A decision-grade map of DACH execution signals for 2026: where regulation creates demand, where AI credibility is earned, and which business models are being repriced. This episode breaks down what actually changed in the DACH startup ecosystem heading into 2026. - Europe's AI advantage in regulated and industrial applications - Why integration and distribution are now the AI ​​moat - Fintech repricing: margins, compliance, scale economics - Regulation as forced innovation catalyst (e-invoicing) - Marketplaces as balance-sheet strategies. 🎙 Hosts:Jörn Menninger — Founder, Startuprad.ioChris Fahrenbach — Startup News Co-Host Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-december-2025-deep-dive - YouTube: https://youtu.be/QjUrrZKJuPE ✉️ 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 © Startuprad.io

The DACH startup ecosystem closed 2025 with unusually clear signals for 2026 — AI mega-rounds, defense-grade dual use, and a restructuring of Europe’s venture capital stack. What you’ll learn in this episode:– Why €3B AI valuations change Europe’s startup narrative– How dual use moved from story to category– What founders must understand about capital, compute, and procurement– Where Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are quietly reorganizing advantage 🎙 Hosts:Jörn Menninger — Founder, Startuprad.ioChris Fahrenbach — Startup News Co-Host Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team - Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-december-2025-top-news - YouTube: https://youtu.be/zRt1qwR3lj0 ✉️ 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 © Startuprad.io

A short update on our publishing schedule. A technical issue caused a brief pause — all content is safe, and we’re back to regular releases from here. 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

What if the tools we use to test cancer drugs don’t behave like human tumors at all?That’s the question that pushed Ghazaleh Madani, CEO and co-founder of CanChips, to build one of the most compelling innovations in oncology today: tumor-on-a-chip platforms that replicate human tumor biology with unprecedented accuracy. In this episode, we explore how microfluidics, 3D co-cultures, endothelial layers, and real-time biosensing combine to replace outdated 2D cultures and reduce reliance on animal models.The result: faster, more predictive cancer drug testing — and a pathway toward truly personalized oncology. Our sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday offer – NordStellar x Startuprad.io. NordStellar, developed by the team behind NordVPN, gives startups and scaleups real-time insights into leaked credentials, darknet threats, and unprotected assets – before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20% off with code blackfriday20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio. 🕒 Offer valid until December 10, 2025 – protect your business before your data is offered for sale on the darknet. NordStellar – Know what attackers know. Act first. You’ll learn: – Why 2D cultures and animal models fail– How tumor-on-chip platforms replicate human tumor environments– How patient-derived cells lead to 72-hour drug response predictions– What this means for biotech founders, pharma teams, and investors– How German startups are shaping deep-tech innovation in the DACH region– What it takes to build and lead a cross-disciplinary biotech team– Why founder visibility matters as much as scientific rigor Whether you're building in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, this episode offers one of the clearest explanations of capital-efficient growth, B2B startup scaling, and long-term founder wealth creation. Guest SpotlightGhazaleh Madani is a biotech founder whose mission began when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her work at CanChips merges engineering, biology, and human urgency — delivering one of the most promising tumor-modeling systems in Europe. If this episode helped you, follow the podcast and share it with a founder who needs this playbook. Enjoy the show? 📖 Blog recap: https://www.startuprad.io/post/tumor-on-a-chip-explained-the-future-of-cancer-drug-testing Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JIow-O-AM50 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

AI is no longer the shiny object. It’s becoming infrastructure.And that single shift is transforming the German startup ecosystem in 2025 faster than most founders expected. This month, the DACH region crossed a new threshold: AI is moving from hype into the industrial backbone of Europe — compute scarcity is now strategic, sovereign cloud has become political, and robotics, automation, and vertical AI stacks are pulling in more capital than consumer apps ever did. But that’s just the start of the story. In this deep-dive edition of Startup News, we break down five structural shifts shaping Germany, Austria, and Switzerland right now: What You’ll Learn – How AI’s shift to infrastructure will define Europe’s next decade– Why DeepTech & DefenseTech are becoming unavoidable categories for VCs– Where funding is actually flowing in 2025– What the newest founder wave means for operators, investors & talent– Which German startups raised the biggest rounds this month– What founders should prepare for next Our Sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday Offer — NordStellar x Startuprad.io Built by the team behind NordVPN, NordStellar gives startups and scaleups real-time visibility into leaked credentials, dark-web threats, and exposed assets — before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20 percent off your plan with code black friday 20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio 🕒 Offer valid until December 10 th 2025 — protect your business before your data ends up for sale on the dark web. NordStellar — Know what attackers know. Act first. 🎙 About the Hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Startuprad.io (Frankfurt) Chris Fahrenbach, Co-host & Global Analyst (Hanover / New York) Together, they track the most important startup stories in the DACH ecosystem — AI, deep tech, fintech, and scale-up growth. Follow, review, and share this episode with your team.  — Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-dach-startups-november-2025-deep-dive  — YouTube: https://youtu.be/K2Syfa3P6HY  🎧 The Audio Podcast  Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio  🚪 Connect with Us  Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io  Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio  Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9  Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

