businesses in Germany that stand for sustainable business practices and diverse development opportunities. In addition to company presentations and one-to-one meetings, participants can get to know innovative products and technologies in the Tech Lab. The application deadline for the limited places is May 12, 2025. Further information can be found at: www.karrieretag-familienunternehmen.de.

Funding rounds

Swobbee and Oonee receive 3.7 million US dollars

European battery swap specialist Swobbee and secure parking and charging infrastructure provider Oonee have been awarded a $3.7 million grant from the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. The funds will be used to build at least 20 parking and charging stations in Minneapolis and expand to 17 stations in Jersey City. The project aims to improve access to safe and sustainable micromobility infrastructure for commuters, delivery drivers and city residents. In addition, the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management is supporting the initiative with scientific monitoring and the development of a best-practice guide for other cities. The project will launch in 2025 and will be implemented by Swobbee, Oonee and NYU in collaboration with the cities of Jersey City and Minneapolis.

Variolytics secures growth funding to decarbonize the wastewater sector

Stuttgart-based startup Variolytics has closed a growth financing round led by Nordic Alpha Partners (NAP), with participation from the European Innovation Council (EIC), High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fonds (FTTF). Founded in 2020, the company has developed a sensor technology for real-time measurements of greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment plants, in particular to reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, which contribute significantly to climate change. With the new funding, Variolytics aims to further develop its technology and drive international expansion to make the wastewater sector more sustainable.

Personnel

Fintech Ivy brings on Sascha Bross as Managing Director for Ivy Pay Oy

Munich-based fintech Ivy has appointed Sascha Bross, formerly with Holvi, as Managing Director of its Finnish unit Ivy Pay Oy. Bross will drive the expansion of the regulated payment institution in Finland and Europe. Ivy positions itself as a provider of real-time account-based payments (A2A Payments) and connects businesses with banks in 28 countries via an open banking API. With total funding of 30 million US dollars from Creandum and Valar Ventures, the company plans to meet the growing demand for instant payments and expand its global presence. CEO Ferdinand Dabitz sees Bross' expertise as an important step for the company's further growth.

Trade Republic expands to Italy

Trade Republic is continuing its expansion in Europe and, after France, is now also launching a localized free current account with a local IBAN in Italy. The fintech is also the first international company to introduce the automatic tax payment "Regime Amministrato", which puts it in direct competition with established banks. With over 8 million customers and more than 100 billion euros in assets under management, Trade Republic is one of Europe's leading direct banks. The strong growth in the international market illustrates the increasing demand for simple and cost-effective savings products.

Cologne's startup ecosystem 2024: growth despite financing challenges

Cologne's startup ecosystem recorded strong growth in 2024 with a 9% increase in new startups to almost 800 startups. Investments also rose by 71% to EUR 381 million, although the majority went to a few large companies, led by DeepL with EUR 272 million. Despite this positive development, financing problems remain a challenge for many young start-ups, as does the gender gap, as only one in five start-up teams was made up of women. The business development agency KölnBusiness supported the scene with over 2,000 consultations, the recommendation of 40 start-ups for the NRW start-up grant and 160,000 euros in funding. The aim is to further develop Cologne as a strong start-up location and to offer young companies better opportunities for growth.