Startup news for the weekend week 12 - 2025

eversyn secures 1.6 million euros, "Walk15" reaches 30 million euro valuation. doinstruct with 16.5 million euros Series A. Isar Aerospace receives launch approval for first test flight. circulee equips WWF Germany with sustainable IT. C1 secures 20 million euros. capacura invests in Meliodays. Berlin Startup Pitch 2025. theion battery startup receives 15 million euros. ODDO BHF honors winners of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2025.

Financing rounds & venture capital

eversyn secures 1.6 million euros for growth and technology transfer

Magdeburg-based startup eversyn, a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, has raised €1.6 million in seed capital to expand its production capacity and accelerate its technology applications in the fields of nutrition and biopharmaceuticals. The financing round was led by bmp ventures with funding from IBG and supplemented by investments from the Max Planck Society, MPF Start-Up Accelerator GmbH and a strategic business angel. eversyn's cell-free enzymatic approach enables the efficient production of glycans, which are used in biopharmaceuticals and infant nutrition, among other applications.

C1 secures 20 million euros for green methanol technology

Berlin-based cleantech company C1 Green Chemicals AG has raised €20 million in fresh capital to commercialize its groundbreaking green methanol catalysis technology. Green methanol offers a sustainable alternative for the shipping, aviation and chemical industries while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. 15 million euros came from a capital increase led by the family office denkapparat, while a further 5 million euros were provided from research grants. C1 plans to use the capital to build the world's first demonstration plant for homogeneous methanol catalysis, with construction scheduled to begin in 2025. The company is also strengthening its team with experts from industry to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral chemical production. As early as 2022, we reported on a successful € 5 million round for C1.

doinstruct with €16.5 million Series A

The platform doinstruct, which specializes in AI-based training solutions, has raised €16.5 million in a Series A financing round. The round was led by HV Capital, with participation from existing investors such as Creandum and HTGF. The platform helps companies increase operational efficiency by 40% and reduce training management costs by 53% - a key advantage for European manufacturers in economically challenging times. With the fresh capital, doinstruct plans to drive its expansion into key European markets.

Battery start-up theion receives 15 million euros

Berlin-based start-up theion has raised 15 million euros in a Series A financing round, led by Team Global with investments from Enpal and Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen. The company is developing an innovative sulphur-based battery technology to replace conventional lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density, a lower carbon footprint and a more sustainable supply of raw materials. The funding is intended to accelerate the further development and market launch of the crystal batteries, which can be used in areas such as electromobility and stationary energy storage. Back in 2023, we reported on the Startbase about a strategic strategic investment by Enpal in theion.

"Walk15" continues to grow and reaches 30 million euro valuation

The Lithuanian startup "Walk15" continues its international expansion course and reaches a company valuation of 30 million euros. With a new financing round (Series A), the company aims to secure further capital for growth. Existing investors, including the venture capital fund Coinvest Capital and the angel syndicate NGL, are investing again and see great potential in the areas of sustainability and digital health promotion. Germany is increasingly becoming a key growth market for "Walk15", which has already established strategic partnerships. The company plans to further expand its presence in Europe and the USA.

capacura invests in Meliodays

capacura GmbH, which specializes in impact investments in education, health and the environment, is investing in Meliodays Medical GmbH. The MedTech start-up is developing melioOne, the first non-hormonal, locally acting pain therapy for the treatment of menstrual pain. The innovative polymer technology releases a minimal amount of painkillers directly at the uterus, thereby avoiding systemic side effects. With patents in over 150 countries and a scalable business model, Meliodays offers a sustainable solution to a widespread health problem.

More exciting news

circulee equips WWF Germany with sustainable IT

The IT refurbisher circulee will provide WWF Germany with remanufactured IT hardware in future, thereby promoting the circular economy in IT. The partnership underlines the importance of resource-saving technologies and shows that modern working environments and environmental protection can go hand in hand. By using circular IT, WWF reduces its ecological footprint, while circulee offers companies a sustainable alternative to new equipment. In addition to the collaboration, circulee has joined the WWF Supporters Club and is increasingly committed to climate and resource protection.

Isar Aerospace receives launch approval for first test flight

The German aerospace company Isar Aerospace has received launch approval from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the first test flight of its Spectrum rocket. The launch is scheduled for March 20, 2025 from Andøya Spaceport in Norway and will serve to comprehensively test all systems. The aim of the "Going Full Spectrum" mission is to collect as much data as possible and lay the technological foundations for future launches. This is the first orbital rocket launch from continental European soil, with no commercial payloads on board. The results of the test flight are to be incorporated into the further development of the Spectrum rocket. The launch has since been postponed to March 24, 2025 at the earliest.

Awards and events

ODDO BHF honors winners of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards 2025

Four start-ups were honored at the ODDO BHF Young Entrepreneurs Award 2025. DeepDrive from Munich received the Jury's Award for its innovative drive technology for electric vehicles, while LipoCheck from Leipzig was honored with the Social Impact Award for its digital health solution for lipedema diagnosis. The newly created Female Entrepreneurs Award went to Cyclize from Stuttgart for its sustainable recycling technology that converts plastic waste into synthesis gas. Tozero from Munich won the People's Choice Award for its process for recovering critical materials from lithium-ion batteries. A total of 85 start-ups from German-speaking countries entered the competition, eleven of which made it to the final. The award ceremony took place on March 19 in front of over 300 guests in Frankfurt am Main.

Berlin Startup Pitch 2025: 20 pioneering startup ideas in the Rotes Rathaus

On March 20, 2025, the Rotes Rathaus became the stage for the capital's most innovative young companies. At the Berlin Startup Pitch 2025, 20 promising startups presented their business ideas to top-class investors. The concepts ranged from smart language learning apps and digital education platforms to sustainable solutions such as the upcycling of textile waste or an operating system for green heating networks. All of the participating startups are graduates of the Berlin Startup Scholarship, which is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the state of Berlin. The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, emphasized the importance of Berlin as a leading startup location in Europe and stressed that programs such as the Berlin Startup Scholarship make a significant contribution to strengthening the startup scene. Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economic Affairs, emphasized Berlin's role as a hotbed of innovation and referred to the targeted promotion of female founders. The event offered aspiring pre-seed and seed teams a unique opportunity to make valuable contacts and tap into funding opportunities.