Europe's startup narrative is changing fast — from apps and valuations to sovereignty, infrastructure and resilience. In this month's DACH Startup News, we unpack the moves that made European tech sovereignty the defining theme of 2025. What you’ll learn: – Why sovereign cloud is becoming foundational for startups and enterprise buyers– How AI, robotics, defense, and climate infrastructure shape Europe’s industrial strategy– Why deep tech is rising while fintech normalizes– The funding signals behind pre-seed to late-stage capital flows– How DACH is becoming Europe’s proving ground for strategic innovation– What European tech sovereignty actually means for your business If this episode helps you see the DACH ecosystem more clearly, share it with a founder or operator who should hear it. And subscribe so you never miss a briefing. Our Sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday Offer — NordStellar x Startuprad.io Built by the team behind NordVPN, NordStellar gives startups and scaleups real-time visibility into leaked credentials, dark-web threats, and exposed assets — before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20 percent off your plan with code black friday 20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio 🕒 Offer valid until December 10 th 2025 — protect your business before your data ends up for sale on the dark web. NordStellar — Know what attackers know. Act first. 🎙 About the Hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Startuprad.io (Frankfurt) Chris Fahrenbach, Co-host & Global Analyst (Hanover / New York) Together, they track the most important startup stories in the DACH ecosystem — AI, deep tech, fintech, and scale-up growth. Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team. - Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-german-swiss-and-austrian-startups-november-2025-top-news - YouTube: https://youtu.be/0XtIE695VE4 ✉️ 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

What if you could build a startup that survives downturns, grows profitably, and never depends on constant fundraising?That’s the core of the camel startup strategy — and in this episode, STS Ventures investor Stephan Schubert breaks it down with 25+ years of operator-investor experience. From founding OnVista in the early internet era to backing some of Germany’s most successful exits, Stephan has refined a model built on capital efficiency, high-margin niches, and KPI-driven execution. Our sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday offer – NordStellar x Startuprad.io. NordStellar, developed by the team behind NordVPN, gives startups and scaleups real-time insights into leaked credentials, darknet threats, and unprotected assets – before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20% off with code blackfriday20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio. 🕒 Offer valid until December 10, 2025 – protect your business before your data is offered for sale on the darknet. NordStellar – Know what attackers know. Act first. In this episode, you’ll learn: – Why camel startups outperform hype-driven growth– How to use high-margin niches to scale from customer revenue– The KPI playbook STS Ventures uses with every founder– Why raise when you can, not when you must is a game-changer in DACH– How to stay capital-efficient without limiting your growth potential– Why Stephan avoids hype cycles like LLM infrastructure and focuses on AI as a tool for real industries like waste processing– What founders can learn from exits like Audibene, Emma, JustWatch, and others Whether you're building in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, this episode offers one of the clearest explanations of capital-efficient growth, B2B startup scaling, and long-term founder wealth creation. Guest Spotlight:Stephan Schubert, Investor & Managing Director, STS VenturesFounder of OnVista and Ligatus, early investor in Audibene, Emma, JustWatch, and other major DACH success cases. If this episode helped you, follow the podcast and share it with a founder who needs this playbook. Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team. - Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/camel-startups-in-dach-the-sts-ventures-playbook-with-stephan-schubert - YouTube: https://youtu.be/BYs50t7oZ14 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

