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

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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.

Dashboards don’t decide. Agents do.

In this episode of Startuprad.io, we sit down with Jennifer Grün, Senior Specialist for Generative AI & ML at AWS, to explore how agentic AI is rewriting the rules of SaaS.

Instead of static dashboards and brittle automations, SaaS is moving toward agents that reason, plan, and act—delivering outcomes like churn prevention, dynamic pricing, and ticket resolution.

Jennifer explains:
– The difference between automation and agentic AI
– The 3 ways to ship agents: feature, enabler, or product
– High-ROI use cases: pricing optimization, BI anomaly detection, support triage
– Why multi-agent marketplaces demand governance and guardrails
– How the EU AI Act can be your competitive edge in enterprise sales
– Culture-first adoption: AI literacy, AI whisperers, and playgrounds

Guest Spotlight:
Jennifer Grün, AWS – helping startups navigate the next wave of AI adoption, balancing compliance, scale, and growth.

By 2028, Gartner predicts 15% of business decisions will run fully on autopilot. Founders who adapt now will own the SaaS future.

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry: https://aws.amazon.com/startups?trk=ef3fc285-093c-49eb-b3df-eb3247352b67&sc_channel=el

• Full Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/agentic-ai-for-saas-workflows

• Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/27E6N4j2bYY

If this episode gave you a new lens on AI pricing, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. Follow Startuprad.io on Spotify, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, and join our blog + newsletter for full breakdowns.

• ✉️ Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io

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

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• Primary: agentic AI for SaaS, multi-agent systems, pricing optimization agent, startup founders Europe, B2B SaaS growth, EU AI Act compliance

• Secondary: churn prevention agent, BI & data agents, AI literacy, SaaS outcome ownership

POC is dead. Proof of Value is the new standard for AI startups. In this episode, AWS’s Jennifer Grün reveals the AI monetization strategy that separates demos from businesses.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

– Why hybrid pricing models (subscriptions + credits) outperform per-seat SaaS in AI
– How to replace Proof of Concept with Proof of Value frameworks that deliver ROI fast
– The ROI storytelling metrics (CLV, CAC, churn, ARR) that boards and VCs actually believe
– The infra levers (batch vs provisioned throughput) that protect GenAI unit economics
– How to package compliance features (SSO, audit logs, privacy tiers) for enterprise upsell

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry: https://aws.amazon.com/startups?trk=25cdbfe4-8d2e-4b0b-926e-3fe5ef6323cb&sc_channel=el

Jennifer Grün, Senior Specialist for Generative AI & Machine Learning at AWS, works with founders across Europe to monetize AI responsibly. She brings tactical insight from the field: how to price GenAI, validate ROI, and scale without losing margins.

• Full Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/ai-monetization-strategy-proof-of-value-hybrid-pricing

• Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/NoTFqAcRc2c

If this episode gave you a new lens on AI pricing, share it with a founder who needs to hear it. Follow Startuprad.io on Spotify, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, and join our blog + newsletter for full breakdowns.

• ✉️ 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

• Primary: AI monetization strategy, Proof of Value, hybrid AI pricing, AI ROI metrics

• Secondary: GenAI unit economics, enterprise AI packaging, startup funding Europe, B2B SaaS growth, founder playbook

What if the next billion-dollar startup was brewing in Berlin, Munich, or Vienna right now? In this episode, we cover the game-changing deals, deep tech breakthroughs, and green innovation stories shaping the DACH startup scene in September 2025. Whether you’re a founder, VC, or ecosystem insider, this is your shortcut to staying ahead in Europe’s most dynamic market.

What You’ll Learn

• 🚀 The biggest venture capital raises across Germany, Austria & Switzerland

• 🧠 How neuromorphic AI chips and quantum comms are reshaping Europe’s deep tech frontier

• 💳 Fintech consolidation: Bitpanda’s growth and Bling’s youth finance push

• 🌱 Green tech milestones from Austria’s salt-based storage to EV wiring solutions

• ⚕️ Biotech breakthroughs and M&A exits shaping the next health tech wave

• 📊 Why AI-driven search analytics could disrupt marketing and SEO forever

From startup funding in Germany and European venture capital to deep tech AI hardware, fintech M&A, and green tech innovation, this episode is designed to rank high on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for founders and investors looking for cutting-edge insights.

Episode: DACH Startup News – Summer Wrap-Up 2025
Host: Joern Menninger, Editor-in-Chief Startuprad.io

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-july-and-august-2025-unicorn-surge-825m-hydrogen-win-fintech-shakeups

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/cLO_niJ6wok

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – VC News (€30M+ funds)

• 02:30 – Deep Tech: brain chips & quantum comms

• 05:00 – Green Tech: energy storage & EV wiring

• 06:00 – Fintech: Bitpanda & Bling M&A

• 09:00 – AI & SaaS analytics

• 11:30 – Mobility & Auto1 Group

• 15:00 – Biotech & Health Tech

• 18:00 – Major fundraising deals (€100M+)

• 23:00 – M&A: Nect, Scanbot, Lemon Markets

• 25:30 – Ecosystem trivia + closing notes

✉️ 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

Primary (in title + description): startup funding, German startups, venture capital Europe, deep tech startups, fintech Europe, green tech, AI search disruption.

Secondary (in body + show notes): AI in business, biotech Germany, startup exits.

Berlin’s AI just rocketed from $350M to $2.3B.
At the same time, Switzerland locked in €825M hydrogen funding, and N26 faced its toughest governance test yet.

This is not Silicon Valley news. This is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) reshaping startup dynamics — and it’s moving fast.

