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.

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

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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 happens when Germany creates its second decacorn and the EU drops €10B to scale startups? This month’s news episode breaks it all down — from funding explosions in deep tech to the future of biotech, fintech innovation, and defense AI. The DACH startup scene has never been this hot.

What You'll Learn

• Why Helsing dethroned Celonis to become Germany’s top-valued startup

• How ISA Aerospace, Scalable Capital, and Luma Care are fueling Europe’s unicorn pipeline

• What the EU’s “Choose Europe” strategy means for startup growth, external funding, and capital access

• Why non-dilutive biotech funding (like ITM SE’s €262.5M round) is reshaping molecular analysis and health innovation

• Who's driving green innovation, eco-system growth, and scaleup strategies in the GSA region

Startup Scene Pulse
From Vienna to Zurich, from Berlin to Munich, this episode delivers exclusive insights into the GSA tech ecosystem, pre-seed funding trends, and scaleup strategies that define the European unicorn surge. Learn how resilience planning, fintech founders, and strategic growth capital are transforming the startup landscape in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

We highlight the rise of Swiss innovation, Austrian startups, and eco innovation models across the region. Explore how corporate growth meets AI-driven defense tech, how digital transformation strategy shapes cloud infrastructure, and what growth investing looks like in 2025.

If you're a founder aiming for vision planning, an investor tracking vc investment trends, or just love hearing execution stories from unicorn builders, this episode is your new go-to.

Now it is up to you!
Like what you hear? Tap follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share the episode with your founder friends, VC partners, and innovation strategists. Startuprad.io is your trusted voice for the DACH startup scene.

📢 Read the full blog post:
https://www.startuprad.io/blog/dach-startup-funding-2025-deep-tech-defense-and-decacorns

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📩 Work with us: partnerships@startuprad.io
🗳️ Give feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

This episode is perfect for listeners searching phrases like:

• “Best startup podcast 2025”

• “EU startup scale-up fund explained”

• “How to grow SaaS in the DACH region”

• “Fintech innovation in Germany”

• “Tech entrepreneurs behind European unicorns”

Startups in the DACH region are heating up — from AI unicorns to VC mega-funds. In this monthly startup news roundup, we unpack the most important trends in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland’s tech ecosystem.

Learn how Parloa became Germany’s second unicorn of the year, how Quantum Systems secured €160M to dominate aerial AI, and how the EIB’s €70B initiative is reshaping venture capital in Europe. We also dive into Lyft’s FreeNow acquisition, biotech patent wars, the MiCA crypto license, and regulatory risks like the EU Data Act.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• What Parloa’s unicorn status reveals about AI-native SaaS

• How Europe’s biggest VC fund is changing startup investment

• Why fintechs like Vivid are chasing MiCA compliance

• Top DACH soonicorns to watch in 2025

📱 Give Us Feedback
https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8

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🔗 Dive Deeper and Be Ahead Of The Curve!

• DACH Startup Ecosystem 2025: The Ultimate Hub
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub

• This Month in DACH Startups: May 2025 Startup News Wrap-Up
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-may-2025-unicorns-m-a-and-vc-surge

• Top AI Startups in the DACH Region in 2025
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/top-ai-startups-in-the-dach-region-in-2025

• 🚦German Venture Capital in Q1 2025: Dealflow Quality Rises Amid Exit Anxiety and Fundraising Chill
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/german-venture-capital-in-q1-2025-dealflow-quality-rises-amid-exit-anxiety-and-fundraising-chill

• This Month in DACH Startups: April 2025 Startup News Wrap-Up
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-dach-startups-april-2025-startup-news-wrap-up

• Germany Startup Policy 2025: Strategies for Founders & Investors
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-financing-in-2025-strategies-for-founders-investors

• DACH Unicorn Tracker 2025: Trends, Funding, and Opportunities
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-unicorn-tracker-2025-trends-funding-and-opportunities-startuprad-io

Why do Europe’s startups scale slower than their U.S. counterparts? In this raw, revealing episode, Andy Goldstein uncovers what’s really holding back the European venture capital scene—and what we can do about it.

• How investor education can radically improve VC decision-making

• Why German founders hesitate to internationalize—and how to fix it

• The mindset shift European investors need to unlock global-scale success

• How AI sales tools and founder conviction can drive early-stage growth

Andy Goldstein, Managing Director Europe at VU Venture Partners and Co-Founder of the German Accelerator, is a serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and innovation catalyst. With decades of experience across the U.S. and Europe, he’s reshaping how VCs invest—and how startups scale.

Loved this episode? Help others discover it!
Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, and leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. Share this with founders, VCs, and every entrepreneur you know.

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Guest Name: Andy Goldstein, Managing Director Europe, VU Venture Partners
Blog Post: http://startuprad.io/post/the-transatlantic-investment-divide-why-europe-needs-a-new-vc-mindset

Relevant Resources:

• VU Venture Partners

• German Accelerator

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction to Andy’s journey from IBM to VC

• 06:00 – What’s broken in European VC mindsets

• 12:45 – How VU trains VCs through real investments

• 20:50 – Sales culture differences: Germany vs. U.S.

• 28:15 – Startup internationalization: Why Germany lags

• 35:30 – Traits of the top 1% of founders

• 42:00 – Final thoughts + podcast wrap-up

This episode is brought to you by Vanta. Automate your startup’s security and compliance for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and more.
🔗 Learn more at vanta.com/startupradio

What does it really take for a green tech startup to secure venture funding in 2025? In this episode, we uncover what makes VCs say yes—and what founders consistently get wrong.

• How DACH green tech startups are redefining sustainability with scalable business models

• Why AI is a tool—but not the product—in climate innovation

• The power of vertical SaaS in navigating ESG compliance

• What Hi Inov looks for in Series A funding rounds

• Where Germany, Austria, and Switzerland stand in the race to net zero

Wolfgang Krause, Managing Partner at Hi Inov, shares exclusive insights from the 2025 Green Tech Software Mapping. He’s an expert in climate tech investment strategy, known for identifying scalable software ventures with deep vertical focus and strong ESG execution.

With regulatory pressure mounting and climate urgency at an all-time high, Wolfgang explains why economic viability beats greenwashing—and how real innovation means operationalizing sustainability across value chains.

Love what you’re hearing? Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. Sharing is scaling—help founders, VCs, and executives learn from this deep dive into the future of green tech.

Guest Name: Wolfgang Krause, Managing Partner at Hi Inov
Blog Post: Green Tech Startups: Investing in the DACH Region’s Climate Innovation Boom

Relevant Resources:

• Hi Inov Website – https://www.hiinov.com/

• Deepki Vertical SaaS Platform – https://www.deepki.com/