Startupnews week 9 - 2024

FTAPI and Cyberport IT-Services enter into partnership for secure data exchange. KKCG successfully completes acquisition of Avenga. Timeless Investments launches first TV campaign in cooperation with SevenAccelerator. Bling and Deutsche Telekom enter into partnership for first fintech mobile offering in the EU. Fobizz takes over EdTech to teach. E4MeWi demonstrates efficient processes for green methanol. Meet5 and DoSo merge. ODDO BHF honors winners of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2024.

Timeless Investments launches first TV campaign in cooperation with SevenAccelerator

The Berlin-based start-up Timeless Investments has launched its first TV campaign in cooperation with SevenAccelerator. The TV spot will be broadcast on selected ProSiebenSat.1 channels and is part of a media-for-equity agreement. Maximilian Jochim, Managing Director of SevenVentures GmbH, emphasizes the importance of trust in emerging markets such as Collectible Investments. The commercial aims to raise awareness and trust in Timeless Investments' unique investment opportunities by focusing on high-quality collectible investment assets. The CEO of Timeless Investments, Malte Häusler, explains that the campaign is designed to appeal to investors with vision. The partnership with SevenAccelerator and the upcoming digital campaign mark important milestones in Timeless Investments' journey to becoming the European market leader in collectible investments. The TV commercial was developed together with Berlin-based creative agency Studio Avanti.

FTAPI and Cyberport IT-Services enter into partnership for secure data exchange

FTAPI has entered into a partnership with Cyberport IT-Services (CPITS), a Cyberport SE company. CPITS integrates FTAPI's data transfer solutions into its security portfolio to jointly strengthen IT security for small and medium-sized enterprises. The partnership aims to offer secure data exchange at the highest data protection standard, in particular through GDPR-compliant solutions for encrypted data exchange developed and hosted by FTAPI in Munich. The collaboration enables the development of customized solutions for customers in the German SME sector. CPITS emphasizes the importance of data security without compromise and highlights FTAPI's expertise as a reliable partner. Short-term development and implementation of customized solutions is facilitated by direct communication and collaboration with FTAPI. FTAPI's solutions, including SecuMails, SecuRooms, SecuForms and SecuFlows, are now available through Cyberport IT Services.

Bling and Deutsche Telekom partner for first fintech mobile offering in the EU

Berlin-based family fintech Bling has announced a partnership with Deutsche Telekom and will launch "Bling Mobile" from March 2024. This mobile product, which has been specially developed for families with children, is the first of its kind in the European Union. Integrated into the Bling app, it offers parental control functions and content to promote media literacy. Deutsche Telekom sees Bling as a promising partner that has already registered over 50,000 families on its platform within a year and a half of its launch. Bling, designed as a family platform, enables children and parents to manage and invest money and organize their household. Bling Mobile is exclusively integrated into the Bling app and is characterized by unique features such as an internet filter for children. Investors, including La Famiglia, Peak and Ben Tellings, are providing financial and operational support for the family fintech, which is now positioning itself as a daily companion for the whole family.

Fobizz takes over EdTech to teach

The Hamburg-based company fobizz has successfully acquired the AI EdTech to teach, which now operates as a subsidiary of 101skills GmbH under the name fobizz. The founders of to teach, Felix Weiß and Marius Lindenmeier, will remain in office as managing directors. This merger enables both companies to offer high-quality educational content for teachers that is on a publishing level. The common goal of fobizz and to teach is to enable teachers to use artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate their everyday work and maximize its potential in the education system. The association brings together fobizz, a leading provider of AI applications and digital tools for teachers, and to teach, an innovative EdTech company that creates personalized teaching materials and interactive exercises using AI. The long-term vision is to support teachers worldwide in preparing their lessons and responding to the individual needs of their students.

