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

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• DACH Startup Ecosystem 2025: The Ultimate Hub
  

What happens when an FBI-trained negotiation coach brings elite sales psychology into the startup world? You get a masterclass in influence, integrity, and investor persuasion.

Today’s episode of Startuprad.io features Matthias Bullmahn, a crisis negotiation expert, former Accenture executive, and storytelling coach — here to show founders how to negotiate like pros and scale without manipulation.

What You'll Learn:

• How to apply BATNA to investor negotiations and enterprise sales

Guest Spotlight:

Now It Is Up To YOU:

🚀Our Sponsor

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Guest Name: Matthias Bullmahn, Sales Psychologist & Strategic Communications Expert

Related Blog Posts on Startuprad.io:

• 🎙️ Mastering Startup Negotiation Tactics: Sales Psychology Meets FBI Playbooks

Relevant External Resources:

• Harvard Negotiation Project

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

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.

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Guest Name: Andy Goldstein, Managing Director Europe, VU Venture Partners

Relevant Resources:

• VU Venture Partners

Timestamps:

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

In Part 2 of our interview with Christian Conrad — coach, former Kellogg’s exec, and author of Magical Company Culture — we go deep into the execution side of culture.

Forget team-building retreats. Christian outlines a leadership playbook where trust, behavioral habits, and culture KPIs like eNPS are used to build high-performing, emotionally engaged teams.

• Why “100% trust from Day 1” transforms startup teams

Christian Conrad is the founder of Management Boost and author of Magical Company Culture. His mission? 1 million smiling employees by 2035. He’s coached global corporations and hypergrowth startups alike on measurable, trust-based leadership.

🔥 If you’re a founder, investor, or executive navigating scale, this episode is your culture execution guide.

✅ Subscribe, review, and share this episode to help us build the startup leadership community.

This episode is sponsored by Tide.co

• Guest Name: Christian Conrad (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianconrad-magneticculture/)

• Christian’s Website

• 00:00 – Why Culture Execution Fails

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What if your company culture was your biggest growth engine? In this episode, we dive deep with leadership coach Christian Conrad to unpack what makes startup cultures not only magnetic but measurable — and how founders can lead with emotional intelligence and trust from Day 1.

• How to use eNPS to measure engagement and cultural health

Christian Conrad, founder of Management Boost and author of Magical Company Culture, is on a mission to create 1 million smiling employees by 2035. He has helped startups and corporates alike transform their cultures into scalable engines for growth.

If you’re building a startup, managing a tech team, or investing in founders — this conversation will shift your thinking on leadership.

👉 Follow Startuprad.io, subscribe on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. Share with your co-founder, HR lead, or investor network.

• Give us feedback: https://forms.gle/SrcGUpycu26fvMFE9

Follow the editor in chief / founder on LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=joernmenninger

• Guest Name: Christian Conrad, Leadership Coach & Author

• Magical Company Culture – Book

• 00:00 – Introduction

In April 2025, DACH startups raised over €1.3 billion—while one of Europe’s top fintechs spiraled into crisis. This isn’t just another news roundup. This is your investor-grade, startup-founder-relevant, executive-level briefing from the DACH region’s leading podcast.

🚀 This episode is brought to you by Vanta. Automate your SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliance in weeks, not months. Learn more at vanta.com/startupradio

What You'll Learn:

• The real story behind Trade Republic’s outages and financial trust issues

Guest Spotlight:

We Love to Hear from You:

Host: Jörn Menninger, Editor-in-Chief at Startuprad.io

• Amboss Funding: Silicon Canals

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro + Sponsor

StartupRad.io sits down with psychotherapist Imre Remenyi to explore burnout prevention, leadership, and culture for sustainable startup growth.

Burnout is silently killing startups. Discover how top founders and leaders detect it early, prevent it, and scale sustainable companies.

Are you a startup founder, tech executive, or investor navigating the intense world of high-growth companies? This StartupRad.io episode is your lifeline. Host Jörn 'Joe' Menninger speaks with renowned psychotherapist and consultant Imre Marton Remenyi in a masterclass on burnout prevention for entrepreneurs. You'll get actionable strategies to protect your team and build a business that lasts.

