Startup news for the weekend week 41/25

Investments

n8n is the latest German unicorn: $180 million Series C

Berlin-based start-up n8n has raised $180 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $240 million and valuation to $2.5 billion, giving n8n German unicorn status. The round is led by Accel, supported by Meritech, Redpoint, Evantic, Visionaries Club and corporate investors NVentures and T.Capital, while existing investors are following suit. n8n offers an AI orchestration platform that flexibly manages autonomous agents between rule-based and self-learning processes and connects them with people, data and tools.

PartSpace receives up to 13 million euros in growth financing

The Deggendorf-based software company PartSpace, which specializes in AI-supported solutions for industrial procurement, is receiving up to EUR 13 million in growth capital from Armira Growth and Bayern Kapital. The PartSpace AI software can be used to analyze technical drawing data and identify potential savings in procurement. The solution integrates into existing IT systems, creates price transparency and suggests measures such as alternative suppliers or standardization. Customers include companies such as Siemens Mobility, Krones and Horsch. With the new financing, the founders, who continue to hold the majority stake, want to roll out the technology internationally and accelerate the company's growth.

GS1 Germany invests in reusable startup Hey Circle via Butterfly & Elephant

GS1 Germany investment company Butterfly & Elephant is investing in the Munich-based start-up Hey Circle, which is developing reusable shipping packaging and a digital tracking solution. The aim is to reduce waste and CO₂ emissions in online retail and promote the circular economy in the shipping process. Hey Circle uses GS1 standards such as GRAI and GTIN to uniquely identify packaging, document usage and savings and provide data for ESG reporting.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Helsing takes over Blue Ocean

The German defense tech Helsing acquires the Australian marine technology specialist Blue Ocean, which specializes in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). By integrating Blue Ocean's hardware and production expertise with Helsing's AI expertise, the company aims to accelerate the development and mass production of autonomous maritime platforms. The sites in the UK and Australia will remain in place. The aim is to strengthen underwater reconnaissance and surveillance and thus increase the defense capabilities of democratic partners in Europe and the AUCUS region. The acquisition follows the launch of the SG-1 Fathom autonomous glider and the announced construction of a new Resilience Factory in Plymouth. The deal is subject to Australian court and government approval.

SAMY and Intermate take over team5pm

The international social and influencer marketing network SAMY, which also includes Intermate, acquires the Amsterdam-based social media agency team5pm. The integration strengthens the group's expertise in data-driven long-form video, particularly on YouTube, and expands its European presence to include the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. team5pm, known for its work with brands such as Prime Video, Volkswagen and Philips, ideally complements the network with its social SEO and YouTube expertise.

Salesforce acquires process mining specialist Apromore

The portfolio company Apromore from Main Capital Partners is acquired by Salesforce. Apromore, founded in Melbourne, is recognized as a Gartner Leader in Process Intelligence and provides AI-powered process and task mining solutions used by companies in financial services, manufacturing and the public sector, including ANZ, Assurant and NextEra Energy. The platform delivers end-to-end visibility across business processes and supports operational efficiency and digital transformation. The acquisition will enable Salesforce to expand its range of process intelligence capabilities and drive agent-based process automation. Main Capital Partners had supported Apromore at an early stage and is now successfully selling its minority stake.

Cooperations & partnerships

MANZ and Noxtua launch MANZ-Noxtua: Europe's sovereign legal AI for Austria

The Austrian legal publisher MANZ and the legal tech company Noxtua are launching MANZ-Noxtua, a legal AI workspace that bundles specialist legal information from MANZ and C.H.Beck in one platform. The AI solution combines European data expertise with a proprietary language model, a sovereign infrastructure and user-centered application. Users gain access to legal research, document analysis, typesetting and workflows, integrated into existing work processes.

Bechtle and KIX Service Software cooperate

Bechtle AG and KIX Service Software have launched a partnership to strengthen digital sovereignty in Europe. Bechtle contributes consulting expertise and over 15,000 specialists, while KIX provides an open source IT service management platform that can be operated on-premises or in a German cloud. Customers thus retain full data sovereignty and remain independent of non-European providers. The cooperation combines Bechtle's broad IT portfolio with the certified, modular KIX solution, which is already used in industry, banking, healthcare and public administration.

Personnel

Jasper Schlump joins Talent Tree

Talent Tree is expanding its management team with Jasper Schlump, who joins as Head of Business Development after almost six years at impact investor capacura. Schlump is an experienced bridge builder between the startup, venture capital and impact investing scene. The Munich-based serial founder has been involved in several initiatives, including capacura, ROCK YOUR COMPANY!, the British NGO Football Beyond Borders and the democracy association 10drei e.V.. With over ten years of experience in fundraising, venture building and entrepreneurship, Schlump brings with him an extensive network of founders, investors and ecosystem players.

HAT.tec appoints Chris Blättermann as CTO

The Munich-based software company HAT.tec (Human Autonomy Teaming Technologies), active in the field of platform-independent mission management for civilian and military operations, has appointed Chris Blättermann as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With the newly created position, HAT.tec expands the management team around the founders and CEOs Fabian Schmitt and Yannick Brand to initiate the next European growth phase. Blättermann brings over 15 years of leadership experience in software development and technology management, most recently as Head of Software & IT at VoltStorage and previously as CTO of riskmethods. HAT.tec, spun out of the Bundeswehr University in 2018, develops software solutions for the integration and analysis of operational data for security and defense forces throughout Europe.

More exciting news

Gamba Zamba launches sustainable shrimp farming made in Germany

The start-up Gamba Zamba, founded by David Gebhard and Florian Gösling, opened Germany's most modern shrimp farm this week with the aim of making the shrimp market more sustainable. After five years of development, the company relies on a closed recirculation system, biological water purification and the renunciation of antibiotics to produce regional premium prawns, completely Made in Germany. The founding duo is supported by investors such as Bela & Ole (Just Spices), Michael Durach (Develey) and Stephen Weich (Flaschenpost). The aim is to create an alternative to shrimp, which is usually imported from Asia and South America, with shorter delivery routes, a lower carbon footprint and greater freshness.

Mentessa launches Impact Partner Program to promote a Europe-wide competence network

The Munich-based start-up Mentessa, provider of an AI-based upskilling platform, has launched the Mentessa Impact Partner Program to promote the development of a pan-European competence ecosystem. The first partner is Raymond Vromans in the Netherlands, which supports companies in using Mentessa to promote mentoring and talent development. The program is aimed at HR consultancies, digital agencies and system integrators who share Mentessa's mission for lifelong learning and equal opportunities. An initial pilot in the Netherlands will provide insights for the European expansion. The start-up's next focus will be on Scandinavia.

Gauss Fusion presents a commercial fusion power plant

The Berlin-based greentech company Gauss Fusion has presented the Conceptual Design Report (CDR), the first European concept for a commercial fusion power plant. The GIGA model, developed with partners from five countries, marks the step from research to industrial implementation and is intended to create a pan-European alliance for fusion energy as the "Eurofighter of fusion". The CDR will be presented to the German government in the coming days in the context of the new German fusion action plan for 2 billion euros. The report defines the costs, timetable and technical concept for a first power plant by the mid-2040s and brings together contributions from leading research and industrial partners from Germany, France, Italy and Spain.