Startupnews week 8 - 2024

Kenbie takes over LIONCARE. Fahed Jaarah and rapper ENO secure 2.2 million euros. Raisin expands its investment platform. LEA Partners and easybill enter into strategic partnership. Bonrepublic becomes part of the HRworks Group. Qics announces acquisition of ProjectFlow. Holidu acquires ferienwohnungen.de. Startup association strengthens board of trustees.

Kenbi strengthens its position in the German care market with the acquisition of LIONCARE

The German HealthTech startup Kenbi has acquired the care service provider LIONCARE with the support of a private Series B investment round. With the largest acquisition in the company's history, Kenbi not only gains a care provider with many years of experience, but also access to over 650 caregivers and a unique cluster model of care centers in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. This will enable Kenbi to expand its offering to include holistic care services and expand into the cost-efficient shared apartment segment. The acquisition comes against the backdrop of the growing care market in Germany, which Kenbi recognizes as a digital frontrunner while traditional providers struggle to adapt to changing market conditions. Through its proprietary technology platform and innovative solutions, such as kenbi+, the company is positioning itself as a pioneer for the future of outpatient care. The acquisition was backed by several investors, including SPFF Holding GmbH, Achmea Innovation Fund and Helsana, who recognize Kenbi's potential in the care sector. Kenbi's growth trajectory is seen as a prelude to an improved outpatient care solution.

Fahed Jaarah and rapper ENO secure 2.2 million euros in seed funding

The e-commerce project "ShishaTabak.de" has received seed funding of 2.2 million euros. Founder and CEO Fahed Jaarah and German rapper ENO (Ensar Albayrak) have been working together on this project for around 18 months. The collaboration has already attracted some attention and promises to open an exciting new chapter in the field of e-commerce. With the support of a German group from Wiesbaden and two other investors from the United Arab Emirates, Jaarah and ENO have successfully secured funding for the start-up. The 2.2 million euros will be used to support the development and launch of the platform in Germany and Europe. The company will concentrate on high-quality shisha products and accessories, with a clear focus on quality. The founders are delighted with the trust and support they have received from the investors.

LEA Partners and easybill enter into strategic partnership

Karlsruhe - LEA Partners has entered into a strategic partnership with easybill. Easybill offers automated and legally compliant software solutions for the self-employed and small businesses, including modules such as invoicing, quotations, delivery bills and more. With over 18,000 customers, including online retailers, tradespeople and tax consultants, easybill has established itself as a SaaS solution. Dr. Andreas Seifert takes over as CEO, while the founders remain on board as shareholders and advisors. LEA Partners plans to accelerate easybill's growth and expand its position in the B2B sector with modern SaaS solutions, particularly in the area of EU-compliant electronic invoicing. Both parties are optimistic about the cooperation and the planned multidimensional growth.

Raisin expands investment platform

The Berlin-based fintech company Raisin has further developed its investment platform and transformed the Raisin ETF Robo into a digital wealth management product, Digital Wealth Management. Customers can now conclude products more quickly thanks to the integration of asset custody and management by Raisin Bank from Frankfurt am Main. This step creates synergies between savings and investment products, enables customized investment recommendations and makes it easier for less experienced investors to enter the capital markets. At 0.46 percent, the costs for digital asset management are below the market average. The transformation is supported by the investment API infrastructure of partner Upvest. CEO Martin Kassing emphasizes the importance of offering personalized solutions that meet changing customer needs. With this new offering, Raisin aims to make it even easier for its clients to create portfolios of products with different risk and return profiles.

Qics announces acquisition of ProjectFlow to expand into the Nordic market

Qics, the Dutch provider of Professional Services Automation (PSA), has announced the acquisition of ProjectFlow, a Danish project and portfolio management (PPM) software provider. This strategic partnership combines the strengths of both companies and creates a market-leading offering in Northwest Europe. ProjectFlow, headquartered in Odense, Denmark, offers a SaaS product called ProjectFlow 365 for project and portfolio management. The collaboration enables the integration of ProjectFlow's scalable software with Qics' best-of-breed solutions in the areas of time tracking, planning, invoicing and business intelligence. This acquisition opens up strong growth and innovation opportunities for Qics in the highly competitive ICT and SaaS customer landscape. The merged company aims to become a leader in project portfolio management in the Benelux and Nordic countries, leveraging Qics' geographical proximity and ProjectFlow's presence in the Danish market. The partnership also offers cross-selling opportunities and expands the overall solution suite for internal and external project management needs.

Bonrepublic becomes part of the HRworks Group

The Viennese HR startup Bonrepublic, which specializes in modern personnel development and employee retention, is joining the HRworks Group, a leading HR software provider for SMEs. The acquisition serves to implement Bonrepublic's expansion strategy in the DACH region under the new owner. Bonrepublic's talent management platform, which enables individualized performance reviews, will expand HRworks' offering. This move comes against the backdrop of a growing skills shortage, where employee retention and organizational development are becoming increasingly important. The collaboration aims to expand the product portfolio and strengthen the market position in German-speaking countries, with both companies emphasizing their positive corporate culture and synergies. Bonrepublic will remain an independent platform and existing integrations will be maintained.

Holidu acquires ferienwohnungen.de

Holidu announces the acquisition of the German online portal ferienwohnungen.de. Ferienwohnungen.de, founded in 1998 and based in Wees near Flensburg, is one of the best-known platforms for booking vacation rentals in Germany. Before the takeover, the platform offered around 7,000 vacation apartments and houses, most of which could only be booked on request. The collaboration with Holidu now enables landlords to take advantage of direct online bookability, modern software and local personal service, including professional photo shoots. The integration allows guests to browse and book the entire Holidu inventory on the website. In addition to the booking portal for vacation rentals, Holidu also operates a software and service solution for landlords. The office in Flensburg will remain and become part of Holidu, which now employs over 500 people across Europe. CEO Johannes Siebers is looking forward to the collaboration and emphasizes the importance of such strategic acquisitions as growth drivers for the company.

Startup Association strengthens board of trustees

The Startup Association is strengthening its Board of Trustees with well-known personalities in order to deepen the connection between the "old and new" economy. Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, founding partner of La Famiglia VC, Miriam Meckel, CEO of ada learning GmbH, and Jörg Rocholl, President of ESMT, are joining the Board of Trustees and contributing their expertise in the fields of venture capital, digital education and international business. Christian Miele, General Partner at Headline, will take over as Chairman and, as an experienced investor, will drive forward the goals of the association. Together with deputies on the board, they will work to improve the framework conditions for start-ups and promote networking between established companies and innovative players. The expansion of the Board of Trustees is seen as a decisive step towards realizing the vision of a dynamic startup landscape in Germany.