KKCG successfully completes acquisition of Avenga

The KKCG Group has successfully completed the acquisition of the Avenga Group, an end-to-end software development and IT consulting company. Avenga was previously owned by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management and Cornerstone Investment Management. With the completion of the transaction, Avenga will now become a wholly owned subsidiary of KKCG. The acquisition represents a strategic inflection point for KKCG's technology pillar and strengthens its international presence. Avenga will seamlessly complement the custom software development company Qinshift, and KKCG Technologies will become a major architect of digital transformation in Europe. The integration will be led by Ludovic Gaudé, head of KKCG's software engineering activities and CEO of Qinshift, in collaboration with Yuriy Adamchuk, CEO of Avenga.

E4MeWi research alliance demonstrates efficient processes for green methanol in container plant

The E4MeWi research association is presenting efficient processes for the production of green methanol in a container plant at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park. Methanol plays a role in the defossilization of shipping and aviation as well as the chemical industry's independence from crude oil. The project compares two approaches: INERATEC uses heterogeneous-catalyzed direct synthesis of e-methanol from green hydrogen and CO2, while CreativeQuantum and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis use a homogeneous-catalyzed process with co-electrolysis-based synthesis gas. The latter works at lower temperatures and pressures. The aim is to test both processes in an industrial environment and demonstrate their performance, paying particular attention to renewable sources of green hydrogen. The homogeneous-catalyzed process significantly lowers the reaction temperature and pressure, avoids by-products and requires further cost reduction through scaling up. Following successful tests, the advantages of both processes will be evaluated with regard to the potential production costs of green methanol. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and supported by local partners and the economic advisory board of Linde, ThyssenKrupp and Clariant. E4MeWi aims to make the Energy Efficient Renewable Energy-based Methanol Economy (E4MeWi) market-ready, especially for the shipping industry, which is already investing in sustainable methanol mobility.

Qonto expands management team with Chief People Officer and Chief Risk & Compliance Officer

Qonto, the leading European financial solution for SMEs, has made two new C-level appointments to its management team. Sarah Ben Allel, previously VP People, has been appointed Chief People Officer, while Maxime Laot, previously VP Risk & Compliance, now holds the position of Chief Risk & Compliance Officer. Both appointments were made from internal promotions and underline the strategic importance of HR and Risk & Compliance for Qonto. Sarah Ben Allel leads a 70-strong HR team responsible for recruitment, onboarding and career development. Maxime Laot and his 60-strong team are key to the protection of client funds and personal data as well as innovation in risk and compliance management. The management expansions reflect Qonto's commitment to investing in its own workforce and strengthening its position in the market.

Meet5 and DoSo merge - DoSo goes offline on March 15

Meet5 has merged with the DoSo app, a platform for planning leisure activities. The merger is seen as a significant step for the development of Meet5 and strengthens its position as a leisure app in the country. DoSo, founded in 2022, has established itself as a popular platform for organizing leisure activities. The merger provides users of both apps with additional opportunities for leisure activities and socializing. The DoSo app will no longer be available as of March 15, and former DoSo users are invited to become part of the Meet5 community. The founders of both apps emphasize the intention to connect people in the real world and highlight the social importance of their platforms. Meet5 has existed since 2017 and currently has around 1,000,000 users who join around 30,000 meetings per month in groups of up to 12 participants. The app offers various subscription options to unlock additional functions.

ODDO BHF honors winners of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2024

ODDO BHF has announced the winners of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2024 (OYEA). Ten start-ups were selected as finalists from 67 applications from German-speaking countries. WasteAnt from Bremen received the Jury Award worth 20,000 euros for its AI-supported waste analysis. The Social Impact Award and the Audience Award with prize money of 10,000 and 5,000 euros respectively went to inContAlert from Bayreuth, a medtech start-up that has developed a sensor technology for measuring bladder filling levels. Philippe Oddo, Managing Director of ODDO BHF, emphasized the importance of venture capital and explained that the future of large companies lies in today's start-ups. The OYEA Awards are intended to support promising companies and were announced for the first time for start-ups from the DACH region. Philippe Oddo emphasized the need to expand the German ecosystem for start-ups and to channel more capital into shares across Europe.