Startupnews KW 7 - 25

Plain secures 15 million dollars. ReBloom secures 400,000 euros. Shiftmove strengthens its management team. Agteria Biotech secures 6 million euros. Edmund receives 500,000 euros. CDTM Venture Fund raises 8.2 million euros. Record year for Estonia's e-Residency. KfW and BMWK with new grants. Germitec secures 30 million US dollars for UV-C disinfection. USD 50 million for Latent Labs.

Financing rounds

Plain secures 15 million dollars to further develop its B2B support platform

London-based startup Plain has raised USD 15 million in a Series A funding round led by Battery Ventures, with further participation from Index Ventures and Connect Ventures. Plain is developing a support platform for B2B companies that enables seamless, AI-powered customer communication via real-time channels such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Discord. The goal is to drive the shift from reactive to proactive, collaborative customer support. With the new funding, Plain plans to intensify its product development, expand its AI functionalities, hire new employees and open an office in San Francisco.

ReBloom secures 400,000 euros

Danish FinTech startup ReBloom has raised 400,000 euros in a pre-seed financing round to accelerate its growth trajectory. Founded in 2024, the company is developing an AI-supported platform that aims to democratize trading in unlisted shares - such as those of SpaceX, Revolut and Bolt. Traditionally, this market has been exclusive and difficult to access, but ReBloom wants to change this by offering investors the right trading opportunities through automated matching technologies. The fresh funds will be used to expand the platform and broaden the market.

Agteria Biotech secures 6 million euros to reduce methane emissions in agriculture

Stockholm-based startup Agteria Biotech has raised 6 million euros in a seed financing round to further develop its solution for reducing methane emissions from cattle. The funding was led by Industrifonden and AgriZeroNZ, with additional support from Norrsken Launcher and Mudcake. Agteria has developed a patented molecule that cost-effectively reduces methane emissions and has already been successfully tested in several trials. The funds will be used to advance regulatory approvals and conduct safety studies for animals, consumers and the environment.

Edmund secures 500,000 euros for AI-powered manufacturing optimization

Czech startup Edmund has raised EUR 500,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Lighthouse Ventures with participation from Czech Founders VC, Borovicka Capital and Tensor Ventures. Edmund is developing an AI-supported platform that optimizes manufacturing processes by analyzing real-time data, technical documentation and control software. The aim is to address the shortage of skilled workers in the industry and increase the efficiency of production processes. The funding is intended to drive the further development of the platform and its expansion in Europe and the USA. Edmund is already using its solution with industry giants such as Festo and Vitesco Technologies and plans to scale further in the coming months.

Germitec secures 30 million US dollars for UV-C disinfection

MedTech company Germitec has closed a 30 million US dollar funding round to drive its expansion in the US market and further develop its UV-C disinfection technologies. The round was led by European investment firm Eurazeo, with support from existing shareholders. The company plans to expand its products to prevent hospital infections and improve patient care in the US. Germitec will use the financing to accelerate commercial launch, increase market penetration and invest in research and development to further expand its portfolio.

Latent Labs secures 50 million US dollars for programmable biology

Latent Labs has closed a $50 million funding round to advance the possibilities of AI-driven programmable biology. The company was founded by Dr. Simon Kohl, a former DeepMind scientist, and specializes in the development of generative protein design technologies. With the funding, which was led by Radical Ventures and Sofinnova Partners, Latent Labs aims to enable researchers to design new therapeutic molecules such as antibodies and enzymes to accelerate drug development.

Fund

CDTM Venture Fund raises 8.2 million euros to support early-stage start-ups

The CDTM Venture Fund, founded by alumni of the Munich Center for Digital Technology & Management (CDTM), has raised 8.2 million euros to support early-stage CDTM-related start-ups. The funding comes from 316 former students, including numerous successful founders and investors.

Around 60 start-ups are to be supported over the next four years, provided that at least one CDTM alumnus or alumna is part of the founding team. In addition to capital, the start-ups benefit from a strong network of experienced entrepreneurs and experts. A significant portion of the profits will also flow back to the CDTM to support future generations of innovators.

Personnel

Shiftmove strengthens management team for European expansion

Fleet management startup Shiftmove is expanding its leadership team with Olga Long (VP Operations) and Manuel Schuler (VP Customer Success) to drive expansion in Europe. Long brings over 25 years of experience in scaling tech companies and will optimize processes, systems and data integration. Schuler returns after a sabbatical to strengthen growth and customer loyalty at European level. By 2027, Shiftmove aims to manage more than one million vehicles more efficiently with its AI-powered software. The new managers will play a key role in driving forward the integration of acquisitions and market penetration.

Fabian Furch leaves EarlyGam

After more than five years, Fabian Furch is leaving EarlyGame as Managing Director to pursue new challenges in the fields of sports, gaming and start-ups. Together with co-founder Leopold Ingelheim, he built EarlyGame into a successful combination of media publishing and creative agency that worked with partners such as Techniker Krankenkasse, Jochen Schweizer and the European Space Agency (ESA). The charity project "EarlyGame Awards", which collects donations for disadvantaged children, was particularly close to his heart and this year's final show marks his last involvement with the company. EarlyGame will continue to be managed by co-founder Leopold Ingelheim as Managing Director.

Miscellaneous

Record year for Estonia's e-Residency: More and more German founders are using the digital business model

The Estonian e-Residency program achieved a record year in 2024 with 4,818 newly founded companies, with German founders in particular discovering the digital model for themselves: 6 percent of e-residents are German, and 35 percent of them have founded a company in Estonia, putting Germany in third place internationally. The fully digital, low-bureaucracy start-up process makes Estonia attractive for start-ups, freelancers and remote companies. In economic terms, the program generated over 66 million euros in government revenue in 2024 (0.4 percent of the total budget). To further promote growth, Estonia is planning simplifications for 2026-2029, such as a cardless e-residency solution and the further reduction of bureaucratic hurdles to attract more entrepreneurs with established companies.

KfW and BMWK promote digitalization and innovation in SMEs with new grants

From 20 February 2025, KfW will be supporting SMEs on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) with a new grant for future investments that complements the existing ERP digitalization and innovation loan. The grant amounts to three percent of the loan disbursed, up to a maximum of EUR 200,000, and is intended to offer companies an additional incentive to invest in digitalization and innovation. The aim is to strengthen the innovative power of German SMEs and facilitate necessary investments. Freelancers and SMEs with an annual turnover of up to 500 million euros that receive a commitment for the loan from the specified date are eligible to apply.