Startup news for the weekend week 14/26

Funding

Kestra drives growth with Series A financing

Kestra has closed a $25 million Series A funding round to further develop its open source orchestration platform and expand internationally. The platform addresses the increasing complexity of modern enterprise workflows across data, AI and infrastructure and is establishing itself as a central control layer for automated processes. With strong growth, increasing usage and well-known customers, Kestra is driving the development of new products such as Kestra 2.0 and a SaaS offering, while further expanding its presence in Europe and North America.

smartZebra secures financing for further growth

smartZebra GmbH has completed a financing round to drive its international expansion and product development. The company, which has offices in Cottbus and Berlin, offers data analytics solutions for companies, financial players and consultancies and is also seeing increasing demand outside the DACH region. With the fresh capital, smartZebra plans to launch a new product in 2026 and expand its sales and portfolio with the aim of significantly increasing recurring revenue by 2027.

Awards & Events

10 years of The Founder Summit: Germany's largest business festival celebrates its anniversary

The Founder Summit celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026 and returns to the RheinMain CongressCenter Wiesbaden on 11 and 12 April with over 17,000 participants. Germany's largest business festival, which is organized by Entrepreneur University, brings together founders, entrepreneurs, investors and visionaries and offers 16 stages, 120 speakers and practical insights into topics such as AI, finance, marketing and mindset. For the anniversary, over 175 exhibitors will present themselves in the Expo Area, while the Start-up Stadium offers young founders the chance to pitch their business models in front of a large audience. With prominent headliners such as Christian Lindner, Wolfgang Grupp, Sara Al Madani and Jochen Schweizer, the event focuses on inspiration, networking and the promotion of innovation, accompanied by masterclasses, interactive formats and an after-show concert at the end. We are delighted to be on board as a media partner! Tickets & info: www.thefoundersummit.de

Zukunftswiesen Summit 2026 connects SMEs and start-ups

The Zukunftswiesen Summit will take place on April 27 and 28, 2026 in the Arena Hohenlohe and will bring together managers, start-up founders, investors and students to discuss innovative approaches to strengthening SMEs. Under the motto "Tradition meets innovation", the event offers an extensive program with lectures, workshops, networking formats and a pitch competition. The thematic focus will include globalization, leadership, transformation, corporate succession and financing. The aim is to promote the exchange between established companies and young innovators and to provide new impetus for economic development. Further information and tickets at https://www.zukunfts-macher.de/

Startup Week aims to strengthen Bonn/Rhine-Sieg as a leading start-up region

Bonn and the surrounding region aim to strengthen their position as a leading startup location with Startup Week Bonn/Rhein-Sieg from July 13 to 17, 2026. Organized by DIGITALHUB.DE together with numerous partners from business, science and the public sector, the week of events offers an extensive programme of networking, workshops and conferences. The aim is to strengthen networking between those interested in founding a company, start-ups and investors, to promote innovation and to develop the region into the top start-up region in North Rhine-Westphalia in the long term.

Personnel

New management at BayBG

BayBG is reorganizing its management team: Stefan Koller joined the management team on April 1, 2026 and will take over central areas of responsibility in the investment business, while Andreas Käufl joined the management team at the beginning of the year. Together with spokesperson Peter Pauli, the management team now consists of three members. With this personnel expansion, the investment company is relying on its many years of financing and management expertise to drive forward its strategic development, particularly in the SME sector and in the areas of digitalization and corporate succession.

Further exciting news

BIOGRUND and Seprify develop plant-based tablet coating

BIOGRUND and Seprify have announced a partnership to launch a mineral-free tablet coating for the nutraceutical market. The solution is based on the plant-based cellulose ingredient SilvaAlba™ and is intended to replace conventional substances such as titanium dioxide, which are no longer approved in the EU. The aim is to offer manufacturers a "clean label" alternative with comparable optical performance and improved process stability. The new coating systems are available immediately and are intended in particular to support the development of transparent and sustainable product formulations.

WerkStadt creates new business location for SMEs in Ingolstadt

In Ingolstadt, WerkStadt is a new, modular business location for small and medium-sized companies that is scheduled for completion in 2027. The project is a response to the increasing shortage of flexible and affordable commercial space and offers adaptable units for workshops, warehouses, offices and light industrial use. Supported by the city and developed by private initiators, WerkStadt is intended to offer better conditions for start-ups and growing companies in particular. In addition to flexible usage options, the concept focuses on sustainable construction and modern infrastructure in order to strengthen the attractiveness of the business location in the long term.

Airbnb expands services to include private transportation

In cooperation with Welcome Pickups, Airbnb is launching a private driving service that is now available in over 125 cities worldwide, including Berlin, and can be booked directly via the app. The aim of the new service is to make arrivals and departures much more convenient and stress-free for guests through transfers that can be planned in advance, personal pick-ups and simple organization. Following a successful pilot project, the service will be further expanded over the course of the year and complement the travel experience along the entire customer journey.

Insolvencies

AgriTech startup FarmInsect files for insolvency

The Munich-based AgriTech company FarmInsect has filed for insolvency and a provisional insolvency administrator has been appointed. Founded in 2020, the start-up developed solutions for the production of insect larvae from harvest residues, including digital tracking, but was unable to establish itself economically on a sustainable basis despite investments of over 8 million euros(we reported). In view of a loss of around 3.1 million euros in 2024 and an overall cooling market for insect solutions, the development is part of a broader decline in the previously highly hyped sector.