Forget surface-level "work-life balance." We dig into the real psychological, operational, and financial risks that burnout presents — and show you how to fix them. Learn how to identify subtle warning signs, lead with empathy, and create a culture where your people (and your company) can thrive.

Why this episode matters:

For Founders & CEOs:

For Tech Executives:

For Investors:

🕒 Key Episode Highlights:

• 00:00:20 — Meet Imre: From opera singer to psychotherapist

💼 Sponsor:

Vanta helps startups automate security and compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2, and more).

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✅ Subscribe to the StartupRad.io podcast for more insights on entrepreneurship, venture capital, and startup growth.

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Are you a founder, investor, scaleup exec, or tech enthusiast looking to decode Europe's billion-euro startup engines? You’ve landed in the right place. Startuprad.io brings you the ultimate Unicorn Tracker for Spring 2025, offering you front-row insight into the most dynamic startups and scaleups across the DACH region—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

🎯 Prefer the full analysis, data, and links? Dive deeper here:

⏱️ [00:02:20] What is DACH?

⏱️ [00:03:30] Quantum Systems & New Unicorns

⏱️ [00:04:20] Logistics Titans: Forto & Sennder

⏱️ [00:05:53] Mobility Mavericks: Flix, Tier, Volocopter

⏱️ [00:06:40] AI & Defense Tech: Agile Robots & Helsing

⏱️ [00:07:30] Consumer Tech Giants: Check24 & AutoDoc

⏱️ [00:09:10] Biotech’s Highs & Heartbreaks

⏱️ [00:10:10] Climate Tech’s Gold Rush

⏱️ [00:12:30] Fintech & Insurtech Battles

⏱️ [00:14:00] SaaS & Enterprise Software

⏱️ [00:24:55] The Unicorn Graveyard

This is your unfair advantage in understanding how the DACH region creates, scales, and sometimes loses billion-dollar startups. Whether you're:

• 🚀 A founder looking for inspiration

...you’ll walk away with actionable insights, real stories, and trend-defining strategies.

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📌 Full Show Notes + Transcript + Links:

🎧 Subscribe to Startuprad.io wherever you get your podcasts

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Introduction

Dive into the DACH region's startup scene! This episode covers the latest trends in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, recorded with Chris Fahrenbach in New York City.

Key Highlights

• Fintech Evolution: Coorsair's IDNow acquisition (€300M) and the stablecoin surge to $226B highlight fintech's dynamism.

Fintech: A Sector in Motion

Fintech sees Coorsair's IDNow acquisition and stablecoin growth. The ECB's digital Euro plans are also significant.

Venture Capital: Navigating the Landscape

Toma Bravo's fund shows investor confidence, but "zombie VC" and insolvencies pose challenges.

AI and Technology: Innovation

Germany's AI research faces implementation hurdles. Volocopter and BioMed demonstrate other tech advancements.

Startup Ecosystem: Challenges and Successes

Funding for companies like Tectile contrasts with layoffs and insolvencies. Acquisitions continue.

Regional Highlights

• Germany: Strong AI research, but application lags.

Conclusion

The DACH startup scene is dynamic, with innovation and challenges across sectors.

Call to Action

Subscribe to our podcast for DACH startup updates! Share your thoughts below.

The music used in our intro is "MF-297 : First Hero" licensed from Musicfox.com: https://www.musicfox.com/detailsuche/?searchtext=297&submit=search

All rights reserved - Startuprad.io™

🚀 Big news from the DACH startup world! Finn raises €1B for car subscriptions, Cherry Ventures launches a €500M AI fund, but Lilium faces insolvency.

👉 Vanta automates security and compliance, save 1.000 US$ with us by signing up with this link: vanta.com/startupradio 

🤯 Finn raises €1 BILLION for car subscriptions! But is it all good news? Lilium crashes back to earth with its second insolvency.  

We unpack the hottest DACH startup stories:

• VC gold rush: Cherry Ventures' new €500M AI fund

🚀 Don't get left behind! Subscribe now for your weekly dose of DACH startup action.

The music used in our intro is "MF-297 : First Hero" licensed from Musicfox.com: https://www.musicfox.com/detailsuche/?searchtext=297&submit=search