In this September 2025 wrap-up, hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger and Chris Fahrenbach break down the signals that actually matter for B2B operators: where capital is flowing, how deep tech is commercializing, and what shifting regulatory winds mean for product, go-to-market, and hiring. Expect fast, factual coverage of German startups, Swiss and Austrian scaleups, and the European cross-currents driving strategy in AI, climate, fintech, and SaaS.

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What you’ll learn in this episode:

• VC & leadership: New funds in Germany and leadership changes at HTGF—what it telegraphs for seed/early stage in DACH.

• Deep tech momentum: Germany’s first brain-inspired AI chip (testing abroad), plus quantum comms from QT Labs hitting a NASA spacecraft—why this matters for dual-use and AI hardware roadmaps.

• Green tech storage: Austria’s salt-based, long-duration energy storage initiative and how it ties into grid integration economics.

• Fintech shifts: Bitpanda revenue surge and Gen-Z finance via Bling + Finstep—who gains share next.

• Market & regulation: Uber consolidates in Germany; Doctolib faces scrutiny—platform power, patient data, and policy risk in practice.

• Deals & fundings: A slate of €10M–€100M+ rounds (Talon One, Q.ANT, MakerSite, Buena, and more), plus M&A (Scanbot SDK; Lemon Markets pending BaFin). SeptNews02_sound

🎙 Hosted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger (Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Startuprad.io) and Chris Fahrenbach (Co-Founder).

Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team.

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-september-2025-deep-dive

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/liuKkoOKy6c

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1. Primary keywords: German startups; DACH startup news; venture capital Germany; deep tech Europe; AI chip Germany; funding rounds Europe; B2B SaaS Europe.

2. Secondary keywords: quantum communications; green tech storage; fintech Europe; autonomous driving EU; ESG compliance EU; startup exits Germany; mobility startups Germany.

Berlin’s AI unicorn skyrocketed from $350M to $2.3B in valuation in just months.
Meanwhile, fintech giant N26 faces its most severe governance crisis yet, as its co-founder CEO steps down after regulatory pressure. And Europe’s climate tech sector is booming with mega-funding rounds, including a record €825M hydrogen allocation.

This is your September 2025 Startup News from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — the most important startup, VC, and tech developments you need to know as a founder, investor, or executive.

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What you’ll learn in this episode:
– How Berlin’s N8N AI startup became a $2.3B unicorn in record time
– Why N26 is in turmoil after a BaFin audit revealed compliance gaps
– Europe’s hydrogen and climate tech surge led by Climeworks & Orange Bat
– Insights on German recession signals and founder cost advantages in Dresden, Leipzig, Bremen
– Policy shifts: remote driving pilots, defense innovation funding, and Bavaria unlocking VC capital
– Why Austria is experiencing a founder wave and how Pinterest chose Zurich for its new AI hub

🎙 Hosted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger (Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Startuprad.io) and Chris Fahrenbach (Co-Founder).

👉 Whether you’re a startup founder, VC, or ecosystem builder, this episode gives you the context, numbers, and insights shaping Europe’s innovation economy.

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-september-2025-top-news

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/KVt4N-OpGw8

✉️ Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io

Subscribe across platforms: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

1. Primary keywords: German startup news, AI startups, venture capital Germany, climate tech Europe, startup news DACH, SaaS Germany.

2. Secondary keywords: fintech crisis, German recession, European innovation council, autonomous driving Germany.

What if fixing hard water could also save energy and rivers?
That’s the question Maximilian Wilk, Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, set out to answer. His team developed a salt-free water softener that prevents limescale, lowers energy bills, and avoids the chloride pollution caused by traditional salt-based systems.

In this episode of Startuprad.io, Maximilian shares how AQON PURE transformed from a family business into a bootstrapped cleantech startup that scaled without VC funding. Instead of relying on wholesalers, the team built a D2C + certified installer network that grew from 100 to over 400 plumbers—unlocking sustainable growth across Germany and beyond.

What you’ll learn:
– How limescale silently increases household energy bills by 10–15%
– Why salt-based softeners are being phased out for environmental reasons
– The GTM pivot that took AQON PURE from 18 months of failure to triple-digit growth
– Why bootstrapping a hardware startup can beat VC hypergrowth
– How AQON PURE plans to expand into Spain and Poland with quality-first scaling
– How awards like the FT1000 and a stage appearance at the Schwarzenegger Climate Summit built trust and credibility

Guest Spotlight:
Maximilian Wilk is Co-Founder & CEO of AQON PURE, a leading European startup building climate-positive water technology. His journey shows that family roots, disciplined growth, and a bold pivot can reshape even the hardest hardware categories.

Read complete Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/salt-free-water-softener-aqon-pure-founder-playbook

Watch full interview: https://youtu.be/wibm7IOuy54

Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

• Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io

• Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio

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• Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger

• Salt-free water softener, cleantech startup, bootstrapped startup, hardware startup, limescale prevention. D2C startup strategy, European expansion, family business to startup, installer network.