What if the biggest cyber risk inside your company wasn’t malware — but identity? In this episode, I sit down with Santhosh Jayaprakash, founder & CEO of UnoSecur, to unpack one of the fastest-moving transformations in cybersecurity: the rise of identity as the new perimeter. Attackers don’t break in anymore — they log in. And with AI agents, LLM workflows, and machine-to-machine communication exploding, identity risk is growing faster than security teams can react. UnoSecur is building an identity security platform that monitors identity behavior after login, detecting stolen credentials, risky machine identities, and AI agent misuse in real time. Think of it as the layer that finally answers the question: Who is actually doing what inside your systems — and should they be doing it? Our sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday offer – NordStellar x Startuprad.io. NordStellar, developed by the team behind NordVPN, gives startups and scaleups real-time insights into leaked credentials, darknet threats, and unprotected assets – before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20% off with code blackfriday20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio. 🕒 Offer valid until December 10, 2025 – protect your business before your data is offered for sale on the darknet. NordStellar – Know what attackers know. Act first. What you’ll learn in this episode:– Why 80% of attacks now start with credential theft– How AI agents bypass MFA and create 40× more identity surface– Why agentless security is the only scalable model– How machine identities become high-risk without teams noticing– Real-world identity failures from fintech & healthcare– Why identity sprawl is the silent crisis inside every enterprise– How UnoSecur’s real-time identity detection works behind the scenes– What identity security will look like by 2030 About the Guest:Santhosh is a 3× founder with 18 years in cloud & security, previously scaling Anchor Cloud before building UnoSecur in Berlin. He’s one of the most compelling thinkers in the identity-first security movement. If you’re building in SaaS, cloud, AI, DevOps, or cybersecurity, this conversation is a wake-up call. Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team. - Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/the-ai-identity-threat-no-one-saw-coming-and-how-to-stop-it - YouTube: https://youtu.be/hXsCGES5Chk 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

What if AI could give craftsmen their time back?In this episode of Startuprad.io, host Jörn Menninger sits down with Julian Wiedenhaus, CEO and Co-Founder of PlanCraft, to explore how AI agents and voice interfaces are reshaping Europe’s construction sector.From a family carpentry shop to a €38 M Series B, PlanCraft built an AI-first SaaS that helps over 20 000 craft businesses quote, invoice and coordinate projects without paper chaos. Our sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday offer – NordStellar x Startuprad.io. NordStellar, developed by the team behind NordVPN, gives startups and scaleups real-time insights into leaked credentials, darknet threats, and unprotected assets – before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20% off with code blackfriday20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio. 🕒 Offer valid until December 10, 2025 – protect your business before your data is offered for sale on the darknet. NordStellar – Know what attackers know. Act first. What You’ll Learn: – How PlanCraft bridged the gap between Excel and enterprise ERP systems.– Why AI agents are becoming digital coworkers for the trades.– How product-led growth and creator referrals drove organic expansion.– The “Robin Hood” pricing model balancing affordability and ARR.– How values-based culture can scale across countries without breaking. Julian explains how PlanCraft builds tools for people who don’t sit at desks — making software fit human workflows, not the other way around. The result is a human-centered AI platform transforming construction SMBs across the DACH region and beyond. Guest Spotlight:Julian Wiedenhaus, CEO & Co-Founder @ PlanCraft — recognized for bringing AI to the craft industry while keeping empathy at the core of technology. - Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/ai-agents-are-rebuilding-europes-construction-industry - YouTube: https://youtu.be/DjeoSnq3JyE 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

Can “screen time” actually make kids smarter?That’s the question Irene Klemm, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Edurino, set out to answer — and in doing so, built one of Europe’s fastest-growing edtech startups. From lockdown chaos to scaling across the DACH region and the UK, Irene shares how Edurino redefined hybrid learning for kids by combining physical play with digital apps that teach real skills. Our sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday offer – NordStellar x Startuprad.io. NordStellar, developed by the team behind NordVPN, gives startups and scaleups real-time insights into leaked credentials, darknet threats, and unprotected assets – before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20% off with code blackfriday20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio. 🕒 Offer valid until December 10, 2025 – protect your business before your data is offered for sale on the darknet. NordStellar – Know what attackers know. Act first. What You’ll Learn: – How Edurino turned tablets into teachers for children aged 4–8– Why building parent trust in digital learning is the ultimate growth hack– How to scale an edtech startup in Europe without losing quality– What AI means for the future of early education– How female founders like Irene are reshaping Germany’s startup ecosystem Guest Spotlight: Irene Klemm — Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 (German Startup Awards) — leads Edurino’s mission to make digital education safe, playful, and measurably effective. Her story proves that trust, evidence, and empathy can scale just as fast as funding. Key Insights: Cambridge University study shows Edurino boosts problem-solving by 35 % and reading skills by 25 %. 400 000 families across Europe use Edurino’s hybrid learning system. Female founder success case in a trust-sensitive industry. Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/how-edurino-built-europes-hybrid-learning-revolution YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZjVUmDfg9aw 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