In this Startuprad.io Summer Wrap-Up 2025, we unpack:

– How Berlin’s open-source workflow AI became a unicorn and why enterprises are buying in now
– Why EU hydrogen funding marks a generational climate infrastructure play for startups
– What N26’s leadership shake-up under BaFin reveals about fintech governance in Europe
– How dual-use pivots (like Lilium’s defense strategy) are becoming survival moves in tough funding markets
– Why German tele-driving pilots and Bavarian endowment unlocks are more than policy headlines — they’re startup railways
– The rise of Europe’s Stan index (Qwant + Ecosia) and Pinterest’s Zurich AI hub

🎙 Why listen?
Because the future of European startups will be shaped at the intersection of technology, regulation, and capital flows. If you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode shows where the rails are being laid.

What you’ll learn:
– The DACH edge in AI: community + open-source + enterprise focus
– The real impact of hydrogen billions on startup runway
– Fintech’s compliance-first reality check
– The overlooked opportunity of dual-use & defense procurement
– How to spot policy-driven founder opportunities in Europe

👉 If you learned something here, share this episode with a founder who needs it. Follow us on Spotify, subscribe on Apple, and check the blog for a full breakdown.

Episode: DACH Startup News – Summer Wrap-Up 2025
Host: Joern Menninger, Editor-in-Chief Startuprad.io

Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-july-and-august-2025-unicorn-surge-825m-hydrogen-win-fintech-shakeups

Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/iV1Gzz0zy_k

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & why the roundup is split in 2 parts
05:26 – Berlin AI rockets to $2.3B
09:57 – Switzerland’s €825M hydrogen allocation
11:23 – EIC selects 40 startups & Stan index launch
14:27 – German economy dips into recession
15:15 – Defense pivots & tele-driving pilots
17:49 – Bavarian endowment unlock + Austrian founder wave
20:11 – Pinterest opens Zurich AI hub & wrap-up

✉️ 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

Primary (title, early description, timestamps): DACH startup news, Berlin AI automation, EU hydrogen funding, German startup ecosystem

Secondary (description + show notes): N26 governance, defense tech Europe, tele-driving Germany, Stan index, European AI hub, EIC startup funding

What does it really take to move from a GenAI prototype to a production-ready system? In this episode, AWS AI Engineering Specialist Dennis Traub breaks down the hard truths behind scaling, securing, and monitoring AI systems — and why the future belongs to startups who learn how to productionize AI fast.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why most GenAI prototypes fail when pushed to production

• The role of MCP (Model Context Protocol) in securely connecting AI to APIs

• How agentic workflows differ from simple prompt chains

• Why observability and cost monitoring are non-negotiable for startups

• The AWS Bedrock + Agent Core stack for startups scaling AI in Europe

• Counterintuitive lessons: when not to use AI

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit startups.aws to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry.

The AWS Startups team comprises former founders and CTOs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and mentors ready to help you prove what’s possible.

Since 2013, AWS has supported over 280,000 startups across the globe and provided $7Billion in credits through the AWS Activate program.

Big ideas feel at home on AWS, and with access to cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, you can quickly turn those ideas into marketable products.

Want your own AI-powered assistant? Try Amazon Q.

Want to build your own AI products? Privately customize leading foundation models on Amazon Bedrock.

Want to reduce the cost of AI workloads? AWS Trainium is the silicon you’re looking for.

Whatever your ambitions, you’ve already had the idea, now prove it’s possible on AWS.

Visit aws.amazon.com/startups to get started.

• Guest: Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS

• Full Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/how-startups-can-succeed-at-productionizingai-without-breaking-at-scale

• Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/UkYwxbM_834

• ✉️ 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

Startups love GenAI. But most founders are using it unsafely — and exposing their team, their customers, and their legal risk without even realizing it.

In this episode of Startuprad.io, we sat down with Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS, to unpack what safe adoption of Generative AI really means for founders, CTOs, and product leads.

Dennis introduces the “Artificial Intern” framework — a practical way for startups to implement GenAI without hallucinations, GDPR violations, or broken trust. He walks us through where to start, what not to do, and how to pick your very first AI use case.

AWS Startups is a proud sponsor of this week’s episode of Startuprad.io. Visit startups.aws to find out how AWS can help you prove what’s possible in your industry.

The AWS Startups team comprises former founders and CTOs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and mentors ready to help you prove what’s possible.

Since 2013, AWS has supported over 280,000 startups across the globe and provided $7Billion in credits through the AWS Activate program.

Big ideas feel at home on AWS, and with access to cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, you can quickly turn those ideas into marketable products.

Want your own AI-powered assistant? Try Amazon Q.

Want to build your own AI products? Privately customize leading foundation models on Amazon Bedrock.

Want to reduce the cost of AI workloads? AWS Trainium is the silicon you’re looking for.

Whatever your ambitions, you’ve already had the idea, now prove it’s possible on AWS.

Visit aws.amazon.com/startups to get started.

📌 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why treating GenAI like a cofounder is a dangerous myth

• What AI should (and should never) touch inside your startup

• How to adopt GenAI tools without violating GDPR

• The hidden risk in giving LLMs access to your inbox

• Why AWS Bedrock offers a safer backend for compliant AI use

• How to automate annoying work — not strategic work

• What most founders misunderstand about AI “power”

• Guest: Dennis Traub, AI Engineering Specialist at AWS

• Full Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/how-to-safely-adopt-genai-without-leaking-customer-data

• Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/7e_UQbmYIE8

• ✉️ 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