🏁 The Deep Dive is here.Germany, Austria and Switzerland enter a new startup cycle where the headline isn’t “Who raised the biggest check?” but “Who’s building the most defensible foundation?” Hosts Jörn ‘Joe’ Menninger and Chris Fahrenbach break down October 2025’s most important stories in AI, fintech, venture capital, and climate tech. 🔎 What You’ll Learn The €735 B 🇩🇪 Made for Germany plan and its impact on infrastructure, energy & innovation. How Aleph Alpha’s CEO transition reshapes Europe’s AI landscape. Why Sequoia and EQT Ventures are doubling down on the DACH region. Major funding rounds from Nexus AI, Eco Robotics, DeskBird, and Cartos. The rise of female founders in Munich and new hybrid-work innovation. What BioNTech + CureVac means for Germany’s biotech future. The shift toward defense and dual-use tech in Europe. Which startups are pivoting or consolidating (Heidelberg Pharma, FanRight, Casablanca AI). Our Sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday Offer — NordStellar x Startuprad.io Built by the team behind NordVPN, NordStellar gives startups and scaleups real-time visibility into leaked credentials, dark-web threats, and exposed assets — before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20 percent off your plan with code black friday 20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio 🕒 Offer valid until December 10 th 2025 — protect your business before your data ends up for sale on the dark web. NordStellar — Know what attackers know. Act first. 🎙 About the Hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Startuprad.io (Frankfurt) Chris Fahrenbach, Co-host & Global Analyst (Hanover / New York) Together, they track the most important startup stories in the DACH ecosystem — AI, deep tech, fintech, and scale-up growth. Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team. Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-dach-startups-october-2025-deep-dive YouTube: https://youtu.be/tnZx20FpsqA ✉️ 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

What if Europe — not Silicon Valley — defined the future of AI? In this October 2025 episode of Startuprad.io Startup News, hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger and Chris Fahrenbach break down the latest stories shaping Europe’s AI Supercluster, led by DeepL, Black Forest Labs, and N8N. From record climate tech funding to biotech breakthroughs and industrial AI, this episode uncovers how Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are transforming into the epicenter of smart, sovereign innovation. 💡 What You’ll Learn How DeepL, N8N, and Black Forest Labs are driving Europe’s AI dominance The €700M NPAL climate tech deal reshaping energy and solar adoption Why Tubulis (€308M) puts Munich back on the biotech map The rise of sovereign AI and Europe’s privacy-first infrastructure Why startup governance and profitability are the new superpowers Our Sponsor: 🚀 Exclusive Black Friday Offer — NordStellar x Startuprad.io Built by the team behind NordVPN, NordStellar gives startups and scaleups real-time visibility into leaked credentials, dark-web threats, and exposed assets — before attackers can exploit them. 👉 Get 20 percent off your plan with code black friday 20 at nordstellar.com/startupradio 🕒 Offer valid until December 10 th 2025 — protect your business before your data ends up for sale on the dark web. NordStellar — Know what attackers know. Act first. 🎙 About the Hosts Jörn “Joe” Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Startuprad.io (Frankfurt) Chris Fahrenbach, Co-host & Global Analyst (Hanover / New York) Together, they track the most important startup stories in the DACH ecosystem — AI, deep tech, fintech, and scale-up growth. Enjoy the show? Follow, review, and share this episode with your team. Blog Post: https://www.startuprad.io/post/europe-ai-supercluster Youtube Full Video: https://youtu.be/K-yL359uCls ✉️ 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

He sold his AI startup for $60 million — and fell apart. In this raw and powerful conversation, Xaver Lehmann, co-founder and former CEO of e-bot7, opens up about burnout, loss, and recovery after one of Europe’s biggest AI exits. What happens when you achieve everything you ever wanted — and it breaks you? 💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:– How founder burnout starts long before the exit stage– The psychology of post-exit identity crisis & loss of purpose– Why mental health is the new startup competitive advantage– How Xaver rebuilt his life and founded The Honest Founder community– Why freedom > funding for the next generation of founders 🧩 Guest Spotlight:Xaver Lehmann — Co-Founder & Former CEO of e-bot7, Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur turned mental-health advocate. His journey shows how founders can redefine success without losing themselves. 🚀 Meet Our Sponsor EXCLUSIVE NordVPN offer ➼ https://nordvpn.com/startuprad Try it now for 30 days completely risk-free with a money-back guarantee!   To get the best discount on your NordVPN subscription, just head over to nordvpn.com/startuprad. And here’s the kicker — with our link, you’ll get four extra months on the two-year plan. Totally risk-free, because you’ve got the 30-day money-back guarantee. And of course, you’ll find that link right in the episode description. Read full Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/founder-burnout-recovery-the-hidden-cost-of-startup-success Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ezzyR1DhZ_c 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

What if your daily rituals could unlock peak founder focus — without hustle culture or burnout? In this episode, Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha Company and former Hollywood VFX executive (Independence Day, Godzilla, Transformers Prime), shares the rituals, behavioral frameworks, and AI-powered systems he uses to help founders reach deep work in distraction-heavy environments. Steven’s journey from blockbuster sets to startup leadership reveals how flow state rituals can transform founder performance. 🚀 Meet Our Sponsor EXCLUSIVE NordVPN offer ➼ https://nordvpn.com/startuprad Try it now for 30 days completely risk-free with a money-back guarantee!   To get the best discount on your NordVPN subscription, just head over to nordvpn.com/startuprad. And here’s the kicker — with our link, you’ll get four extra months on the two-year plan. Totally risk-free, because you’ve got the 30-day money-back guarantee. And of course, you’ll find that link right in the episode description. 💡 What You’ll Learn – How to use environmental & sound triggers to engineer daily flow – Behavioral nudges that increased productivity by 77% – Why bootstrapping vs VC discipline changes product quality – How AI productivity assistants will personalize founder workflows – Why empathy & resilience outperform hustle culture for long-term success 👤 Guest Spotlight Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha Company, blends Hollywood rigor with startup agility. He shares real-world frameworks founders can apply tomorrow to unlock focus, structure, and sustainable output. Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/flow-state-rituals-for-founders YouTube: https://youtu.be/90_p-_KIB-E 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger

Steven Puri, co-founder/CEO of Sukha, shares the flow state for startup founders playbook: body doubling, the coffee-shop effect, chronotype time-blocking, demo-first standups, and outcome-based leadership. You’ll learn how to beat the 22-minute context switching tax, design deep-work rituals for remote teams, and build a best-idea-wins culture that ships. 🚀 Meet Our Sponsor EXCLUSIVE NordVPN offer ➼ https://nordvpn.com/startuprad Try it now for 30 days completely risk-free with a money-back guarantee!   To get the best discount on your NordVPN subscription, just head over to nordvpn.com/startuprad. And here’s the kicker — with our link, you’ll get four extra months on the two-year plan. Totally risk-free, because you’ve got the 30-day money-back guarantee. And of course, you’ll find that link right in the episode description. What you’ll learn How ambient accountability outperforms solo willpower Practical body doubling setups for founders & remote teams Timer methods to defeat context switching Scheduling deep work around your chronotype Why demo-first standups accelerate shipping Guest: Steven Puri — Co-founder & CEO, Sukha Blog: https://www.startuprad.io/post/flow-state-for-startup-founders-the-complete-deep-work-playbook YouTube: https://youtu.be/H9He13RyJ00 🎧 The Audio Podcast Subscribe here: https://linktr.ee/startupradio 🚪 Connect with Us Partner with us: partnerships@startuprad.io Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/startupradio Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 Follow Joe on LinkedIn: Jörn Menninger

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. Our Sponsor “EXCLUSIVE NordVPN offer ➼ https://nordvpn.com/startuprad Try it now for 30 days completely risk-free with a money-back guarantee!”   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 ✉️ 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 keywords: German startups; DACH startup news; venture capital Germany; deep tech Europe; AI chip Germany; funding rounds Europe; B2B SaaS Europe. 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. Our Sponsor “EXCLUSIVE NordVPN offer ➼ https://nordvpn.com/startuprad Try it now for 30 days completely risk-free with a money-back guarantee!”   To get the best discount on your NordVPN subscription, just head over to nordvpn.com/startuprad. And here’s the kicker — with our link, you’ll get four extra months on the two-year plan. Totally risk-free, because you’ve got the 30-day money-back guarantee. And of course, you’ll find that link right in the episode description.” 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 Primary keywords: German startup news, AI startups, venture capital Germany, climate tech Europe, startup news DACH, SaaS Germany. 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 Feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9 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.

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. 🚀 Meet Our Sponsor 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 💬 Feedback: https://forms.gle/Qp53eVuc9P1RMqWj8 💼 Follow Jörn on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger 🔑 Keyword Integration 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 🚀 Meet Our Sponsor 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 Guest Spotlight 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 🔑 Keyword Integration 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